Solar photovoltaic array fed Luo converter based BLDC motor driven water pumping system

This paper deals with the solar photovoltaic (SPV) array fed water-pumping system using a Luo converter as an intermediate DC-DC converter and a permanent magnet brushless DC (BLDC) motor to drive a centrifugal water pump. Among the different types of DC-DC converters, an elementary Luo converter is selected in order to extract the maximum power available from the SPV array and for safe starting of BLDC motor. The elementary Luo converter with reduced components and single semiconductor switch has inherent features of reducing the ripples in its output current and possessing a boundless region for maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The electronically commutated BLDC motor is used with a voltage source inverter (VSI) operated at fundamental frequency switching thus avoiding the high frequency switching losses resulting in a high efficiency of the system. The SPV array is designed such that the power at rated DC voltage is supplied to the BLDC motor-pump under standard test condition and maximum switch utilization of Luo converter is achieved which results in efficiency improvement of the converter. Performances at various operating conditions such as starting, dynamic and steady state behavior are analyzed and suitability of the proposed system is demonstrated using MATLAB/Simulink based simulation results.