Electrical Power Quality Analysis and Hydraulic Performance for Photo Voltaic Surface Water Pumping Unit

Abstract

Photovoltaic now used in new irrigation system as a source of renewable energy to run the pumps. It's can be used in remote areas, which it's very difficult and more expensive to establish power stations or to install transmission lines to connect these areas with the electrical grid. Surface pump can be used in modern irrigations systems and connected to PV power supply to save energy and water. In this paper a system contains 10 hp surface pump and 15 kW PV system uses to drive the pump unit are studied. The paper investigates mathematical models for surface PV pumping system component. The performance of this system is studied by using this mathematical model during a long time, and the effect of solar radiations values on the system performance is estimated. The paper introduced a simulations and experimental results of the PV pumping in daily hourly average during one year. A good agreement between the simulations results and experimental results are found. The paper investigates the overall performance foxing on the water flow rate values obtained from the unit during one year. Also the electrical power quality analysis of the AC voltage feeds for the pump unit are measured and calculated. Due to solar radiations variation during day hours, and during different months the electrical performance such as; voltage current, power and also harmonic contents is changed depends on the values of solar radiations. The electrical signals and power quality are measured on the field by using power quality devices in different days and statues of operations. The results showed that; during low radiations periods the voltage and frequency are varied in a constant relation to reduce the pump speed and hence reduce the water flow rate to be proportional to input energy come from the PV panels. In case of high solar radiations the inverter runs the pump at constant frequency values depend on pump specifications. And during clouds occurred the system is stopped.