Investigative Study on Fuzzy PID Structures Based on Single-Axis Solar Tracking System

EasyChair Preprint 5118

Abstract

The need for alternative energy sources has been a propelling driver pivoting huge investment in the harvesting of solar energy as a means to combat the energy crisis in many sub-Sahara African countries. Efficient harvesting of this energy during the day largely depends on the tracking system employed, which could either be a single or dual-axis. This work explores the structures of Fuzzy Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) for controlling the solar tracking system. A direct current (D.C.) motor was modeled as the solar tracking system based on Kirchhoff’s laws. The Fuzzy logic of linear and nonlinear structures was used to tune the proposed PID controller while the simulation was done in Matlab/Simulink environment. The sun’s trajectory was accurately tracked by the fuzzy (PD+I) and PID controller for 12 hours and mimicked response at a maximum altitude angle of 58.20° with minimal error and quick response. The performance of the proposed system design was evaluated based on the rise time, settling time, overshoot, and peak time as metrics. Results obtained based on the PD+I controller structure outperformed the conventional PID and Fuzzy PI + PD controller structures, with a rise time, settling time, overshoot, and the peak time of 1.15s, 3.15, 3%, and 1.43s, respectively, when subjected to a load of 0.1 Nm.

Keyphrases: Fuzzy-PID structures, Kirchoff’s Laws, PID, Photovoltaic performance, Solar Tracker, energy harvesting

@booklet{EasyChair:5118,
  author    = {Abraham Amole and Gabriel Ogungbure and Daniel Akinyele and Olakunle Olabode and David Aborisade},
  title     = {Investigative Study on Fuzzy PID Structures Based on Single-Axis Solar Tracking System},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 5118},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2021}}