Design and implementation of pneumatic actuators in a dual-axis solar tracker under the climatic conditions of karbala city

The inability of stationary solar panels to track the sunlight is one of its primary drawbacks. It will produce less electrical energy as a result. This issue is resolved by combining these panels with appropriate actuators to create solar trackers. Solar panels can continuously monitor the sun's rays thanks to the actuators, enabling them to generate maximum energy during the day. Pneumatic actuators were used because of their advantages over others. This study aims to provide a simple and comprehensive design approach for pneumatic actuators that relies on factors including inclination angle, actuator displacement, and required power to drive a closed-loop dual-axis solar tracker adapted to the harshest climate in Karbala city. Three consecutive days were allocated to conduct experimental testing of the system. According to the findings, the average efficiency of the solar panel was raised by 62.3 % when it was moved on one axis using a single actuator and by 66.4 % when it was moved on two axes using two actuators. A stability investigation of the pneumatic cylinder movement under PID control unit revealed that the system reacts satisfactorily, with steady-state error of 0.00734 %, overshoot of 0.505 %, settling time of 1.034 s, and rising time of 145.76 ms.