Design and optimal choice of a 1.

5 kW
photovoltaic pumping system for irrigation
purposes
Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2056, 020004 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084977
Published Online: 20 December 2018

Abdennabi Brahmi, Abdelouahed Abounada, Ghizlane Chbirik, et al.

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AIP Conference Proceedings 2056, 020004 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084977 2056, 020004

© 2018 Author(s).
 Design And Optimal Choice Of A 1.5 kW Photovoltaic
Pumping System For Irrigation Purposes
Abdennabi Brahmi1, a), Abdelouahed Abounada2, b), Ghizlane Chbirik2, c) and
Aumeur El Amrani1, d)
1
Laboratory of Statistical Physics and Systems Modeling (L.S.P.S.M), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques-
Errachidia. FSTE
2
Laboratory of Automatic and Energy Conversion and Microelectronic (L.A.C.E.M). Faculty of Sciences and
Techniques Beni-Mellal FSTBM.

a)
Corresponding author : [email protected]
b)
[email protected]
c)
[email protected]
d)
[email protected]

Abstract.The present project deals with a method of designing a photovoltaic solar pumping system. The aim of this
design is to make an optimal choice of the various industrial equipment of this system ensuring optimization, regulation
and safety. This sizing method is based on the mathematical equations that govern the system as well as the charts of
electrical and mechanical quantities. The system in question is composed of three equipments: The Photovoltaic
generator, the solar inverter drive and the motor pump group. This design not only makes it possible to design the
pumping system to meet the desired technical specifications, but also to ensure compatibility to ensure proper operation
and reliability. It is based essentially on the assessment of the water requirements, the calculation of the necessary
hydraulic energy, the calculation of the necessary electrical power, that provided by the PV generator and the
optimization of the constituents of the pumping system. The design and choice of elements are made on a real installation
to meet the water needs of the gardens of the Faculty of Science and Techniques of Beni-Mellal. Thus, the estimated flow
rate is 3.5 m3 / h for a total dynamic head of 65 m.

INTRODUCTION
The global demand energy growth and the exhaustion of oil fields and conventional gases
have promoted research in the field of renewable energies [1]. Among these sources of energy, the solar is the most
important renewable energy source in Morocco and represents a considerable potential of more than 5 Kwh / m2. In
the field of irrigation, the need for pumping water is greater during warm and sunny periods. Solar-based solutions
can provide reliable, cost-effective and environmentally energy which meets the needs for the irrigation during all
weather conditions [1].
A solar pumping system SPS [2] are generally composed of a photovoltaic generator PV, a power converter and
a group motor-pump. In this application, a PV-direct system is used to rule out solar batteries. It pumps water and
store it in tanks much cheaper than batteries and lasts for decades. The pumped water flow varies proportionally
with the radiation intensity of the site [3].
Two types of SPS can be used [2], [4]. The first consists of a photovoltaic generator GPV coupled to a DC
motor-pump by means of a DC-DC converter [5]. While the second contains, in addition to GPV generator, an
inverter associated with an AC motor-pump [6], [7].
The main objective of this work is to present a simple and precise method for the optimal design and components
selection of a PV-direct solar installation with three phase asynchronous moto-pump group. The hourly flowrate of

1st International Congress on Solar Energy Research, Technology and Applications (ICSERTA 2018)
AIP Conf. Proc. 2056, 020004-1–020004-8; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084977
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1784-7/$30.00

020004-1
the installation is 3.5 m3 /h of a 65 m total head well for the irrigation of the garden of Beni-Melal's Sciences and
Techniques Faculty.

SOLAR PUMPING SYSTEM COMPONENTS

The solar pumping system (Figure 1) to be designed and chosen consists of the following elements:

x Photovoltaic generator consisting of a connected set of Photovoltaic modules.

x A three-phase solar inverter with variable frequency.
x A three-phase submersible moto-pump.
x Electrical and hydraulic accessories.

FIGURE 1. Synoptic representation of the Solar Pumping System

The photovoltaic generator is a non-linear source of electrical energy which produces a variable value of current
and voltage according to the illumination and temperature conditions. It consist of a set of photovoltaic modules
coupled in series or/and parallel [8]. Connected modules in series allow achieving the desired voltage of the selected
inverter operating. It’s called string or branch. To have the desired current (power) a number of strings are
connected in parallel.
Two technologies of photovoltaic inverter exist. Fixed frequency inverter and variable frequency inverter named
frequency inverter. The latter remains the most used recently in photovoltaic pumping systems. It can be powered by
a continuous current source of electrical energy (Battery accumulator, PV generator) and/or alternative source
(Diesel generator or electrical network). This converter produces an alternative voltage of variable frequency and
amplitude. It allows a progressive start and stop of the powered motor. Start and stop frequencies are configurable
by the user [9]. It integrates blocks of regulation and protection. It is equipped with a display screen for monitoring
the system during its operation. It insures the transit of energy with a better efficiency using the maximum power
point tracking function (mppt), which optimizes the functioning of the PV generator. This type of inverter presents
an economic and practical solution in the solar pumping systems [10].
The moto-pump group consists of a pump coupled to an AC motor; the three phase asynchronous motor operates
in variable speed which makes it the most selected type in the solar pumping field. In addition, it is a strong, low-
cost technology and does not require regular maintenance [11], [12].

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 SIZING AND CHOICE OF THE PUMPING SYSTEM
The sizing of a pumping system must be accomplished with high accuracy [13], [14]. The chosen components of
the system must respect the compatibility between them. In fact a system undersized remains a less reliable, while
an oversized system has a high investment cost.

System Specifications
The pump system to be designed will be used for irrigation purposes. The demand of water is greater during the
summer season especially July. For our installation a daily flow of 25 m3/day is required during this month. As a
result, the sizing technique was adopted with month of lower illumination of the summer season. Consequently, we
consider the lowest illumination Eirr of this season (6960W/m2) which corresponds to August [11]. During this
month, the system operates averagely 7 hours per day. This allows an hourly flowrate of 3.5 m3/h approximately.
The depth of the considered well is 60m. The load’s total losses are estimated at 5m. The total head Ht is then of
65m. As a result, the design specifications are presented in the following table 1.
TABLE 1. Sizing parameters.

Flowrate Qh Total head Ht Irradiation Eirr

3.5 m3/h 65 m 6960 W/m2

Design Methodology
The dimensioning goes through the following steps [4], [5], [6]:

x Calculate the electrical power Pe required by the moto-pump group.

x Choose the appropriate moto-pump group to meet the design specifications.
x Determine the peak power Pcc of the PV generator needed.
x Choose a compatible inverter with the chosen motor-pump by taking into account the calculated peak power
of the PV generator selected.
x Choose a PV module and determine the size of the PV generator to be used.
x Determine the Photovoltaic modules arrangements of the PV generator.

The Moto-pump

The hydraulic energy Eh (W) needed to have an hourly flowrate Qh = 3.5 m3/h at the total head Ht= 65 m is
defined by the below expression [5], [6]:

Eh Ch u Qh u H t (1)

Where Ch: is the hydraulic constant (2.725 Kg.s.h/m2).

Thus, the hydraulic energy needed is about Eh=620W.
The calculated hydraulic energy Eh helps to determine the electrical power Pe required by the moto-pump group
of ηmp efficiency by applying the relation [7]:

Eh
Pe (2)
K mp

The most hydraulic pumps has an efficiency from 45 % to 65 % [9], and the most motor has an efficiency from
75% and 85%. So, the moto-pump group has an efficiency from about 34% to 55%.
For an efficiency value ηmp= 58%, we find about Pe= 1070 W.

020004-3
 In the literature [4], [8], there are three types of pumps driven by an electric motor, namely: the volumetric
pump, the floating pump and the multi-stage submersible centrifugal pump. The desired daily flowrate and the total
head of the site allow us to choose the adequate type of pump to be installed. Figure 2 below gives the total head
according to the flow rate of these types of pumps.

Figure 2.Total head vs flowrate of pump types.

For a flowrate of 25m3/day and a total head of 65 m, the type of pump to be used is the submersible multistage
centrifugal pump. It is a simple technology with low cost, its startup torque is low, and it is limited only by the
friction losses. This type of pump can turn at very low illumination and accepts a variable speed of rotation, which
makes it very suitable for photovoltaic pumping system.
The Alarko USA manufacturer offers a large series of high performance multi-stage submersible pumps (Table
2).
TABLE 2.TDMP-P4004 moto-pump specifications.

Figure 3 present the total head versus the hourly flowrate of the DPM-P4004 series.

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 FIGURE 3. Total head and efficiency vs flowrate of the DMP-P4004 pump series

The DMP-P 4004/13 motor pump seems the most adequate to our situation. In fact, it possesses a maximal yield
of 60% around the flow rate of 3.5 m3 / h, and the total head is greater than 65m. This operating point is well
situated in the nominal operation zone. Its characteristics are given in the following table 3:

TABLE 3. DMP-P4004/13 moto-pump characteristics.

Specifications Values Units

Nominal power 1.1 kW
Three-phase voltage 380/400 V
Frequency range 0 to 50/60 Hz
Nominal current 3.4 A
Flowrate 6 m3/h
Ht max 101 m
Pipe 1”1/4 inch
Number of stages 13 --
Nominal speed 2850 tr/min

020004-5
 PV Generator

PV generator peak power Pcc depends on the nominal power Pn of the motor-pump group, the operating hours
number Nh, daily irradiation Eirr used for design, loss factor fp of PV generator and the efficiency ηond of the selected
inverter. Pcc is given by the following relation [10], [11]:
Pn u N h
Pcc (3)
Eirr
u f p uK ond
Pi
The recent inverters have an efficiency upper to 98%, we consider η ond =93%. The loss factor fp is due to
temperature, the dust, connection cables and orientation. This factor is well-chosen equal to 80%. The number of
operating hours Nh of the pumping system is about 7 hours. The worst month of the summer season is the August. In
this month, the radiation Eirr is estimated to 6960Wh/m2/j [11]. Pi is the illumination power at standard test
conditions, it has a value of 1000W/m2[11].The calculated Pcc value is1487 W. The peak power of the PV generator
to be considered in this project is Pcc =1.5 kW.

Solar Inverter

Each inverter has specific operating ranges that must correspond to the electrical characteristics of the PV
generator and those of the selected pump. The sizing and choice of the variable frequency inverter will take into
account the following constraints:
The nominal power Pn_ond of the solar inverter must be in the range power of [80%Pcc; 120%Pcc] [4], [8].
The output voltages and frequency specifications of the solar inverter must be compatible with those of the
chosen pump. Besides, the rated current In-ond of the Inverter must be 150% higher than the rated current In-mp of the
pump [13], [14].
By respecting the sizing constraints, the nominal power Pn_ond of the inverter to be chosen must be in the range
[1200W; 1800W]. The inverters output voltages must be 380/400 V, 50/60Hz three phase. And the nominal current
In_ond of this inverter must be greater than 5.1 A.
Hobert manufacturer offers a HSP series of variable frequency inverters for solar pumping systems. From this
series, we choose the inverter HSPL1500H with the following characteristics (Table 4):
TABLE 4. HSPIL1500HA Solar inverter specifications.

Parameters Values Units

Nominal power 1.5 kW
Output voltage (3 phases) 380/400 V
DC Input voltage range 55---95 V
Nominal DC input voltage 62.5 V
Nominal DC input current 5.6 A
Max DC input current 35 A
Frequency range 0 to 50/60 Hz
Efficiency 95% --
MPPT efficiency 99% --

The HSPL1500H inverter integrates a booster stage. This Booster has at its input a range voltage of 55V to 95V.
It reduces the number of modules to be connected in series for powers less than or equal to 1500W.

PV Generator

The Beni Mellal city is characterized by a climate frequently hot in summer. Polycrystalline photovoltaic
modules remain the most appropriate type to be installed. Indeed, this type keeps its performances in spite of
temperature rise and it is cheaper. A polycrystalline ElySun250 PV module is chosen in this study with the
following specifications (Table 5):

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 TABLE 5. ElySun 250 PV module.

Parameters Values Units

Max power Pmpp 250 Wc
Voltage Vmpp at Pmpp 34.2 V
Current Impp at Pmpp 7.02 A
Open circuit voltage (Voc) 43.36 V
Short circuit current (Isc) 8.1 A

The number of modules connected in series n s is defined by the quotient of the maximum inverter input voltage
Vond_max by that of the open circuit Voc-m of the selected PV module [10]:

Vond _ max
ns (4)
Voc _ m
For Vond_max=95V and Voc-m=43.36V, the number of modules to be connected in series is ns=2.
The number of modules connected in parallel np, or number of string, it is given by the relation [10]:
Pcc 1
np u (5)
Pcc _ m ns
Pcc and Pcc_m are respectively the peak power of the PV generator and the selected PV module. The calculations
give a value of np = 3.
With a PV generator peak power of 1500Wc, six modules of 250Wc each are needed; two series modules
constitute a string. The combination of 3 strings in parallel forms the structure of the PV generator to be installed
(Figure 4).

FIGURE 4.PV generator arrangement.

Two modules in series allow having 87.2V. This value is in the voltage range [55V; 95V], which presents the
allowable input of the inverter. Also, the optimum voltage of a string is 68.4V well between 62.5V and 95V.
The three strings (short circuit current of module 8.1A) in parallel give a maximum current of 8.1 * 3 = 24.3A,
which is lower than the maximum input current of the chosen inverter 32A.

CONCLUSION

PV solar water pumping systems less than 1.5 kW are currently the most used in Morocco. They cover a larger
area of land with a good solar resource and require less maintenance. This paper presents a detailed technique of
sizing and choosing optimally pumping system units of 1.5KW. While designing this system a set of constraints has
been well respected to ensure interconnection compatibility and proper operation of the overall system. The
designed and chosen system consists of the GPV generator of six poly-crystalline modules ElySun250, the three-
phase variable frequency inverter HSPL1500H and the motor-pump DMP-P4004/13. We hope that this work will be

020004-7
one more proof of the solar pumping classes in our country and it will be beneficial for solar pumping companies in
our country of agricultural character.

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