STEP-TRACKING PROGRAM SYNTHESIS OF AN AZIMUTH TRACKED CONCENTRATING PHOTOVOLTAIC (CPV) SYSTEM

摘要

For the optimal working of the concentrating photovoltaic systems (CPV), these are usually tracked, and the accuracy required in following the sun path is much higher than in non-concentrating system. The paper focuses on the synthesis of the optimal step tracking program of an azimuth tracking system, used for accurate tracking of a CPV system. The paper presents the synthesis modelling algorithm and the numerical simulations for a CPV system, orientated with an azimuth tracking system, implemented in the mountain region as a case study in Brasov area, Romania, using the specific location parameters, considering the ideal (clear sky) and the in-field conditions. To find the optimal tracking program for the azimuth tracked CPV system following stages have to be followed: 1) the optimal daily motion estimating; 2) the optimal elevation angle estimating 3) the tracking algorithm optimization, by reducing the number of motions/building seasons (optimal number of days with the same orientation program) and 4) the year division into adequate seasons depending on the elevation angle variation (α*). The results obtained from the numerical simulations are: the year is divided into 100 seasons for which the daily motion has a step duration of 8 minutes (for 36 seasons) and 4 minutes (for 65 seasons) and the elevation motion has a step duration of 8 minutes for all the seasons.