The need for renewable energy sources is nothing new, but as more and more industries are taking advantage of green technologies, the need for advanced solutions has grown. Currently, solar arguably holds the lion’s share of attention when it comes to renewable energy technology, and servo motors are helping solar energy innovators improve efficiency and generate more power output.
At the heart of solar technology is the photovoltaic cell. Put simply, this is what converts solar energy into electricity. In order to effectively use the sun’s output, however, these cells need direct exposure to solar radiation via sunlight. Since the Earth orbits the sun, levels of direct exposure to sunlight change throughout the day, but servo motors now allow solar panels to be positioned precisely to follow the sun’s movement and soak up as much available light as possible.
What Is A Servo Motor?
A servo motor is a type of electric motor that converts electricity into mechanical energy. The advantage that servo motors hold over other types of electric motors is that they allow for precise movement control. This control is accomplished through several methods, but pulse width modulation is one of the most important.
Pulse width modulation determines the amount of electricity being sent to a motor via digital control. The width of a current’s pulse can be visualized using a variety of meters, but the general idea is that the electrical signal being sent to a servo motor can be amplified and decreased according to the needs of the function. The length of time each pulse provides amplification can also be altered according to the needs of the function, and this is defined by the width of each pulse.
Servo motors can also use direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC). An AC servo motor manufacturer can control how a user defines power output since an alternating current provides more control over voltage. Industrial AC rotors used in servo motors are often employed in large-scale applications and may be found in motors that change the direction of solar panels due to the weight of these panels and the size. Solar farms may require that large arrays of panels all move at once along a controlled track, and this kind of movement requires both power and precision.
Servo Motors In Climate Change Tracking Equipment
Although the use of servo motors in solar panel positioning is one of the more common ways in which servo technology bolsters renewable energy efforts, these motors can also be used in weather camera equipment for tracking climate change. Climate scientists rely on things like temperature data to record changes in environmental conditions, but camera equipment is also needed to create a visual archive of these changes.
Meteorological data often relies on sensitive camera equipment to record conditions before, during and after weather events to get a better understanding of the direct impact of changes in the environment. Over time, the data captured from weather cameras can be combined with data taken from other measurement devices to correlate events with climate change.
Weather cameras require precise control in order to pan, tilt, zoom and focus. This is especially true during weather events that may cause a stationary camera to lose focus on a particular area by a few degrees due to high wind. Weather camera equipment often takes advantage of servo technology to control the functions of the camera’s positioning in order to get the best images possible for further study. Servo motors can provide for advanced and precise movements when every inch of screen space counts.
