AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEM

A Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Technology

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

MADAN MOHAN MALAVIYA UNIVERSITY
TECHNOLOGY, GORAKHPUR (U.P)-INDIA

PROJECT TEAM NO.14 UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

SHASHI RANJAN CHOUDHARY Dr A.K. PANDEY
MANVENDRA SRIVASTAVA Head of Department
SARTHAK SRIVASTAVA Electrical Engineering
SARVAJEET KUMAR CHAUHAN
KARTHIK RAITANI
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

• ABSTRACT
• INTRODUCTION
• THEORY
• BLOCK DIAGRAM
• WORKING
• FLOWCHART FOR MICRO-CONTROLLER
• CONCLUSION
 ABSTRACT
The project is designed to develop an automatic irrigation system which
switches the pump motor ON/OFF on sensing the moisture content of the soil.
In the field of agriculture, use of proper method of irrigation is important. The
advantage of using this method is to reduce human intervention and still ensure
proper irrigation. The project uses an 8051 series microcontroller which is
programmed to receive the input signal of varying moisture condition of the soil
through the sensing arrangement. This is achieved by using an op-amp as
comparator which acts as interface between the sensing arrangement and the
microcontroller. Once the controller receives this signal, it generates an output
that drives a relay for operating the water pump. An LCD display is also
interfaced to the microcontroller to display status of the soil and water pump.
The sensing arrangement is made by using two stiff metallic rods inserted into
the field at a distance. Connections from the metallic rods are interfaced to the
control unit.
 INTRODUCTION

In our fast-paced world of human beings we require everything to be automated.

Our life style demands everything to be remote controlled. Apart from few things
man has made his life automated. In the world of advance electronics, life of
human beings should be simpler. Hence to make life simpler and convenient,

we have made “AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEM”. A model of

controlling irrigation facilities to help millions of people. This model uses sensing
arrangement technology with microcontroller to make a smart switching device.
The continuous increasing demand of food requires the rapid improvement in
food production technology. In a country like India, where the economy is mainly
based on agriculture and the climatic conditions are isotropic, still we are not able
to make full use of agricultural resources. The main reason is the lack of rains &
scarcity of land reservoir water. Irrigation has always been an ancient practice
which has evolved through so many stages over the years.

Our ancestral farmers in a bid to irrigate their farm sought for various
methodologies. Manual irrigation using buckets and watering cans, flood
irrigation, drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation were and are still being used
today. The existing system has several limitations; leaching off of soil nutrients,
erosion due to flooding, loss of water from plant surfaces through evaporation,
water wastage which can result to water scarcity in drought areas and production
of unhealthy crops.

This problem can be rectified if we use microcontroller based automated

irrigation system in which the irrigation will take place only when there will be
acute requirement of water.
 THEORY

This project on "Automatic Irrigation System" is intended to create an automated

irrigation mechanism which turns the pumping motor ON and OFF on detecting
the dampness content of the earth. In the domain of farming, utilization of
appropriate means of irrigation is significant.

The continuous extraction of water from earth is reducing the water level due to
which lot of land is coming slowly in the zones of un-irrigated land. The benefit
of employing this technique is to decrease human interference and still make
certain appropriate irrigation. The circuit comprises of sensing arrangement parts
built using op-amp IC LM358. Op-amps are configured here as a comparator.
Two stiff copper wires are inserted in the soil to sense whether the soil is wet or
dry.

The Microcontroller is used to control the whole system by monitoring the

sensing arrangement and when sensing arrangement senses the dry condition then
the microcontroller will send command to relay driver IC the contacts of which
are used to switch on the motor and it will switch off the motor, if the sensing
arrangement senses the soil to be wet. The microcontroller does the above job as
it receives the signal from the sensing arrangement through the output of the
comparator, and these signals operate under the control of software which is
stored in ROM 304 of the Microcontroller.

The condition of the pump i.e., ON/OFF is displayed on a 16X2 LCD. The power
supply consists of a step-down transformer, which steps down the voltage to 12V
AC. This is converted to DC using a Bridge rectifier. The ripples are removed
using a capacitive filter and it is then regulated to +5V using a voltage regulator
which is required for the operation of the microcontroller and other components.
BLOCK DIAGRAM
 BLOCK DIAGRAM COMPONENTS

• Transformer- Step down transformer converts 230V from AC mains

into 12V AC by using a centre-tap transformer. Transformer selection is
based on the fact that regulator ICs require around 11v as input
considering dropout voltage, in order to obtain 12v power supply.
Transformer steps down ac voltage from 230v ac to 12v ac. It is then
given to bridge rectifier. Bridge rectifier converts ac voltage into
pulsating dc. It is then given to regulator ICs which output constant dc
voltage

• Microcontroller-AT89S52 is an 8-bit microcontroller and belongs to

Atmel's 8051 family. AT89S52 has 8KB of Flash programmable and
erasable read only memory (PEROM) and 256 bytes of RAM. AT89S52
has an endurance of 1000 Write/Erase cycles which means that it can be
erased and programmed to a maximum of 1000 times.

• Bridge Rectifier- Rectifier converts ac voltage into dc voltage. 4 diodes

are connected in bridge. Its input is from transformer and output is given
to the voltage regulator IC’s.

• Comparator Soil sensing arrangement is used to measure the volumetric

water content of soil. It consists of two prongs, which must be inserted in
the soil, an LM358, which acts as a comparator and a pot to change the
sensitivity of the sensing arrangement.
• Submersible Pump- A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as
liquids, gases or slurries. A pump displaces a volume by physical or
mechanical action, this pump requires 12V DC of power supply. A
submersible pump (or electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a device
which has a hermetically sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body.
The whole assembly is submerged in the fluid to be pumped. The main
advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents pump cavitations, a
problem associated with a high elevation difference between pump and
the fluid surface. Submersible pumps push fluid to the surface as opposed
to jet pumps having to pull fluids. Submersibles are more efficient than
jet pumps.

• Voltage Regulator -The LM7805 is a three-terminal positive regulator

that is available in the TO-220/D-PAK package and with 5V as fixed
output voltage. It employs internal current limiting, thermal shutdown
and safe operating area protection, making it essentially indestructible. If
adequate heat sinking is provided, it can deliver over 1A output Current.
Although designed primarily as fixed voltage regulators, these devices
can be used with external components to obtain adjustable voltages and
currents

• Led -LEDs are semiconductor devices that are made out of silicon. When
current passes through the LED, it emits photons as a by-product. Normal
light bulbs produce light by heating a metal filament until its white hot.
LEDs possess many advantages over traditional light sources including
lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller
size and faster switching.

• LCD -A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat panel display, electronic

visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties
of liquid crystals. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly. LCDs are
available to display arbitrary images, such as pre-set words, digits, and 7-
segment displays as in a digital clock.
• Relay A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an
electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other
operating principles are also used. Relays were used extensively in
telephone exchanges and early computers to perform logical operation.

• Hardware Requirements

1.Micro controller unit (AT89S52)

2.Sensing arrangement

3.Voltage Regulator

4. LCD display
 WORKING
The soil moisture sensors which are nothing but copper strands are inserted in the
soil. The soil sensing arrangement measures the conductivity of the soil. Wet soil
will be more conductive than dry soil. The soil sensing arrangement module has
a comparator in it.

The voltage from the prongs and the predefined voltage are compared and the
output of the comparator is high only when the soil condition is dry. This output
from the soil sensing arrangement is given to the analogue input pin of the
microcontroller.

The microcontroller continuously monitors the analogue input pin. When the
moisture in the soil is above the threshold, the microcontroller displays a message
mentioning the same and the motor is off. When the output from the soil sensing
arrangement is high i.e. the moisture of the soil is less. This will trigger the
microcontroller and displays an appropriate message on the LCD and the output
of the microcontroller, which is connected to the base of the transistor, is high.

When the transistor is turned on, the relay coil gets energized and turns on the
motor. The LED is also turned on and acts as an indicator. When the moisture of
the soil reaches the threshold value, the output of the soil sensing arrangement is
low and the motor is turned off.

Mechanism of the system starts with switching on of the power supply followed
by resetting the microcontroller then the copper wires (which act as sensing
arrangement) which will be connected to comparator will sense the dampness of
the soil.

The output of the comparator will control the operation of the system. If the
output of the comparator is logic low then the motor will be turned on and the
status of the motor as on and that of the soil as dry will be displayed on the 1st
and 2nd line of the LCD respectively. Else if the output of the comparator is logic
high then the motor will be turned off and the status of the motor as off and that
of the soil as wet will be displayed on the 1st and 2nd line of the LCD
respectively.
FLOWCHART FOR MICROCONTROLLER
 CONCLUSION
ADVANTAGES
• Increases Productivity of the Agricultural System.
• Reduces Water Consumption.
• Reduces Manpower.
• Larger area is irrigated very easily in less time.

The micro-controller drip irrigation system proves to be a real time feedback

control system which monitors and controls all the activities of drip irrigation
System efficiently.

The present proposal is model to modernise the Agricultural Industry at a mass

scale with optimum expenditure using this system, one can save manpower,
water to improve production and ultimately Profit.