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University of Minnesota Chapter Solar-Powered Well Pump and Water Tower Amponsah, Ghana

University of Minnesota Chapter Solar-Powered Well Pump and Water Tower Amponsah, Ghana Spring ’06 to Summer ‘07. Agenda. Community Needs Site Visit Design Implementation Challenges. Community Needs. 600+ students & villagers w/o clean water Pit latrines w/o wash station Result:

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University of Minnesota Chapter Solar-Powered Well Pump and Water Tower Amponsah, Ghana

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  1. University of Minnesota Chapter Solar-Powered Well Pump and Water Tower Amponsah, Ghana Spring ’06 to Summer ‘07

  2. Agenda • Community Needs • Site Visit • Design • Implementation • Challenges

  3. Community Needs 600+ students & villagers w/o clean water Pit latrines w/o wash station Result: • Lost time in class due to diarrheal illness • Gender inequality from fetching water • Rare but still present: Guinea Worm

  4. Site Visit - Summer 2006

  5. Grundfos submersible pump Control Box M/F sanitary toilets Above-ground water tower water faucet water faucet Solar panel array Village water line Hand washing station water line water line drying slab for crops and bricks Biomass compost pens secondary classrooms main school building Irrigated farmland for school crops Soccer field / P.E. field Design Layout

  6. Pump • Grundfos SQFlex-11 • 11GPM • 30-300 VDC / 90-240 VAC • Multiple Protections

  7. Solar Array 8 Panel Array BP 3115J, 115 W 12 V, 7 A Nominal

  8. Implementation- Summer 2007

  9. Raising the Water Tank

  10. Implementation

  11. Perfect or Far From? • Major Challenges: • 1 Transport • 2 Wrong Tower • 3 Incorrect Schematics • 4 Well Log Inaccurate

  12. Challenge 1: Shipping

  13. 10 ft 10 ft 10 ft Structure present when team arrived Challenge 2: Tower Added Cross-Bracing Seal Welds Main structure after our modifications Added Footings w/ Rebar

  14. Challenge 2: Tower • Max exposure to the sun • Above jungle canopy • Reduced potential of theft • 6500 L Polytank (10L/person /day)

  15. Challenge 2: Tower

  16. Retroactive Design Analysis Designs are often modified in the field -- previous structural/failure analysis is no longer accurate Design failures occur despite the strength of your materials Failure analysis can direct your in-country collaborator’s attention to features prone to failure 3D FVM study of 80 fps (59 mph) wind gust directed towards the lofted edge of the solar panel assembly - to be coupled with structural analysis to determine strains on mounting brackets. necessary to prevent catastrophic accidents

  17. Challenge 3: Incorrect Schematics 2 Parallel 4-Panel Banks 8 Panels in Series 48 V 96 V 48V @ 14 A = 672 watts 96V @ 7 A = 672 watts Result: 125 Watts in full cloud cover Result: Random pump shut-off in 50% sunlight

  18. Challenge 4: Well Performance Valve to limit well output Pump Duty Cycle: 5 Gpm Lockout Lockout Lockout Time 2 Gpm ( = pumping, =Low Well Alarm) We had to limit well output due to incorrect well log

  19. Concluding Remarks

  20. Contact Information Presenter: Nathan Knutson knut0293@umn.edu Chapter: www.tc.umn.edu/~ewb President: Brian Bell bell0384@umn.edu

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