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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103739
Title: OPERATING EXPERIENCES OF A 1500-WATT WIND-ELECTRIC WATER PUMPING SYSTEM

Author
item Clark, Ray
item Vick, Brian

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Clark, R.N., Vick, B.D. 1999. Operating experiences of a 1500-watt wind-electric water pumping system. American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers. Paper No. 994021.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A 1500 W wind turbine has been continuously tested since 1992 at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, TX, for pumping water for livestock and domestic uses. This wind turbine used a permanent magnet alternator that provided variable-voltage, variable- frequency, 3-phase AC electricity which powered off-the-shelf submersible motors and centrifugal pumps without the use of any power conditioning equipment. Data collected during this period included: flow rate, wind speed, pressure (simulated pumping depth), voltage, current, frequency, and electrical power. Data were collected for four different submersible pumps operated at pumping heads ranging from 20 m to 100 m. The optimum pump was found to be a function of the pumping head and the wind speed resource. A chronological history of significant events and failures of the pumping system is also documented. This wind turbine was available 93% of the time eover the past six years. Individual contributions to downtime were: problems with the wind turbine/controller (5%), icing of the blades (1%), problems with the motor/pump (1/2%), and miscellaneous (1/2%). After correcting initial start-up problems, the 1500 W wind turbine proved very reliable.