Feedback-linearised control of a solar power platform with nonlinear measurements

Abstract

The paper presents the design and simulation results of the input-state feedback-linearised control of a polar- axis solar tracking platform, capable of hosting ten 300 W solar photovoltaic panels. The controller reduced the settling time of the open-loop platform system from 105 seconds to 2 seconds. Compared with a linear controller we had designed for the same system, the new controller also minimized system accelerations.