A Sun Tracking System Design for a Large Dish Solar Concentrator

Energy crisis promotes the development of renewable energy, especially the solar energy. Sun tracking system proposed in this paper is such a device for efficiency improvement. This closed loop tracking system with two axis sun tracking method is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) and is used for a large dish solar collector. A combination tracking mode combined active and passive tracking methods used in the design make the tracker efficient whatever the circumstances. Two stepper motors and two reduction boxes move the device towards the sun with chain transmission. Besides sun tracking, the system also has functions of overheat monitoring, wind speed monitoring and measurement of illumination