Development of a DSP Microcontroller-Based Fuzzy Logic Controller for Heliostat Orientation Control

• Published in: Applied sciences Vol. 10; no. 5; p. 1598
• Main Authors: Salgado-Plasencia, Eugenio, Carrillo-Serrano, Roberto V., Toledano-Ayala, Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Accuracy; Angular position; center of sums defuzzification method; Control algorithms; Control systems; Control systems design; Controllers; D C motors; Electric motors; embedded system; Embedded systems; Field programmable gate arrays; Fuzzy logic; fuzzy logic control; Fuzzy sets; Fuzzy systems; heliostat; Heliostats; Mathematical models; Microprocessors; Orientation; solar energy; Sun; sun tracking
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app10051598

This paper describes the design and implementation of a heliostat orientation control system based on a low-cost microcontroller. The proposed system uses a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) with the Center of Sums defuzzification method embedded on a dsPIC33EP256MU806 Digital Signal Processor (DSP), in order to modify the orientation of a heliostat by controlling the angular position of two DC motors connected to the axes of the heliostat. The FLC is compared to a traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller to evaluate the performance of the system. Both the FLC and PID controller were designed for the position control of the heliostat DC motors at no load, and then they were implemented in the orientation control of the heliostat using the same controller parameters. The experimental results show that the FLC has a better performance and flexibility than a traditional PID controller in the orientation control of a heliostat.