ANALYSIS OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC WATER PUMPING SYSTEM

B.Reshef H.Suehrcke J.Appelbaum

Tel-Aviv University James-Cook University Tel-Aviv University
ISRAEL North Queensland AUSTRALIA ISRAEL

ABSTRACT
A solar powered photovoltaic water pumping system
has been installed and field tested at James Cook
University of North Queensland - Australia.
The results of the experiment are discussed based on
field measurments and computer modeling of the
PV-PanelArray
n
iwateri II
various system components in order to investigate the
efficiency of each component and the performance of
the entire system.

INTRODUCTION
A water pumping systems driven by a photovoltaic
(PV) power supply is one of the widely used
application of solar energy utilization. Previous r-i-i I
studies[ 1-3,5-7] have shown that the best performance
is obtained by the combination of a centrifugal pump L

driven by a separately excited DC motor and powered

by a photovoltaic array. Incorporating a maximum
power point tracker (MPPT) improves the conversion
efficiency.
The present study analyzes the performance of each
component as well as the entire experimental water
pumping system.
THE PHOTOVOLTAIC PUMPING SYSTEM
The photovoltaic pumping system consists of a PV
array, an MPPT, a Tuscan 0.37 kW, 36V permanent
magnet D.C. motor coupled to a Grundfos CR2-30
three stage centrikgal pump, and a water piping&tanks
circulation system (Fig. 1).
A centrifugal pump, driven by a D.C. Motor, pumps
water from a tank at a certain level, trough a pipe line,
to a second water tank located on the top of the tower
(at about 8 meter height).
The photovoltaic array, consists of three Siemens M-55
type modules connected in series, 36 cells per module,
delivering power to the motor through an MPPT.
I
Fig.1 Photovoltaic water pumping system
DATA COLLECTION
The data were measured by various sensors with time
interval of one second. The measurements were
recorded on a computer disc whenever the horizontal
radiation changed more then 100 W/m2 within a time
interval of one minute.
Data records include insolation level, photovoltaic
array output current&voltage (fed into MPPT), MPPT
output current&voltage (fed into D.C. Motor), motor
speed, and water flow-rate.
The characteristics of the photovoltaic array & MPPT
unit were obtained partly from manufacturer data and
partly from field measurements, whereas the D.C.
Motor, and centrifugal-pump assembly were
characterized by laboratory testing.
Figure 2 shows the variation of solar radiation, during
a typical day of April-1993 at North Queensland-
AUSTRALIA.

1.53
-1-
 any given array configuration, using the following
transformation equation:

Rs(urray) =Rs *Ns/Np

Rsh(urrq) =Rsh*Ns/Np (2)

Iph(urrgy) =Iph*Np
Io[arrq) =Io*Np
A
Aa=-
Ns
where:
12 = __
4
"l---L-..A~
B 9 'IO 11 12 13 14 15 16 I?
nKT
.\s - number of serial panels in a string.
Iiour .\j~- number of parallel strings in the array.
Fig.2 Diurnal variation of solar irradiance, 17 Apr 1993
The PV array parameters values were corrected to the
MODELING OF PV ARRAY operating temperature based on the empirical
relationship:
The equivalent electrical circuit describing the solar
cell panel used in the analysis is given in Fig3 + k * G ;k = [0.02+ 0 . 0 3 p " K / ~ a t t (3)
q.<,,,To,,,h
U here G is the solar irradiance in Wim'.

PV ARRAY CHARACTERISTICS
I n order to analyze the system operation based on the
field measurements, it was first necessary to
characterize each system component separately and
learn its behavior for different working condition.
The motor&pump assembly characteristics were
Fig.3 Equivalent electrical circuit of PV panel obtained in the laboratory. The experiment included
no-load and controlled load tests at variable supply
voltages.
The mathematical equation describing the I-V
characteristic of the solar panel is given by equation
THE PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEM
(1). COMPONENTS
-
T
-
i--
-
.
- v-
I--

where:
I current
V voltage
lo reverse saturation current
Zph photocurrent
T temperature YK]
Rs series ressistance
Rsh shunt ressistance
q=1.6*
K=l.38*
n
[C]
[J/OK]
Electron charge
Boltzmann's constant
cell completion factor
s
motor outpui power
ex-**\R 1
Centrifugal p u ~ i p
output power
By applying a computer algorithm, an optimal fitting I +%
of the I-V characteristics of the single panel to the 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
_-_l__l.p
16 17 I
measured data was performed to find the model Hour

parameters of the single panel. Doing so, the I-V Fig.4 System components operation during the day of
characteristics of the PV array can be calculated for 17-Apr-93
Figure 4 describes the operation of the system
components as was measured for the solar radiation The MPPT transforms each operating point of the load
characteristic seen in Fig. 2. The difference between (kF'L ), to the approportiate operating point of the PV
the PV array output power and the motor output power array (IM,VM).
describes the MPPT & motor losses, whereas the
difference between the motor output power and the v
I * = P, describes an hyperbolic curve in the
pump output power describes the centrifugal-pump & I-V plane.
piping losses. The analysis of the system is based on
polynomial approximation of the solar radiation
variation of Fig.2. i
9 i

I
- PV Array chracterlslics
THE ADVANTAGES IN USING AN MPPT 0- & * Load measurments
+ o PV Array measurmentS
For a direct coupling system (without an MPPT unit)
the operating characteristic of the system is obtained
by the intersection of the I-V characteristics of the PV
array with the I-V characteristic of the motor & pump
assembly. As seen from Fig5 the use of a MPPT unit
causes the PV array to operate at it's maximum power
point for any radiation level by means of transforming
the input impedance of the load by a k' factor (were k
is the converter's time-variable transformation ratio)
[I].
W nrrav chsrnccerislics
i-------------
Fig.6 PV array and load characteristics in I-V plane

Figure 6 describes the load line-A (transferred to the I-

V plane), the PV array maximum power points line-B,
and the 3 maximum power hyperbolic curves-C
corresponding to I OOOW/m2,750W/m2, and 500W/m2.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS EFFICIENCIES

After modeling of the system components, their
efficiencies were determined based on the field
v bolts] measurements and the developed components models.
The variation of the efficiency of each component i n
Fig.5 Maximum power point tracking the system is described in Fig7 based on the solar
(experimental results) radiation variation of Fig.2.
The efficiencies in Fig.7 were calculated by equations
Neglecting the MPPT losses, we get Cur ebcry value of
(4)-(8) based on the field measurments.
radiation Icvel, the following relationship
PV array efficiency is given b) :
P, = I, * v,,= I,, * J', (4)
Pout
--= 1' * I
Pin G*A*n
where:
PA4 maximum PV array power wherc.
b' PV array output voll'ige
l~ current at maximum PV power I PV array output curreiit
C'n4 voltage at maximum FV powcr G solar irradiance
IL load current A solar cell area
VL load voltage n number of cells in the array
 Motor efficiency is given by:
F l \ I
q=--Pout -- T *a (7)
Pin y,, * I,,,

12 13 14 15 1G 17
where:
T motor shaft torque
CO motor speed
'The motor input current & voltage are the MPPT
outputs.

The D.C. motor efficiency varies between 30% and

91 1- 60% and increases with the motor input power. The
90 L highest efficiency is obtained when the motor operates
at it's peak input power (at 12:OO).

'O/- I Pump-tPipe efficiency can be determined by:

where:

<,),dr = P * g* H*Q (9)

p - water density
H - head
Q - flow rate

The centrifugal pump efficienc) depends on the water

flow-rate. There is an optimal flow-rate value (of 0.5
l/sec) for which the pump operates at it's highest
Fig.7 Diurnal variation of system components
efficiency. This value is obtained twice during the day.
efficiencies, 17-Apr-1993

The PV array efficiency varies between 12.5 and 1 I 7-he daily average efficiencies of system components
percent. The efficiency is at its highest value in the are given in Fig.8:
fornoon hours and decreases with rise of the cells
temperature (eq. (3)). At late afternoon, the efficienq
declines as the solar radiation decreases. PV-Array MPPT D.C.Motor Pump+Pipe
MPPT efficiency is given by: Fig.8 System components avarage efficiencies

It should be emphasized that the values in Fig.8 are the

where the input current & voltage to the MPPT are the
PV array outputs.
The MPPT efficiency varies between 90% and 95%
and most of the time (when the input power is above
75% of it's peak value) it is within 93%-95% limits.
average efficiencies coresponding to the solar radiation
of Fig.2 .
The total system efficiency is the product of the
components efficiencies. The average system
efficiency for that particular day is about 3 YOwhich is
a typical efficiency for such s)stems.

13.3
-4-
 CONCLUSIONS
The performance of the Photovoltaic powered pumping
system is determined by the combination of the
1.
performance of each component during the operating
period.
The quality of load matching to the PV array is a
critical issue for the optimal functioning of the system.
Field studies show that the system operation varies in a 2.
wide range of power during the day, therefore a load-
PV array matching is essential, over the entire
operating range. A centrifugal pump powered by a
permanent D.C. motor is a good combination for this
purpose. 3.
The use of an MPPT converter is not only useful for
better utilization of the costly PV array and the
improvement of the system efficiency, but also allows
4. A.E. Fitzgerald
greater flexibility in the PV array configuration.
D. Umans "ELECTRONIC MACHINERY", McCraw-
Hill, fourth edition, New-York 1983.
5.
6.
7.
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Charles Kingsley,Jr. Stephen
H.Suehrcke, "CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
CHARACTERISTICS FOR VARIABLE SPEED
OPERATION", James Cook University (Internal
report) 1994.
J.Appelbaum, "THE OPERATION OF LOADS
POWERED BY A COMMON SOURCE OF SOLAR
CELLS", IEEE Transactions on Energy Convertion,
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Wagdy R.Anis & Hamid M.B.Metwally, "DYNAMIC
PREFORMANCE OF A DIRECTLY COUPLED PV
PUMPING SYSTEM", Solar Energy, Vo1.53, No.4
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