Procedure for Conventional Passive Tracking System Construction
- Attach the photovoltaic panel to the 30 x 40 x 1 cm wooden board base using tape.
- Attach the metal axle rod sleeve to the bottom of the wooden base using wood glue.
- Drill a hole at the upper centre of the two 15 x 20 x 1 cm wooden bases, large enough for the metal rod to fit through firmly.
- Trim the ends of the metal rod using the hand saw to fit the system.
- Attach the wooden bases together, with the two drilled pieces standing vertically on the ends of one, using wood glue.
- Place the metal rod through the sleeve attached to the wooden base and panel, then through both drilled holes.
- Attach the partial pressure vapourization system to the underside of the panel’s wooden base at the east and west horizontal ends.
Procedure for Conventional Passive Tracking System Testing
- Arrange the conventional passive tracking system in a secure environment.
- Place the 300-watt light bulb and electrical lamp base 50 cm away from the surface of the passive tracking system.
- Connect the multimeter to the passive tracking system.
- Measure the voltage of the system three times, and the amperage once.
- Take a digital photograph of the arrangement with the light source in its east-west orientation, as well as its north-south orientation.
- Simulating solar movement, slightly shift the light source further on its east-west direction path as indicated on the corresponding sunchart.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 every 30 minutes for 7 hours.
- After obtaining all the photographs, graphically determine the direct path of the light source as a straight line on one of the photographs.
- Graphically determine the angle perpendicular to the light source.
- Compare the determined angle to the actual placement of the passive tracking system’s photovoltaic panel surface by calculating the angle of deviation.
- Determine the photovoltaic panel’s angle to the light source.
- From the other orientation’s photograph, determine the perpendicular angle to the light source.
- Determine the angle of deviation for this orientation.
- Calculate the panel’s angle to the light source for this orientation.
- Repeat steps 8 to 14 for the other photographs at different time frames.
Figure 8: This sunchart shows the east-west directional movement of the sun at a standard test latitude to be used for this investigation.
(Source: North Carolina Solar Centre)
(This website details preliminary work for Passionate Passivity, corresponding with the Calgary Youth Science Fair in March 2008. Significant project changes and design modifications have been made to Passionate Passivity since the creation of this website. To ensure intellectual property protection, final work spanning from approximately June 2007 to April 2008 will be first presented at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in May 2008. This website should not be utilized as a reference for Eden Full's ISEF 2008 research.)
