A New Control Strategy for Hybrid Water Pumping Systems Used by Utilities in Developing Countries

A new configuration for a hybrid water pumping system fed by a wind turbine and solar panels is presented in this paper. The proposed system is cost-effective as it has fewer converters than conventional structures and with lower capacity. The performance of the pumping system is examined in this paper using wind and photovoltaic energy models. Emphasis is placed on the modelling of the wind turbine as it is prone to saturation when used in a stand-alone system. This modelling is done with a comprehensive wind turbine model that uses TurbSim, AeroDyn, FAST and Simulink simulation software to consider its electrical, mechanical and aerodynamic aspects and their interactions. Based on the simulation model, a new induction machine controller for the wind turbine that keeps the machine's flux constant and prevents the machine from saturating is developed. The performance of the controller is confirmed with simulation results.