Solar Irrigation System Research Articles

SOLAR POWERED SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Sun energy is used in solar irrigation system to operate the pump which supplies water to crops to assist growth. Cost effective solar power can be answer for all our energy needs. The solar charge controller is used to store DC power of solar panels in batteries. This battery is used for water pump automatically. It works on sunlight. It gives solution for Indian farmers due to energy catastrophe.

Solar energy an income accelerating option for irrigation of Kinnow orchard: An example in Rajasthan state of India

The PV solar device for pumping water from underground and from other source of water for irrigation has been recognized as very new initiative. Three year socio-economic study sponsored by Ministry of Human Resource under higher education scheme has been conducted in two districts of Rajasthan applying standard methodology to assess comparative advantages of PV solar device for irrigation of kinnow orchard. Hence, study found that solar irrigation system has enhanced the returns of farm and played a partial catalyst role to enhance the income of the farm. Therefore, the economic as well as environment benefits need to realize for popularization of the solar device for betterment of farming society which would reduce the dependency on electricity of farmers for irrigation specially and other works depend on electricity generally. Hence, provision of incentives on solar devices should be made to the farmers.

Prototype Design of Rainwater Harvesting and Solar Irrigation System for Small-Scale Farm

The current irrigation system at Taman Tanaman Dapur that used by the Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry (FBIM) is operated manually, and the water source is directly from Syarikat Air Terengganu (SATU). The cost incurred to maintain the current system is expensive therefore, the UniSZA fund for maintenance purpose. By observing these factors, there is an opportunity to improve the irrigation system by utilising the available natural resources in the form of sun and rain, respectively, as a source of energy and water. Thus, the objectives of this project are to design and validate the prototype of rainwater harvesting and solar irrigation system for small scale farm use. By utilising the prototype, it is possible to take advantage of the available natural resources resulting in a technological advancement that optimises the energy usage producing a cost-effective, efficient irrigation system. The prototype design was carried out using a two-dimensional computer-aided design software, AutoCAD. Furthermore, the prototype development was carried out and validated with several readily-available types of equipment in the laboratory as well as equipment that could be obtained by local farmers or individuals. As a result, after going through phases of prototype creations, from the proof of concept, through mock-up testing, and pre-production, it has been well-function as designated. The value of Gross Irrigation Requirement (GIR) for this study was 308.22 mm/month while the minimum requirement of power production from the solar panel output was 0.552 kWh. More improvement can be made for further development of the prototype by integrating with other technologies such as attach it with moisture sensor and timer for the optimum condition.

AUTOMATED SOLAR IRRIGATION SYSTEM

- Automated Solar Irrigation System is planned and manufactured. This framework traps free vitality from the sun and stores it in the battery and afterward changes over this sustainable power source to the rotating current. It makes vitality usable in farming field to siphon the water through siphon. The Solar Irrigation System vitality water system framework can be feasible option for ranchers in the ebb and flow condition of the vitality emergency in India. So the Automated Solar water system framework is utilized in horticulture field, sunlight based vitality is utilized to produce power, contingent on the dirt sort water is given to the plants. These days, for water system various methods are utilized to build the yield of harvests. In our task, pivoting sun based board is utilized to watch the sun powered vitality to create the power, and furthermore temperature and mugginess sensors are set close to the plants and this sensor data are transmitted to LED. This information is shown on the LED Display. This framework is intended to detect the earth of the field to water the harvests. Any mistakes at programming and equipment will be controlled and dispensed with. Our framework is tried for its constant responsiveness, dependability, security and solidness, our framework is intended to be impervious to climate, temperature and some minor mechanical anxieties.

EVASOR, an Integrated Model to Manage Complex Irrigation Systems Energized by Photovoltaic Generators

The carbon footprint and energy cost of irrigation are increasing due to the modernization of irrigation systems, which also necessitates highly efficient use of water resources. Alternatives to conventional energy sources to power irrigation systems are renewable sources, primarily photovoltaic energy. Photovoltaic energy has the main disadvantage of producing a highly variable amount of energy, which affects the irrigation uniformity. Modeling irrigation systems in an integrated manner generates useful information about system performance for technicians that helps in the decision-making process. The EVASOR (EVAluation of SOlar iRrigation systems) model integrates different modules to simulate the whole solar irrigation system using a holistic approach: (1) I-Solar, which simulates the instantaneous power generated by the photovoltaic system, (2) AS-Solar, which simulates the variable speed pumping system, (3) Solar-Net, which simulates the hydraulic performance of the water distribution network, and (4) PRESUD-Irregular, which determines the discharge and pressure of all the emitters of the subunits together with irrigation quality parameters (coefficient of uniformity (CU), emission uniformity (EU), and coefficient of variation of the emitter discharge in the subunit (CVq) for any pressure at the subunit inlet. The integrated model EVASOR determines the irrigation quality parameters of complex irrigation systems with information on irradiance, air temperature, wind speed, and water table level for any combination of open subunits. To validate the model, results are presented regarding a case study located in southeast Spain.

Economic Evaluation of Kinnow Cultivation under Different Irrigation Systems in Rajasthan

The present study was conducted in Sri-Ganganagar and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan. Kinnow cultivation under different irrigation system viz.; solar, diesel and electric irrigation system was found to be popular in the state. Therefore, study on economic evaluation of kinnow cultivation under different irrigation system in Rajasthan has been conducted to evaluate kinnow orchard orchards under different irrigation system. Total 240 respondents were selected for the study. Standard techniques like NPV, BC ratio, IRR, Break-Even point and Payback period were employed. The investment in kinnow orchard has been seen as profitable business. In the study area, the net present value was work out to be 842521 per ha under solar irrigation system 798964 per ha electric irrigation system and 762808 per ha under diesel irrigation system. Internal rate of return was found to be 38 per cent, 37 per cent and 35 per cent under solar irrigation, electric irrigation and diesel irrigation system. Benefit-Cost Ratio was at 2.36, 2.23 and 2.08 under solar, electric and diesel irrigation system. Break-Even point was 5.82 ton, 4.79 ton and 6 ton under solar, diesel and electric irrigation system. Payback period estimated to be 7.1 years, 7.2 years and 7.3 year under solar, electric and diesel irrigation system. Hence, the kinnow orchard with solar irrigation system has been found to be very economic feasible and it should be realized to the farming community for attraction towards use of renewable energy in fruits production in the state.

'Worst Month’ and ‘Critical Period' Methods for the Sizing of Solar Irrigation Systems – A Comparison

Despite the fact that solar photovoltaic (PV) water pumping systems, in particular, irrigation systems have been in use for more than 40 years, there remains a need for their improvement and development. The sizing of such systems is very important in terms of their energy output and hydraulic sustainability. This paper presents and explains an innovative methodology for the sizing of PV irrigation systems, called the Critical Period Method (CPM). CPM includes information about the design of the elements of the solution, the PV system, the pump station and the water reservoir, based on the critical period of operation of each one. The period within which water pumping and water consumption can be balanced is usually at least one day and may be several days, but it is usually no more than five days. A comparison between the most commonly used sizing method, the Worst Month Method (WMM) and the CPM method will be presented. It will be shown that the new method, CPM, could be beneficial for the sizing of PV irrigation systems.

An Efficient and Feasible Solar Irrigation System Including AC Mini-Grid Designed for Bangladeshi Agriculture

The idea of introducing a mini-grid along with irrigation is originated considering the huge load shedding of a particular area. People of that area remain without electricity for approximately 6-8 hours in a day. A small survey was also conducted on 50 houses of Teghoria, Poradaho, Mirpur, Kushtia, Bangladesh and data were collected about their electricity demand during the time of load shedding every day. The mini-grid would be powered by the extra energy coming from the irrigation panel. This was done simply by changing the run time of the motor in an efficient way. The run time of the motor varies in different seasons. HOMER software was used to calculate the cost analysis of the proposed model for irrigation along with ac mini-grid. The proposed model provides two welfares. The first one is that the rural farmers can get water for irrigation with a lower installment which is shown in the paper. The second one is that the demand of electricity of rural people during load shedding can also be fulfilled from the ac mini-grid. Therefore, the overall cost can be minimized and the new irrigation system becomes more feasible for rural farmers as well as for the owners.

Solar Energy Utilizing Irrigation System for the Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Water is the key element for any kind life on the earth and without water readily available in adequate quantity and free of pathogenic organisms, man’s progress is tremendously hindered. And the scarcity of water for irrigation and other purpose is mainly acute in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Our government has indeed invested on water resource development. The main aim of this project is large-scale irrigation development for increasing green revolution-style agriculture production, but yet this is no adequate. This paper represents a solar energy utilizing irrigation system for the use in the rural areas. The electrical power is 350 Wp and head is 25-35 meter. The subsystem will use a D.C. motor and a closed loop control system has been incorporated for the controlling purpose. Then we measured the daily performance and compared it with the simulated performance. We have used the “PVSYST” software for the analysis of our system.

Design and implementation of a solar plant and irrigation system with remote monitoring and remote control infrastructures

One of the most prominent applications of solar plants is the solar pumping systems that are required in rural areas while it is almost impossible to connect to the utility grid. A solar plant and irrigation system with several control features are designed and implemented in this study. The technical aspects of the study include sizing of a solar plant, feasibility analyses, system planning and implementation, remote monitoring, and remote control issues. The sizing and feasibility analyses are performed by using highly reliable software. The remote monitoring system is implemented with several sensing and communication boards designed by authors, and server-client software. The remote control operation is performed owing to implemented 8-channel relaying device that is reached over GSM networks. Each part of the entire system is implemented and is optimized to provide an observable and controllable solar irrigation system in a county yard. The presented study is aimed to express the potential capabilities of a solar plant in irrigation, and integration capabilities to numerous communication systems such as 3G, GSM, and Wi-Fi to implement remote monitoring and remote control infrastructures.

The Extension of Battery Lives Used in a Solar Irrigation System with Regards to Charge-Discharge Numbers

In the present study, an irrigation system with an adaptive control system and powered by solar photovoltaic panels was designed and implemented. The control circuit, which was produced by using dsPIC, performed the online processing of the data received from current-voltage sensors and liquid level measurements. Different from the other studies in the literature, in this study, the source from which the irrigation system is fed was determined based on the power produced by the panel. If the power produced by the panel was lower than the determined power value, the system was fed from the battery, if higher, directly from the panel. With this developed algorithm, it was aimed to keep the tank full and to extend the expected life of the battery in terms of the number of charges-discharges through preventing the unnecessary discharge of the battery at times when water was needed. As the result of this study, the system was operated at an optimum level without requiring any energy other than the photovoltaic panel.

Aspects of solar radiation analysis using ArcGIS.

Acting as a source of energy in photosynthesis, the light is the basic condition for obtaining high quality agricultural productions. The progress of knowledge regarding the procedures based on estimating the insolation on various geographical locations is important for numerous applications, including the solar energy and irrigation systems, the cultures’ growth patterns and the forecasts of the evapotranspiration. Those stipulated emphasize the fact that the solar radiation is one of the most important vegetation factors and the interaction of the solar radiation with the plants represents a major interest for creating the forecasts on the agricultural production.

Feasibility analysis of solar irrigation system for pastures conservation in a demonstration area in Inner Mongolia

Pasture lands in Inner Mongolia of China have been deteriorated severely by overgrazing and climate change in the past 30years. There is a plan to set up a solar irrigation system in Xilamuren area of the region to restore the pastures effectively. In order to design the solar irrigation system based on groundwater, equations for analyzing the optimum irrigation amount were developed in this study, and the main steps to design the system were also given. The coefficients and parameters in the equations are related to meteorological factors, vegetation types and areas, and soil properties. The soil water content is a control variable to decide the water irrigation amount for its effects on maintaining the vegetation growth based on soil water evaporation, plant transpiration and physiological consumption. According to the pasture restoring objectives and water demands during the plants growing periods, proper soil water contents are chosen as evaluation basis for irrigation. The groundwater system should be kept healthy during exploitation; so, the possible supply of local groundwater is a constraint condition in the model. Besides, an optimum irrigation amount process in a whole year is provided for the solar powered system design.

Assess the potential of solar irrigation systems for sustaining pasture lands in arid regions – A case study in Northwestern China

The combined impact of global climate change and increasing human activities has led to the severe deterioration of grasslands in China. Using the solar irrigation systems is an effective way for sustaining pasture lands in arid regions. A solar irrigation system is the device that uses the solar cell from the sun’s radiation to generate electricity for driving the pump. And photovoltaic pump consists of an array of photovoltaic cells and pumps water from a well or reservoir for irrigation. Although ecologists and organizations constantly work and find ways to conserve grasslands through irrigation systems that use solar energy, issues on water resources are not yet thoroughly discussed. This paper takes into account the main factors in the study of water resources, including precipitation and groundwater, to analyze the feasibility of using a photovoltaic (PV) pumping irrigation. The appropriate area for such a PV pumping irrigation in Qinghai Province is also presented. The results show that the grasslands appropriate for PV pumping cover about 8.145 million ha, accounting for 22.3% of the grasslands in the entire province. Finally, the problems and countermeasures of PV pumping irrigation, including the impact on regional water balance, groundwater level and highland permafrost, are also considered.

The structure of residential energy use on a North Aegean island: the town of Mytilene

Bangladesh is an agrarian country where rice is the main food of nearly 161 million population and about two-third of the total population directly or indirectly involves with agriculture. Agricultural sector of the country contributes about 16% of the gross domestic product. In average, 1.9 million people are being added every year which creates additional rice demand of over 350 thousand metric tons. On the other hand, due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, the country is significantly losing its cultivable land. In 2015, the cultivated land for rice was about 10.7 million hectares which will be reduced to 10.28 million hectares by next 5 years. At present, about 1.43 million diesel-based pumps and 320,557 electricity-based pumps are in operation for irrigation, which consume more than 1.06 million tons of diesel and near about 1400 MW electrical power, respectively. The irrigation pumps emit about 7 million tons of carbon dioxide every year which significantly pollutes the environment. Bangladesh is one of the energy starving countries, only 60% of its population has access to electricity. A huge amount of diesel fuel is required to import to mitigate the country's energy demand as the country has very limited fossil fuel resources. In the year 2011–2012, the total imported diesel fuel was 2,884,614 metric tons. In order to maintain a reasonable diesel price, the government had to subsidy around USD 0.3/L of diesel in recent years. However, the geographical position of Bangladesh is ideal for solar energy utilization which can be harvested from everywhere of the country. The annual solar radiation is as high as 1700 kWh/m2 with the variation of daily average solar radiation of 4–6.5 kWh/m2. Therefore, solar irrigation may be an alternative way to increase production of crops without creating extra pressure on grid power or diesel fuel, and also helps to keep the environment clean. Bangladesh government has taken an initiative to replace 18,700 diesel based irrigation pumps by solar irrigation pumps with average capacity of 8 kWp each. More than 300 solar pumps have already been installed all over the country. In order to enhance the solar irrigation program, Bangladesh government has given attractive incentives, e. g. providing 50% subsidy and arranging 35% soft loan with the aid of donor agencies. Under the program, owners or individual investors require to invest only 15% of the total cost. This paper aims to review the prospect, necessity and technical challenges of solar irrigation in Bangladesh. A comprehensive review of current research and developmental activities taken by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and possible future directions of research to develop a reliable and cost-effective solar irrigation system are also presented in this article. In addition, the review points out the way of investment opportunities in agricultural sector for sustainable development of the country.