Pump controller testing on wind turbines used in water pumping
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Bushland, TX (United States)
Pump controllers for wind-electric water pumping systems were tested on several different size wind turbines at the USDA - Agricultural Research Service, Bushland, Texas. All the wind turbines tested used permanent magnet alternators which generated 3-phase, AC electricity. The wind turbines tested varied in rated power from 1 kW to 10 kW at a wind speed of about 12 m/s. The 3-phase submersible motors tested were all rated at 230 V and the rated power varied from 0.38 kW to 5.6 kW. The pump controllers tested ranged from simple (on/off at certain frequency) to moderately sophisticated (low/high cut-in/cut-out frequency selection with thermal protection for submersible motors). No inverters were used on any of the pumping systems in order to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the pumping systems. An inverter isn`t necessary for off-the-shelf AC motors and pumps if the voltage to frequency ratio is maintained between 3 and 4. A voltage to frequency ratio of 3 to 4 was obtained on all the pump controllers tested from the cut-in wind speed to a 13 m/s wind speed by adding the proper capacitance on all three phases. Capacitance was varied on all of the pump controllers tested and it was discovered that optimal capacitance for maximum water pumping performance varied with windspeed. Problems which occurred during the testing which could have been prevented with a modification of the controller were: no water pumping when sufficient winds were available, inability to stop the wind turbine in high winds, blade failures, burned up motors.
- Research Organization:
- American Wind Energy Association, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 269386
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950309-; ON: DE96011159; TRN: 96:003988-0051
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 25. annual conference and exhibition on wind power, Washington, DC (United States), 26-30 Mar 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Windpower `95 - Proceedings of the American Wind Energy Association; PB: 624 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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