BSC Thesis Shewit Solar Water Pump

Design and simulation of solar water pump for livestock 2013
Mekelle university 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to first acknowledge to our advisor, Sibhatleab H. (M.Sc. in Electrical Power
Engineering) who guided us at any time related to our thesis and for his support and advice
throughout our graduate program. His power electronics courses and his dedication to his
students gave us the best experience during the program. We would also like to express our
“electrical and computer engineering department” for which allow us to work on this thesis.
Mekelle university i
ABSTRACT
This thesis deals with the design and simulation of an efficient photovoltaic water pumping
system. It provides theoretical studies of photovoltaic and modeling techniques using equivalent
electric circuits. The thesis decides on the output sensing direct control method because it
requires fewer sensors. This allows a lower cost system. Each subsystem is modeled in order to
simulate the whole system in MATLAB. It employs SIMULINK to model a DC pump motor,
and the model is transferred into MATLAB. Then, MATLAB simulations verify the system and
functionality of MPP. Simulations make comparisons with the system without MPPT in terms of
total energy produced and total volume of water pumped per day. The results validate that a
system without MPPT and battery are cost effective and efficient enough.
Mekelle university ii
CHAPTER ONE
1. Introduction
Water resources are essential for satisfying human needs, protecting health, and ensuring food
production, energy and the restoration of ecosystems, as well as for social and economic
development and for sustainable development [25].
However, according to UN World Water Development Report in 2003, it has been estimated that
two billion people are affected by water shortages in over forty countries, and 1.1 billion do not
have sufficient drinking water [26].The sun is the natural source of energy for independent water
supply. Solar pumps operate anywhere the sun shines, and the longer in shines, the more water
they pump.
Solar-powered pumping systems have been in use long enough that a preliminary assessment can
be conducted related to their efficiency and cost compared to other alternative powered pumping
systems. This preliminary assessment should be completed before deciding if solar power is the
best source of alternative power for a village water supply system. Generally, alternative power
is only considered when the cost of tapping into the closest public power grid far outweighs the
costs of using alternative power.
There are several technology alternatives for supplying power or lift to groundwater systems
including: wind turbines, windmills, generators, solar arrays, and hand powered pumps. The
main driving factors for selecting the appropriate technology are regional feasibility, water
demand, system efficiencies, and initial and long-term costs. Other factors often include the
need for power and water reserves in the form of batteries and storage tanks. Solar-powered
systems are often considered for use in developing countries instead of other forms of alternative
energy because they are durable and exhibit long-term economic benefits.
There is a great and urgent need to supply environmentally sound technology for the provision of
drinking water. Remote water pumping systems are a key component in meeting this need. It will
also be the first stage of the purification and desalination plants to produce potable water.
In this thesis, a simple but efficient photovoltaic water pumping system is presented. It provides
theoretical studies of photovoltaic (PV) and its modeling techniques.
The energy from the sun is supplied in the form of radiation. The energy is generated in the
sun‟ score through the fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium. Now due to the larger distance of
sun from the earth only a small portion of sun’s radiation reaches earth’s surface. The intensity
of solar radiation reaching earth’s surface is around 1369 watts per square meter. This is known
as the solar constant. The total solar radiation intercepted by earth’s surface can be calculated by
multiplying solar constant with the cross section area of the earth. In order to calculate the solar
radiation received, on average per square meter of earth’s surface we divide the above multiplied
result by the surface area of the earth. Thus the average solar radiation(S) per square meter of
earth’s surface is given by [E].
𝑆∗𝜋∗r2 1369
= = approx.342 W/m2
4∗𝜋∗r2 4
Where S – solar constant in W/m2
r- Radius of earth
1.1 Solar energy reaching the earth’s surface
Till now the effect of earth’s atmosphere is not taken into consideration. The value calculated
above is for the average solar radiation intensity at the outer regions of earth’s atmosphere. So
we are interested to know how much of this energy actually reaches the earth surface. The
atmosphere absorbs about 68 W/m2 and reflects 77 W/m2 (Wallace and Hobbs 1977). The
radiation reaching the earth’s surface is 198 W/m2 .The intensity of solar radiation also depends
on the time of the year and the geographical positions.
From the figure below we can see that every square meter of the upper regions of the atmosphere
receives 342 W/m2. 67 W/m2 of energy is absorbed by the atmosphere and 77 W/m2 is reflected.
About 198 W/m2 energy reaches the earth’s surface, of which 30w/m2 is reflected back to space.
Figure 1.1: The distribution of solar radiation. [Source: Modified figure of Houghton et al. 2001]
1.2. Water Pumping Systems and Photovoltaic Power
A water pumping system needs a source of power to operate. In general, AC powered system is
economic and takes minimum maintenance when AC power is available from the nearby power
grid. However, in many rural areas, water sources are spread over many miles of land and power
lines are scarce. Installation of a new transmission line and a transformer to the location is often
prohibitively expensive. Windmills have been installed traditionally in such areas; many of them
are, however, inoperative now due to lack of proper maintenance and age.
Today, many stand-alone type solar water pumping systems use internal combustion engines.
These systems are portable and easy to install. However, they have some major disadvantages,
such as: they require frequent site visits for refueling and maintenance, and furthermore diesel
fuel is often expensive and not readily available in rural areas of many developing countries.
The consumption of fossil fuels also has an environmental impact, in particular the release of
carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. CO2 emissions can be greatly reduced through the
application of renewable energy technologies, which are already cost competitive with fossil
fuels in many situations. Good examples include large-scale grid-connected wind turbines, solar
water heating, and off-grid stand-alone PV systems [24]. The use of renewable energy for water
pumping systems is, therefore, a very attractive proposition. Windmills are a long-established
method of using renewable energy; however they are quickly phasing out from the scene despite
success of large-scale grid-tied wind turbines.
PV systems are highly reliable and are often chosen because they offer the lowest life-cycle cost,
especially for applications requiring less than 10KW, where grid electricity is not available and
where internal-combustion engines are expensive to operate [24]. If the water source is 1/3 mile
(app. 0.53Km) or more from the power line, PV is a favorable economic choice [13].
The Next table will shows the comparisons of different stand-alone type water pumping
systems.
Table 1-1: PV powered, Diesel powered, vs. Windmill [13]

System Type Advantages Disadvantages
PV Powered System  Low maintenance  Relatively high initial cost
 Unattended operation  Low output in cloudy
 Reliable long life weather
 No fuel and no fumes
 Easy to install
 Low recurrent costs
 System is modular and
closely matched to need
Diesel (or Gas)  Moderate capital costs  Needs maintenance and

Powered System  Easy to install Replacement
 Can be portable  Site visits necessary
 Extensive experience  Noise, fume, dirt problems
Available  Fuel often expensive and
supply intermittent
Windmill  No fuel and no fumes  High maintenance

 Potentially long-lasting  Seasonal disadvantages
 Works well in windy sites  Difficult find parts thus
costly repair
 Installation is labor
intensive and needs special
tools
1.3 Solar-Powered Water Pumping System Configurations

There are two basic types of solar-powered water pumping systems, battery-coupled and direct-
coupled. A variety of factors must be considered in determining the optimum system for a
particular application.
1.3.1 Battery-Coupled Solar Pumping Systems
Battery-coupled water pumping systems consist of photovoltaic (PV) panels, charge control
regulator, batteries, pump controller, pressure switch and tank and DC water pump (Figure below
). The electric current produced by PV panels during daylight hours charges the batteries, and the
batteries in turn supply power to the pump anytime water is needed. The use of batteries spreads
the pumping over a longer period of time by providing a steady operating voltage to the DC
motor of the pump. Thus, during the night and low light periods, the system can still deliver a
constant source of water for livestock.
Figure1.2: Battery-coupled solar water pumping system.
The use of batteries has its drawbacks. First, batteries can reduce the efficiency of the overall
system because the operating voltage is dictated by the batteries and not the PV panels.
Depending on their temperature and how well the batteries are charged, the voltage supplied by
the batteries can be one to four volts lower than the voltage produced by the panels during
maximum sunlight conditions. This reduced efficiency can be minimized with the use of an
appropriate pump controller that boosts the battery voltage supplied to the pump.
System Components
Pump Controller: The primary function of a pump controller in a battery-coupled pumping
system is to boost the voltage of the battery bank to match the desired input voltage of the pump.
Without a pump controller, the PV panels’ operating voltage is dictated by the battery bank and
is reduced from levels which are achieved by operating the pump directly off the solar panels.
Charge Control Regulators: Solar panels that are wired directly to a set of batteries can
produce voltage levels sufficient enough to overcharge the batteries. A charge control regulator
should be installed between the PV panels and the batteries to prevent excessive charging.
Charge controllers allow the full current produced by the PV panels to flow into the batteries
until they are nearly fully charged. The charge controller then lowers the current, which trickle
charges the battery until fully charged. The regulator installed should be rated at the appropriate
system voltage (i.e., 12-volt, 24-volt, etc.) and the maximum number of amperes the solar panels
can produce.
Batteries: The most common batteries used in stand-alone PV systems are lead-acid batteries.
The familiar deep-cycle, marine-grade battery is a good example. They are rechargeable, easily
maintained, relatively inexpensive, available in a variety of sizes and most will withstand daily
discharges of up to 80 percent of their rated capacity.
Battery banks are often used in PV systems. These banks are set up by connecting individual
batteries in series or parallel to get the desired operating voltage or current. The voltage achieved
in a series connection is the sum of the voltages of all the batteries, while the current (amps)
achieved in series-connected batteries is equal to that of the smallest battery. For example, two
12-volt batteries connected in series produce the equivalent voltage of a 24-volt battery with the
same amount of current (amps) output as a single battery. When wiring batteries in parallel, the
current (amps) is the sum of the currents (amps) from all the batteries and the voltage remains
the same as that of a single battery.
1.3.2 Direct-Coupled Solar Pumping System

In direct-coupled pumping systems, electricity from the PV modules is sent directly to the pump,
which in turn pumps water through a pipe to where it is needed (below). This system is designed
to pump water only during the day. The amount of water pumped is totally dependent on the
amount of sunlight hitting the PV panels and the type of pump. Because the intensity of the sun
and the angle at which it strikes the PV panel changes throughout the day, the amount of water
pumped by this system also changes throughout the day. For instance, during optimum sunlight
periods (late morning to late afternoon on bright sunny days) the pump operates at or near 100
percent efficiency with maximum water flow. However, during early morning and late afternoon,
pump efficiency may drop by as much as 25 percent or more under these low-light conditions.
During cloudy days, pump efficiency will drop off even more. To compensate for these variable
flow rates, a good match between the pump and PV module(s) is necessary to achieve efficient
operation of the system.
Figure1.3: Direct-coupled solar pumping system
Direct-coupled pumping systems are sized to store extra water on sunny days so it is available on
cloudy days and at night. Water can be stored in a larger-than-needed watering tank or in a
separate storage tank and then gravity-fed to smaller watering tanks. Water-storage capacity is
important in this pumping system. Two to five days’ storage may be required, depending on
climate and pattern of water usage. Storing water in tanks has its drawbacks. Considerable
evaporation losses can occur if the water is stored in open tanks, while closed tanks big enough
to store several days water supply can be expensive. Also, water in the storage tank may freeze
during cold weather.
1.3 Energy Storage Alternatives
Needless to say, photovoltaic are able to produce electricity only when the sunlight is
available, therefore stand-alone systems obviously need some sort of backup energy storage
which makes them available through the night or bad weather conditions.
Among many possible storage technologies, the lead-acid battery continues to be the workhorse
of many PV systems because it is relatively inexpensive and widely available. In addition to
energy storage, the battery also has ability to provide surges of current that are much higher than
the instantaneous current available from the array, as well as the inherent and automatic property
controlling the output voltage of the array so that loads receive voltages within their own range
of acceptability [16].
Using batteries may seem like a good idea, but it have a number of disadvantages. The type of
lead-acid battery suitable for PV systems is a deep-cycle battery [15], which is different from one
used for automobiles, and it is more expensive and not widely available. Battery lifetime in PV
systems is typically three to eight years, but this reduces to typically two to six years in hot
climate since high ambient temperature dramatically increases the rate of internal corrosion [24].
Batteries also require regular maintenance and will degrade very rapidly if the electrolyte is not
topped up and the charge is not maintained. They reduce the efficiency of the overall system due
to power loss during charge and discharge. Typical battery efficiency is around 85% but could go
below 75% in hot climate [24]. From all those reasons, experienced PV system designers avoid
batteries whenever possible.
For water pumping systems, appropriately sized water reservoirs can meet the requirement of
energy storage during the downtime of PV generation. The additional cost of reservoir is
considerably lower than that incurred by the battery equipped system. As a matter of fact, only
about five percent of solar pumping systems employ a battery bank [13].
1.4 The Proposed System

The experimental water pumping system proposed in this thesis is a standalone type without
backup batteries. As shown in Figure 1-4, the system is very simple and consists of a single PV
module, a maximum power point tracker (MPPT), and a DC water pump. The size of the system
is intended to be small; therefore it could be built in the lab in the future. The system including
the subsystems will be simulated to verify the functionalities.
Figure 1.4: Block diagram of the proposed PV water pumping system
1.5 PV Module
There are different sizes of PV module commercially available (typically sized from 60W to
170W). Usually, a number of PV modules are combined as an array to meet different energy
demands.
1.5.1Water pump
Two types of pumps are commonly used for PV water pumping applications: positive
displacement and centrifugal [19]. Positive displacement types are used in low-volume pumps
[13] and cost-effective. Centrifugal pumps have relatively high efficiency [19] and are capable of
pumping a high volume of water [13]. A typical size of system with this type pump is at least
500W or larger. There is a growing trend among the pump manufacturers to use them with
brushless DC motors (BDCM) for higher efficiency and low maintenance [19]. However, the
cost and complexity of these systems will be significantly higher. Water pumps are driven by
various types of motors. AC induction motors are cheaper and widely available worldwide. The
system, however, needs an inverter to convert DC output power from PV to AC power, which is
usually expensive, and it is also less efficient than DC motor-pump systems [19]. In general, DC
motors are preferred because they are highly efficient and can be directly coupled with a PV
module or array. Brushed types are less expensive and more common although brushes need to
be replaced periodically (typically every two years) [19]. There is also an aforementioned
brushless type.
It is a diaphragm-type positive displacement pump equipped with a brushed permanent magnet

DC motor and designed for use in standalone water delivery systems, specifically for water
delivery in remote locations. Flow rates up to 17.0L/min (4.5GPM) and heads up to 30.0m
(100ft.) [13]. The typical daily output is between 2,700L and 5,000L [13]. The rated maximum
power consumption is 150W. It operates with a low voltage (12~30V DC), and its power
requirement is as little as 50W [13].
1.6 Objective
The primary objective of this thesis is to design a water pump powered by solar energy that can
meet the needs of a rural community and potentially implement an automated system to provide
solar power to pump clean, drinkable water for a community in AYNALEM, MEKELLE
especially to construct a reservoir that delivers drinkable water for livestock.
Special Features of this thesis are;
 Easy to maintain.
 Convenient for community.
 Provides potable water.
 Compatible with climate of AYNALEM, MEKELLE.
 Energy fed from renewable source of energy, solar energy.
1.7. Methodology
To do this thesis; we were visited and evaluated different rural places using a checklist in order
to document the planning and implementation of the scheme, the service it currently provides,
and the challenges involved in providing a clean water supply for rural populations.
After two-day long site visits were carried out; we were taken to document particular details
covered in the interviews and from NASSA for AYNALEM to confirm the current functionality
of the scheme. Then taking technological innovations, such as solar-driven pumps installed on
shallow-dug wells, for one person who lives in AYNALEM water supply were highlighted in
order to generate pure waters for his livestock’s and after got awareness from our advisor; we
explore options for this thesis schemes.
1.8. Background and Scope of This Thesis
Since most rural areas are far from the electric service in the TIGRAY Region, most hand dug
wells, shallow wells and boreholes are fitted with hand pumps or diesel and petrol driven
generators. Some of the drawback of hand pumps include: requiring excess labor from women,
lacks of additional services and, disrepair of the system due to the frequent contact of the hand
pump by human beings.
In addition diesel/petrol pumps have many drawbacks such as high running and maintenance
costs, unreliable supply of fuel, and poor availability of spare parts. Therefore, it is important to
look for and try other sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind, and mini-hydropower.
Although limited in number, solar-driven pumps installed on shallow wells proved to be a

promising technological innovation and worthy of further review. Solar photovoltaic (PV) water
pumping has been recognized as suitable for grid-isolated rural locations in poor countries where
there are high levels of solar radiation. The recognizable challenge, however, is the high initial
cost of solar water pumping systems; though it demands virtually no maintenance, and requires
no fuel.
Therefore, documenting this technology practice in the region will help to gain knowledge of
its advantage and limitation from past experiences as well as to consider as one technological
option in the future for rural water supply implementations.
Alternative energy is commonly used to operate water sourcing equipment in applications

including remote solar water pumping for AYNALEM livestock watering. Remote or off-grid
power sources—solar panels are specifically design to making great changes in locations where
electricity from power lines is unavailable.
The use of PV systems for remote applications is becoming more and more accepted across the
world as its advantages over distribution line extension are realized. Therefore, this thesis
proposed for the control of regulator supplying sufficient and reasonable drives for solar water
pump system to fully operate in Aymnalem from photovoltaic (PV) module. Solar photovoltaic
water pumping systems composed of a photovoltaic solar array, a solar charge controller, a pump
and a battery with inverter.
Hence, as future electrical engineer, this is an honor and responsibility to facilitate and share the
technology in order to improve solar water livestock every ware. This is how the basic idea that
leads to this project of solar water level controller. The study and implementation of solar water
level controller is believed to be helpful in increase demand of available solar water supply.
1.9. Literature Review
Studies show that a solar panel converts 30-40% of energy incident on it to electrical energy. A
Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm is necessary to increase the efficiency of the solar
panel.
There are different techniques for MPPT such as Perturb and Observe (hill climbing method),
Incremental conductance, Fractional Short Circuit Current, Fractional Open Circuit Voltage,
Fuzzy Control, Neural Network Control etc. Among all the methods Perturb and observe (P&O)
and Incremental conductance are most commonly used because of their simple implementation,
lesser time to track the MPP and several other economic reasons.
Under abruptly changing weather conditions (irradiance level) as MPP changes continuously,
P&O takes it as a change in MPP due to perturbation rather than that of irradiance and
sometimes ends up in calculating wrong MPP[11]. However this problem gets avoided in
Incremental Conductance method as the algorithm takes two samples of voltage and current to
calculate MPP. However, instead of higher efficiency the complexity of the algorithm is very
high compared to the previous one and hence the cost of implementation increases. So we have
to mitigate with a tradeoff between complexity and efficiency.
It is seen that the efficiency of the system also depends upon the converter. Typically it is
maximum for a buck topology, then for buck-boost topology and minimum for a boost topology.
When multiple solar modules are connected in parallel, another analog technique TEODI is also
very effective which operates on the principle of equalization of output operating points in
correspondence to force displacement of input operating points of the identical operating system
It is very simple to implement and has high efficiency both under stationary and time varying
atmospheric conditions [12].
CHAPTER TWO
2. Photovoltaic Modules
2.1 Introduction
The history of PV dates back to 1839 when a French physicist, Edmund Becquerel, discovered
the first photovoltaic effect when he illuminated a metal electrode in an electrolytic solution [16].
Thirty-seven years later British physicist, William Adams, with his student, Richard Day,
discovered a photovoltaic material, selenium, and made solid cells with 1~2% efficiency which
were soon widely adopted in the exposure meters of camera [16]. In 1954 the first generation of
semiconductor silicon-based PV cells was born, with efficiency of 6% [3], and adopted in space
applications. Today, the production of PV cells is following an exponential growth curve since
technological advancement of late ‘80s that has started to rapidly improve efficiency and reduce
cost.
This chapter discusses the fundamentals of PV cells and modeling of a PV cell using an
equivalent electrical circuit. The models are implemented using MATLAB to study PV
characteristics and simulate a real PV module.
2.2 Photovoltaic Cell

Photons of light with energy higher than the band-gap energy of PV material can make electrons
in the material break free from atoms that hold them and create hole-electron pairs, as shown in
Figure 2.1. These electrons, however, will soon fall back into holes causing charge carriers to
disappear. If a nearby electric field is provided, those in the conduction band can be continuously
swept away from holes toward a metallic contact where they will emerge as an electric current.
The electric field within the semiconductor itself at the junction between two regions of crystals
of different type, called a p-n junction [16].
Figure 2.1: Illustration of the p-n junction of PV cell [16] Showing hole-electron pairs created by
photons
The PV cell has electrical contacts on its top and bottom to capture the electrons, as shown in
Figure 2.2. When the PV cell delivers power to the load, the electrons flow out of the n side into
the connecting wire, through the load, and back to the p-side where they recombine with holes
[16]. Note that conventional current flows in the opposite direction from electrons.
Figure 2.2: Illustrated side view of solar cell and the conducting current [16]
2.3 Modeling a PV Cell
The use of equivalent electric circuits makes it possible to model characteristics of a PV cell. The
method used here is implemented in MATLAB programs for simulations or to calculate the
value of current and voltage. The same modeling technique is also applicable for
modeling a PV module.
2.3.1 The Simplest Model

The simplest model of a PV cell is shown as an equivalent circuit below that consists of an ideal
current source in parallel with an ideal diode. The current source represents the current generated
by photons (often denoted as Iph or IL), and its output is constant under constant temperature
and constant incident radiation of light.
Figure 2.3: PV cell with a load and its simple equivalent circuit [16]
There are two key parameters frequently used to characterize a PV cell. Shorting together the
terminals of the cell, as shown in Figure 2-4 (a), the photon generated current will follow out of
the cell as a short-circuit current (Isc). Thus, Iph = Isc. As shown in Figure 2-4 (b), when there is
no connection to the PV cell (open-circuit), the photon generated current is shunted internally by
the intrinsic p-n junction diode. This gives the open circuit voltage (Voc). The PV module or cell
manufacturers usually provide the values of these parameters in their datasheets.
Figure 2-4: Diagrams showing a short circuit and an open-circuit condition [16]
The output current (I) from the PV cell is found by applying the Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL)
on the equivalent circuit shown in Figure 2-3.
I=Isc - Id……………………………………………….2.1
Where: Isc is the short-circuit current that is equal to the photon generated current, and Id is the
current shunted through the intrinsic diode. The diode current Id is given by the Shockley’s diode
equation:
Id=I0 (eq vd /kt-1) ……………………………………………………………….2.2
Where: Io is the reverse saturation current of diode (A),

q Is the electron charge (1.602×10-19 C),
Vd is the voltage across the diode (V),
k is the Boltzmann’s constant (1.381×10-23 J/K),
T is the junction temperature in Kelvin (K).
Replacing Id of the equation (2.1) by the equation (2.2) gives the current-voltage relationship of
the PV cell.
Where: V is the voltage across the PV cell, and I is the output current from the cell.
The reverse saturation current of diode (Io) is constant under the constant temperature and found
by setting the open-circuit condition as shown in Figure 2-4 (b). Using the equation (2.3), let I =
0 (no output current) and solve for Io.
=51.7820 A
Where Isc=7.55 amp Voc= 36.1v and the coefficient of the temperature=0.11 k from the selected
type of PV module specification table. And I0 is calculated using the following mat lab program;
function Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC)
% function bp_sx150s.m models the BP SX 150S PV module
% calculates module current under given voltage, irradiance and temperature
% Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,T)
% Out: Ia = Module operating current (A), vector or scalar
% In: Va = Module operating voltage (V), vector or scalar
% G = Irradiance (1G = 1000 W/m^2), scalar
% TaC = Module temperature in deg C, scalar
%/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
% Define constants
k = 1.381e-23; % Boltzmann’s constant
q = 1.602e-19; % Electron charge
% Following constants are taken from the datasheet of PV module and
% curve fitting of I-V character (Use data for 1000W/m^2)
n = 1.62; % Diode ideality factor (n),
% 1 (ideal diode) < n < 2
Eg = 1.12; % Band gap energy; 1.12eV (Si), 1.42 (GaAs),

% 1.5 (CdTe), 1.75 (amorphous Si)
Ns = 72; % # of series connected cells (BP SX150s, 72 cells)
TrK = 297.3; % Reference temperature (24.3C) in Kelvin
Voc_TrK = 36.1 /Ns; % Voc (open circuit voltage per cell) @ temp TrK
Isc_TrK = 7.55; % Isc (short circuit current per cell) @ temp TrK
a = 0.65e-3; % Temperature coefficient of Isc (0.065%/C)
% Define variables
TaK = 273 + TaC; % Module temperature in Kelvin
Vc = Va / Ns; % Cell voltage
% Calculate short-circuit current for TaK
Isc = Isc_TrK * (1 + (a * (TaK - TrK)));
% Calculate photon generated current @ given irradiance
Iph = G * Isc;
% Define thermal potential (Vt) at temp TrK
Vt_TrK = n * k * TrK / q;
% Define b = Eg * q/(n*k);
b = Eg * q /(n * k);
% Calculate reverse saturation current for given temperature
Ir_TrK = Isc_TrK / (exp(Voc_TrK / Vt_TrK) -1);
Ir = Ir_TrK * (TaK / TrK)^(3/n) * exp(-b * (1 / TaK -1 / TrK));
% Calculate series resistance per cell (Rs = 5.1mOhm)
dVdI_Voc = -1.0/Ns; % Take dV/dI @ Voc from I-V curve of datasheet
Xv = Ir_TrK / Vt_TrK * exp(Voc_TrK / Vt_TrK);
Rs = - dVdI_Voc - 1/Xv;
% Define thermal potential (Vt) at temp Ta
Vt_Ta = n * k * TaK / q;
% Ia = Iph - Ir * (exp((Vc + Ia * Rs) / Vt_Ta) -1)
% f(Ia) = Iph - Ia - Ir * ( exp((Vc + Ia * Rs) / Vt_Ta) -1) = 0
% Solve for Ia by Newton's method: Ia2 = Ia1 - f(Ia1)/f'(Ia1)
Ia=zeros(size(Vc)); % Initialize Ia with zeros
% Perform 5 iterations
for j=1:5;
Ia = Ia - (Iph - Ia - Ir .* ( exp((Vc + Ia .* Rs) ./ Vt_Ta) -1))...
./ (-1 - Ir * (Rs ./ Vt_Ta) .* exp((Vc + Ia .* Rs) ./ Vt_Ta));
end
To a very good approximation, the photon generated current, which is equal to Isc, is directly
proportional to the irradiance, the intensity of illumination, to PV cell [15]. Thus, if the value,
Isc, is known from the datasheet, under the standard test condition, Go=1000W/m2 at the air
mass (AM) = 1.5, then the photon generated current at any other irradiance, G (W/m2), is given
by:
Figure 2-5 shows that current and voltage relationship (often called as an I-V curve) of an ideal
PV cell simulated by MATLAB using the simplest equivalent circuit model. The discussion of
MATLAB simulations will appear in Section 2.5. The PV cell output is both limited by the cell
current and the cell voltage, and it can only produce a power with any combinations of current
and voltage on the I-V curve. It also shows that the cell current is proportional to the irradiance.
Figure 2-5: I-V plot of ideal PV cell under two different levels of irradiance (25oC)
2.3.2 The More Accurate Model

There are a few things that have not been taken into account in the simple model and that will
affect the performance of a PV cell in practice.
a) Series Resistance
In a practical PV cell, there is a series of resistance in a current path through the semiconductor
material, the metal grid, contacts, and current collecting bus [2]. These resistive losses are
lumped together as a series resister (Rs). Its effect becomes very conspicuous in a PV module that
consists of many series-connected cells, and the value of resistance is multiplied by the number
of cells.
b) Parallel Resistance
This is also called shunt resistance. It is a loss associated with a small leakage of current through
a resistive path in parallel with the intrinsic device [2]. This can be represented by a parallel
resister (Rp). Its effect is much less conspicuous in a PV module compared to the series
resistance, and it will only become noticeable when a number of PV modules are connected in
parallel for a larger system.
c) Recombination
Recombination in the depletion region of PV cells provides non-ohmic current paths in parallel
with the intrinsic PV cell [2] [7]. As shown in Figure 2-6, this can be represented by the second
diode (D2) in the equivalent circuit.
Figure 2-6: More accurate equivalent circuit of PV cell
Fig 2.7 Simulink of short circuit accurate equivalent circuit of PV cell
Summarizing these effects, the current-voltage relationship of PV cell is written as:
It is possible to combine the first diode (D1) and the second diode (D2) and rewrite the equation
in the following form.
Where: n is known as the “ideality factor” (“n” is sometimes denoted as “A”) and takes the value
between one and two [7].
2.4 Photovoltaic Module
A single PV cell produces an output voltage less than 1V, about 0.6V for crystalline silicon (Si)
cells, thus a number of PV cells are connected in series to archive a desired output voltage. When
series-connected cells are placed in a frame, it is called as a module. Most of commercially
available PV modules with crystalline-Si cells have either 36 or 72 series-connected cells. A 36-
cell module provides a voltage suitable for charging a 12V battery, and similarly a 72-cell
module is appropriate for a 24V battery. This is because most of PV systems used to have
backup batteries, however today many PV systems do not use batteries; for example, grid-tied
systems. Furthermore, the advent of high efficiency DC-DC converters has alleviated the need
for modules with specific voltages. When the PV cells are wired together in series, the current
output is the same as the single cell, but the voltage output is the sum of each cell voltage, as
shown in next Figure
Figure 2.9 PV cells are connected in series to make up a PV module
Also, multiple modules can be wired together in series or parallel to deliver the voltage and
current level needed. The group of modules is called an array.
2.5 Modeling a PV Module by MATLAB

BP Solar BP SX 150S PV module, pictured in Figure 2-8, is chosen for a MATLAB simulation
model. The module is made of 72 multi-crystalline silicon solar cells in series and provides
150W of nominal maximum power [1]. Table 2-1 shows its electrical specification.
Figure 2-10: Picture of BP SX 150S PV module [1]
The strategy of modeling a PV module is no different from modeling a PV cell. It uses the same
PV cell model. The parameters are the all same, but only a voltage parameter (such as the open-
circuit voltage) is different and must be divided by the number of cells.
The study done by Walker [27] of University of Queensland, Australia, uses the electric model
with moderate complexity, shown in Figure 2-9, and provides fairly accurate results. The model
consists of a current source (Isc), a diode (D), and a series resistance (Rs). The effect of parallel
resistance (Rp) is very small in a single module, thus the model does not include it. To make a
better model, it also includes temperature effects on the short-circuit current (Isc) and the reverse
saturation current of diode (Io). It uses a single diode with the diode ideality factor (n) set to
achieve the best I-V curve match
Figure 2-11: Equivalent circuit used in the MATLAB simulations
Fig 2.12 PSIM simulation short circuit used in the MATLAB simulations
Since it does not include the effect of parallel resistance (Rp), letting Rp = ∞ n the equation (2.9)
gives the equation [27] that describes the current-voltage relationship of the PV cell, and it is
shown below.
Where: I is the cell current (the same as the module current),
V is the cell voltage = {module voltage} ÷ {# of cells in series},
𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
V= =43.2v/72 =0.6 v
# 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
T is the cell temperature in Kelvin (K).
First, calculate the short-circuit current (Isc) at a given cell temperature (T):
Where: Isc at Tref is given in the datasheet (measured under irradiance of 1000W/m2),
Tref is the reference temperature of PV cell in Kelvin (K), usually 298K (25oC), a is the
temperature coefficient of Isc in percent change per degree temperature also given in the
datasheet.
The short-circuit current (Isc) is proportional to the intensity of irradiance, thus Isc at a given
irradiance (G) is:
6820 𝑤/𝑚2
=( )*7.55amp
1000 𝑤/𝑚2
= 51.491amp
Where: Go is the nominal value of irradiance, which is normally 1KW/m2 and 6820 w/m2 is
value taken from the data sheet.
The reverse saturation current of diode (Io) at the reference temperature (Tref) is given by the
equation (2.6) with the diode ideality factor added:
The reverse saturation current (Io) is temperature dependent and the Io at a given temperature (T)
is calculated by the following equation
The diode ideality factor (n) is unknown and must be estimated. It takes a value between one and
two; the value of n=1 (for the ideal diode) is, however, used until the more accurate value is
estimated later by curve fitting [27]. Figure 2-10 shows the effect of the varying ideality factor.
Figure 2-13 Effect of diode ideally factors by MATLAB simulation (1KW/m2, 25oC)
The series resistance (Rs) of the PV module has a large impact on the slope of the I-V curve near
the open-circuit voltage (Voc), as shown in Figure 2-11, hence the value of Rs is calculated by
𝑑𝑉
evaluating the slope of the I-V curve at the Voc [27]. The equation for Rs is derived by
𝑑𝐼
differentiating the equation (2.10) and then rearranging it in terms of Rs.
A.1.3 MATLAB Function to Find the MPP

This simple MATLAB function is to find the power, voltage, and current at the MPP
of BP SX 150S PV module under the given irradiance and module temperature.
function [Pa_max, Imp, Vmp] = find_mpp(G, TaC)
% find_mpp: function to find a maximum power point of pv module
% [Pa_max, Imp, Vmp] = find_mpp(G, TaC)
% in: G (irradiance, KW/m^2), TaC (temp, deg C)
% out: Pa_max (maximum power), Imp, Vmp
%
% Akihiro Oi July 27, 2005
%////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
% Define variables and initialize
Va = 12;
Pa_max = 0;
% Start process
while Va < 48-TaC/8
Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC);
Pa_new = Ia * Va;
if Pa_new > Pa_max
Pa_max = Pa_new;
Imp = Ia;
Vmp = Va;
end
Va = Va + .005;
end
Then, evaluate the equation Rs at the open circuit voltage that is V=Voc (also let I=0).
Where:
is the slope of the I-V curve at the Voc (use the I-V curve in the datasheet then divide it by the
number of cells in series), Voc is the open-circuit voltage of cell (found by dividing Voc in the
datasheet by the number of cells in series). The calculation using the slope measurement of the I-
V curve published on the BP SX150 datasheet gives a value of the series resistance per cell, Rs =
5.1mΏ
Figure 2-14: Effect of series resistances by MATLAB simulation (1KW/m2, 25oC)
Finally, it is possible to solve the equation of I-V characteristics (2.10). It is, however, complex
because the solution of current is recursive by inclusion of a series resistance in the model.
Although it may be possible to find the answer by simple iterations, the Newton’s method is
chosen for rapid convergence of the answer [27]. The Newton’s method is described as:
Where: f’(x) is the derivative of the function, f (x) = 0, Xn is a present value, and Xn+1 is a next
value. Rewriting the equation
Gives the following function
Plugging this into the equation
Gives a following recursive equation, and the output current

(I) is computed iteratively.
The MATLAB function written in this thesis performs the calculation five times iteratively to
ensure convergence of the results. The testing result has shown that the value of In usually
converges within three iterations and never more than four interactions. Please refer to Appendix
A.1.1 for this MATLAB function. Figure 2-12 shows the plots of I-V characteristics at various
module temperatures simulated with the MATLAB model for BP SX 150S PV module. Data
points superimposed on the plots are taken from the I-V curves published on the manufacturer’s
datasheet [1]. After some trials with various diode ideality factors, the MATLAB model chooses
the value of n = 1.62 that attains the best match with the I-V curve on the datasheet. The figure
shows good correspondence between the data points and the simulated I-V curves.
Figure 2-15: I-V curves of BP SX 150S PV module at various temperatures Simulated with the
MATLAB model (1KW/m2, 25oC)
2.6. The I-V Curve and Maximum Power Point

Figure 2-13 shows the I-V curve of the BP SX 150S PV module simulated with the MATLAB
model. A PV module can produce the power at a point, called an operating point, anywhere on
the I-V curve. The coordinates of the operating point are the operating voltage and current. There
is a unique point near the knee of the I-V curve, called a maximum power point (MPP), at which
the module operates with the maximum efficiency and produces the maximum output power. It
is possible to visualize the location of the by fitting the largest possible rectangle inside of the I-
V curve, and its area equal to the output power which is a product of voltage and current.
Figure 2-16: Simulated I-V curve of BP SX 150S PV module (1KW/m2, 25oC)
The power vs. voltage plot is overlaid on the I-V plot of the PV module, as shown in Figure 2-
14. It reveals that the amount of power produced by the PV module varies greatly depending on
its operating condition. It is important to operate the system at the MPP of PV module in order to
exploit the maximum power from the module.
Figure 2-17: I-V and P-V relationships of BP SX 150S PV module Simulated with the MATLAB
model (1KW/m2, 25oC)
CHAPTER THREE
3. SYSTEM DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Solar pumps are low volume, pumping an average of two to five gallons of water per minute. A
majority of the pumps manufactured are positive displacement pumps (centrifugal-type pumps
are used as well) which enable them to maintain their lift capacity all through the solar day at
varying speeds that result from changing light conditions throughout the day. A good match
between the pump, PV array, and system parameters is necessary to achieve efficient operation.
Other components that should be considered within the system are:
 PV mounting system - poles, fixed racks or some type of tracking system that follows
the sun.
 Controller which allows the pump to start and operate under weak-sunlight periods
(cloudy conditions, early morning - late afternoon)
 Storage water level sensor for on/off operation
 Direct-burial wire (UF), grounding, and lightning protection
 Pipe fittings and other balance-of-system components.
A common mistake is to oversize the piping. Most PV applications will be pumping at low flow
rates 1-5 gpm and these low flow rates will not have sufficient water velocity through a large
pipe to keep suspended solids from settling out into the bottom of the piping. Therefore ½-inch
to 2-inch piping is typically sufficient for PV without much friction losses – smaller is better,
cheaper, and more efficient.
3.1. Calculating water demand and storage capacity

Water-Demand: The first step is to determine the total water needed per day. Many producers
are used to thinking of pumping lots of water in a short time frame with large capacity pumps.
To determine ‘Daily Water Requirement’ using the spreadsheet tool, the user enters the quantity
and type - cow, horse, etc. of animal(s) they wish to service from this well. These entries and
equation below are used to calculate total daily water required for each animal type.
Gallons of water /day = quantity *required values of water per day per item
Table 3.1: Selected example amounts of water per day for various NM livestock
The selected house owns 10 cows, 10 bulls, 4 horses and 40 sheep. Therefore the solution will
be:
Gallons of water /day = quantity *required values of water per day per item
= (10*17.5) + (10*19.0) + (4*20.0) + (40*2.0)
= 525 gallons per day
Barrels of water /day =12.5barrels
But additional gallons per day are needed to consider losses such as extra water cushion, offset
evaporation and human caused losses.
Consider 25% of gallons of water calculated above are expected loss per day:
= 525*0.25 = 131.25 gallons per day
=3.125 barrels
Therefore the total water demand is (525+131.25=656.25) gallons per day.in barrels it is 15.625
barrels per day (2500littre per day).
3.1.1. Storage Tank Capacity: Depending on the climate and usage, storage capacity should
equal three to ten days of water. For domestic use in a cloudy climate, ten days may be necessary
while for sunny climates such as in arid areas, three days-of-storage for livestock watering may
be sufficient. For deep irrigation such as that for trees (where the soil holds moisture for a week)
three days’ storage may be adequate. For drinking domestic animals and for a home garden,
perhaps two days may be required. The storage tank size is calculated by multiplying days-of-
storage by the daily water requirement.
Days of Autonomy
As everybody knows, the sun does not shine with equal intensity every day, nor does it shine at
night and during inclement weather. Cloud cover, rain, snow, etc. diminish the daily insolation
(Insolation is the amount of solar energy delivered to the earth’s surface, measured in W/m2 or
KWh/m2/day. A storage factor must be employed to allow the photovoltaic battery system to
operate reliably throughout these periods.
The minimum number of days that should be considered is 5 days of storage for even the
Sunniest locations on earth. In these high sun locations there will be days when the sun is
Obscured and the battery’s average depth of discharge should not be more than 20% per day.
Days of autonomy=-0.48*PSHave+4.58
∑ 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 5.85+6.27+6.5+6.82+6.62+6.22+6.0+5.66
Where PSHave=𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ = =6.2425
8
Then Days of autonomy=-0.48*6.2425+4.58=1.58≈2.0
Storage capacity =days of autonomy*total water demand per day
=2*656.25 gallons
=1312.5gallons
≈ 31.25 Barrels
=5000 litter
A tank to store water until it is ready to be consumed. Large enough to ensure backup in case low
weather conditions do not allow for pumping. This is due to only day of autonomy but we should
also consider the mechanical problems and human caused dangers. Therefor the storage tank
capacity should be 10,000 litters.
3.2. Calculating solar resource capacities

3.2.1. Solar Resource: Once the daily water requirement is calculated, the ‘Solar Resource’
at a specific location is determined. Sunlight will provide the energy to run the pump and is
determined by the nearest latitudinal coordinate of the well location (between the values of 30
and 37 degrees). As the user inserts this value, the solar insolation is determined for winter,
summer, or a yearly average automatically by the spreadsheet. It is recommended to use winter
values as winter has the least amount of sunlight per day and it is best to design for the worst
case scenario. Nevertheless, the user has the option to choose to design for summer if they plan
to water for a summer only pasture. A good rule of thumb is that the solar resource must be
greater than 3.0kWh/m2 (3000 watt-hours per square meter of area in one day) for choosing a
solar option.
All areas of MEKELLE meet this limit with values well above 5kWh/m2 per day. MEKELLE
climate web site has good historical solar, wind, temperature data. Define the site and weather
station location (latitude, longitude) and the monthly average values of the global irradiance on
the horizontal surface (kWh/m2) and the annual average as well as the minimum and maximum
monthly average ambient temperatures.
Fig. Location of AYNALEM
Main factors affecting the solar availability are the orientation (tilt and azimuth angel) and the
possible shading caused by the surrounding. By multiplying the horizontal radiation values with
monthly tilt azimuth angle factor, the monthly radiation values on the module surface can be
estimated. This monthly factor is presented for different location for horizon shadowing levels of
0, 20 and 45 degrees.
Table 3.2 NASA surface methodology
SSE Parameters
Find A Different Location Accuracy Methodology
Homepage (Units & Definition)
NASA Surface meteorology and Solar

Energy: RETScreen Data
Latitude 13.496 / Longitude 39.474 were chosen.
Climate data
Unit
location
Latitude °N 13.496
Longitude °E 39.474
Elevation m 1286
Heating design temperature °C 14.26
Cooling design temperature °C 31.52
Earth temperature amplitude °C 14.98
Frost days at site day 0
Daily
solar Win Heatin Coolin
Air Relative Earth
radiation Atmospheri d g g
Month temperatur humidit temperatur
- c pressure spee degree- degree-
e y e
horizonta d days days
l
°C % kWh/m2/d kPa m/s °C °C-d °C-d
January 19.7 57.5% 5.85 87.4 4.5 23.4 3 302
February 21.0 52.6% 6.27 87.3 4.6 25.5 1 310
March 22.8 51.9% 6.50 87.2 4.6 27.3 0 397
April 24.3 50.1% 6.82 87.2 4.2 28.4 0 426
May 26.3 42.3% 6.62 87.2 3.7 30.6 0 498
June 25.6 51.1% 6.05 87.1 5.0 28.6 0 468
July 24.1 58.8% 5.57 87.0 5.2 25.9 0 446
August 23.9 60.1% 5.46 87.1 4.8 25.5 0 442
Septembe
24.8 48.7% 6.05 87.1 4.1 27.5 0 445
r
October 24.3 38.2% 6.22 87.3 3.1 28.0 0 433
Novembe
21.7 45.8% 6.00 87.4 3.6 25.2 0 350
r
December 20.1 54.3% 5.66 87.4 4.0 23.5 1 314
Annual 23.2 51.0% 6.09 87.2 4.3 26.6 5 4831

Measured
10.0 0.0
at (m)
Responsible NASA Official: John M. Kusterer

Back to SSE Site Administration/Help: NASA Langley ASDC User
Data Set Services (larc-asdc-uds@lists.nasa.gov)
Home Page [Privacy Policy and Important Notices]
Document generated on Sun Apr 7 15:50:37 EDT 2013
Solar Irradiance figures

Select Country:
Select Town/City:
Mek’ele
Solar Panel direction:

south
Mek'ele
Average Solar Insolation figures
Measured in kWh/m2/day onto a horizontal surface:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
5.80 6.21 6.42 6.71 6.49 5.92
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
5.45 5.36 5.97 6.16 5.95 5.62
3.3. Calculating Pump Requirements

3.3.1. Pumping Requirements: ‘Total Dynamic Head (TDH)’ is the total “equivalent”
vertical distance that the pump must move the water; or the pressure the pump must overcome to
move the water to a discharge height. Water pressure is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi)
and is defined as the force caused by the weight of water in a column, also known as “head”.
Head is a term relating feet of water in a column which exerts a certain pressure.
Head is important to determine how hard the pump must work to move water from the source to
a discharge point (overcome the equivalent pressure of that water). However, to calculate head
and total dynamic head it’s good first to calculate flow rate.
Pump and Flow Rate: The flow rate, or volume of water that is pumped in some time period –
gallons/minute (gpm) is determined via the equation below:
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦

Flow rate (Q) = 𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒∗60 ℎ𝑟
𝟔𝟓𝟔.𝟐𝟓 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲

Flow rate (Q) = =1.6037 gpm
𝟔.𝟖𝟐𝒌𝒘𝒉⁄
𝒎 𝒅𝒂𝒚∗𝟔𝟎𝒎𝒊𝒏
𝒉𝒓
Flow rate (phr.) = 1.6037*60*3.78541=364.24 litter per hr.
Flow rate (per day.)= 1.6037*60*3.78541=364.24*12=4370.87litter per day.
Static head is major part of TDH and is a term that refers to the total vertical lift (distance) from
the water level in the well to the discharge level. Static head is composed of the water depth in
the well at its lowest seasonal and draw-down level plus the elevation from the surface to the
discharge point. Draw-down is the level of water that may drop in the well as pumping occurs –
the well pipe is refilled at a recharge rate. The low flow rates of solar systems have less negative
impact on draw-down. Entering these values, static head is calculated as flows.
Static Head (ft.) =total vertical lift= water level+drawdown+elevation
Taking the corresponding values from the worksheet below we have:
Static head = total vertical lift=25ft +4ft=29ft
≈8.86m
Pumps may be submersed in a well as deep as necessary to ensure reliable water supply (taking
into account drawn-down levels, seasonal variations, and recharge rates).
The water level variable in the Equation above is measured from the surface to the level of the
water in the source not the depth-location of the pump. Placing the pump lower in the well
(increasing its submergence) will NOT cause it to work harder or to pump less water, nor will it
increase the stress or wear on the pump. However, there are reasons to NOT set the pump too
near the bottom of the well:
1. A deep setting will increase cost, size (length), and weight of pipe and cable.
2. A setting near the bottom may increase the chance of sand or sediment being drawn into the
pump and damaging the pump mechanism.
The pump must move the water from the well to an elevation but must also overcome friction
losses in the system. These losses depend on the type of pipe (its roughness), total length of pipe
including any horizontal runs, flow-rate (speed) of the water in the pipe, fittings and joints, and
pipe diameter. The friction losses, which are expressed in equivalent lengths of vertical pipe
distance, are added to the static head to yield an equivalent TDH – i.e. what equivalent height
would the pump have to move water given these values.
To determine friction losses in pipe, the user is asked to enter the type of pipe (PVC, steel,
plastic etc.), total length of the pipe being used, and the nominal inside diameter of the pipe. The
approximate head loss caused by friction within the pipe is calculated using the Hazen-Williams
Empirical formula and it is important to note that we are assuming mediocre water temperature
and the flow through the pipe is somewhat turbulent (Mott 2006). The value generated is in units
of “feet of head”. Below illustrates the Hazen-Williams formula.
10.472∗ 𝑄 1.852
HL= *L = 35.5878 ft.
𝑐 1.852 𝐷 4.871
HL =10.847m
HL is pressure head
Where L=44 ft.
D=1.25 ft. and Q = 1.60378 gpm
The roughness coefficient variable ‘C’ within the equation depends on the type of pipe but is
typically ~150. ‘Q’ is the flow rate in gpm and ‘D’ is the nominal diameter of the pipe in inches
while ‘L’ is the total length of the pipe for the system in feet. Another standard “rule of thumb”
is the friction losses in the pipe are typically 2-5 percent for a well-designed system.
The friction loss due to fittings must also be calculated. Friction losses for pipe fittings are
converted to an equivalent length of pipe (in feet) and are a function of several variables. Losses
due to fitting may be significant. To determine these losses, the spreadsheet lists many common
fittings that might be utilized within the design of the system and the user is asked to input the
quantity of each implemented fitting. The equivalent friction loss for each fitting is calculated
using the equation below shows a sample listing of some values used in the calculation of the
friction loss due to a fitting.
𝐿
Equivalent Length (ft.) =pipe diameter*quantity*𝑑
=1.5 in *1*340 =42.6 ft.
Equivalent Length (m) =12.98m
Once the equivalent head pipe friction loss values are calculated for each specific fittings used
within the system, they are converted to feet by dividing by 12 and then summed (Mott 2006).
Table3. 3: Examples of equivalent length in pipe diameter (L/d) of specific pipe fittings
TDH can now be calculated by using equation below:
Total Dynamic Head (Ft) =Total Vertical Lift (Static Head) +HL+Friction loss due to fittings
= 29ft. +35.5878ft. +42.6ft. =107.187ft.
Total Dynamic Head (m) = 107.1878ft. =32.67m
3.3.2. Pump Selection and array sizing

If the Hydraulic Workload is acceptable for a solar solution, go to the Pump Selection sheet to
determine an acceptable pump, the voltage at which you will run the pump, and the solar panel
wattage needed to power the pump. This is all determined by the two important parameters: the
previously calculated flow rate (Q) and TDH.
The hydraulic energy required (kWh/day)
= volume required (m³/day) x head (m) x water density x gravity / (3.6 x 106)
= 0.002725 x volume (m³/day) x head (m)
=0.002725*4.3708*8.86
=0.10556kwh/day
≈106watthour/day
Hydraulic energy required (kWh/day)

The solar array power required (kWp) = Av.daily solar irradiation (kWh/m²/day x F x E)
0.10556 𝑘𝑤ℎ/𝑑𝑎𝑦
= =0.09673 KWP =96.7 WP
6.82∗0.8∗0.20
Where F = array mismatch factor = 0.85 on average and E = daily subsystem efficiency =
0.20 - 0.40 typically
And we have the values for hydraulic energy and panel wattage. There are different types of
pumps used, Go to the Array Sizing sheet to determine the amount of modules required in series (called
a string) to provide enough energy (wattage) for the pump to operate at the calculated flow rate and TDH,
thereby meeting the daily water requirements specified earlier. It also calculates the amount of
photovoltaic strings that will be needed in parallel, which means parallel rows of modules in series.
So our calculated required flow rate is 1.6037 gpm and the total dynamic head is 107.1878 feet,
(32.67m) the SDS-Q-135 pump would only work at 15V and require 96W(from table) of power
to operate. See where the flow rate and dynamic head is meeting in the table below
SDS-D-128
SDS-D-228
SDS-Q-128
SDS-Q-130
SDS-Q-135
Among these our choice pump type is SDS-Q-135, because it is more efficient and can meet our
calculated total dynamic head and flow rate.
When that is determined, we will note the Motor Voltage and the Peak Panel Wattage (W) from
that pump’s chart which is below on the table and then manually enter these values into the
colored cells labeled with these names. We are aided in this choice by the spreadsheet coloring
values in the charts that fit (greater than or equal to) the flow rate and TDH calculations. Finding
a pump where both colors are active in the same row will indicate that this pump can operate at
the required flow rate and TDH.
Table3.4 of total dynamic reference
SDS-Q-135 MOTOR VOLTAGE(V) TOTAL DYNAMIC FLOW RATE PEAK PANEL

HEAD (TDH) (gpm) WATTAGE (W)
13 0 2.23 19
12 2.15 23
23 2.05 28
35 2.95 34
46 1.85 40
58 1.75 46
69 1.66 52
81 1.56 58
92 1.47 63
104 1.37 70
116 1.27 76
15 0 2.6 24
12 2.5 31
23 2.4 38
35 2.3 44
46 2.2 50
58 2.1 58
69 2 66
81 1.9 72
92 1.8 79
104 1.7 86
116 1.6 96
25 0 4.4 51
12 4.3 62
23 4.2 76
35 4.1 91
46 4 104
58 3.9 115
69 3.8 130
81 3.7 142
92 3.6 154
104 3.5 167
116 3.4 179
30 0 5.1 73
12 5 84
23 4.9 101
35 4.8 116
46 4.7 132
58 4.6 148
69 4.5 164
81 4.4 182
92 4.3 197
104 4.2 213
116 4.1 230
3.4. Estimating PV panel systems
A procedure for estimating the electricity produced by a PV panel (collector) system in

kWh/year is using the formula:
= 0.8 x kWp x S x ZPV
Where: kWp is the peak power of a PV unit (i.e. for a PV panel system it is the number of panels
multiplied by the peak power rating of each panel)
S is the annual solar radiation in kWh/m2
ZPV is the Over shading Factor which is 0.340.
Therefore PV wattage=0.8*0.34*96.7wp*6.82kwh/m2
=179.382wh/year
≈180 wh/year
Now having this value we are going to the module characteristic table shown below and we have
the suitable PV module with its specifications. Hence BP Solar BP SX 150S PV module is
chosen for a MATLAB simulation model. The module is made of 72 multi-crystalline silicon
solar cells in series and provides 180W of nominal maximum power.
The strategy of modeling a PV module is no different from modeling a PV cell. It uses the same
PV cell model. The parameters are the all same, but only a voltage parameter (such as the open-
circuit voltage) is different and must be divided by the number of cells.
If for a particular pump there are multiple cases where both colors are active together, we should
choose the one with the smallest pump voltage (15 V over 30 V) and the smaller Panel Wattage
values. By choosing smaller values, you minimize the number of PV panels required.
𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑠 𝑀𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
Modules in series (rounded to higher integer) =
17.4𝑣
15𝑣
= =0.862 ≈1
17.4𝑣
𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒

Number of PV in parallel (integer) =
𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠∗17.4𝑉∗3.11𝐴∗.80
96𝑤
=0.862𝑥17.4𝑣𝑥3.11𝐴𝑥0.8=2.5725 ≈3
Where: 17.4V is the value represents the operational voltage for our PV module.3.11A represents
the PV panel’s rated current (at Standard Operating Conditions) and the
0.80 value represents the de-rating factor.
In this, we have three 150W solar panels (three panels at 150W each = 450W total) are needed to
generate the required power to run the pump. There will be three strings of one panel in each
string (providing the 15V required) and the current to power the pump. This system will generate
more energy than required by the pump and therefore, will pump more water than calculated.
This, generally, is not an issue especially if pumping to a storage tank with a float switch. (A
float system in the storage tank can turn the pump off when the storage tank is full.
Because we round up the number of strings and parallel combinations to whole numbers, the
total amount of energy and therefore water pumped will be greater than our required daily
requirements in any full sun day. This is typically not an issue when there are float switches
incorporated into storage systems which will stop the pumping when the storage tank is full.
3.5. Charge controller selection
The charge controller (or regulator) connects between the panel and the pump type. The charge
controller functions a) to protect the batteries from overcharging; b) to protect the panel from
power going back into it from the batteries at night (assuming no blocking diode fitted); and c)
helps maintain battery condition by keeping the battery voltage high. To determine the output
voltage that the charge controller will have to handle we use the very basic formula for power
(watts), which is:
Power = Volts x Amps
Here we have the power wattage and the current rating.
Therefore:
volts =power/amps
=96.7/7.55amp
=12.8v
SHURflo 9300 Series, Pump Controller (LCB-O), 24 VDC, 902-100
Features:
 Operates on 12 VDC
 Increases daily water output up to 30%
 System starts pumping earlier in the morning
 System stops pumping later in the evening
 Protects pump from low or high voltage conditions
 Terminals for float switch
Boost your DC solar pumps performance by up to 30%. Controller optimizes your solar water
pumping system by translating the current and voltage available from your photovoltaic panels,
into a combination that is better matched to that needed by the pump. With the optional float
switch installed, the controller will automatically stop pumping when the reservoir is full.
902- 100 / 200 Specifications:
 Maximum power output 180 Watts

 Over temperature shutdown 176ºF (80ºC)
 Ambient temperature 14ºF (-10ºC) to 113ºF (45ºC)
Table 3.5: Electrical characteristics data of PV module taken from the datasheet
3.5. System design
Fig3.1 designing of solar water pump
3.5.1. Description of Components

Solar (PV) Panels
Solar panels are electrical devices that generally use Silicon-an element made from sand-and
most commonly used in the manufacturing of computer chips. When solar energy hits the top
layer of Silicon, it frees electrons from the Silicon atoms. These free electrons are attracted to the
bottom layer and flow towards it. The flow of electrons IS electricity, and is captured for use.
Fig3.2 of solar water pumping
Pump
Pumps for village water pumping are typically submersible low-volume, high-lift types. They
often have brush-less DC motors for long life and little maintenance. There are two types:
positive displacement, which includes the higher lift helical coil (like a screw - shown at right
dissected) and the less costly and lower flow rate diaphragm pump. The other type is a
centrifugal pump (spins to create suction), which is used in higher lift applications.
Fig3.3 Helical coil pump, casing, motor, and controller
Controller
The controller has two primary functions. First, it monitors the characteristics of the electricity
being produced by the PV panels (volts and amps) and electronically modifies these values to
enable the pump to run longer and more efficiently. Secondly, the controller is an electronic
switch to control when the pump goes on and off. The controller monitors electricity from the
PV panels, the water level in the well, and the water level in the tank to ensure efficient and safe
pump operation. Each residential-size solar module will produce a fairly constant 17-volts output
at almost any level of sunlight. However, the current output (amps) will be directly proportional
to sun intensity.
SHURflo 9300 Series, Pump Controller (LCB-O), 24 VDC, 902-100
Features:
 Operates on 24 VDC
 Increases daily water output up to 30%
 System starts pumping earlier in the morning
 System stops pumping later in the evening
 Protects pump from low or high voltage conditions
 Terminals for float switch
Boost your DC solar pumps performance by up to 30%. Controller optimizes your solar water
pumping system by translating the current and voltage available from your photovoltaic panels,
into a combination that is better matched to that needed by the pump. With the optional float
switch installed, the controller will automatically stop pumping when the reservoir is full.
902- 100 / 200 Specifications:
 Maximum power output 150 Watts

 Over temperature shutdown 176ºF (80ºC)
 Ambient temperature 14ºF (-10ºC) to 113ºF (45ºC)
Storage Tank
A tank to store water until it is ready to be consumed. Large enough to ensure backup in case
low weather conditions do not allow for pumping simply.
PV pane rack
Racks are used to mount the solar panels. Either ground, roof, or top-of-pole mounted, many are
user-adjustable to meet the sun at a more optimal angle. Some racks can passively or actively
(using a motor) track the sun to maximize the efficiency of the PV panels.
Water Piping
A variety of water piping is needed. The piping from the pump to the top of the well is generally
a 1.25” or 1” PE pipe. PE (Poly Ethylene) pipe is a thin plastic pipe, similar to PVC, but thinner
and more flexible. PVC piping is then installed from the wellhead to the inlet at the top of the
storage tank. If the water points are not at the tank, then piping needs to be installed from the
tank to the watering points.
Electrical Wiring
Power wiring in conduit is installed from the solar array to the controller. Control wiring in
conduit is installed from the controller to the float switch in the tank. Electrical Wiring is
installed from the pump in the well up to the controller. This wiring is inside the well casing is
generally special submersible pump wiring.
Safety disconnects
Mechanical switches (not shown on diagram) are used to manually shut off electricity in case of
an emergency or maintenance. They are usually installed between the solar panels and the
controllers and between the controller and the pump.
Well Drilling and Casing

A large one-time expense, the well must be located, drilled, and lined. The lining is most often
heavy-duty PVC pipe. It is usually 4” to 6” in diameter. The size of the casing needs to be
coordinated with the requirements of the pump that is to be installed.
3.6. Cost analysis

With the system summarized to this point, we can now prepare a preliminary cost estimate. The
system costs will consist of community development costs and project installation costs.
Community Development Costs

The community development costs will include time, travel (food and lodging), and
transportation costs required by the local NGO and the community to meet and develop the
information needed for the initial discussions and data gathering. This is likely to require several
visits to the site. It is important to estimate and record in-kind costs. In-kind means that the
community or the NGO plans to donate the labor or materials and do not expect to be paid for
these activities. For example, to calculate the communities’ in-kind contribution, estimate the
number of people, the days of labor and the average wage for day labor. Most funders like to see
how much the community and NGO are contributing.
We have to separate the cost items into those spent to get the project started, and those cost items
that are required to assure that the project is sustainable.
The costs associated with establishing the community structure, staff, and responsibilities, need
to be estimated, and included as project costs.
The continuing costs of maintaining the staff are very important as well, but need to be
summarized as part of those costs that have to be supported through the collection of usage fees.
Project Equipment and Installation Costs

Cost estimates are included to get you started on arriving at an overall cost estimate. As you get
closer and closer to this being a definite project, each of the cost estimates are needs to be
confirmed with local pricing and quotations.
Well:
This includes a price for drilling the well and installing the casing. $20/foot is a rough estimate
for the drilling and $5 a foot for the casing. If rock is encountered, the drilling costs could
increase to $50/foot. You’ll need to make a judgment regarding the probable depth and
likelihood of hitting rock. As in all of these estimates, it always best to get some local input as to
the costs in your area. The cost of well drilling varies widely from location to location.
Pumps:
Small Systems: Diaphragm pumps for very small systems are about $700. Larger diaphragm
pumps could run $1000.
Medium Systems: Helical or centrifugal pumps will run $1000 to $2000.
Large Systems: The largest pumps for a SPS will cost $2000 to $2500
Controllers:
Controllers cost between $400 and $1500. A controller for a small system would be close to
$400. A controller for a medium or large system would normally be closer to $1000.
Solar Panels
Solar Panels cost approximately $6/Watt without wiring or installation. (Check current market
prices!)
Racks
A rack for solar panels can be simple or complicated.
Non-tracking racks can be fixed at one angle or be manually adjustable. As mentioned, the PV
panel captures the most energy when perpendicular to the sun, which changes with a season. Far
north or south latitudes see a dramatic seasonal change in sun position in the sky, so a rack that is
adjustable would be most beneficial here. Near the equator, this effect of sun position is
minimized, so tracking or moveable racks are not recommended.
Tracking racks will automatically follow the sun’s path either from East-West, North to South, or
both. They use either passive methods or active (requiring an electric motor). It is the more
complicated, the more to repair and maintain. In most cases, a non-tracking, manually adjustable
rack is the most efficient, cost and otherwise.
Non-Tracking: $50-100 per solar panel.

Piping and Wiring:
The wiring can be budgeted at $1 per linear foot for small and medium systems and $1.50 per
foot for large systems. Piping is sized by the pump and is usually 1” O.D. or 1.25” O.D. (outer
diameter). While cost varies widely, $1 or $1.5/l.f. for water pipe is a rough estimate.
Switches, disconnects, misc.
An amount should be included for manual safety disconnects, float witches, breakers, etc. $500
should be enough.
Water Storage:
From the number of gallons of storage you need, include a budget for constructing a tank from
locally available materials. Inquire locally, but some estimates have shown $1 to $2 a gallon.
Table 3.6cost of materials used
s/n Material used Cost in unit quantity Total cost in $

$/unit
1 Well 20 Ft. 29 580
2 Pumper 700 1 700
3 Pump controller 400 1 400
4 Solar panel 6 Watt 150 900
5 Non tracking rack 50 Solar 3 150
panel
6 Pipe wiring 1 Ft. 42.6 42.6
7 Switch and 500 1 500
disconnected misc.
8 Water storage 1 Gallon 1312.5 1312.5
TOTAL COST 4505.1
CHAPTER FOUR
Mechanical Installations
4.1 Site Selection:
 PV modules are intended for outdoor use only and should be installed in a location where
they will receive maximum sunlight throughout the year.
 In Northern latitudes, the modules would normally face true south & in the Southern
Latitudes, the modules should face north for optimum power output
 Avoid trees, buildings or obstructions which could cast shadows on the solar modules
especially during the winter months when the arc of the sun is lowest over the horizon.
 Solar modules produce maximum power when they are pointed directly at the sun.
 For installations where the solar modules are mounted to a permanent structure, the solar
modules should be tilted for optimum winter performance.
4.1.1. Tilt Angle Selection:
More sunlight per square foot falls on a perpendicular surface (90 degrees to the suns ray is
optimal).Less sunlight falls on a vertical surface & horizontal surface.
The module tilt angle is measured between the solar modules and the ground
Tilt4.1 angle Table of site latitude
Site latitude 00 to 150 150 to250 250 to 300 300 to 350 350 to 400 400
in
Degrees
Fixed tilt 150 Same as Latitude +50 Latitude +50 Latitude +50 Latitude
angle latitude +50
Table4.2 Sun of the arc
latitude 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
summer 12.71 13.020 13.340 13.70 14.080 14.540 15.020 16.620

winter 11.540 11.240 10.920 10.580 10.210 9.800 9.330 8.760
4.2. Mounting Installation:

General Installation
1. Place the modules on top of the structure & mount it by using the pre-drilled elliptical
mounting holes as shown below & fix it firmly on the structure using the mounting hardware`s
(M4 nuts & Bolts).
2. Always select the length of mounting screw after considering a clearance of 5-10 mm between
the module back face & screw face to avoid any breakage of module while tightening (as shown
below).
3. The support module mounting structure must be made of durable, corrosion resistant and UV
resistant material.
4. Modules should be firmly fixed in place in a manner suitable to withstand all expected loads,
including wind & snow loads. Determine wind loads for the installation site & consult it from
safety departments for the specific requirements.
5. All hardware like bolts, nuts & washers should be of stainless steel so as to eliminate the
possibility of rust.
6. The Open circuit Voltage exceeds the rated voltage. Take care that the open circuit voltage
multiplied by the number of modules in series is not higher than the Maximum system voltage
(IEC-1000V/ UL 600V)
7. Module mounting must use the pre-drilled mounting holes in the frame.
8. Do not drill additional mounting holes on the frame & glass surface of the module.
Doing so will void the warranty
4.3. Ground Mount
Figure ground mount
1. Select the lowest height of the structure to prevent the lowest height of the module from being
covered by snow for a long time in winter.
2. In addition ensure that the lowest portion of the module is placed high enough so that it is not
shaded by trees or plants and not damaged by sand or stone driven by wind.
3. The supporting frame/structure is used to mount modules at correct tilt angles.
4. Clearance between the modules frame & the mounting surface is required to prevent the
junction box from touching the surface & to allow cooling air to circulate around the back of the
module. This also allows any condensation or moisture to dissipate.
4.4. ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

Several modules are connected in series and then in parallel to form a PV array, especially for
application with a high operating voltage. The DC electrical energy from a PV module may be
also be converted to AC and connected to a utility grid system. As local policies on connecting
renewable energy systems to a grid may vary from region to region, please consult a qualified
system designer or integrator to design such a system. Permits are normally required to install
such a system and the utility must formally inspect and approve such a system before it is
connected to the grid.
4.4.1 Grounding
The module frame must be properly grounded to avoid the hazards of electric shock or fire.
Grounding Systems for MBPV Modules
 MBPV array frame is ground in accordance with NEC Article 250 (USA) or CEC
(Canada)
 Each framed module has two grounding holes in the longer side frame rail, to connect a
grounding conductor to the module metal frame
 The grounding will be provided by fixing earthling cable with Hex Nut, Star Tooth
Washer,
Flat Washer and Hex Head Bolt as shown in the below picture “All the above mentioned
grounding hardware should be of stainless steel to prevent corrosion recommended Torque 1.2 -
1.8 Nm."
 If functional grounding is used (i.e. grounding plus or minus), such grounding means
should be isolated from live parts by reinforced insulation
4.5. Module specifications
Table of Module specifications
Under normal conditions, a photovoltaic module may produce current and/or voltage that are
different than those listed in the datasheet.at Standard Test Conditions. Accordingly, during
system design the values of ISC and VOC marked on UL Listed modules should be multiplied
by a factor of 1.25 when determining component voltage ratings, conductor capacity, fuse sizes
and size of controls connected to the module output.
PV panels mounted on “tracking” arrays follow the sun like flowers.
4.6. MAINTENANCE
Moser Baer Photovoltaic modules require very little maintenance, following is recommended to
ensure optimum performance.
1. In view of the tilt angle of the PV modules, normal rainfall is sufficient to keep the module
glass surface clean in most weather conditions. However, if dirt build up becomes as excessive,
clean the glass surface only with a soft cloth or sponge using water.
2. A mild nonabrasive cleaning agent can be used for stubborn dirt. Do not use high pressure
water spray or chemicals to clean the module.
3. In order to ensure proper operation, please check all wiring connections, condition of the
insulation and mechanical connections every six months.
4. Observe the maintenance instructions of all components used in the systems such as support
frames, inverters, battery and charge controller etc.
Chapter 5
Conclusions
5.1 summaries
Photovoltaic powered water pumping systems are attractive for livestock and agriculture
producers with remote water sources and limited access to AC power. Even though windmills
have been in use for decades and will continue to provide effective solutions for water pumping,
solar power has made significant steps towards becoming the system of choice for these
situations.
The low maintenance and simple operation, no fuel (transportation or storage) costs,
environmentally benign, as well as competitive life-cycle economics of solar systems place them
at the forefront of choices in supplying water to livestock or agriculture. The technology for solar
water pumping is exceeding all expectations, and will continue to be a viable choice for more
and more users as its capabilities, reliability, and versatility increases while costs decrease.
The spreadsheet, documentation, and demonstration modules provide local state agricultural
constituencies with terminologies, knowledge, and skill sets which can be the foundation for
informed choices relating to alternative water pumping systems. For additional information,
contact your local state agricultural extension agent.
5.2. Recommendations
1. Solar PV an alternative but not a priority
Solar PV system can be alternative technology for remote rural areas where grid electric power
isn’t available. Grid electric power is the most cost effective power supply than Solar system.
But this system can be alternative for diesel pump system by checking first the cost
effectiveness.
2. Modifying the Solar PV system components

The disadvantages of Solar PV system are the expensive cost associated with maintenance of
inverters and submersible pump. Researches should be done to adapt the system to developing
countries like ours so that it will be cost effective.
3. Sustainable in off-grid remote rural areas
Despite the higher expense, the technology proved to endure for much longer time and
relatively sustainable for a period of 15 years. When sufficient fund is available to support
remote rural communities with larger household number, the technology can be feasible by
ensuring appropriate operation and maintenance cost recovery mechanism and implementing
multiple uses of the water to maximize the benefits from the technology.
4. Continuous technical support
Continuous technical support is a necessary from the regional, zonal and wereda water
resources development offices as well as implementing organization for problems beyond the
capacity of the users. Such technologies require long time support of appropriate experts to
sustain the water supply systems.
5.3. Appendices
Appendix A
A.1 MATLAB Functions and Scripts

A.1.1 MATLAB Function for Modeling BP SX 150S PV Module
This MATLAB function (bp_sx150s.m) is to simulate the current-voltage relationship
of BP SX 150S PV module and used in simulations throughout of this thesis.
function Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC)
% function bp_sx150s.m models the BP SX 150S PV module
% calculates module current under given voltage, irradiance and temperature
% Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,T)
%
% Out: Ia = Module operating current (A), vector or scalar
% In: Va = Module operating voltage (V), vector or scalar
% G = Irradiance (1G = 1000 W/m^2), scalar
% TaC = Module temperature in deg C, scalar
%
%/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
% Define constants
k = 1.381e-23; % Boltzmann’s constant
q = 1.602e-19; % Electron charge
% Following constants are taken from the datasheet of PV module and
% curve fitting of I-V character (Use data for 1000W/m^2)
n = 2; % Diode ideality factor (n),
% 1 (ideal diode) < n < 2
Eg = 1.12; % Band gap energy; 1.12eV (Si), 1.42 (GaAs),
% 1.5 (CdTe), 1.75 (amorphous Si)
Ns = 72; % # of series connected cells (BP SX150s, 72 cells)
TrK = 298; % Reference temperature (25C) in Kelvin
Voc_TrK = 36.1 /Ns; % Voc (open circuit voltage per cell) @ temp TrK
Isc_TrK = 7.55; % Isc (short circuit current per cell) @ temp TrK
a = 0.65e-3; % Temperature coefficient of Isc (0.065%/C)
% Define variables
TaK = 273 + TaC; % Module temperature in Kelvin
Vc = Va / Ns; % Cell voltage
% Calculate short-circuit current for TaK
Isc = Isc_TrK * (1 + (a * (TaK - TrK)));
% Calculate photon generated current @ given irradiance
Iph = G * Isc;
% Define thermal potential (Vt) at temp TrK
Vt_TrK = n * k * TrK / q;
% Define b = Eg * q/(n*k);
b = Eg * q /(n * k);
% Calculate reverse saturation current for given temperature
Ir_TrK = Isc_TrK / (exp(Voc_TrK / Vt_TrK) -1);
Ir = Ir_TrK * (TaK / TrK)^(3/n) * exp(-b * (1 / TaK -1 / TrK));
% Calculate series resistance per cell (Rs = 5.1mOhm)
dVdI_Voc = -1.0/Ns; % Take dV/dI @ Voc from I-V curve of datasheet
Xv = Ir_TrK / Vt_TrK * exp(Voc_TrK / Vt_TrK);
Rs = - dVdI_Voc - 1/Xv;
% Define thermal potential (Vt) at temp Ta
Vt_Ta = n * k * TaK / q;
% Ia = Iph - Ir * (exp((Vc + Ia * Rs) / Vt_Ta) -1)
% f(Ia) = Iph - Ia - Ir * ( exp((Vc + Ia * Rs) / Vt_Ta) -1) = 0
% Solve for Ia by Newton's method: Ia2 = Ia1 - f(Ia1)/f'(Ia1)
Ia=zeros(size(Vc)); % Initialize Ia with zeros
% Perform 5 iterations
for j=1:5;
Ia = Ia - (Iph - Ia - Ir .* ( exp((Vc + Ia .* Rs) ./ Vt_Ta) -1))...
./ (-1 - Ir * (Rs ./ Vt_Ta) .* exp((Vc + Ia .* Rs) ./ Vt_Ta));
End
A.1.2 MATLAB Script to Draw PV I-V Curves
The following simple MATLAB script is used for Figure 2-12 to draw the I-V characteristics of
various module temperatures. Other plots showing PV characteristics are done in similar ways
using MATLAB. The listing of those MATBAB scripts is omitted.
% plot_iv_temp.m - Script file to draw i-v curves of pv module

% with variable temp (0C, 25C, 50C, 75C)
%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
clear;
% Define constant
G = 1;
% Functions to plot
figure
hold on
for TaC=0:25:75
Va = linspace (0, 48-TaC/8, 200);
Ia = bp_sx150s(Va, G, TaC);
plot(Va, Ia)
end
title('BP SX 150S Photovoltaic Module I-V Curve')
xlabel('Module Voltage (V)')
ylabel('Module Current (A)')
axis([0 50 0 5])
gtext('0C')
gtext('25C')
gtext('50C')
gtext('75C')
hold off
A.1.3 MATLAB Function to Find the MPP
This simple MATLAB function is to find the power, voltage, and current at the MPP of BP SX
150S PV module under the given irradiance and module temperature.
function [Pa_max, Imp, Vmp] = find_mpp(G, TaC)
% find_mpp: function to find a maximum power point of pv module
% [Pa_max, Imp, Vmp] = find_mpp(G, TaC)
% in: G (irradiance, KW/m^2), TaC (temp, deg C)
% out: Pa_max (maximum power), Imp, Vmp
%
%////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
% Define variables and initialize
Va = 12;
Pa_max = 0;
% Start process
while Va < 48-TaC/8
Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC);
Pa_new = Ia * Va;
if Pa_new > Pa_max
Pa_max = Pa_new;
Imp = Ia;
Vmp = Va;
end
Va = Va + .005;
end
A.1.4 MATLAB Script: P&O Algorithm

This MATLAB script is to test the P&O algorithm under the sunny weather condition.
Other testing in this section is done in a similar way, and listing of testing code is omitted.
% poTest2: Script file to test the P&O MPPT Algorithm
% Testing with slowly changing irradiance
%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
clear;
% Define constants
TaC = 25; % Cell temperature (deg C)
C = 0.5; % Step size for ref voltage change (V)
% Define variables with initial conditions
G = 0.028; % Irradiance (1G = 1000W/m^2)
Va = 26.0; % PV voltage
Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC); % PV current
Pa = Va * Ia; % PV output power
Vref_new = Va + C; % New reference voltage
% Set up arrays storing data for plots
Va_array = [];
Pa_array = [];
% Load irradiance data
load irrad; % Irradiance data of a sunny day
x = irrad(:,1)'; % Read time data (second)
y = irrad(:,2)'; % Read irradiance data
xi = 147.4e+3:190.6e+3; % Set points for interpolation
yi = interp1(x,y,xi,'cubic'); % Do cubic interpolation
% Take 43200 samples (12 hours)
for Sample = 1:43.2e+3
% Read irradiance value
G = yi(Sample);
% Take new measurements
Va_new = Vref_new;
Ia_new = bp_sx150s(Vref_new,G,TaC);
% Calculate new Pa
Pa_new = Va_new * Ia_new;
deltaPa = Pa_new - Pa;
% P&O Algorithm starts here
if deltaPa > 0
if Va_new > Va
Vref_new = Va_new + C; % Increase Vref
else
Vref_new = Va_new - C; % Decrease Vref
end
elseif deltaPa < 0
if Va_new > Va
else
Vref_new = Va_new + C; %Increase Vref
end
else
Vref_new = Va_new; % No change
end
% Update history
Va = Va_new;
Pa = Pa_new;
% Store data in arrays for plot
Va_array = [Va_array Va];

Pa_array = [Pa_array Pa];
end
% Plot result
figure
plot (Va_array, Pa_array, 'g')
% Overlay with P-I curves and MPP

Va = linspace (0, 45, 200);
hold on
for G=.2:.2:1
Pa = Ia.*Va;
plot(Va, Pa)
[Pa_max, Imp, Vmp] = find_mpp(G, TaC);
plot(Vmp, Pa_max, 'r*')
end
title('P&O Algorithm')
ylabel('Module Output Power (W)')
axis([0 50 0 160])
%gtext('1000W/m^2')
%gtext('800W/m^2')
%gtext('600W/m^2')
%gtext('400W/m^2')
%gtext('200W/m^2')
hold off
A.1.5 MATLAB Script: incCond Algorithm
This MATLAB script is to test the incCond algorithm under the cloudy weather condition. Other
tests in this section are done in a similar way, and the listing of testing code is omitted.
% incCondTest1: Script file to test incCond MPPT Algorithm
% Testing with rapidly changing insolation
%
%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
clear;
% Define constants
TaC = 25; % Cell temperature (deg C)
C = 0.5; % Step size for ref voltage change (V)
E = 0.002; % Maximum dI/dV error
% Define variables with initial conditions
G = 0.045; % Irradiance (1G = 1000W/m^2)
Va = 27.2; % PV voltage
Ia = bp_sx150s(Va,G,TaC); % PV current
Pa = Va * Ia; % PV output power
Vref_new = Va + C; % New reference voltage
% Set up arrays storing data for plots
Va_array = [];
Pa_array = [];
Pmax_array =[];
% Load irradiance data
load irrad7d; % Irradiance data of a cloudy day
x = irrad7d(:,1)'; % Read time data (second)
y = irrad7d(:,2)'; % Read irradiance data
xi = 332.8e+3: 376e+3; % Set points for interpolation
yi = interp1(x,y,xi,'cubic'); % Do cubic interpolation
% Take 43200 samples (12 hours)
for Sample = 1:43.2e+3
% Read irrad value
G = yi(Sample);
% Take new measurements
Va_new = Vref_new;
Ia_new = bp_sx150s(Vref_new,G,TaC);
% Calculate incremental voltage and current
deltaVa = Va_new - Va;
deltaIa = Ia_new - Ia;
% incCond Algorithm starts here
if deltaVa == 0
if deltaIa == 0
elseif deltaIa > 0
else
end
else
if abs(deltaIa/deltaVa + Ia_new/Va_new) <= E
else
if deltaIa/deltaVa > -Ia_new/Va_new + E
else
end
end
end
% Calculate theoretical max
% Update history
Va = Va_new;
Ia = Ia_new;
Pa = Va_new * Ia_new;
% Store data in arrays for plot
Va_array = [Va_array Va];
Pa_array = [Pa_array Pa];
Pmax_array = [Pmax_array Pa_max];
end
% Total electric energy: theoretical and actual
Pth = sum(Pmax_array)/3600;
Pact = sum(Pa_array)/3600;
% Plot result
figure
plot (Va_array, Pa_array, 'g')
% Overlay with P-V curves and MPP
Va = linspace (0, 45, 200);
hold on
for G=.2:.2:1
Pa = Ia.*Va;
plot(Va, Pa)
plot(Vmp, Pa_max, 'r*')
end
title('incCond Method')
ylabel('Module Output Power (W)')
axis([0 50 0 160])
%gtext('1000W/m^2')
%gtext('800W/m^2')
%gtext('600W/m^2')
%gtext('400W/m^2')
%gtext('200W/m^2')
hold off
Reference
[1] BP Solar BP SX150 - 150W Multi-crystalline Photovoltaic Module Datasheet, 2001
[2] Castañer, Luis & Santiago Silvestre Modelling Photovoltaic Systems, Using PSpice
John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2002
[3] Chapin, D. M., C. S. Fuller, & G. L. Pearson, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc.,
Murray Hill, New Jersey “A New Silicon p-n Junction Photocell for Converting
Solar Radiation into Electrical Power” Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 25, Issue
5, May 1954, page 676-677
[4] Dang, Thuy Lam A Digitally-controlled Power Tracker Master’s Thesis, California
Polytechnic State University, Pomona, 1990
[5] Day, Christopher Alan The Design of an Efficient, Elegant, and Cubic Pico-Satellite
Electronics System Master’s Thesis, California Polytechnic State University, San
Luis Obispo, 2004
[6] Enslin, John H., Mario S. Wolf, Daniël B. Snyman, & Wernher Swiegers “Integrated
Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Converter” IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics, Vol. 44, No. 6 December 1997, page 769-773
[7] Green, Martin A. Solar Cells; Operating Principles, Technology, and System
Applications Prentice Hall Inc., 1982
[8] Hart, Daniel W. Introduction to Power Electronics Prentice Hall Inc., 1996
[9] Hohm, D. P. & M. E. Ropp “Comparative Study of Maximum Power Point Tracking
Algorithms” Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications November 2002,
page 47-62
[10] Hua, Chihchiang, Jongrong Lin & Chihming Shen “Implementation of a DSPControlled
Photovoltaic System with Peak Power Tracking” IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics, Vol. 45, No. 1 February 1998, page 99-107
[11] Hussein, K. H., I. Muta, T. Hoshino, & M. Osakada “Maximum Photovoltaic Power
Tracking: an Algorithm for Rapidly Changing Atmospheric Conditions” IEE
Proceedings – Generation, Transmission and Distribution – v. 142 January 1995,
page 59-64
[12] Koutroulis, Efichios, Kostas Kalaitzakis, Nicholas C. Voulgaris “Development of a
Microcontroller-Based, Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Control
System” IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Vol. 16, No. 1, January 2001,
page 46-54
[13] Kyocera Solar Inc. Solar Water Pump Applications Guide 2001 (downloaded from
www.kyocerasolar.com)
[14] MathWorks Inc. Embedded Target for the TI TMS320C2000™ DSP Platform For
Use with Real-Time Workshop® User’s Guide Version 1 2005 (downloaded from
www.mathworks.com)
[15] Messenger, Roger & Jerry Ventre Photovoltaic Systems Engineering 2nd Edition
CRC Press, 2003
[16] Masters, Gilbert M. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems John Wiley &
Sons Ltd, 2004
[17] Mohan, Undeland, Robbins Power Electronics – Converters, Applications, and
Design 3rd Edition John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2003
[18] Rashid, Muhammad H. Power Electronics - Circuits, Devices, and Applications 3rd
Edition Pearson Education, 2004
[19] Rashid, Muhammad H. Editor-in-Chief Power Electronics Handbook Academic
Press, 2001
[20] Sharaf A. M., Abdulla Ismail, R. A. El-Khatib & S. I. Abu-Azab “A Photovoltaic
Utilization System with Bang-Bang Self-Adjusting Maximum Energy Tracking
Controller” International Journal of Energy Research, Volume 22, Issue 12
December 1998, page 1091 - 1098
[21] Taufik EE410 Power Electronics I - Lecture Note Cal Poly State University, San
Luis Obispo, 2004
[22] Taufik EE527 Switching Power Supply Design - Lecture Note Cal Poly State
University, San Luis Obispo, 2004
[23] Texas Instruments “Converting Analog Controllers to Smart Controllers with
TMS320C2000 DSPs” Application Report, June 2004 (downloaded from
dspvillage.ti.com/)
[24] Thompson, Marry A. Reverse-Osmosis Desalination of Seawater Powered by
Photovoltaics Without Batteries Doctoral Thesis, Loughborough University, 2003
[25] UNEP “Water Policy and Strategy” (viewed on www.unep.org/dpdl/water/ , August
2005)
[26] UNESCO The UN World Water Development Report, 2003 (viewed on
www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/, August 2005)

BSC Thesis Shewit Solar Water Pump

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Design and simulation of solar water pump for livestock 2013

Where S – solar constant in W/m2

1.1 Solar energy reaching the earth’s surface

1.2. Water Pumping Systems and Photovoltaic Power

Table 1-1: PV powered, Diesel powered, vs. Windmill [13]

Diesel (or Gas)  Moderate capital costs  Needs maintenance and

Windmill  No fuel and no fumes  High maintenance

1.3 Solar-Powered Water Pumping System Configurations

Figure1.2: Battery-coupled solar water pumping system.

1.3.2 Direct-Coupled Solar Pumping System

Figure1.3: Direct-coupled solar pumping system

1.3 Energy Storage Alternatives

1.4 The Proposed System

Figure 1.4: Block diagram of the proposed PV water pumping system

It is a diaphragm-type positive displacement pump equipped with a brushed permanent magnet

1.8. Background and Scope of This Thesis

Although limited in number, solar-driven pumps installed on shallow wells proved to be a

Alternative energy is commonly used to operate water sourcing equipment in applications

1.9. Literature Review

2.2 Photovoltaic Cell

2.3 Modeling a PV Cell

2.3.1 The Simplest Model

Where: Io is the reverse saturation current of diode (A),

Vd is the voltage across the diode (V),

k is the Boltzmann’s constant (1.381×10-23 J/K),

T is the junction temperature in Kelvin (K).

Eg = 1.12; % Band gap energy; 1.12eV (Si), 1.42 (GaAs),

2.3.2 The More Accurate Model

Figure 2-6: More accurate equivalent circuit of PV cell

Fig 2.7 Simulink of short circuit accurate equivalent circuit of PV cell

Summarizing these effects, the current-voltage relationship of PV cell is written as:

2.4 Photovoltaic Module

Figure 2.9 PV cells are connected in series to make up a PV module

2.5 Modeling a PV Module by MATLAB

Figure 2-10: Picture of BP SX 150S PV module [1]

Figure 2-11: Equivalent circuit used in the MATLAB simulations

Where: I is the cell current (the same as the module current),

V is the cell voltage = {module voltage} ÷ {# of cells in series},

T is the cell temperature in Kelvin (K).

differentiating the equation (2.10) and then rearranging it in terms of Rs.

A.1.3 MATLAB Function to Find the MPP

Figure 2-14: Effect of series resistances by MATLAB simulation (1KW/m2, 25oC)

Gives the following function

Plugging this into the equation

Gives a following recursive equation, and the output current

2.6. The I-V Curve and Maximum Power Point

Figure 2-16: Simulated I-V curve of BP SX 150S PV module (1KW/m2, 25oC)

3. SYSTEM DESIGN METHODOLOGY

3.1. Calculating water demand and storage capacity

= (10*17.5) + (10*19.0) + (4*20.0) + (40*2.0)

= 525 gallons per day

Barrels of water /day =12.5barrels

= 525*0.25 = 131.25 gallons per day

Then Days of autonomy=-0.48*6.2425+4.58=1.58≈2.0

Storage capacity =days of autonomy*total water demand per day

3.2. Calculating solar resource capacities

Fig. Location of AYNALEM

NASA Surface meteorology and Solar

Latitude 13.496 / Longitude 39.474 were chosen.

Annual 23.2 51.0% 6.09 87.2 4.3 26.6 5 4831

Responsible NASA Official: John M. Kusterer

Solar Irradiance figures

Solar Panel direction:

= (1017.5) + (1019.0) + (420.0) + (402.0)

Flow rate (phr.) = 1.6037603.78541=364.24 litter per hr.

Flow rate (per day.)= 1.6037603.78541=364.24*12=4370.87litter per day.

=1.5 in 1340 =42.6 ft.