PERFORMANCE OF A SMALL DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM POWERED BY SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FOR CORN PRODUCTION

Abstract

Application of solar energy with modern irrigation systems is essential to irrigate soil for agricultural crops production. A field experiment was conducted in research farm, faculty of agriculture, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt during summer season 2014/2015 to study the performance of solar photovoltaic with submersible pump and different lateral drip lines, on corn (Zea mays L.) yield and irrigation water use efficiency under clayey soil. The treatments were three drip lateral lines(T-tape, Eva-Flow and Flag dripper) and three low pressure levels (1, 1.5 and 2m) with direct operation of solar photovoltaic without battery storage and under direct insolation. The parameters were output power, photovoltaic efficiency, pump discharge , total dynamic head , hydraulic power, subsystem efficiency flow rate-pressure, coefficients of manufacturer's variation, emission uniformity, Christiansen uniformity coefficient , distribution uniformity, corn yield and irrigation water use efficiency. The important results indicated that: Generally, output power increased by increasing of solar radiation intensity but photovoltaic efficiency as general trend was decreased. The optimum values were 2.22m, 18.35W and 51l/min for total dynamic head, hydraulic power and discharge, respectively. The highest value of emitter flow rate was 6.44 l/h which achieved at operating pressure head of 2m, pump discharge of 41l/min, hydraulic power of 17.71W and output power from module of 62W for T-tape. The maximum value of subsystem efficiency was 61.38% at total dynamic head of 1.04m and maximum of pump discharge was 82 l/min. The minimum value of flow rate variation was 12.54% at 1m operating pressure head and Eva-Flow drip line system The highest value of DU was 94.53% that obtained at Eva-Flow drip system and 1m operating pressure head. The greatest values of corn yield and IWUE were 0.833kg/m2 and 1.71kg/m3, respectively, by application of Eva-Flow system at 1m operating pressure head.