Memorias de investigación
Research Publications in journals:
Solutions for adapting photovoltaics to large power irrigation systems for agriculture
Year:2018

Research Areas
  • Solar energy,
  • Photovoltaic generation

Information
Abstract
The adaptation of the mature PV water-pumping technology to large power irrigation applications requires the problems associated to PV power intermittencies and matching PV production with the irrigation needs to be resolved. This paper presents the innovations developed, implemented and tested in a PV irrigation prototype installed in a real well at an Irrigator Community in Alicante, Spain. The innovations eliminate the intermittences due to passing clouds, reducing the PV power by 80% in just few seconds without batteries, just using control algorithms in the frequency converter, avoiding water hammers and overvoltages. A North-South horizontal axis tracker has been used to extend the number of hours of irrigation per day and to provide daily constant profiles of PV power during the irrigation period. Moreover, the use of this tracker allows the nominal power of the PV generator to be reduced by 45% as compared to a fixed structure for the same volume of water. The analysis of the economic feasibility of the prototype compared with the cost of grid electricity shows savings of 60%. This prototype has been operating in the South of Morocco delivering more than 235 m3/day for the last three years.
International
Si
JCR
No
Title
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments
ISBN
2213-1388
Impact factor JCR
1,234
Impact info
SJR 2017
Volume
29
10.1016/j.seta.2018.07.004
Journal number
From page
119
To page
130
Month
SIN MES
Ranking
Participants

Research Group, Departaments and Institutes related
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Sistemas Fotovoltaicos
  • Centro o Instituto I+D+i: Instituto de Energía Solar
  • Departamento: Ingeniería Telemática y Electrónica