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ESTD Year: 2017 | Impact Factor (2026): 8.7
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
ESTD Year: 2017 | Impact Factor (2026): 8.7
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
Vol 10 No 6 (2026): Volume 10, Issue 6, June 2026 | Pages: 250-254
International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology
OPEN ACCESS | Research Article | Published Date: 25-06-2026
Solar energy remains one of the most promising renewable energy sources, and concentrating solar technologies have shown significant potential for converting sunlight into usable thermal energy. The Scheffler reflector is a practical fixed-focus parabolic dish that tracks the sun while maintaining a stationary focal point. This paper presents the development and performance evaluation of an automated dual-axis solar tracking Scheffler reflector built using a repurposed Dish TV parabolic dish mounted on a 20 mm mild steel shaft supported on ball bearings, with the base structure fabricated from one-inch MS tubes anchored on an 18 mm plywood platform. A Johnson 60 RPM motor drives azimuthal rotation through a 60 mm wheel, while a 10 RPM high-torque gear motor coupled with a freewheel-and-sprocket assembly drives dish elevation, with limit switches preventing mechanical over-travel. Automation is achieved through an ESP32 microcontroller operating in active LDR-based tracking and timed manual modes, using four light-dependent resistors arranged in a plus-sign configuration to detect differential sunlight intensity and align the dish toward maximum irradiance. Concentrated solar energy is directed onto a receiver container at the focal point, where thermal energy accumulates for heating applications. Experimental evaluation shows a steady focal-point temperature rise from 30 °C to 108 °C over 45 minutes, confirming reliable tracking performance and effective solar concentration. The system offers an affordable, locally fabricable, and intelligently automated approach to solar thermal concentration suitable for rural and semi-urban applications.
Scheffler reflector, dual-axis solar tracking, ESP32 automation, LDR sun tracking, parabolic dish, solar concentration, thermal energy, freewheel-sprocket mechanism, mild steel structure, renewable energy.
Avishkar Varpe, Swapnil Soultale, Harshit Tirpude, Vaishnavi Ghode, & Prof. S.S.Chaughule. (2026). Development and Performance Evaluation of an Automated Dual-Axis Tracking Scheffler Reflector. International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET, 10(6), 250-254. Article DOI https://doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2026.106031
This work is licensed under Creative common Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 Internation Licence
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