POSITAL Position Sensors for Parabolic Trough Systems

To get the most benefit from a solar tracking system, designers and operators must pay careful attention to the cost of the components that make up the system, their maintenance requirements and their ability to operate reliably under hot, damp, dusty and windy conditions.

In solar thermal power plants, sunlight is focused on a boiler that produces steam to drive a turbine and generator. Solar thermal power plants can achieve higher efficiencies than PV systems and usually require smaller investments on a dollar per kilowatt basis. However
solar thermal systems have higher operating and maintenance costs and require a certain minimum size. Commercial use is only practical in very sunny regions.

Rotary encoders can be used to monitor both the azimuth and the elevation axes in solar tracking systems. POSITAL's magnetic IXARC encoders are a highly cost-effective choice for this application. Their robust technology and packaging enables these encoders to easily withstand harsh environmental conditions such as high humidity, temperature and vibration. They are available with either a radial or axial cable outlet and with blind-hollow or solid shaft configurations. Heavy duty models are certified for environmental protection up to IP69K (protection from high-pressure water jets). They are compact, accurate and available with variety of control system interfaces, including analog, serial (SSI) CANopen and DeviceNet.


More Information:
http://www.posital.eu/en/NEWS/POSITAL...