Artificial Intelligent based Modeling of Mobile Solar Tracker

for a Large Ship

1

Budhy Setiawan1, Mauridhi Heri Purnomo, and Mochamad Ashari

Graduate School of Industrial Technology, Sepuluh November Technology Institute

Abstract- Mobile Solar Tracker for a Large Ship is a tracking

mechanism device to follow the sun position, while the ship is
traveling. A mathematic analysis and modeling for tracking the sun
spot on a maneuvering ship, that having waves disturbance has been
done. The tracking mechanism has always to spot the sun considering
to maneuvering, pitching and rolling of the ship. Due to the
complexity of the tracker mechanism, an Artificial Intelligent need to
be involved, especially ANFIS method, that is required for the
control strategy. The tracking mechanism model composes of two
axes, Y axis angle parallels to ships pitch, and X axis aligns to the
ships roll. The Y axis model is arranged of the sun incline and tilt of
ships pitch and the X axis consists of the sun incline and tilt of ships
roll. The X and Y axis also accommodates the ships degree
maneuver.
Index Terms: Mobile Solar
Artificial Intelligent (AI), ANFIS.

Tracker,

Maneuver-pitch-roll,

I. INTRODUCTION

HIS paper presents mathematic analysis and

modeling to build up an AI based modeling. AI model
for the tracker guides Parabolic Dish Concentrator or
Concentrated PV panel to face the sun in order to convert sun
light or sun thermal power to electric energy.
A fixed base solar tracker is the basic science for the
mobile base solar tracker development. For a reference, Lee
has reviewed the development of fixed base solar tracker topic
since 1978 until 2009 for some systems, control technologies
and achievements [2]. The topic has developed significantly
in error reducing till 0,003o/s , by Reda in 2004; and the gain
power application of solar tracker, 41% energy production
compared to non tracking one, by Abdallah in 2004 [2]. All
of the researchs results above implement an opened or closed
loop control method for the solar tracking [2].
Xaxis
Z

Ya
xis

YAW

IT

AI control ANFIS for solar tracker had been researched by

Alata in 2005 [1]. The modeling and controller design task
had been done by accomplishing the first order Sugeno fuzzy
inference system [1]. The system has been tested and shown
its capability to predict and to track the sun position. It had
been implemented in an open loop control system [1].
II. MATHEMATIC MODEL
As the development of those researches, this paper uses a
double X-Y Cartesian axis tracker for the mathematic model.
X-Y Cartesian refer to the ship Cartesian motion coordinate.
The Y axis is on X-Z plane parallel to the ships Y coordinate;
and the X axis on Y-Z plane parallel to X, see Figure 1.
Mathematic Analysis
The Sun trajectory on earth coordinate system elevates
from east to west direction a line with earths longitude. The
longitude degree of the sun shine on the earth is counted 0o to
180o since the sun shine, on equator. The sun elevation
angular speed is 1o/4 minutes. And the sun azimuth degree is
moving from 23,45o north latitude on 21 of July till -23,45o
south latitude on 21 of December, caused by the earth
declination toward the sun annually [3]. In calculation, solar
declination is
(284 + n) o
(1)
s = 23.45o sin([360
])
365
, declination s on a certain day n. And, hour angle is
(2)
hs = 15o hsolar noon
Ship Travel Coordinate
Since a ship is traveling, its coordinate always changes, so
that the altitude and azimuth angle always vary through time.
A certain position on the earth, where the ship is, with its
Latitude (L) and longitude will has an altitude from equation
[5],
(3)
sin( ) = sin( L) sin( s ) + cos( L) cos( s ) cos(hs )

CH
X

R0L

L
Y

Figure 1. X-Y trackers on a large ship Cartesian.

and an azimuth s is from equation

sin(hs )
(4)
sin( s ) = cos( s )
cos( )
Ship Motion.
A large ship on the sea experiences 6 degree freedom of
motions. They are:
x Translation in longitudinal direction surge
y Translation in transversal direction sway
z Translation in vertical direction heave
Rotation about the longitudinal axis roll

 Rotation about the transversal axis pitch

Rotation about the vertical axis yaw [5], see Figure 1. and
Figure 2. In relation to the sun tracking, the ships translation
motions x, y & z have no effect to the angle position of the .
sun. However, some angle movement of , & will affect
directly to the angle sun position. The effect on X axis tracker
includes the roll angle and the yaw angle, instead of the x
elevation angle of the sun on X axis. Also the effect for Y
axis tracker includes the pitch angle and the yaw angle,
instead of the y elevation angle of the sun on Y axis.
Wave Force
Since a ship runs on water surface, wave kinetic energy will
affect significantly on the ships body, so that ships direction
maneuver, pitch degree and roll degree will directly fluctuate
toward time. Those changing degree mostly is caused by wave
kinetic energy, on the ships body, as

y= sun angle on y axis to horizon

= roll angle to vertical
= pitch angle to vertical, see Figure 2.
The yaw angle not only gives input a disturbance wave,
but also primarily a directional degree of ship maneuver. The
yaw angle is directly accomplished in turning the y and
x.on X and Y axis. The yaw mathematic calculation will be a
complex conversion to reach the y and x degree. On the
other hand, AI can consider the yaw as a common input that
has to be learnt with other input angle to get the right y and x
degree.
Artificial Intelligent Method

(roll)

Ekin

1
= (vx2 + vz2 )dz
2

(5)

Mathematic Model
As a result of the mathematic analysis for the mobile solar
tracker above, is on the figure 2 below. Axis is the center of
all input and output angles.

1
(s2+0,5)

1
(s2+0,5)

MISO ANFIS

(yaw)

Kinetic energy per area is integral dz of as wave elevation

until of the water density, vx the square of surface
velocity, vz the square of the bottom sea velocity [5]. The
disturbance waves significantly affect the yaw, roll and pitch
degrees.
III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Xaxis

x (sun)

pitch)
y (sun)

MISO ANFIS

Yaxis

Figure 3. The AI architecture.

Those tracking equations of the mathematic analysis, with

some disturbances of the sea wave and also discontinue input
signal will give very long math analysis for its control. By
applying an AI double MISO ANFIS, with an involvement of
the first order Sugeno fuzzy inference system, math
calculation can be reduced. Figure 3, each Axis has an output
and three inputs, , , and / . Incoming disturbance can
be predicted. And input output signals can be learned by
ANFIS when the AI is trained. The AI accuracy can be
reached by running supervised back propagation training
method [4]. X axis MISO ANFIS gives a certain degree
output x.
IV. CONCLUSION
The mathematic complexity of the mobile solar tracker can
be simplified into two axis math models. Those models are
compressed again by using AI, double MISO ANFIS that
capable to be trained to have certain inputs signal and also the
output one.

Figure 2. The mathematic model of X axis on Y-Z plane.

V. REFERENCES
The three dimensional Cartesian axis, X-Y-Z is projected
to be Y axis on XZ plane and X axis on YZ plane, see Figure
2, so the angle of X axis is
x = 90 o + x + ;{0 o < x < 180 o and 15o < < 15o }
Y axis is

y = 90 o + y + ;{0 o < y < 180 o and 15o < < 15o }

where

x= sun angle on x axis to roll angle

y= sun angle on y axis to pitch angle
x= sun angle on x axis to horizon

[1]

[2]

[3]
[4]
[5]

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1229-1245, 2005, ISSN 096-8904.
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