Design and construction of a two-axis Sun tracking system for parabolic trough collector (PTC) efficiency improvement

An experimental study was performed to investigate the effect of using a continuous operation two-axes tracking on the solar energy collected. The collected energy was measured and compared with that on a fixed surface tilted at 40 degrees towards the South. The results indicate that the measured collected solar energy on the moving surface was significantly larger (up to 46.46%) compared with the fixed surface. The proposed two-axis Sun tracking system was characterized by a fairly simple and low-cost electromechanical set-up with low maintenance requirements and ease on installation and operation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.