USING OF SOLAR ENERGY TO OPERATE MILLING MACHINE

Abstract

In the present study, solar energy used to operate milling machine. The study and experiments were run at summer season 2017. Sun light is used as the sustainable source of energy. In this study, the photovoltaic system was used to operate small stationary Agricultural machine (milling machine). Photovoltaic system (PV) is semiconductor devices that convert sunlight to direct electricity (current DC).It was consisting of three main parts: 1- Solar panel station was consisting of 16 modules; each module is consisting of 60 solar cells. It was used to generate the energy that needed to operate milling machine. 2- Inverter to converts the DC voltage back to AC voltage for machine motor. 3- Switch for controlling the machine operation by turning on and off. Milling machine was operated by solar energy at different period of time from 9 am to 16 pm. Two raw materials (maize – dry bread) were used with milling machine. Solar radiation was recorded at the period of study (summer 2017). It was from 358 to 790 W.m-2 and the power was resulted from PV system was from 1.16 to 2.55 kW at period of study. The main results for milling maize and dry bread by using solar energy (PV system) were as follows: The power consumption was about 1.4 and 1.37 kW with maize and dry bread respectively, from PV cell was given power about 1.16 – 2.5 kW. The power required from PV system to operate the milling machine was from 10 am to 4pm. The maximum productivity and power can be obtained at midday (noon). The maximum productivity was 9.09 kg.h-1 and 7.5 kg.h-1 with maize and dry bread.  There are overflowing PV power from 0 – 1.125 kW from 10 am to 16 pm and less than 1.2 kW non-use before 10 am and after 16 pm. In this period can be used this power in another useful working.