A low cost shading analyzer and site evaluator design to determine solar power system installation area

Shading analyzer systems are necessary for selecting the most suitable installation site to sustain enough solar power. Afterwards, changes in solar data throughout the year must be evaluated along with the identification of obstructions surrounding the installation site in order to analyze shading effects on productivity of the solar power system. In this study, the shading analysis tools are introduced briefly, and a new and different device is developed and explained to analyze shading effect of the environmental obstruction on the site on which the solar power system will be established. Thus, exposure duration of the PV panels to the sunlight can be measured effectively. The device is explained with an application on the installation area selected as a pilot site, Denizli, in Turkey. © 2015 Selami Kesler et al

Design and implementation of battery management system based on passive balancing method for electric vehicles using STM32f103C8 microcontroller

Önerilen çalışmada elektrikli araçlarda kullanılmak üzere dört hücreli batarya paketi için pasif hücre dengeleme metodu tabanlı batarya yönetim sistemi tasarlanmış ve uygulaması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Batarya yönetim sisteminin yazılımsal ve donanımsal altyapısı Master-Slave mantığına göre oluşturulmuştur. Bu nedenle üç hücre verileri okuyup master hücreye göndermektedir. Master hücre, kendi hücresinin ve slave hücrelerden gelen verileri okur. Gelen verilere göre de batarya hücrelerinin gerilim dengeleme işlemlerinin kontrolünü ve yönetimini gerçekleştirir. Hücreler kendi içerisinde CAN protokolü ile haberleşmektedir. Her bir hücreden akım, gerilim ve sıcaklık verileri okunarak hücrelerin şarj işlemi kontrollü bir şekilde gerçekleştirilebilmektedir. Batarya yönetim sisteminde direnç tabanlı pasif kontrol yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Pasif balanslama (dengeleme) yönteminde direnç yerine P kanallı metal oksit yarı iletken anahtarlama elemanı kullanılarak gerilim dengeleme işlemi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ayrıca özgün bir dijital analog dönüştürme devresi tasarlanarak pasif hücre dengeleme tabanlı batarya yönetim sisteminde uygulanmıştır. Batarya yönetim sisteminin uygulaması ve şarj işlemi başarılı bir şekilde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Tasarlanan batarya yönetim sisteminin başarılı bir şekilde çalıştığı elde edilen deneysel sonuçlar aracılığı ile kanıtlanmıştır.In the proposed study, a battery management system based on passive cell balancing method was designed and implemented for the four cell battery pack to be used in electric vehicles. The software and hardware infrastructure of the battery management system was created according to the MasterSlave logic. For this reason, three cells read the data and send it to the master cell. The master cell reads data from its own cell and slave cells. According to the incoming data, it performs the control and management of the voltage balancing processes of the battery cells. Cells communicate with CAN protocol in themselves. The charging process of the cells can be carried out in a controlled manner by reading current, voltage and temperature data from each cell. Resistance based passive control method is used in the battery management system. In the passive balancing method, voltage balancing is performed by using P channel metal oxide semiconductor switching element instead of resistance. In addition, a unique digital analog conversion circuit was designed and implemented in the passive cell balancing based battery management system. Application and charging of the battery management system has been successfully completed. The designed battery management system has been proven to work successfully through the experimental results obtained

CAN Communication Protocol Based Data Collection System Application using STM32f103C8 microprocessor

Haberleşme, veri toplama ve kontrol işlemleri günümüzün üzerinde çalışılan en önemli alanların başında gelmektedir. Elektronik tabanlı ve endüstriyel sistemlerde veri toplama işlemi oldukça önemlidir. Çünkü yapılacak olan işlemler bu verilere göre şekillenmektedir. Aynı zamanda verilerin doğru bir şekilde okunup ve doğru verinin kontrol sistemine gönderilmesi oldukça önem arz etmektedir. Haberleşme protokolleri içerisinde güvenlik ve verinin alıcıya doğru iletilmesi açısından CAN protokolü en güvenilir haberleşme protokollerinden biridir. Bu çalışmada da CAN haberleşme protokolü tabanlı bir veri toplama sistemi oluşturulmuştur. Isı Ölçüm Devresi, Mesafe Ölçüm Devresi, Işık Şiddeti Ölçüm Devresi ve DC Motor RPM Değeri Ölçüm Devresi birimleri oluşturularak dört farklı sistem oluşturulmuştur. Bu birimlerden elde edilen veriler STM32F103C8T6 işlemcisine CAN protokolü üzerinden aktarılmıştır. Toplanan veriler bu işlemci üzerinden bilgisayar ortamına gönderilmektedir. Tasarlanan arayüz programı ile veriler takip edilebilmekte ve kaydedilebilmektedir. Gerçekleştirilen bu sistem ile aktif olarak çalışan CAN protokolü tabanlı bir veri toplama sistemi oluşturulmuştur. Dört farklı noktadan alınan veriler doğru bir şekilde okunarak kaydetme işlemi gerçekleştirilmiştir.Today, communication, data collection and control processes are among the most important areas studied. Data collection is very important in electronic based and industrial systems. Because the processes to be carried out are shaped according to the incoming data. At the same time, it is very important to read the data correctly and send the correct data to the control system. The CAN protocol is one of the most reliable communication protocols in terms of security and data transmission to the receiver within the communication protocols. In this study, a data collection system based on CAN communication protocol has been established. Four different systems were created by creating units of Temperature Measurement Circuit, Distance Measurement Circuit, Light Intensity Measurement Circuit and DC Motor RPM Value Measurement Circuit. The data obtained from these units were transferred to the STM32F103C8T6 processor via CAN protocol. The collected data is sent to the computer environment via this processor. Data can be tracked and recorded with the designed interface program. A data collection system based on CAN protocol has been created that works actively with this system. The data obtained from four different points were read correctly and the saving was performed

Design of a low cost sun tracking controller system for photovoltaic panels

The two most important parameters in generating electrical energy from photovoltaic panels are the amount of sun radiance and sunshine duration. Because sunshine duration cannot be consistently relied upon, the most important factor is to utilize sun radiance at an optimum level. In the consequence of the experimentally made study and measurements, the capacity of the utilization of sun tracking systems and the capacity to produce electrical energy obtained from photovoltaic panels can be increased by 25%-50%. The decrease of photovoltaic panel sale prices down to 0.5 per watt in the consequence of intense studies over photovoltaic panel seems to have decreased the demand on sun tracking systems with high costs because the manufacturers of photovoltaic panels have heavily made their investments not on tracking systems but on panel production. In order to decrease the costs, to some degree, of sun tracking systems in this study, both the easy setup of the system is performed and the decrease of costs is enabled by improving the tracking system. For this purpose, only two-small photovoltaic panels mounted back-to-back with each other are used to provide the necessary movement for the tracking system. Also, an electronic circuit card design is made for control and system movement. The average cost of the system is accounted to be about 48. Such a kind of sun tracking system provides a considerable advantage of cost compared to currently used systems and the obtained gain is more. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC

A novel approach to astronomical time relays in point of energy saving in street lighting of the big cities: The selected plot area Denizli in Turkey

Nowadays, obtaining and gaining the control of energy sources are difficult and costly. Besides, most of the wars are due to energy aspects. Therefore, energy saving has now become very important for all countries in the world. Furthermore, the energy management and saving matters are adopted as fundamental policies by the governments as well. Some projects based on energy efficiency are even supported by the nonprofit foundations. Additionally, countries are exploring new energy sources and finding new techniques in using energy thrifty. The streetlights or outdoor lighting items are used up a plenty of energy in vain in some part of the day such as twilight duration because of using conventional photocell relays. Changing in the sunrise and the sunset times during the year, profiting duration from the daylight is different for each day. As the photocell relays have different inner impedance versus daylight, and the weather may be cloudy or clear, they can be turned-on early and can be turned-off lately. Besides, these relays are not so sensitive to twilight. Therefore, the amount of energy wasted during the year is going to be considerable. The duration of the consumption in vain is one hour per day at least. However, in case of using astronomical time relays, since the sunrise and the sunset times related to different time zone can be calculated during the year, all of the streetlights can be controlled by different offset time and can be saved respectable amount of energy per year. In this study, the importance of using the astronomical relays for outdoor lighting for energy saving and efficiency is discussed. The operating principal of these relays is analyzed by purposed method and compared with that of NOAA. An implementation of an astronomical time relay for Denizli City in Turkey is selected as a case study. It was proved that the energy consumption in vain one hour per day during the year is remarkable amount in the selected plot application area. © 2009 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l

Prognostic significance of medical therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Aims: The use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) among patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) remains suboptimal. The SMYRNA study aims to identify the clinical factors for the non-use of GDMT and to determine the prognostic significance of GDMT in patients with HFrEF in a real-life setting. Methods and results: The SMYRNA study is a prospective, multicentre, and observational study that included outpatients with HFrEF. Patients were divided into three groups according to the status of GDMT at the time of enrolment: (i) patients receiving all classes of HF medications including renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs); (ii) patients receiving any two classes of HF medications (RAS inhibitors and beta-blockers, or RAS inhibitors and MRAs, or beta-blockers and MRAs); and (iii) either patients receiving class of HF medications (only one therapy) or patients not receiving any class of HF medications. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death. The study population consisted of 1062 patients with HFrEF, predominantly men (69.1%), with a median age of 68 (range: 20–96) years. RAS inhibitors, beta-blockers, and MRAs were prescribed in 76.0%, 89.4%, and 55.1% of the patients, respectively. The proportions of patients receiving target doses of guideline-directed medications were 24.4% for RAS inhibitors, 11.0% for beta-blockers, and 11.1% for MRAs. Overall, 491 patients (46.2%) were treated with triple therapy, 353 patients (33.2%) were treated with any two classes of HF medications, and 218 patients (20.6%) were receiving only one class of HF medication or not receiving any HF medication. Patient-related factors comprising older age, New York Heart Association functional class, rural living, presence of hypertension, and history of myocardial infarction were independently associated with the use or non-use of GDMT. During the median 24-month period, the primary composite endpoint occurred in 362 patients (34.1%), and 177 of 1062 (16.7%) patients died. Patients treated with two or three classes of HF medications had a decreased risk of hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death compared with those patients receiving ≤1 class of HF medication [hazard ratio (HR): 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49–0.85; P = 0.002, and HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.47–0.79; P < 0.001, respectively]. Conclusions: The real-life SMYRNA study provided comprehensive data about the clinical factors associated with the non-use of GDMT and showed that suboptimal GDMT is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death in patients with HFrEF

Gender-related clinical and management differences in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Aim Gender-related differences have been described in the clinical characteristics and management of patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, published data are conflictive in this regard