RESEARCH PAPER

A PMDC Based Solar Air Cooler

(Multipurpose)
Research by,

NAME ROLL NO.

MORE ROHIT RAJENDRA 03
PATIL DNYANESHWAR VISHWAS 11
PATIL BHAVESH SUBHASH 20
SATOTE BHUSHAN EKNATH 26

DEPARTMEMT: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING [B.E]

PSGVP Mandal’s D.N.Patel Collage of Engineering,Shahada

Abstract

This article proposes the idea of using solar energy as a source of power for designing and developing
an air-cooling system. This type of application is particularly suited for rural areas that have a considerable amount
of solar radiation and have no access to grid systems. The proposed system is comprised of a photovoltaic (PV) array
and DC-DC buck converter. A Permanent Magnet Direct Current (PMDC) motors are employed to drive a centrifugal
water pump and an air blower coupled to their individual shafts. The air blower is connected with a DC-DC buck
converter that ensures a maximum power point (MPP) operation. A centrifugal water pump is connected with a DC-
DC buck converter. The most challenging task in an air-cooling system is to maintain the constant speed of the blower
under variable irradiance conditions. The power provided by the solar PV array will provide to the DC-DC converters
in such a way that the PMDC motor connected with the blower will maintain a constant speed by maintaining the
constant voltage of the DC-DC buck converter. The rest of the available PV power will be handled by the pump. The
suitability of the proposed system for various perturbations is evaluated by simulating the proposed system using a
MATLAB/Simulink and is validated by conducting experiments.

Keywords: PMDC air blower, PMDC motor, Centrifugal Pump, PV System, Solar Energy, DC-DC Converters.
 Introduction

The rate of energy consumption is increasing very rapidly due to increases in population,
industrialization, transportation, etc. and the energy supply is depleting due to the annihilation of fossil fuels, resulting
in inflation and energy shortages. This paves the way for exploring other available renewable resources. Among all
the renewable, solar is the most abundant and the effective harvest of this energy can easily fulfil the present energy
demands of the world.

Though the extraction of energy from the sun is a bit costly, the reduction in the cost of power electronic
devices and Solar Panels in recent years along with their increased lifetime has increased the usage of solar
photovoltaic (PV) based generation for various household and industrial applications.

Although several researches have been carried out on PV array fed automotive and irrigation systems
combining various DC-DC converters and motor drives, very little work has been done on PV based home appliances.
A PMDC motor is considered to help develop a solar PV fed air cooler, which can operate satisfactorily for longer
time periods as compared to brushed motors under dynamically changing atmospheric conditions. The Perturb &
Observe (P&O) based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is used to control the DC-DC converter
such that the solar PV system always operates at its MPP.

Now a days, the D.C motor has been widely used in industries because of its salient features like
reliability, wide range of torque –speed control range, high efficiency, higher starting torque, less electrical noise and
high weight/torque ratio.

PMDC motors are used in variety of application such as heater, wiper and personal computer. In addition
to, PMDC motors have no requirement for winding field so that size of PMDC motor is smaller than conventional
DC motor and cost of PMDC motors are also relatively lower. PMDC motor is direct control, where the rotation
speed of the shaft is proportional to the applied voltage of motor, while the instantaneous torque can be linearly
controlled by controlling the armature current. PMDC motor drives are building based on two types of power
electronics converters- either Phase controlled rectifier or switched mode DC/DC converter. Controlled rectifiers are
generally used for the speed control of PMDC motor.
 Block Diagram of Solar Powered Air Cooler Using PMDC
Objective the Project
i. To make aware of non-conventional energy sources to reduce environmental pollutions.
ii. To provide solution for power cut problems in villages.
iii. To replace existing costlier and high energy consumption cooling methods.

Problem Identification
Problem identification as per literature review

1. In normal air cooler, induction motor of 50-60 watts is used, which will consume more energy. A solution to this
is we are using PMDC motor of 20 watts only which will function same and will save energy.
2. many previous models brushed DC motors are seen to be used to rotate the axial fan of air cooler. But such
brushed DC motors have disadvantages like inadequate heat dissipation caused by the rotor limitations, high rotor
inertia, low speed range due to limitations imposed by the brushes, and electromagnetic interference (EMI)
generated by brush arcing. Also, brush motors require periodic maintenance as brushes must be cleaned and
replaced for continued operation.
3. Thus, seeing all these disadvantages, we have decided to use PMDC motor in our project. The reason for this is
when compared to other brush DC motors; PMDC motors have a number of performance advantages. They have
high starting torque, do not require field winding No field circuit copper losses No need of field excitation
arrangement, No input power in consumed for excitation which improve efficiency of DC motor and the torque
is flat up to rated speed.
 Components

Solar Panel:
Photovoltaic modules use light energy (photons) from the Sun to generate electricity through the
photovoltaic effect. Most modules use wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thin-film cells. The structural
(load carrying) member of a module can be either the top layer or the back layer. Cells must be protected from
mechanical damage and moisture. Most modules are rigid, but semi-flexible ones based on thin-film cells are
also available. The cells are connected electrically in series, one to another to the desired voltage, and then in
parallel to increase amperage. The wattage of the module is the mathematical product of the voltage and the
amperage of the module. The manufacture specifications on solar panels are obtained under standard condition
which is not the real operating condition the solar panels are exposed to on the installation site.

Solar cell to a PV System

A PV junction box is attached to the back of the solar panel and functions as its output interface. External connections
for most photovoltaic modules use MC4 connectors to facilitate easy weatherproof connections to the rest of the
system. A USB power interface can also be used. Module electrical connections are made in series to achieve a
desired output voltage or in parallel to provide a desired current capability (amperes) of the solar panel or the PV
system. The conducting wires that take the current off the modules are sized according to the capacity and may
contain silver, copper or other non-magnetic conductive transition metals. Bypass diodes may be incorporated or
used externally, in case of partial module shading, to maximize the output of module sections still illuminated. Some
special solar PV modules include concentrators in which light is focused by lenses or mirrors onto smaller cells. This
enables the use of cells with a high cost per unit area (such as gallium arsenide) in a cost-effective way. Solar panels
also use metal frames consisting of racking components, brackets, reflector shapes, and troughs to better support the
panel structure Depending on construction, photovoltaic modules can produce electricity from a range of frequencies
of light, but usually cannot cover the entire solar range (specifically, ultraviolet, infrared and low or diffused light).
Hence, much of the incident sunlight energy is wasted by solar modules, and they can give far higher efficiencies if
illuminated with monochromatic light. MPP (Maximum power point) of the solar panel consists of MPP voltage (V
mpp) and MPP current (I mpp): it is a capacity of the solar panel and the higher value can make higher MPP. Micro-
inverted solar panels are wired in parallel, which produces more output than normal panels wired in series, with the
output of the series determined by the lowest performing panel. Micro-inverters work independently to enable each
panel to contribute its maximum possible output for a given amount of sunlight

DC-DC buck boost converter

The buck–boost converter is a type of DC-to-DC converter that has an output voltage magnitude that is
either greater than or less than the input voltage magnitude. It is equivalent to a fly back converter using a
single inductor instead of a transformer. Two different topologies are called buck–boost converter. Both of
them can produce a range of output voltages, ranging from much larger (in absolute magnitude) than the input
voltage, down to almost zero. Like the buck and boost converters, the operation of the buck-boost is best
understood in terms of the inductor's "reluctance" to allow rapid change in current. From the initial state in
which nothing is charged and the switch is open, the current through the inductor is zero. When the switch is
first closed, the blocking diode prevents current from flowing into the right-hand side of the circuit, so it must
all flow through the inductor.

Circuit diagram of buck-boost converter

 However, since the inductor doesn't allow rapid current change, it will initially keep the current low by
dropping most of the voltage provided by the source. Over time, the inductor will allow the current to slowly
increase by decreasing its own resistance. In an ideal circuit the voltage drop across the inductor would remain
constant. When the inherent resistance of wires and the switch is taken into account then the voltage drop
across the inductor will also decrease as the current increases. Also, during this time the inductor will store
energy in the form of a magnetic field.

PMDC Motor
In a DC motor, an armature rotates inside a magnetic field. The basic working principle of a DC motor
is based on the fact that whenever a current carrying conductor is placed inside a magnetic field, there will be
mechanical force experienced by that conductor.
All kind of DC motors work under this principle. Hence for constructing a DC motor, it is essential to establish
a magnetic field. The magnetic field is established by using a magnet. You can use different types of magnets
– it may be an electromagnet or it can be a permanent magnet.

A Permanent Magnet DC motor (PMDC motor) is a type of DC motor that uses a permanent magnet to
create the magnetic field required for the operation of a DC motor.

Construction of PMDC Motor

Have you ever used a battery-operated toy? The motor that drives these toys is nothing but a permanent magnet DC
motor or PMDC motor. These types of motors are simple in construction.
They are commonly used as a starter motor in automobiles, windshield wipers, washers, blowers used in heaters
and air conditioners, to raise and lower windows – and they are extensively used in toys.
As the magnetic field strength of a permanent magnet is fixed it cannot be controlled externally, field control of this
type of DC motor cannot be possible.

Thus, permanent magnet DC motor is used where there is no need to control the speed of the motor (which is usually
done by controlling the magnetic field). Small fractional and sub-fractional KW motors are often constructed using
a permanent magnet.

Construction of Permanent Magnet DC Motor or PMDC Motor

As it is indicated in name of permanent magnet DC motor, the field poles of this motor are essentially made of
permanent magnet.

A PMDC motor mainly consists of two parts. A stator and an armature. Here the stator which is a steel cylinder. The
magnets are mounted in the inner periphery of this cylinder.

The permanent magnets are mounted in such a way that the N-pole and S-pole of each magnet are alternatively faced
towards armature as shown in the figure below. That means, if N-pole of one magnet is faced towards armature then
S-pole of very next magnet is faced towards armature.

In addition to holding the magnet on its inner periphery, the steel cylindrical stator also serves as low reluctance
return path for the magnetic flux.
Although field coil is not required in permanent magnet DC motor still it is sometimes found that they are used along
with permanent magnet.

This is because if permanent magnets lose their strength, these lost magnetic strengths can be compensated by field
excitation through these field coils. Generally, rare earth hard magnetic materials are used in these permanent magnet
materials.

The rotor of a PMDC motor is similar to other DC motors. The rotor or armature of a permanent magnet DC motor
also consists of a core, windings, and commutator. Armature core is made of a number of varnishes insulated, slotted
circular lamination of steel sheets.
By fixing these circular steel sheets one by one, a cylindrical shaped slotted armature core is formed. The varnish
insulated laminated steel sheets are used to reduce eddy current loss in armature of permanent magnet DC motor.

These slots on the outer periphery of the armature core are used for housing armature conductors in them. The
armature conductors are connected in a suitable manner which gives rise to armature winding. The end terminals of
the winding are connected to the commutator segments placed on the motor shaft. Like other DC motors, carbon or
graphite brushes are placed with spring pressure on the commutator segments to supply current to the armature.

Working Principle of Permanent Magnet DC Motor or PMDC Motor

As we said earlier the working principle of PMDC motor is just similar to the general working principle of DC motor.
That is when a carrying conductor comes inside a magnetic field, a mechanical force will be experienced by the
conductor and the direction of this force is governed by Fleming’s left hand rule. As in a permanent magnet DC
motor, the armature is placed inside the magnetic field of a permanent magnet; the armature rotates in the direction
of the generated force.
Here each conductor of the armature experiences the mechanical force F = B.I.L Newton where, B is the magnetic
field strength in Tesla (weber / m2), I is the current in Ampere flowing through that conductor and L is the length of
the conductor in meter comes under the magnetic field. Each conductor of the armature experiences a force and the
compilation of those forces produces a torque, which tends to rotate the armature.

Impeller/Axial Blower

An impeller is a rotating component of a centrifugal pump that

accelerates fluid outward from the centre of rotation, thus transferring
energy from the motor that drives the pump to the fluid being pumped.
The velocity achieved by the impeller transfers into pressure when the
outward movement of the fluid is confined by the pump casing. An
impeller is usually a short cylinder with an open inlet (called an eye)
to accept incoming fluid, vanes to push the fluid radially, and a
splined, keyed, or threaded bore to accept a drive shaft. Impeller
consists of a greater number of blades. The number of blades increases the cold air rushed out forcibly. The impeller
blades are slightly bended, so that the cold air forcibly transmitted to the outside.

Axial flow impellers impose essentially bulk motion and are used on homogenization processes, in which increased
fluid volumetric flow rate is important.

Centrifugal Water Pump

Centrifugal pumps are designed with a rotating impeller
which can be used for supplying the water into the pump and force
the discharge flow. These pumps come in several types which
includes trash, submersible, and standard models. By using these
pumps, all types of liquids can be pumped with low-viscosity. And
also, these pumps work fine with thin fluids & gives high flow
rates. In our project, the 12 Volt DC water pump is used circulate
the water. The buck converter is connected to the DC water pump, so that DC water pump runs directly.

Charge Controller
A solar charge controller is fundamentally a voltage or current controller to charge the battery and keep electric cells
from overcharging. It directs the voltage and current hailing from the solar panels setting off to the electric cell.
Generally, 12V boards/panels put out in the ballpark of 16 to 20V, so if there is no regulation the electric cells will
damage from overcharging. Generally, electric storage devices require around 14 to 14.5V to get completely charged.
The solar charge controllers are available in all features, costs, and sizes. The range of charge controllers is from
4.5A and up to 60 to 80A.

Types of Solar Charger Controller:

i. Simple 1 or 2 stage controls

ii. PWM (pulse width modulated)
iii. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
 i. Simple 1 or 2 stage controls

It has shunt transistors to control the voltage in one or two steps. This controller basically just shorts the
solar panel when a certain voltage is arrived at. Their main genuine fuel for keeping such a notorious
reputation is their unwavering quality – they have so not many segments, there is very little to break.

ii. PWM (pulse width modulated)

This is the traditional type charge controller, for instance, anthrax, Blue Sky, and so on. These are
essentially the industry standard now.

iii. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT):

The MPPT solar charge controller is the sparkling star of today’s solar systems. These controllers truly identify the
best working voltage and amperage of the solar panel exhibit and match that with the electric cell bank. The outcome
is extra 10-30% more power out of your sun oriented cluster versus a PWM controller. It is usually worth the
speculation for any solar electric systems over 200 watts

Conclusion
Following Points can be concluded from the model of PMDC based Solar Air Cooler and MPPT simulations-
1) PMDC motor is of 20 watt , while in traditional AC cooler 50-80 watts , so there is 70% electricity bill saving.
2) Inverter friendly as only 12 v DC motor is used, air cooler can be easily used during load shading
3) As there Is 12 v Dc supply No danger of getting electric shock .
4) Irrespective of the solar irradiance maximum power can be obtained from the PV module with the use of MPPT.
5) Different MPPT algorithms are simulated and results are verified. Among them Fuzzy logic based MPPT has most
advantages.

Future Scope
1. BLDC motor instead of DC or induction motor can be used for high efficiency, noiseless Operation,
maintenance free, higher speed range.
2. Internet of Things can be implemented in this model so that it can be started or stopped from remote area
also.
3. Water level indicator can be used and, on its basis, automatic water supplying arrangement in water tub of
the cooler will be made, avoiding manual Operation of filling the water in every time it ends.
4. Temperature sensors can be used to check the room temperature and automatic start and stop of the air cooler
can be done.
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