Energia solar fotovoltaica na irrigação por pivô central

Abstract

The irrigation system with autonomous photovoltaic pumping appears as an accessible option for remote locations, enabling agricultural production in places with water scarcity. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the performance of a central pivot irrigation system using an isolated photovoltaic system for energy supply. The validation process of the developed equipment took place during the uniformity coefficient evaluation tests using water, jointly analyzing the statistical quality control, using the Shewhart control chart and the process capacity index. The power supply consisted of eight monocrystalline photovoltaic modules with a power of 665W from the Canadian Solar brand and a 1.5kW Delta frequency inverter, finally connected directly to the pumping system. The power parameters of the photovoltaic system and the water pump motor will be measured simultaneously while collecting the water flow from the central pivot. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Center for Agricultural Engineering at the State University of Western Paraná, where energy supply tests were carried out using the photovoltaic system, connected directly to the pumping of the central pivot. Five days of collection were carried out with 30 tests per day, totaling 150 collections. Energy generation by the photovoltaic system was unstable with a coefficient of variation of 9.82 to 56.74%, while the pressure and flow values remained within the nominal specification values according to the process capacity index. The uniformity values were between 54.78 and 61.38%, therefore classified as poor, however it is highlighted that the stability of energy generation improved uniformity. Shewhart's control charts defined that the presence of clouds, as well as low radiation values, affect the generation of energy, pressure and flow of the irrigation system, compromising uniformity. Therefore, it is concluded that the layout of the system under study was not satisfactory for satisfactory central pivot irrigation. It is therefore recommended to use a battery bank to stabilize energy generation and consumption.