Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St. Kitts

1
Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St.
Kitts
Charles DauphineeHiltz TannerMichael
CooksonStephen CooksonMechanical Engineering
Department Dalhousie University
2
SolaVive Team
Design Group Charles Dauphinee Hiltz
Tanner Michael Cookson Stephen
Cookson Supervisors Dr. Peter
Allen Department of Mechanical
Engineering Dr. Jack Burney Department of
Biological EngineeringClient Dr. Vincent
Audain Honorary Consul of St.
Kitts Department of Medicine
3
Design Problem

• Irrigation
• 2 Acres of fertile soil (sandy loam)
• Horticultural Crop
• Requiring 35mm/week
• Existing tank 85ft x 1000ft from 117358USG
  reservoir
• Social cost of present solution

4
Mission

• Solar powered machinery is ideal for agriculture
  in developing countries
• Rural communities far from power grids
• Solar flux availability
• Need for ecologically sustainable technologies
• Design Criteria
• simple assembly / maintenance
• ruggedness
• transportability
• efficiency

5
Impact on St. Kitts

• Expands minimal existing irrigation
• Lengthens growing season
• Creates year-round employment
• Lowers price of produce
• Crop export possibilities
• Solar versus gas and grid

6
Integrated System

• Subsurface Drip Irrigation
• 4500 Gallon Water Storage Tank
• P-D Dankoff Solar Pumps

• Linear Current Booster
• 1.44 kW Photovoltaic Array
• Existing Open Reservoir

7
Component Choices

• Irrigation
• Subsurface Drip Irrigation
• Distribution efficiency
• Pump-Motor
• P-D Sliding Vane Pumps in parallel
• 15.8 USgpm _at_ 113 ft
• 12 volt PM DC motor
• high efficiency at integral hp

8
Component Choices

• Photovoltaics
• Architecture for Reliability
• LCB for Maximum Power
• RETScreen Analysis 1.7kW

9
Installation Maintenance

• Installation Manual
• Connecting PV Modules
• Pump inlet/outlet setup
• Maintenance Manual
• General Maintenance
• Preventative Maintenance
• Troubleshooting
• PV array
• Pump Motor
• Irrigation System

10
Numerical Analysis

• Cybernet Simulations
• Create nodes on irrigation CAD drawing
• Pressures in junctions, pipes, valves
• As a tool for
• Design
• Change diameter of tubing, Height of reservoir
• Testing
• Numerical Model

11
Sponsorship Assembly

• Project Cost 32K
• Testing Methods
• Scaled Model
• Numerical Analysis
• System Assembly
• Challenges
• Reynolds No
• Modularity Fittings, Wires, Valves

12
Testing

• Day 1
• Partially Cloudy
• Not enough pressure head
• Expected flux, delivery
• Actual flux, delivery
• Efficiencies

13
Testing

• Day 2
• Sunny and appropriate head
• Expected flux, delivery
• Actual flux, delivery
• Efficiencies

14
Interpreting Results

• Efficiencies
• Predicted Actual
  Average

15
Testing Conclusions

• Importance of proper component sizing
• Supply chain management
• Data acquisition system
• Modularity is key
• Intuitive understanding

16
Future of SolaVive

• More Testing
• Implementation
• Engineers in Development
• Other Alternative Energy Projects

17
Thanks ToDr. CaleyMech DeptAPENSAlumni
AssociationCBCL Ltd Thermodynaics LtdDr.
HamdullahperDr. Jerome ThomasFidel
OFlahartyDr. Linnell EdwardsGene Knight
18
Questions?