PHOTOVOLTAIC WATER PUMPS COUPLED WITH DC/AC INVERTER

Abstract

Proper sizing of photovoltaic (PV) array and motor/pump subsystem are essential for maximum utilisation of PV water pumping systems. A proper matching of electromechanical loads to a PV array is a great problem in many PV systems. This is mainly related to the non-linear, solar irradiance and cell temperature-dependent voltage and current characteristics of the PV array generator. In a proper matching system, the electrical energy supplied to the load is close to the maximum available array energy. The load matching factor is one of the basic comparison method used in the optimisation of PV water pumping systems. Optimisation of PV pumping system can be made from a simple non-linear mathematical model and from experimental data. From this optimisation technique, array configuration can be determined using the required rated power of the motor/pump subsystem and the I-V characteristic of a single cell. Conversely, the optimal size of motor/pump subsystem can be determined from a known array configuration. ...