Abstract—A CPV solar tracker design is described using CAE tools. A virtual wind tunnel simulation and finite element analysis software to calculate the stress and deformation is used. A ‘tilt-roll’ tracker employs an inexpensive linear actuator and dampers system to drive the tilt axis, also a bar mechanism driven with another linear actuator in the ‘roll’ axis is utilized. The process to calculate the aperture angle losses caused by the wind drag is discussed.
Index Terms—Solar tracker, CPV, finite element analysis.
Christian Dávila-Peralta and Ricardo Rodríguez-Carvajal are with the Industrial Engineer Department, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, SON 83000 Mexico (e-mail: cdavila@vinculacion.uson.mx, ricardo@industrial.uson.mx).
Rafael Cabanillas-López is with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, SON 83000 Mexico (e-mail: rcabani@iq.uson.mx).
Rafael García-Gutiérrez is with the Physics Research Department, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, SON 83000 Mexico (e-mail: rgarcia@cifus.uson.mx).
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Cite:Christian Dávila-Peralta, Rafael Cabanillas-López, Rafael García-Gutiérrez, and Ricardo Rodríguez-Carvajal, "Design of a Linear Actuator Driven Solar Tracker for High Concentration Photovoltaics Technologies," Journal of Clean Energy Technologies vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 197-201, 2016.
