A smart controller for wind electric water pumping systems
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Bushland, TX (United States). Conservation and Production Research Lab.
- West Texas A and M Univ., Canyon, TX (United States). Alternative Energy Inst.
More and more wind electric water pumping systems are replacing the mechanical windmill for irrigation of crops and watering livestock because the electric systems are more efficient, offer the flexibility to site the turbine some distance from the pump, and require little routine maintenance. The motors and pumps used in most pumping systems were designed to operate at a constant rotational speed. However, the wind electric system operates at variable speed because the electricity generated by the wind turbine is variable frequency. Since the wind turbine operates over a wide range of wind speeds, a controller is needed to maintain stable conditions and improve the system efficiency. Experience of the past ten years with water pumping systems at USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, has shown that the wind pumping system operates best when the nameplate voltage to frequency ratio (V/f) is maintained. Using this principle, a smart controller has been designed, built and tested by USDA-ARS and the Alternative Energy Institute, West Texas A and M University for wind electrical pumping systems. Earlier controllers used only the frequency or the voltage to determine the cut-in and cut-out points when electricity from the turbine was connected to the load. This new controller also samples the voltage and calculates the ratio of voltage to frequency. Any abnormal conditions, such as current overload, overheating of generator and loss of one or more phase will drive the V/f ratio below a programmed set point and the controller will disconnect the load and protect the generator and motor from being damaged. This inexpensive controller can allow the pumping system to operate in high wind speed conditions with little risk of damaging the pump motor or wind turbine generator.
- OSTI ID:
- 372138
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960154-; ISBN 0-9648731-8-4; TRN: IM9641%%215
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Energy Week `96: American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Petroleum Institute energy week conference and exhibition, Houston, TX (United States), 21 Jan - 2 Feb 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Energy week `96: Conference papers. Book 8: Wind energy; PB: 218 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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