Technical and Economic Feasibility of Using a Variable-Frequency Drive in Micro-Irrigation Systems

Abstract

Irrigation is essential for the development of crops in regions with scarcity or irregular rainfall distribution, enabling high productivity. However, the use of water resources and electrical energy leads to a concern with irrigation efficiency. Pressure demand varies during the operations of irrigation systems and the appropriate pressure can be regulated by variable-frequency drives for the power supply of the motor-pump set. This study aimed to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of using a variable-frequency drive to adjust the pressure in subunits of micro-irrigation systems. Laboratory tests were carried out to determine the electrical power consumed in each irrigated subunit for different slopes and the application or not of the variable-frequency drive. Thus, an economic analysis was carried out considering the electricity tariff for group B and rural consumer class, as well as different annual irrigation times. The results showed the potential for energy saving with the use of the variable-frequency drive. Thus, the economic analysis showed that the variable-frequency drive was a better alternative than the dissipative method.