Efficient Solar-Powered Induction Motor Drive for Water Pumping

This study aims to develop, supervise, and implement a solar photovoltaic (PV) array-integrated, speed sensor less direct torque control (DTC) system for an induction motor drive (IMD) applied in water pumps. The proposed approach utilizes a recommended flux observer for determining the stator flux, serving as a basis for determining speed. A dedicated dc-link current detector and a modified engaged voltage vector are employed for motor phase current reconstruction. In this setup, a single sensor is employed for both dc-link voltage sensing and dc-link current detection. All other essential parameters are then derived from these two observed signals. The IMD is powered by a PV array operating at its maximum power point (MPP). To regulate the MPP, the perturb and observe (P&O) control algorithm is recommended, complemented by an additional flow rate controller. This dual-control strategy enables dynamic adjustments to the flow rate while consistently monitoring the MPP throughout its operationalrange. The system's performance is evaluated through simulations conducted using MATLAB/Simulink and experimental tests conducted on a laboratory-developed prototype.