Solar Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS)

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-380
Author(s):  
Er. A.B. Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Solar Powered

scholarly journals Validation of an Analytical Model to Lower the Cost of Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation Systems for Smallholder Farmers in the Mena Region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Grant ◽  
Carolyn Sheline ◽  
Susan Amrose ◽  
Elizabeth Brownell ◽  
Vinay Nangia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Irrigation Schedule ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Solar Powered

Abstract Drip irrigation is a micro-irrigation technology that has been shown to conserve water and significantly increase crop yield. This technology could be particularly beneficial to the world’s estimated 500 million smallholder farmers, but drip systems tend to be financially inaccessible to this population. Drip systems require costly components including a pipe network, emitters, a pump and power system. Due to limited access to electricity, many smallholder farmers would require off-grid solutions. Designing reliable, low cost, off-grid drip irrigation systems for smallholder farms could significantly reduce the barrier to adoption. This paper builds on an integrated solar-powered drip irrigation model that was shown to improve upon an existing software. Field trials of the small-scale drip system were conducted on research farms in Jordan and Morocco for a full growing season. Data collected from these field trials are used to validate the hydraulics portion of the systems-level model. In addition, the insights gained from the field trials were formed into design requirements for future iterations of the model. These include optimizing for the system life cycle cost, as opposed to capital cost, the ability to simulate the system operation over a season, the capability to input a user’s irrigation schedule, incorporating locally-available components, and incorporating a system reliability constraint based on more detailed agronomic calculations.

scholarly journals The extent, characteristics and potential of solar powered irrigation systems in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-40
Author(s):  
P. Piliso ◽  
A. Senzanje ◽  
K. Dhavu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Load Shedding ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
High Investment ◽  
Solar Powered ◽  
Energy Type

South Africa has been identified as having a high potential for solar powered irrigation. However, there has been a lag in the development of solar powered irrigation systems (SPIS) there, mainly due to the high investment cost associated with solar technology. South Africa has frequently implemented load shedding, which has affected many farmers. The work reported in this paper sought to determine the extent of solar powered irrigation and characteristics of the system types in use. The extent of SPIS in South Africa was determined using a questionnaire, and categorised in terms of farm size, SPIS configuration (storage of energy), type of irrigation, and location of the system. These were established mainly from a literature search. The questionnaires were administered on Survey Monkey®. The sample size of the study was 138 755 potential respondents. The number that participated and completed the questionnaires included a total of 18 SPIS engineers, installers and designers and 13 SPIS users (farmers). The main problem encountered with the distribution of the survey was finding SPIS users to participate. Results from SPIS engineers, installers and designers showed that most SPIS they implemented were in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, at 33% of the responses for both provinces. The total area under SPIS was found to be 364 ha, while the area under irrigation is South Africa is 1 300 00 ha, indicating a high potential for SPIS development. Some details on the extent of SPIS in South Africa were determined in this paper, but more SPIS users need to be identified to determine the details of their SPIS.

Smart Irrigation Techniques for Water Resource Management

2019 ◽  
pp. 196-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smita Chaudhry ◽  
Shivani Garg
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Smart Farming ◽  
System Improvement ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Solar Powered

Rising temperatures and increased frequency of extreme events will have direct and negative impacts on natural resources. Water resources are limited on earth; hence, there is a need to manage the utilization techniques of water. The irrigation system improvement using the wireless network is a solution to accomplish water conservation goal as well as improvement in irrigation practices. Smart farming enhances the capacity of the agricultural systems to support food security. The need for adaptation and the potential for mitigation into sustainable agriculture development strategies can be incorporated into such system. The smart farming system includes different techniques of agricultural practices to conserve different resources including water. Solar powered smart irrigation systems are a part of the smart irrigation system. Smart irrigation system includes temperature, moisture, and humidity sensors system. Different smart irrigation systems which are used all over the world will be discussed in this chapter.

scholarly journals Validation of an Analytical Model to Lower the Cost of Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation Systems for Smallholder Farmers in the Mena Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Sheline ◽  
Fiona Grant ◽  
Amos G. Winter, V ◽  
Susan Amrose ◽  
Elizabeth Brownell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Model ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Solar Powered ◽  
The Cost

scholarly journals Shape and Form Optimization of On-Line Pressure-Compensating Drip Emitters to Achieve Lower Activation Pressure

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulkit Shamshery ◽  
Amos G. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Production Run ◽  
On Line ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques ◽  
Line Pressure ◽  
Solar Powered

This study presents the design and validation of on-line pressure-compensating (PC) drip irrigation emitters with a substantially lower minimum compensating inlet pressure (MCIP) than commercially available products. A reduced MCIP, or activation pressure, results in a drip irrigation system that can operate at a reduced pumping pressure, has lower power and energy requirements, requires a lower initial capital cost, and facilitates solar-powered irrigation systems. The technology presented herein can help spread drip irrigation to remote regions and contribute to reducing poverty, particularly in developing countries. The activation pressures of drip emitters at three flow rates were minimized using a genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization method coupled with a recently published fluid–structure interaction analytical model of on-line PC drip emitter performance. The optimization took into account manufacturing constraints and the need to economically retrofit existing machines to manufacture new emitters. Optimized PC drip emitter designs with flow rates of 3.3, 4.2, and 8.2 lph were validated using precision machined prototype emitters. The activation pressure for all was ≤0.2 bar, which is as low as 16.7% that of commercial products. A limited production run of injection molded 8.2 lph dripper prototypes demonstrated they could be made with conventional manufacturing techniques. These drippers had an activation pressure of 0.15 bar. A cost analysis showed that low MCIP drip emitters can reduce the cost of solar-powered drip irrigation systems by up to 40%.

scholarly journals Development of a System Model for Low-Cost, Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation Systems in the MENA Region

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Sokol ◽  
Fiona Grant ◽  
Carolyn Sheline ◽  
Amos Winter
Keyword(s):  
Power System ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
System Optimization ◽  
System Model ◽  
Solar Array ◽  
Optimization Scheme ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Solar Powered

Drip irrigation has the potential to conserve water and increase crop yields. However, existing drip irrigation systems often require high pumping power, making them financially inaccessible to smallholder farmers. Integrating a holistic system model with a cost-optimization scheme can enable the design and implementation of low-cost, solar-powered drip irrigations systems, ultimately making this technology more cost-effective for smallholder farmers. This paper describes the algorithms comprising an integrated model of solar-powered drip irrigation systems, consisting of agronomic, hydraulic, pump, and power system modules. It also introduces a preliminary optimization scheme for the power system, which uses the system hydraulics and pump curve to select an optimal solar array and energy storage configuration that minimizes capital cost. The system model and power system optimization is applied to three case studies, and the resulting power system configurations are compared to outputs from commercially-available software for sizing solar pumping systems. The results show that the model successfully captures the nuances in crop type, local weather patterns, and hydraulic system layout between different cases. This offers a greater level of flexibility than commercially available software, which tends to have broader applications and focuses on larger systems. Future model generations will add more variables to the optimization scheme — including pump selection, variable emitter flow rates and pipe geometries — to provide a versatile design tool for cost-optimized, solar-powered drip irrigation systems.

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