Modelling and Analysis of the Photovoltaic Tracking Systems as Multibody Systems

Abstract

In this paper, we present the modelling and analysis process of the photovoltaic (PV) tracking mechanisms as multibody systems (MBS). The general steps for the MBS modelling are presented, along with the conditions in which the kinematic elements (parts) can be modelled as bodies (with mass & inertia properties) or composite restrictions. The modelling as the multibody system is important, because it depends on the complexity of the theoretical model, by decreasing the number of moving bodies, and consequently the number of unknown generalized coordinates. The application is made for the azimuthal tracking system of a PV platform. The dynamic model of the solar tracker is developed by using the MBS ADAMS software package.