Design of A Small Scale Solar Powered Water Pumping System

Abstract

An intense irradiation by the sun on the earth causes excessive evapotranspiration (loss of water), a factor that is unpleasant to farmlands, livestock and remote areas where people reside. This unpleasant situation can be used as an opportunity to provide enormous supply of water to these areas. This work focuses on the design; fabrication and testing of water pump system powered by a solar photovoltaic (P.V) panel. Two 12V, 17AH battery was incorporated in the pump system to ensure storage and stability of power discharged. The system pumped water at an average of 30L/min within the hours of 1pm to 4pm at an hour interval. The pump was operated at different heads ranging from 3m to 10m. The pump performed with an efficiency of 3.94% to 13.14%. The power consumption was fixed at 0.373kWh. The design and testing of the solar pump are presented in this work. The design can be used in rural and semi-urban areas with a moderate population and farms for irrigation practices where grid electricity is unavailable.