Performance Analysis of Directly Coupled Solar Photovoltaic Powered Irrigation Pumps

SPV based irrigation pumps are installed across India. However these irrigation pumps are not widely employed. One of the probable reasons behind this is mismatch of the need and availability of pump ratings to the farmers. Performance results of SPV based pumps vary with solar radiations, hydraulic head offered, pump rating etc. This necessitates the need for actual performance results of pumps and selection criteria. This paper presents the detailed performance analysis of the 0.5HP, 1HP and 2HP directly coupled DC irrigation pumps installed in the Energy park, Basaveshwar Engineering College[A], Bagalkot. The system is employed with pressure sensor, flow rate sensor, speed sensor and suitable software to monitor and document the data. Performance data are logged for every 5 minutes. Results are tabulated and analyzed. Further characteristics of centrifugal pumps are drawn. The presented results can be effectively used for suggesting irrigation pump capacity to farmers.