Hybrid motor driver for solar tracking systems

One of the most worldwide used renewable source is the solar energy, which can be converted directly into electricity by using photovoltaic panels. In order to maximize the energy generation by the panels, it is used solar tracking systems to follow the sun position along the day and the year. The design of conventional drivers uses power semiconductors in an H-bridge configuration to control speed and direction of DC motors. However, an important part of the energy for these drivers is converted into heat, reducing the overall system efficiency. This paper proposes a hybrid motor driver focused on reduction of power losses and circuit complexity taking into account some particularities of the solar tracking systems. The proposed driver is compared to a conventional driver under the most relevant operational characteristics. An experimental position closed-loop control with a linear actuator was carried out to demonstrate the overall performance of this panel positioning driver.