Design and Implementation of a Single-Axis Solar Tracker using DC Motor and LDR Sensors

As part of my academic journey in the Electronics and Communications Engineering Department, I worked on developing a smart solar tracking system that maximizes solar energy capture by automatically following the sun's movement using a DC motor and light sensors.

Project Concept:

The main objective of a solar tracker is to minimize the angle of incidence between sunlight and solar panels, which significantly improves energy efficiency. Our design focuses on horizontal tracking to reduce complexity and minimize gravitational effects.

Core Components:

LDR Sensors to detect sunlight direction on the horizontal axis.

Signal Conditioning Circuit with potentiometers to adjust sensitivity based on ambient light levels.

Motor Control Circuit using an H-Bridge for direction control, and a 555 Timer IC to generate PWM signals. The duty cycle dynamically adjusts based on the difference in light intensity between the LDRs.

Noise Filtering through a comparator with hysteresis to avoid false triggers when light difference is minimal.

MATLAB Simulations to visualize how PWM duty cycle variation controls the motor movement based on light input.

Proud of the effort poured into this project and grateful for the support from professors and colleagues. Excited to take this experience forward into real-world renewable energy applications!