Research Projects

A solar tracker is a device, which orients the solar panel to normal to the direction of the sunlight to increase the efficiency of the solar panel. The single axis solar tracker is used to track the East to West motion of the sun and has a potential to increase the efficiency of the solar panel by 20 to 30 percent. The path of the sun also has seasonal variation throughout the year due to which it gets shift in the North-South direction during the different parts of the year. Thus, to accurately point to the direction of the sun, two degrees of freedom (DOF) system is required to accurately point towards the sun. A dual axis solar tracker can accurately point in the direction of the sun as it has two degrees of freedom. It increases the energy output to 25-40% depending on the location as different locations receive different amount of sunlight throughout the year. The solar panels are supported in bearings and actuated by motor. The heat, dust and the sand around the solar farm contaminate the bearings heavily making it difficult to maintain and they need to be frequently replaced. The focus of the project would be to design a fully compliant dual axis solar tracker with sufficient support strength to bear the weight of the solar panel and wind load. The compliant mechanism should be able to produce the required large of motion, to track the position of the sun. The use of compliant mechanism makes the tracker maintenance free. The project also includes the fabrication and installation of the developed solar tracker and monitor the performance. The technical know-how generated will be transferred to local artisans or manufacturers which leads to social empowerment and employment generation. The project aligns with the various government initiatives like Make in India and Start-up India. With this project, we would like to reach to the remotest part of India and contribute towards the nation building and rural empowerment.