Solar Photovoltaic Pumping System Research Articles

Review on Solar Photovoltaic-Powered Pumping Systems

Water and energy are becoming more and more important in agriculture, urban areas and for the growing population worldwide, particularly in developing countries. To provide access to water it is necessary to use appropriate pumping systems and supply them with enough energy for operation. Pumps powered by solar photovoltaic energy are complex electromechanical systems that include hydraulic equipment, electrical machines, sensors, power converters, and control units. Therefore, solar photovoltaic pumping systems are associated with various fields of science and engineering. In remote, less-populated areas without electricity, where it is either challenging to connect to the grid or it is not possible, solar photovoltaic water pumping systems can play a significant role. To see whether solar photovoltaic pumping systems may be a practical, viable, and affordable method of pumping water it is necessary to study different aspects of their operation. The goal of this current article is to evaluate and outline recent research and advancement in the field of solar photovoltaic pumping systems. The major focus is on the standalone photovoltaic pumping system’s components, factors that affect system efficiency, performance evaluation, system optimization, and the potential for integration with modern control techniques. The main objective of this article is to give a broader overview of solar photovoltaic technologies for researchers, engineers, and decision-makers.

Study of a Photovoltaic Solar Pumping System for Irrigation: Case of the Adaraoua Site

This work presents a study of a photovoltaic solar pumping system for the irrigation of a plot of 6,500 m2 in the village of ADARAOUA. The purpose of this study is to bring a contribution to the population of village in their market gardening through the use of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. Using this energy, it is possible to pump water to a certain depth from wells or boreholes by a solar pump. The system set up comprises four main parts, namely a PV generator with a peak power (Pc) of 1,235.47 Wp, a solar pump of the GRUNDFOS SQFLEX type with a power of 1.4 kW, a control box (FAMATEL) and a well 15 m deep. On the economic level, although the realization of the system requires a significant cost of 3,974,600 F, one can retain as advantages a very low maintenance cost, and a satisfactory profitability of the cultures. From a technical point of view, the solar PV pumping system is very reliable, efficient and autonomous. It is applicable for any need and in any area of ​​the country (Niger) thanks to the solar deposit which is very important, the average value of which can exceed 7 kWh/m2/d. These are the advantages that make it one of the most suitable systems for irrigation in rural areas from a technical and economic point of view.

A system identification-based MPPT algorithm for solar photovoltaic pumping system under partial shading conditions

ABSTRACT This paper presents a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm using system identification (SI) for solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping system under partial shading (PS) conditions. The measurement of the PV panel current was not required for the proposed MPPT algorithm. The MPPT algorithm was developed for an electric motor with a nonlinear pump load. In this study, a high-efficiency synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) was designed as a 4-inch submersible pump motor. The system aimed to the small-scale solar photovoltaic water pumping systems. The SynRM was designed and optimized to use at low voltage levels such as solar PV panels without requiring a boost converter. Thus, the motor could be connected directly with any low voltage leveled power supply. The motor was produced 0.55 kW power with an efficiency of 86.5%. Eight PS patterns were generated to obtain four different scenarios for analyzing of the proposed algorithm. The Maximum Power Point (MPP) was determined with high accuracy for global maximum for all PS conditions using the proposed algorithm. Thus, the motor was operated at the MPP in all conditions thanks to the developed algorithm. The overall system efficiency was obtained between 72% and 82% under these conditions.

Optimization for a Photovoltaic Pumping System Using Indirect Field Oriented Control of Induction Motor

Due to the increase in electricity and diesel costs, solar photovoltaic pumping systems have become a good solution, especially in rural areas. This work presents a standalone photovoltaic (PV) water pumping system (PVWPS) driven by an induction motor without energy storage to improve the pumping system’s performance. First, a comparison is made between two types: perturb and observe (P&O) method and incremental conductance (INC) MPPT method with a variable step size that is automatically adjusted. Studying these two techniques helps to understand which one can result in a system with less oscillation and greater efficiency when tracking the maximum power point from the PV panel under sudden irradiation conditions. This MPPT works on the operating duty cycle of the boost converter. Then, that converter combines with a voltage source inverter (VSI) to convert DC power to AC power. Second, we use indirect field-oriented control (IRFOC), which drives the three-phase of an induction motor in turn to run the centrifugal pump. The simulation results of this work were obtained using the MATLAB Simulink platform.

Design and performance analysis of a renewable pumping system for treated wastewater to reuse in the Moroccan desert

Abstract Treated wastewaters are an important alternative water supply for communities in dry climates all over the world. This study investigates using waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) to treat wastewater and the design of a solar photovoltaic pumping system to transfer the water to an Oasis in the Moroccan desert. The Oasis is currently about 5 ha in size and is irrigated with 24 m3/day of underground water. The wastewater is subjected to physicochemical and bacteriological analyses, also monitoring of operation, maintenance and loading rates of the WSPs for 12 months. To build a solar water pumping system, data on the system's components as well as local climatic data are obtained. The design optimization is done by simulation software PVsyst. WSPs provide reduced rates of BOD and fecal coliforms of 95 and 99%, respectively, with an average effluent concentration of 20 mg/l and 195 CFU. The exploitation of solar energy for pumping 24 m3/day requires five panels with a unit nominal power of 440 W for each panel and 2200 W for the entire system. This allows us to save about 1,500 kg of CO2 emissions per year, protect the region's fragile water resources and ensure the sustainability of the Oasis.

Effect of seasonal variation on the performance of solar photovoltaic pumping system under field conditions

The present study was undertaken to analyse the performance of solar photovoltaic (SPV) pumping system parameters, under different seasons. The average flow rate in summer, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter season was 3.0, 2.17, 3.44 and 2.93 Lps, respectively. The average conversion efficiency in summer, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter season was 14.36, 15.13, 17.04 and 16.85%, respectively. The range of optimum panel temperature should be between 12–32°C at which conversion efficiency will be maximum varying from 18.39–21%. During smog the average solar irradiance and flow rate decreased from 828 W/m2 to 393 W/m2 and 3.09 Lps to 1.59 Lps, respectively, as compared to before smog conditions. The presence of clouds significantly affected/lowered down the current, RPM and flow rate but the temperature did not change much which reveals that temperature has minimum effect on the development of current and voltage in solar photovoltaic cells.

Dynamic Modeling, Control, and Analysis of a Solar Water Pumping System for Libya

In recent years, one of the suitable solar photovoltaic (PV) applications is a water pumping system. The simplest solar PV pumping system consists of PV array, DC-DC converter, DC motor, and water pump. In this paper, water pumping system sizing for Libya is evaluated based on a daily demand using HOMER software, and dynamic modeling of a solar PV water pumping system using a Permanent Magnet DC (PMDC) motor is presented in Matlab/Simulink environment. The system performance with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) based on Fractional Open Circuit Voltage (FOCV) is evaluated with and without a battery storage system. In some applications, a rated voltage is needed to connect a PMDC motor to a PV array through a DC-DC converter and in other applications the input voltage can vary. The evaluation of the system is based on the performance during a change in solar irradiation. Using Matlab/Simulink, simulation results are assessed to see the efficiency of the system when it is operating at a specific speed or at the MPPT. The results show that an improvement in the system efficiency can be achieved when the PMDC motor is running at a specific speed rather than at the peak PV power point.

FPGA Contribution in Photovoltaic Pumping Systems: Models of MPPT and DTC-SVM Algorithms

This paper aims to propose and develop a research platform which can be utilized for rapid prototyping of control algorithms of power converters used in the field of renewable energy, such as the photovoltaic systems. This study investigates the use of the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to control the DC/DC power converter and the voltage inverters used in solar photovoltaic pumping systems. The power circuit of the pumping system consists of a PV system, a DC/DC converter, a two-level voltage inverter and an induction motor. The control system is based on an MPPT control algorithm and a Direct Torque Control with a Space Vector Modulation (DTC-SVM) based on proportional-integral controllers. In order to perform the hardware in the loop, the power circuit is realized using the Simulink blocks and the control system is designed using the Xilinx System Generator (XSG) tool. The VHDL code and the bit stream file of the suggested control algorithms have been automatically generated using the XSG tool. The hardware co-simulation step is carried out in the laboratory utilizing an FPGA Virtex 5 ML 507 and the Matlab/Simulink environment. A comparative study between the classical DTC and the DTC-SVM is presented. The FPGA-performance in terms of computation power is demonstrated.

Study and Control of Photovoltaic Water Pumping System

Solar photovoltaic pumping system is one of most important of renewable energy applications especially in rural areas. Besides, the control strategy for standalone solar pumping system based on induction motor and without DC/DC converter has been widely studied and discussed in the literature. This topology is of great concern due its economic issues, especially when a standard frequency converter (SFCs) with scalar control is used instead of a dedicated PV inverter. This paper proposes an external control module to generate SFCs frequency reference in order to ensure both maximum power point tracking (MPPT). We present method of modeling and control of photovoltaic pumping system based centrifugal pump controlled by new improved incremental conductance in order to optimize the price and operation of pumping system this MPPT algorithm have many advantages like can be eliminate proportional integral controller It is a low cost solution since it requires no additional power equipment. The induction motor driven pump that is powered by a solar array is controlled by the indirect field oriented control (IFOC). The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated by simulations carried out under Matlab Software. The experimental results are compared with simulation results.

Implementation of a Solar Powered UniversalMotor Pump Set without Battery Backup forResidential and Industrial Applications

Photovoltaic power control is one of the burning research fields these days. When compared to fossil fuels, solar energy is relatively untapped source of energy. Solar energy represents a promising alternative that will likely supplement fossil fuel based energy supply, and eventually replace the fossil fuel source as the availability of latter declines. A solar powered pump is a normal pump with an electric DC motor. Solar powered pumps will naturally work best during sunny days. Electricity for the motor is generated on-site through a solar panel which converts solar energy to DC. A solar photovoltaic water pumping system (SPWPS) consists of PV array, motor-pump set, associated electronics and an On/OFF switch.

Design Approach for Solar Photovoltaic Ground Water Pumping System for Eastern India

Eastern India has rich resource base for intensive and diversified agriculture, but the production and productivity of this region is quite low due to lack of assured irrigation as even a short dry spell of drought adversely affects the stability of agricultural production. The energy squeeze in terms of lack of grid electricity and substantial increase in diesel prices refrain farmers from operating pumps for required number hours to fulfil their irrigation needs. Eastern India possesses enormous solar energy potential with solar radiation of 4.0 - 6.4 kWh/m2/day and 250 - 300 bright sunshine days/year. Therefore, it can be a year round reliable source of energy for groundwater pumping to meet supplementary irrigation requirements. In addition to energy reliability, the environmental pollution in terms of carbon emission could also be reduced. However, in view of initial investment cost of solar pumping system, cropping patterns and landholding sizes, the solar photovoltaic pumping system should be of appropriate size and should be designed in view of solar radiation availability, groundwater depth below ground level and crop water requirement in different seasons. This paper discusses about the design aspects of solar groundwater pumping system to fulfil these propositions.

Feasibility study of a solar water pumping system

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) water pumping systems have the potential to provide clean drinking water to millions of unserved people around the world. The abundant solar energy resource and groundwater availability in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) can be combined to make much needed potable water available to remote island communities in these countries. This paper looks at the feasibility of using a SPV pumping system in one of the villages in the Fiji Islands.

Maximum Area That Can Be Economically Irrigated by Solar Photovoltaic Pumping System

This work describes the cost efficiency of a solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping system for irrigation system in relation to the most effective traditional power system, a diesel engine. A mathematical model for optimal sizing of a solar PV pumping system is used to estimate the maximum area that can be economically irrigated by the solar PV pumping system. The proposed methodology and model have been applied in two different areas in Croatia Osijek and Split, as paradigms of continental and coastal Croatia as well as European Union. The obtained results show that maximum areas which can be economically irrigated in the Osijek region are greater than in the Split region. Such result indicates that PV irrigation systems can be equally economically applied in relatively cooler climates and with less solar radiation, as well as in a warmer Mediterranean climate.

Performance evaluation of solar photo voltaic pumping system

Head discharge characteristics curve for a solar photo voltaic pump has been developed. The performance of the system has been evaluated in terms of overall systems efficiency with regard to different sets of head and discharge rates. The overall system efficiency varied from 2 to 4 per cent. The total head and discharge rate corresponding to maximum efficiency were found to be 10 m and 3.0 Ips respectively. The cost of pumping is estimated to be Rs 1.42 m-3

A financial evaluation of renewable energy technologies for water pumping in rural areas

SYNOPSIS A financial analysis and comparison of various renewable energy resource-technology combinations for water pumping in rural areas has been undertaken. The options include solar photovoltaic pumping systems, biogas and producer gas driven dual-fuel IC engine pumpsets and windmill pumps. The three figures of merit used to facilitate comparison of the renewable options with conventional pumping systems such as diesel engine and electric motor pumpsets are the cost per unit volume of water pumped, cost incurred per unit useful hydraulic energy and the present value of life cycle costs over a given period of time. Sensitivity of one of these figures of merit to the uncertainties in the values of some of the input parameters has also been studied.

Increasing the cost-effectiveness of small solar photovoltaic pumping systems

Small photovoltaic pumping systems are needed in many parts of the world but are at present too expensive for most users. The cost can be reduced by using optical concentrators to reduce the cost of solar electricity, and by developing more efficient pump/motor/controller systems. The cost reduction for a 300–500 Wp system should be by a factor of between 2 and 3, for the same daily output of water.

Increasing the cost-effectiveness of small solar photovoltaic pumping systems

Small photovoltaic pumping systems are needed in many parts of the world but are at present too expensive for most users. The cost can be reduced by using optical concentrators to reduce the cost of solar electricity, and by developing more efficient pump-motor-controller systems. The cost reduction for a 300–500 W system should be by a factor between 2 and 3,for the same daily output of water.