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Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St. Kitts

Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St. Kitts. Charles Dauphinee Hiltz Tanner Michael Cookson Stephen Cookson Mechanical Engineering Department Dalhousie University. SolaVive Team.

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Solar Powered Pumping for Irrigation in St. Kitts

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  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 CooksonSupervisors: 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 @ 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 To:Dr. CaleyMech DeptAPENSAlumni AssociationCBCL Ltd Thermodynaics LtdDr. HamdullahperDr. Jerome ThomasFidel O’FlahartyDr. Linnell EdwardsGene Knight

  18. Questions?

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