Design and analysis of a solar integrated agriculture irrigation system for rural farming area

Abstract

Precision farming involves a management strategy to increase productivity and economic returns with reduced environmental impacts. Precision farming is available for small farm agriculture and big farm agriculture, and it plays a significant role in rural development programs in the agriculture industry. Accordingly, an automated solar integrated agriculture irrigation system is proposed to effectively help farmers in rural areas supply the water to their farms. The proposed automated system is expected to increase productivity and provide better quality control, as well as minimising the work labour time. The system was designed by considering various design factors, such as the reliability, safety, and ergonomic factors, to ensure the product is user friendly. Besides, the material selection process and parametric studies conducted to determine the right sizing and position of the components are discussed. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis was used to simulate the water tank to visualise the water flow. From the design analysis, a higher water tank placement and bigger pipe diameter are found to make the system more efficient.