Study and Development of a Pumping System Using a Small Wind Turbine Coupled to a Centrifugal Pump by Means of a Frequency Inverter
Abstract
Water pumping in isolated communities in the Brazilian Amazon Region can be a big problem due to the lack of an electricity grid. Grid extension for those remote places can be very expensive, due to the distances and types of landscapes involved, and thus not economically feasible. Therefore, the use of diesel pumps or generators is the most commonly used solution, although the operation of diesel systems is not as simple because of the fuel cost and its local availability, transportation, handling and storage, generator maintenance, besides the environmental concern. Wind turbines can produce alternate current which can be directly connected to an ac motor for pumping water, centrifugal pumps being the most commonly used for these purposes, and a frequency inverter is used to control the pump rotation, making the process more efficient, and price competitive when compared to usual photovoltaic pumping systems, diesel or mechanical wind pumping. This work presents a study of one system which is being developed to be used under the conditions mentioned above.