Cost-effective photovoltaic water pumping system for remote regions communities

The work consists of the development of a cost-effective 480 W photovoltaic battery-less water pumping system. The main advantage of the system is the use of a three-phase induction motor for the water pump drive, which presents many advantages compared to commonly used direct current motors. The system is composed of two 240 W_p solar panels, a three-phase converter, a ½ hp water pump, hydraulic and mechanical components. The electronic stage involves a resonant DC-DC converter in series with voltage source three-phase inverter. The embedded control for the system output power maximization is digital, dsPIC-based, responsible for the algorithms of MPPT (maximum power point tracking) and scalar speed control of the motor. The work shows an analysis of the involved structures, experimental results, costs evaluation and performance of the system. The feasibility of the system is evaluated in a remote region school located at the Brazilian Pantanal wetlands.