Solar Intensity Distribution in the Upper Hemisphere on a Clear Day Near Noon. Final Report

摘要

The goal of this project was to measure solar radiation (quasi) simultaneously at 144 positions of tilt and azimuth in the upper hemisphere. The apparatus consisted of a solar radiometer fixed to an articulating mechanism driven by stepping motors which were controlled by a low-cost microcomputer. At each 15 deg increment of altitude and azimuth, the radiant flux was sensed by the radiometer and the resulting electrical output digitized and stored in the computer. The upper hemisphere was scanned once each 30 seconds. At the end of each hour, the solar radiation measured in each direction was averaged and the result stored on magnetic tape. The data base consists of hourly averages of the solar flux on each of 144 planes. This paper describes the experimental apparatus and presents the results. (ERA citation 10:043976)