1. System Level Schematic
P15571: Sun Tracker
Solar Radio Emission Receiver
Introduction
An autonomous solar tracking antenna is a device that accurately tracks the sun and collects RF emission data. This allows for valuable data to be collected by the antenna throughout the entire day without human intervention. This data is collected all over the world and sent to a central server in Switzerland. Currently, there is a blind spot for RF emission data on the east coast of the United States. A 7 foot dish in Ionia, New York has been installed to cover this blind spot. However, the current design does not provide autonomous tracking and instead requires manual adjustments for both seasonal changes and daily tracking.
Goal
The purpose of the this project is to control the aiming of the antenna towards the sun through the use of a mechanical system that can be operated both autonomously and manually. The end result of the project is a fully functional system that can collect RF emission data year round. The designed system must work with the dish currently installed in Ionia, New York and handle the weather conditions faced in that area.
Kinematic CAD Model
Assembled System
Team- From Left to Right: Harrison Sprague (ME), Kaung Thu (Victor) (EE), Jason Yeh (EE), Martin Pepe (Customer), Jacob Halstead (CE), Tyler Nicholson (EE), Craig Bishop (ME), Patrick Chiu (EE)
Noise Elimination
Initially, the system had significant noise resulting from unshielded wires and motor noise which prevented accurate positional feedback. This was eliminated by implementing a noise filtering PCB and shielded wires.
Positional Feedback
System Level Schematic
Special Thanks to:
Farash Center, Martin Pepe (Customer), George Slack (Team Guide), James Stephano,
Dr. DeBartalo, Dr. Landschoot, Dr. Hopkins