Matching Of A Centrifugal Pump To The Wind Rotor - A Case Study

The paper presents a case study of matching wind rotor to a centrifugal pump (power 750 watts) for shallow head operation (5m-20m). This system is installed at Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore, India. Two varieties of centrifugal pumps; exhibiting different characteristics (head, discharge, power input and efficiency) over a range of impeller speeds are selected for matching. The procedures for selecting the optimum gear ratio and matching the power requirement of pumps with the available power from the rotor are elaborated. The observed field performance is explained in the light of observations on PUMP characteristics using a test rig where the field conditions of rotor rpm are simulated. The optimum operating range of the pumps (both head and discharge) in respect of prevailing wind conditions in Bangalore are also highlighted.