Mother Earths: Solar Tracker

A super-simple, super-inexpensive, super-self-contained solar tracker,
. . . that'll work forever on the energy it receives directly from the sun.
Just 2 long tanks filled with Freon 12,
. . . inserting a double-acting hydraulic cylinder,
. . . mounting the cylinder's case to the supporting base of the flat-plate collector,
. . . and connecting the cylinder's piston to an eccentric arm,
. . . fastened to the pivoted collector itself,
. . . attached 2 small shades to the inside of the cylinders.

If one of the containers is heated more than the other,
. . . The hose runs from the bottom section of one container,
. . . to the bottom of the other.
. . . Which means that a slightly higher gas pressure in one of the vessels,
. . . can push a lot of the liquid freon from that tank over into the other one.
. . . And, unlike a gas, that liquid freon is heavy.
. . . When it shifts from the tank mounted on one side of the collector,
. . . to the tank mounted on the other side,
. . . it causes the pivoted collector to tip in the direction of the shifted weight.


Source:  Tracker