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Testing for the Effectiveness of Different Solar Tracker Designs

JSHS · 2020

Wolfgang Ploch, Mr. Steele · Central Virginia Governor’s School Lynchburg, Virginia

Overview

Central Virginia Governor’s School The purpose of this experiment was to compare the power output capabilities of a prototype single and double axis solar tracker. An artificial light source, used to simulate the sun, was constructed with a rotating wood piece and a solar simulating bulb. The solar tracker was designed and constructed to rotate on one axis or two axes depending on the position of a switch. A photoresistor as a light sensor was placed where the solar panel would be positioned to simulate the solar panel’s power output. Eight tests were conducted for each tracker orientation. The amount of time the tracker adjusted itself and the resistance of the photoresistor were used to determine the total power output for a simulated twelve-hour day, even though the tests lasted only around 10 seconds. A t-test was used to compare the power outputs for the two groups in watt-hours. The data was found to be significant as the t-test returned a p value of 9.959×10-9, significantly less than the alpha value of .05. The double axis tracker provided more power which supported the hypothesis: if I use a double axis tracker, then it would produce more power than a single axis tracker even though it consumes more power to operate itself. These results can be used to engineer more efficient solar farms for harvesting solar power, which could replace traditional fossil fuel methods. This change could slow down or reverse the pollution of the environment that fossil fuels have caused.

Competition history

  • JSHS 2020 Category not listed

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Source: Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

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