This paper focuses on the development of an optimized photovoltaic tracking system involving low-cost, relative simple mechanisms, with linear actuators able to insure strokes comparable with those resulted when using gear rotary actuators. Starting with a rhombus linkage, with a linear actuator on the diagonal used for the elevation motion till 90°, a new performance solution is generated. This new linkage allows large angular strokes by using an asymmetric rhombus and an eccentrically positioned linear actuator. The paper can be divided in three main parts. Firstly the kinematical modeling of the new linkage is addressed, which permits the establishing of the linkage dimensions according to two adjustable parameters (k2, k5). Using the resulted correlations, in the second part the linkage synthesis algorithm is developed; the steps followed in this algorithm are presented in a numerical application considering a tracked PV platform, where the azimuthal vertical movement is obtained with the new proposed rhomboidal linkage. In the last part of the paper an analysis is done with the aim of determining the PV platform tracking efficiency (which represents the ratio between the received and the available beam solar energy) using the new linkage, in the meteorological conditions of Brasov, Romania implementation site.
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