Transcript Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St. Kitts

Solar Powered
Pumping for
Irrigation in
St. Kitts
Charles Dauphinee
Hiltz Tanner
Michael Cookson
Stephen Cookson
Mechanical Engineering Department
Dalhousie University
SolaVive Team
Design Group: Charles Dauphinee
Hiltz Tanner
Michael Cookson
Stephen Cookson
Supervisors:
Dr. Peter Allen
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Jack Burney
Department of Biological Engineering
Client:
Dr. Vincent Audain
Honorary Consul of St. Kitts
Department of Medicine
Design Problem
Irrigation
• 2 Acres of fertile soil
(sandy loam)
• Horticultural Crop
– Requiring: 35mm/week
• Existing tank : 85ft x
1000ft from 117358USG
reservoir
• Social cost of present
solution
Mission
• Solar powered machinery is ideal for
agriculture in developing countries
• Rural communities far from power grids
• Solar flux availability
• Need for ecologically sustainable
technologies
• Design Criteria
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simple assembly / maintenance
ruggedness
transportability
efficiency
Impact on St. Kitts
• Expands minimal
existing irrigation
• Lengthens growing
season
• Creates year-round
employment
• Lowers price of produce
• Crop export possibilities
• Solar versus gas and
grid
Net Return and Yield for 2 Acres
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Without
With SolaVive
Total Yield Net Return
(lbs)
($)
Comparitive Feasibility Study
$60,000
Solar
$50,000
Cost
Deisel
$40,000
$30,000
Grid
$20,000
0
5
10
Year
15
20
Integrated System
• Subsurface Drip
Irrigation
• 4500 Gallon Water
Storage Tank
• P-D Dankoff Solar Pumps
• Linear Current Booster
• 1.44 kW Photovoltaic Array
• Existing Open Reservoir
Component Choices
Irrigation
• Subsurface Drip Irrigation
– Distribution efficiency
Pump-Motor
• P-D Sliding Vane Pumps in
parallel
– 15.8 USgpm @ 113 ft
• 12 volt PM DC motor
– high efficiency at
integral hp
Component Choices
Photovoltaics
• Architecture for Reliability
• LCB for Maximum Power
• RETScreen Analysis: 1.7kW
Installation & Maintenance
• Installation Manual
– Connecting PV Modules
– Pump inlet/outlet setup
• Maintenance Manual
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–
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General Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance
Troubleshooting
PV array
Pump & Motor
Irrigation System
Numerical Analysis
• Cybernet Simulations
– Create nodes on irrigation CAD
drawing
– Pressures in junctions, pipes, valves
• As a tool for:
– Design
• Change diameter of tubing, Height of
reservoir
– Testing
• Numerical Model
Sponsorship & Assembly
• Project Cost: $32K
• Testing Methods
– Scaled Model
– Numerical Analysis
• System Assembly
– Challenges
– Reynolds No
– Modularity: Fittings,
Wires, Valves
Testing
• Day 1
– Partially Cloudy
– Not enough pressure head
• Expected flux, delivery
Ht
Vol H2O
2
11.0 MJ/m
3037 USG
• Actual flux, delivery
Ht
Vol H2O
• Efficiencies
2
16.6 MJ/m
1359 USG
PV
DC-DC
P-M
8%
88%
18%
Testing
• Day 2
– Sunny and appropriate head
• Expected flux, delivery
2
Ht
Vol H2O
26.0 MJ/m
3986 USG
• Actual flux, delivery
Ht
Vol H2O
2
24.0 MJ/m
1556 USG
• Efficiencies
PV
DC-DC
P-M
8%
93%
29%
Interpreting Results
• Efficiencies
Predicted
PV
DC-DC
P-M
11%
92%
42%
8%
93%
29%
PV Efficiency vs Voltage
14.00%
12.00%
Efficiency (%)
PV
DC-DC
P-M
Actual Average
10.00%
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
0.00%
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
Voltage (V)
18.0
19.0
Testing Conclusions
• Importance of proper
component sizing
• Supply chain
management
• Data acquisition system
• Modularity is key
• Intuitive understanding
Future of SolaVive
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More Testing
Implementation
Engineers in Development
Other Alternative Energy Projects
Thanks To:
Dr. Caley
Mech Dept
APENS
Alumni Association
CBCL Ltd
Thermodynaics Ltd
Dr. Hamdullahper
Dr. Jerome Thomas
Fidel O’Flaharty
Dr. Linnell Edwards
Gene Knight
Questions?