HELIOSTAT SUN SOLAR TRACKER SOLAR POWER FRESNEL LENS GREEN ENERGY

This is our first attempt at a useable Heliostat for our Fresnel Lenses. In future videos I will have all the information for a DIY system using very easy to find materials. We are developing a controller that is simple to program and can control any type of DC or even AC motors. Once completed I will share some open source information.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• FRESNEL
• LENS
• HELIOSTAT
• SUN
• TRACKER
• SOLAR
• ENERGY
• DISCOVERY
• CHANNEL
• NATIONAL
• GEOGRAPHIC
• GREENPLANET
• diy
• electronics

[7777dmith7777]

Is it not easier to use a photocell eye in a tube hooked to a couple of servos ?

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Yes:-)

[Froggy19510]

why don't you use an arduino? twice as easy less parts and programming.

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

AMAZING IDEA!!!!!! Thank you, I am not a big electronic expert but that seems so easy. Have you ever programmed one?

Dan

[florifattori]

Dear Dan and Denise:

We are really proud of your experiments. Solar concentration through optical devises are very promising tehcnologies. We think that the HELIOSTAT SUN TRACKER its very important, in order to capture and profit the most sunlight as possible!!

Good luck with your future developments!

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Thank you very much for the nice comments:-)

[enicao]

Why do you need a computer or complex electronics to track the sun?

I think a system with 2 very small solar cells and a motor are enough. ( a bit difficult to explain writing)

- the positive side of the panels are connected together to the plus side of the motor. so the 2 cells are working against each other. the one who receive more sun light produces more power and turns the panel it's way, until both have the same power (facing the sun).

this system is very simple, light and self powered.

[svesolar]

I have a cost effective solution build a tracking system. 2 axis 4 bearings simple electronics and works.

[rstevewarmorycom]

@GREENPOWERSCIENCE

Beautiful. Now stop calling it a heliostat. It's a sun-tracker. Dan, you should know

better. A heliostat is a name reserved for a mirror that tracks the sun at such an angle that it reflects the light to a fixed distant spot, like a power-tower for a steam boiler to run a turbine-generator. Yours is a sun-tracker.

[jerryaltman]

@elryanoo I understand. Thank you

But the mirror used in some solar farms are curved only in one direction (vertical, and have just one axis of adjustment.

[elryanoo]

@jerryaltman The earth's axis is tilted so even if you're at the equator you need two axis.

[jerryaltman]

Is one axis of movement enough ? If you are not in equator I think you need more than one axis of movement. Or am I wrong ?

[ebutuou123]

@GREENPOWERSCIENCE you can look on you tube there's a whole bunch of stuff on arduino's. people post their code too. thx 4 ur vids Dan.

[paF4uko]

You're using Linux!!!  Cool!!!! =)

[lexam55]

this very expensive way i have my own idea using timer....

[rewIndustry]

..cont - all you have to do is set the panel up so that it's shaded (by your collector itself, or something parallel) when the mirror/lens is aligned, and gets progressively more exposed as the system falls behind the sun. essentially a totally passive system, incorporating progressive acceleration and all - nice and smooth and easy, only i haven't yet managed to sort out how it could be applied to a field & tower system such as abengoa's.

[rewIndustry]

um, yeah, but why all the fuss? given you've aligned your system properly, you only have to adjust the vertical inclination once a day, and then only fractionally - hardly seems worth an entire actuator... the sun only crosses the sky in one direction, so you'd only have to chase it in one direction. therefore computer control seems like total overkill. one small solar panel, one small dc motor, such as any cheap solar driven car window fan, is all it should take.. cont...