IDeCAST · Innovative design and control methodologies for large scale solar tracker
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-07-01 → 2025-06-29
- EU contribution
- €224,934
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
Innovative design and control methodologies for large scale solar tracker
This project tackles a critical engineering challenge in the field of renewable energy: design and control methodologies for next-generation solar tracking systems in terms of both energy-efficient and structurally robust. Traditional solar trackers used in photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) systems typically suffer from several technical limitations—most notably, high energy consumption due to large actuation torques, low stiffness under wind loads, and limited tracking accuracy caused by friction and mechanical backlash. These issues not only increase operational costs and maintenance requirements but also limit the long-term reliability and scalability of solar farms. Given the urgent global need to reduce carbon emissions and transition toward sustainable energy systems, improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar tracking technologies is of great societal importance. Solar trackers can increase energy capture by up to 25–30% compared to fixed systems, making them vital for maximizing the return on investment in solar installations. However, for these technologies to become more widespread—especially in large-scale solar farms—new approaches are needed to reduce energy input, enhance durability, and maintain precision tracking in harsh environmental conditions such as wind and dust. The overall objective of this project is to develop and validate innovative design and control methodologies for a new type of solar tracker with superior mechanical and tracking performance.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Solar energy has been considered as one of the viable sources of renewable energy over the past years. Many solar energy collection systems have been developed to convert solar energy into either electrical or thermal power for the industrial and domestic applications. In these systems, solar trackers are generally utilized to increase the solar panel/mirror area exposed to the direction of the sun radiation. However, the current solar tracker mechanisms are heavy, expensive and extremely high energy consumption, which significantly limits the applications of solar energy collection. The objectives of this project are to investigate the innovative design and control method of a new generation of solar tracker which has the characteristics of small torque, low energy consumption and high stiffness. The expected achievements will provide unique techniques/methodologies for breakthrough design and development of solar trackers. In this project, the Grassmann Geometry and the work principle of stone mill in ancient China will be utilized to invent a novel solar tracker with small torque and high energy efficiency, and the performance atlas method will be explored for mechanical structure optimization. Further, the friction compensation and wind disturbance rejection control methodologies are established to improve the performance of the developed system.This project will bring the complementary expertise in advanced measurement and control, robotics and mechanisms led by the Warwick Group and the solar tracker design and analysis by Dr Wu. This combination has placed the team in the best position to achieve the ultimate objectives. The research will provide benefits for the sponsor by publishing high-ranking papers and inventing new solar trackers. The capability of development of new solar trackers is of prime importance to both UK and European engineers and scientists for better utilization of solar energy in the 21st century.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK · COVENTRYCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union