High-Precision Luminosity Sensor for Solar Applications

In the present work, the design of a high-precision luminosity sensor (HPLS) is shown. On sunny and clear days, the design allows the sun position to be determined with 99.7% accuracy; in the presence of clouds (partly sunny or cloudy conditions), the most clear area, which represents the area with the greatest amount of direct solar radiation at the moment, is determined. In both cases (clear and cloudy sky conditions), the above is achieved through the location in real time of the maximum luminosity point (MLP) in the sky through the construction of luminosity gradients, which are obtained under the acquisition and processing of the output signals of a set of sensors constituting the HPLS. The distribution of the sensors is determined through optical and geometric analyses. The HPLS is validated through a set of experiments in which the search and signaling of the MLP were carried out on a sunny day and on days where partly sunny and cloudy conditions were present. Finally, a technical comparative analysis between the HPLS and other sensors is presented; the cost of the HPLS is $293.50 USD (obtained in a calculation performed in this work), and a cost comparison with some commercial sensors is presented as well.