Small scale stand-alone photovoltaic pumping system with brushless DC motor for irrigation in agriculture

Abstract

This paper presents a case study analysis of a solar photovoltaic-powered pumping system with a brushless DC motor. Four circuit configurations are considered: direct coupling of the pump set with a photovoltaic generator, generator with a maximum power point tracking device and with a supercapacitor which stores energy from the low irradiation periods which otherwise would be lost as the power is too low to start the motor. A setup with a supercapacitor and a maximum power point tracking device is also considered. The system is analysed in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the chosen setup on the volume of water pumped. The results show that the systems with maximum power point tracking usually outweigh other configurations.