The energy balance of the photovoltaic tracking systems using virtual prototyping platform

The paper presents a solution for increasing the energetic efficiency of the photovoltaic systems by using mechanical tracking systems. The key idea is to maximize the energy gained through orientation, and to minimize the energy consumption for tracking of the Sun path. The optimization is made by reducing the angular revolution field of the panel, and consequently the operating time of the motor, without significantly affecting the incident radiation. In fact, we are looking for the optimal angular field in which the panel absorbs as much as possible solar radiation with minimum energy consumption. The application is made for a polar tracking system, by using a virtual prototyping platform that contains specific software solutions, in the concurrent engineering concept, as follows: CATIA - for developing the geometric model of the tracking mechanism, ADAMS/View - for analyzing & optimizing the tracking system, and MATLAB/Simulink & ADAMS/Controls - for developing the control system.