Electro-Hydrodynamic Design of an Intelligent Balloon Water Gate Controlled by an Efficient Maximum-Power-Seeking Controller for a Solar Generation System

The intelligent balloon water gate (IBWG) invention is a hydraulic gate model made of reinforced plastic that controls the water level (WL) downstream or upstream of a barrage. The IBWG automatically inflates and deflates by compressed air to close and open the water passage, respectively. The whole design consists of a balloon, a waterway, sensors, an air compressor, a control panel, an electrical circuit and a photovoltaic generation (PVG) system. The Tyass barrage in Iraq was considered as a case study. The Tyass barrage was built with concrete and four sliding steel water gates and redesigned using the IBWG. The originality of the current research resides in the combination of the IBWG mechanism with an efficient maximum power point (MPP) seeking controller for a photovoltaic generation system, which is one of the most promising sources of renewable energy in the world. To the best of our knowledge, in this field, this scenario has not yet been discussed in detail. Upper and lower water sensors are used to control the IBWG. The upper sensor sends a signal to the control panel when the downstream water level reaches its maximum value to open the air inlet valve and close the outlet valve, inflating 14 IBWGs with a volume of 3.5 m
³
under 122 psi of pressure and closing the water passage. When the WL decreases below the minimum level, the lower sensor initiates the opposite procedure. The air compressor automatically fills the air tank to 181 psi and is supplied by a 24 VDC AGM rechargeable battery with a capacity of 40-60 Ah, which is charged by four solar panels connected in parallel and exposed to an average of 8.8 hrs/day of sunshine. The proposed MPP-seeking controller was implemented by a backstepping design coupled with the grey wolf mechanism. The solar irradiance data were observed 39 years ago. The proposed controller is capable of following the MPP with minimum oscillations under an external irradiance variation. The IBWG system is verified at night or during the early morning when the sun is not active. Nevertheless, it is possible to store compressed air in an auxiliary tank to avoid emergencies such as partial shading conditions.