Progress 09/01/04 to 08/31/09
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Develop and evaluate autonomous wind-powered water pumping systems for irrigation, livestock, and farmstead water by developing farm size inverter and rectifier based controllers to increase the amount of useable energy available to the pump and by developing control strategies that prioritize and distribute electrical power to multiple loads (for example - pumps, water heaters, batteries, balancer loads). 2) Optimize the volume of water delivered for irrigation, livestock, and farmstead uses from various types of pumps using electricity produced from photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Complete pumping systems will be evaluated including pumps, motors, controllers and solar panels. 3) Measure engine performance and exhaust emissions of stationary engines used for electric power generation and irrigation pumping when fueled by biodiesel. Approach (from AD-416) The wind-powered water pumping activity will focus on controlling pumps and wind turbines with permanent magnet alternators during high wind speed (> 12 m/s) operation. At wind speeds greater than 12 m/s, present controllers often allow the wind turbine to run offline, which results in excessive noise, no water pumped, and possible catastrophic failure of the wind turbine. This effort is to design a controller that uses a different type of control logic that will allow the turbine to remain loaded at these higher wind speeds (higher voltages and frequencies), continue to pump water, and be cost effective. Constant voltage, constant frequency utility AC power will be used to verify the basic controller functions. Variable voltage, constant frequency AC utility power will be used to verify pump control operations. Variable voltage, variable frequency AC power (from a wind turbine) will be used for the final bench test and the field testing of each controller. Cost-benefit analyses will be conducted to compare the cost of wind pumping to electric utility, natural gas, diesel, or gasoline powered pumping. Four different types of pumps will be tested to determine optimum pumping depths and flow rates when powered by solar photovoltaic panels. Both AC and DC electric motors will be used to determine the best motor/controller combination for each type of pump. A diaphragm, piston, and helical pump will be used for small flow rates (livestock and domestic use) and a centrifugal pump will be used for higher flows needed for irrigation. An appropriate controller which is designed for water pumping, as opposed to battery charging, will be used with each system. The research focus will be to develop guidelines for selecting the appropriate pumping system for each pumping condition encountered, whether it be for livestock, domestic use, or irrigation. The emissions from vehicle engines operating on biodiesel derived from soybeans is well documented; however, actual measurements of emissions from irrigation engines or engines producing electric power are not easily obtained. These studies are planned to field measure the typical exhaust emissions from stationary and off-road engines using commercially available testing equipment. The main parameters to be measured are total unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and ozone. At the same time we will record various engine performance parameters such as but not limited to: fuel efficiency, power output, throttle response, performance degradation in response to constant and varying loads. Evaluation of the effects of the biodiesel formulations on engine oil, coolant, and the fuel system will also be noted. Biodiesel derived from soybeans, rapeseed, and used cooking oil or fats are planned to be included in these experiments. Other fuels, derived from additional feedstocks, will be considered after initial testing with these commercially available fuels. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations The project will be terminated in 2009; we are currently awaiting the evaluation of our new 5-year project plan titled "Production of Quality Power and/or Heat for On-farm Operations." Of the three main objectives for this project we met Objectives 1 and 2 but were unable to meet Objective 3 due to resource limitations. The five main areas that we have worked on over the past 5 years were: 1) improve the design of controllers used in wind-powered water pumping systems, 2) determine the optimum solar-powered water pumping system for different applications, 3) determine feasibility of large-scale deployment of renewable energy by combining wind farms with concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, and 4) testing wind turbine blades with different fabrications (e.g., fiberglass, carbon fiber, resin, fabricating method) to improve performance, strength, and reliability of wind turbines. We designed a rectifier-based controller for an off-grid wind turbine used for water pumping that not only kept the wind turbine from running offline at high wind speeds, but improved the performance of the wind turbine by maintaining the wind turbine blades at a more optimum angle-of- attack and resulted in a 50% increase in daily water volume pumped. The most important accomplishment in the solar water pumping research was the development of a chart that will help consumers and pump installers determine what type pump (diaphragm, helical, centrifugal, or piston) is the best to use for a particular application (daily water volume and pumping depth). To develop this chart, thousands of hours of data had to be collected on several different pumps, pumping depths, and Photovoltaic (PV) array power settings. In general, the testing has shown that for the Southern Great Plains, solar systems are a better match than wind systems for remote water pumping. We have found from analyzing projected wind farm and CSP plant output that combining wind farms with CSP plants will result in a better match to utility electrical load in Texas and California which means a large percentage of total electricity used in the those states could be obtained from wind and solar energy. Staff from the ARS laboratory in Bushland, Texas, and Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico, completed atmospheric testing of the carbon fiber bend-twist coupled experimental blades on a wind turbine rated at 100 kW. The blades performed as expected in strength and power production. The new construction materials and construction technique resulted in blades that twist when they bend, resulting in less fatigue loads and a 25% increased lifetime. Testing was also completed on a "Sensor Blade" that in the future could lead to less maintenance and prevention of catastrophic wind turbine failures. In addition, on-ground calibrations of blades constructed with an innovative flat-back airfoil on the inboard portion of the blades were completed. This unique blade construction resulted in very low weight (these blades weighed 27% less than similar size blades tested). These blades were stronger than previously tested blades on this test bed. Technology Transfer Number of New CRADAS: 1
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Clark, R.N. 2008. Comprehensive history of windmills. In: Gillis, C. editor/author. Windpower. Atglen, PA:Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 4.
- Clark, R.N. 2009. The winds of change. Resource Magazine. July/August 2009. p. 4-6.
|
Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Develop and evaluate autonomous wind-powered water pumping systems for irrigation, livestock, and farmstead water by developing farm size inverter and rectifier based controllers to increase the amount of useable energy available to the pump and by developing control strategies that prioritize and distribute electrical power to multiple loads (for example - pumps, water heaters, batteries, balancer loads). 2) Optimize the volume of water delivered for irrigation, livestock, and farmstead uses from various types of pumps using electricity produced from photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Complete pumping systems will be evaluated including pumps, motors, controllers and solar panels. 3) Measure engine performance and exhaust emissions of stationary engines used for electric power generation and irrigation pumping when fueled by biodiesel. Approach (from AD-416) The wind-powered water pumping activity will focus on controlling pumps and wind turbines with permanent magnet alternators during high wind speed (> 12 m/s) operation. At wind speeds greater than 12 m/s, present controllers often allow the wind turbine to run offline, which results in excessive noise, no water pumped, and possible catastrophic failure of the wind turbine. This effort is to design a controller that uses a different type of control logic that will allow the turbine to remain loaded at these higher wind speeds (higher voltages and frequencies), continue to pump water, and be cost effective. Constant voltage, constant frequency utility AC power will be used to verify the basic controller functions. Variable voltage, constant frequency AC utility power will be used to verify pump control operations. Variable voltage, variable frequency AC power (from a wind turbine) will be used for the final bench test and the field testing of each controller. Cost-benefit analyses will be conducted to compare the cost of wind pumping to electric utility, natural gas, diesel, or gasoline powered pumping. Four different types of pumps will be tested to determine optimum pumping depths and flow rates when powered by solar photovoltaic panels. Both AC and DC electric motors will be used to determine the best motor/controller combination for each type of pump. A diaphragm, piston, and helical pump will be used for small flow rates (livestock and domestic use) and a centrifugal pump will be used for higher flows needed for irrigation. An appropriate controller which is designed for water pumping, as opposed to battery charging, will be used with each system. The research focus will be to develop guidelines for selecting the appropriate pumping system for each pumping condition encountered, whether it be for livestock, domestic use, or irrigation. The emissions from vehicle engines operating on biodiesel derived from soybeans is well documented; however, actual measurements of emissions from irrigation engines or engines producing electric power are not easily obtained. These studies are planned to field measure the typical exhaust emissions from stationary and off-road engines using commercially available testing equipment. The main parameters to be measured are total unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and ozone. At the same time we will record various engine performance parameters such as but not limited to: fuel efficiency, power output, throttle response, performance degradation in response to constant and varying loads. Evaluation of the effects of the biodiesel formulations on engine oil, coolant, and the fuel system will also be noted. Biodiesel derived from soybeans, rapeseed, and used cooking oil or fats are planned to be included in these experiments. Other fuels, derived from additional feedstocks, will be considered after initial testing with these commercially available fuels. Accomplishments SOLAR POWERED DIAPHRAGM PUMPS: Farmers and ranchers are seeking new economical and reliable water pumping systems for watering their livestock. Pump curves (average daily water volume versus pumping depth) were determined through testing at the USDA-ARS research laboratory near Bushland, Texas, for four different solar powered diaphragm pumps. As long as the maximum designed pumping depth for each diaphragm pump was not exceeded, most solar-powered diaphragm pumps lasted for up to four years with little or no maintenance required. The solar-PV powered diaphragm pump systems are usually about one-third to one-half the cost of a solar-PV powered helical pump system or a mechanical windmill piston pump system; therefore, when the water requirement (domestic or livestock) can be met with a solar-powered diaphragm pump it will save the farmer or rancher a significant amount of money. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, the problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) 40-Kw WIND TURBINE PRODUCES POWER FOR 25 YEARS: A 40-kW wind turbine was placed in operation in 1982 at the USDA-ARS research laboratory near Bushland, Texas. The turbine has been in continuous operation and has allowed test engineers to document repair issues, maintenance issues, and downtime. Brake pads, gearbox seals and service of tip brakes have been the major service items. Replacement of gearbox gears has been the most significant repair. This turbine has proven the capacity to achieve a 20-year life time and has shown the components that needed redesigning for extending the life expectancy to 30 years. New variations of this design are currently being used in remote generation of power (remote fishing villages in Alaska), and distributed power generation for feedyards, farms, rural business and schools. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) SOLAR POWERED HELICAL PUMPS: The use of solar-powered centrifugal pumps with AC motors and expensive inverters (inverter cost is $4250) for livestock watering are too expensive for most farmers/ranchers and they don�t perform well for pumping depths greater than 200 feet for solar power ratings under 1 kW. Mechanical windmills with piston pumps have high maintenance costs for well drillers to replace the leathers of piston pumps every one-to-three years. Additionally, typically low winds occur in late summer when livestock water needs are the greatest. A solar-powered helical pump was tested at three simulated pumping depths (164, 246, and 328 feet) and two different solar power ratings (480 and 640 Watts) at the USDA-ARS research laboratory near Bushland, Texas. The average number of beef cattle that could be watered assuming average solar resource at Bushland, Texas was: 151 to 170 for 164-foot well depth (480 to 640 Watts), 115 to 145 for 246-foot well depth (480 to 640 Watts), and 68 to 121 for 328- foot well depth (480 to 640 Watts). The solar-powered helical pump has been tested for three years at the USDA-ARS research laboratory; no maintenance has been needed and no significant performance degradation has been observed. It is likely that due to demonstrated good performance and reasonably low cost for these solar-powered helical pumps, livestock operations will become more profitable. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) INVERTER CONTROLLER FOR REMOTE WATER PUMPING: Engineers at the USDA-ARS research laboratory near Bushland, Texas, developed an autonomous wind-powered water pumping controller for irrigation, livestock, and farmstead watering. The design and testing of the balancer load portion was completed, with results showing successful pumping system control. This successful control resulted in an increase in pumping yield of 1,000,000 liters (50% increase) per year using an existing 1 kW pumping system. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) NEW ROTOR BLADE DESIGN IMPROVES PERFORMANCE OF SMALL WIND TURBINES: Past field tests have shown that a wind-electric water pumping system was not an effective solution for watering livestock in summer months due to low winds pumping low water volumes. This was attributed to inefficient blade designs. A set of blades was built using a blade design that improved low wind efficiency, and a root design that allowed them to mount on a proven wind turbine/water-pumping system. These blades were tested and measured against existing data, and found to improve performance by doubling the amount of water pumped. These findings could prompt turbine manufacturers to improve current blade designs. The improvement in the amount of water pumped would allow wind-electric pumping systems to effectively compete with mechanical wind mills. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) SKYSTREAM WIND TURBINE SETS NEW PERFORMANCE GOALS: A small grid-tied wind turbine system designed to provide electrical power for homes and rural locations has been tested. This new machine was designed to meet the growing demand for individuals to reduce their energy costs. The system has produced an average of 256 kW-h per month with 100% availability. Enough high quality data has been collected to meet the endurance testing standard for global International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) CARBON FIBER ROTOR BLADES OUTPERFORM FIBERGLASS BLADES: In cooperation with Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, a set of instrumented blades that were designed with improved materials was tested on the 115-kW turbines located at the USDA-ARS research laboratory near Bushland, Texas. These blades were constructed using a new fabric incorporating carbon fiber and fiber glass. This resulted in a lighter and stronger blade while still maintaining the power production of the original blade design. Power production slightly exceeded the output of original blades, and structural loads were less than design models predicted, indicating the blades are superior to current production blades. This improvement will allow for future utility scale blades to be transported easier as well as cause less wear and tear on the turbine components. The improvements could potentially allow turbines to be built in more remote areas on farms and ranches, for distributed energy production, as well as large wind farms. (NP307, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices Component, problem area of providing a reliable, safe drinking water supply essential for agricultural livestock and humans) Technology Transfer Number of Web Sites managed: 1 Number of Non-Peer Reviewed Presentations and Proceedings: 19 Number of Newspaper Articles,Presentations for NonScience Audiences: 20
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? Electrical energy is used on every farm and in all homes and villages because of the number of applications of electricity. Having electrical machinery and appliances enables or increases production and provides a higher standard of living which all people desire. In remote areas such as large western farms or ranches, islands, or remote fishing villages of Alaska, the extension of the electric utility line is prohibitive because of the cost ($25,000 to $50,000 per mile); therefore, these residents are seeking lower cost, yet reliable, electrical energy. Wind power has been suggested as a means to provide good quality electricity. For many rural areas, some form of pumping is required to lift water from a well or stream to provide a reliable, safe drinking water supply. Many of these
water supplies are not adjacent to electric utility lines. Because of the high cost of installing and maintaining rural electric lines with low energy usage, charges per unit of energy used are quite high. Livestock producers are searching for lower cost methods of supplying water for their livestock. Renewable energy technologies of wind and solar power offer excellent possibilities to provide the energy required to pump this water. This research project attempts to develop and demonstrate reliable remote water pumping systems. This technology is also applicable for providing water to the approximately 2 billion people in the world who do not have a clean, safe, reliable drinking water supply. A clean, safe drinking water supply for all peoples would save hundreds of lives each year from cholera, dysentery, and other water- related diseases. This project is coded to National Program 307, Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives, component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices.
This project includes development of wind, solar, and biofuel electrical systems for on-farm electric generation where rural electric distribution systems are not available or where they are overloaded. This project addresses the needs of agricultural producers to have a dependable, independent electrical power from alternative energy sources. Also, because of the need to provide a reliable, safe water supply for irrigation, livestock and domestic uses, part of the research contributes to the water supply component of National Program 201, Water Resource Management. 2. List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) FY-2005 1. Install and test a helical pump at three pumping depths when powered by solar panels. 2. Use an amorphous-silicon solar array rated at 0.75 kW to power a 12- stage centrifugal pump and 0.56-kW electric motor. 3. Initiate emissions testing of diesel engines using blended biodiesel fuels. FY-2006 1. Design and build an
inverter-based controller for a wind-powered water pumping system. 2. Conduct operational testing of an inverter-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. 3. Test two versions of a submersible solar-DC diaphragm pump system using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. 4. Determine the minimum size solar panels that can be used with a helical pump for livestock watering. 5. Test solar water pumping with a motorized tracker system and a diaphragm pump. 6. Test centrifugal pump with solar panels constructed from polycrystalline. 7. Continue emissions testing for different biodiesel feed stocks. 8. Setup microturbine and perform break-in operation with standard diesel while connected to the mini-grid. FY-2007 1. Complete study of inverter-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. 2. Design and construct a rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. 3. Develop control logic for PLC controller for wind-powered water pumping. 4. Test helical pump with optimal solar
panel wattage and optimal power ratings. 5. Compare motorized tracking with fixed panels with diaphragm pumps. 6. Install and test a pump-jack, solar power water pumping system. 7. Write reports on emissions from stationary engines powered by biodiesel. 8. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. 9. Conduct emissions testing on an irrigation engine using standard diesel and biodiesel. FY-2008 1. Conduct operational testing on rectifier-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. 2. Conduct operational testing on the PLC-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. 3. Continue testing helical pump for reliability and lifetime of the system. 4. Continue testing piston pump and pump jack for reliability and lifetime of the system. 5. Combine the solar panels into a 1.5-kW solar system and test a larger centrifugal pump. 6. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. 7. Complete emissions testing on an irrigation engine using
standard diesel and biodiesel. FY-2009 1. Complete the study of the rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. 2. Complete operational testing on the PLC-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. 3. Complete testing helical pump for reliability and lifetime of the system. 4. Complete testing piston pump and pump jack for reliability and lifetime of the system. 5. Continue the solar panels into a 1.5-kW solar system and test a larger centrifugal pump. 6. Complete emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine and prepare reports. 4a List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. WIND POWER WATER PUMPING FOR LIVESTOCK. The Southwest Wind Power Whisper 100 wind turbine (7-foot rotor diameter) connected to a Lorentz HR7-2 helical pump demonstrated good water pumping performance for livestock watering for wells in the 150 to 400 feet depth range. The maximum flow rate varied from 4.75 to 3.70 gallons per minute at all pumping
depths tested (165, 246, 328, 410, and 492 feet) and the cut-in wind speed varied from 10 to 13.5 mph (shallowest to deepest pumping depth, respectively). The maximum system efficiency measured was 12% which is similar to that measured for wind powered centrifugal pumps. The maximum pumping depth for a similar size wind turbine connected to a centrifugal pump was about 165 feet with a 13.5 mph cut-in wind speed. The cost of this new wind powered water pumping system is in the $5,000 to $6,000 price range (not including installation) which makes it comparable to buying a solar-PV helical pump and less expensive than purchasing a new mechanical windmill-piston pump system. If these systems prove reliable then they should be a good economical choice for farmers and ranchers needing to pump fairly deep groundwater for their livestock. This research contributes to NP307, Component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. 4b List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any.
REDESIGN OF 100-kW WIND TURBINE. Three older 100 kW wind turbines are used by ARS to test new carbon fiber wind turbine blades developed as part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Blade Manufacturing Initiative. Since these blades have the potential to produce more power than previously used blades, a turbine was redesigned and modified for this testing. A spare nacelle was used as the basic component of this newly designed test turbine. The hub, main rotor shaft, gearbox, and generator were used with minor service and repairs. A new, stronger brake system was designed, purchased, installed, and tested. The yaw motor drive was reworked and capacity increased as well as adding a yaw brake to hold the turbine in place when not actually yawing (changing position in relation to wind direction). The redesigned wind turbine was completed in May 2006. It will be the test turbine for at least four new blade designs. These new blades have the potential to improve wind turbine
performance, improve reliability, and reduce cost because the new carbon fiber blades are roughly half the weight of the traditional fiberglass blades and twice the strength. This work is done cooperatively with DOE and Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. This research contributes to NP307, Component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. NOISE REDUCTION FOR SMALL WIND TURBINES. We determined that proper electrical loading of a wind turbine or decreasing its furling wind speed were more likely to reduce the noise emission than modifying the wind turbine blade design for wind turbines operated off the utility grid. Acoustical noise emission, wind speed, wind turbine blade rotor speed, and electrical loading data were gathered on three small wind turbines (Southwest Windpower 1-kW H-80, Southwest Windpower 1-kW Whisper 200 (redesign of H-80), and Bergey Windpower 10-kW Excel-PD). Old and new wind turbine blade designs were tested on all three wind turbines.
Although the modified blade designs were shown to reduce the noise emission with respect to rotor speed, the noise emission produced by all three wind turbines still exceeded the 80 decibels upper noise limit a significant part of the time on windy days. This sound level (80 decibels) is a point where noise is highly annoying to about 60% of the population. However, adding a simple electrical dump load to the 1-kW wind turbines at a specific rotor speed kept the blades from exceeding the rotor speed where flutter occurred - cause of the high acoustical noise emission on these wind turbines. It also decreased the furling wind speed (wind speed at which enough blade thrust is produced to turn the wind turbine out of the wind) on the 10-kW wind turbine and resulted in acceptable noise emission. This information will enable small wind turbine manufacturers to reduce the noise emission from their respective wind turbines. This research contributes to NP307, Component 3, Energy
Alternatives for Rural Practices. WIND-SOLAR COMBINATION POWER PLANTS. Wind-generated electricity from megawatt-size wind turbines on towers 200 to 300 feet tall is the cheapest form of renewable energy in Texas. When the amount of wind- generated electricity reaches about 20% of the electric utility's loading, then additional wind farms can't be added due to the diurnal mismatch between wind-generated electricity and the utility electrical loading. As wind turbines have been installed on towers above 200 feet, they are exposed to higher winds in early morning (midnight to 6:00 a.m. when utility electrical load is at its lowest) and late evening (6:00 p.m. to midnight). The lowest winds occurred in the afternoon (utility electrical load is highest at this time). Using tall tower (towers with anemometers at 165, 246, and 328 feet) wind speed data gathered at Washburn and Sweetwater, Texas, by the West Texas A&M University's (WTAMU) Alternative Energy Institute, Canyon, Texas, and
global irradiance data gathered at weather station sites (Bushland and Lamesa, Texas), wind farm electrical power generation, parabolic solar thermal power plant generation, and a 50/50 wind/solar combination were estimated for the Texas Panhandle and Central West Texas on a hourly basis for an entire year. The match between the utility electrical loading and the renewable energy generation of the wind/solar hybrid was shown to improve on a daily basis compared to electrical generation with wind farms alone. Adding solar improved the match seasonally and when the utility load peaked in the summer (helping during peaking is especially important since it helps utilities keep from adding more power plants). This work showed that combining parabolic trough solar thermal power plants with wind farms will improve the match between renewable energy generation and utility electrical loading for the Texas Panhandle and Central West Texas. This research contributes to NP307, Component 3,
Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. 5. Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. Demonstrated that a relatively new submersible motor/pump (Grundfos SQ flex helical pump) powered by wind or solar energy can pump water from a deep well for 80 to 120 cattle. Mechanical windmills have predominantly been used to pump water from deep wells (200 to 600 feet), but most are over four decades old and the mechanical windmill piston pump requires considerable maintenance. The SQ flex pump requires little maintenance and costs less to install than the mechanical windmill. Two identical pumps were installed at the USDA-ARS, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas. One was powered by a 1-kW wind turbine (testing began November 2003), and the other was powered by 640 watts of solar photo-voltaic (PV) modules (testing began February 2004). Data were collected on both systems for simulated pumping depths of 246 feet (pumping
depth at Bushland, Texas) and 328 feet (pumping depth typical of Northern Texas Panhandle). Wind and solar powered centrifugal pumps were not efficient for deep wells unless the power of the renewable energy systems was very high (10 kW), but the SQ flex positive displacement pump can be powered by wind or solar energy systems in the 0. 5 to 1.0 kW range and appear to be more economical for farmers and ranchers than using a conventional mechanical windmill. This work addresses the first objective of our project plan and the National Research Program 307, component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. This accomplishment meets ARS Strategic Goal #5, Protect and Enhance the Nation's Natural Resource Base and Environment. 6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of
the technology products? ,an easement between ARS and the wind farm development company to use a small portion of the research laboratory for the transmission line from the wind farm to the utility grid. The wind farm is to be completed by December 31, 2006. The wind energy team, in particular Dr. Clark and Mr. Vick, has had numerous discussions with a small wind turbine company that is pursuing marketing a wind-powered irrigation system. A partnership was formed between the wind turbine manufacturer and local sprinkler irrigation dealers after their introduction by Dr. Clark. Mr. Vick assembled a summary of several wind-powered irrigation papers and provided the information to this group. This small wind turbine company has installed at least four wind turbines in 2006 and plans are to increase that to 15 to 20 machines in 2007. Dr. Clark and Mr. Vick were invited to meetings with rural electric cooperatives to discuss issues (economics and rules) relating to the grid connection
of renewable energy systems to their individual electrical cooperatives Dr. Clark assisted West Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University activities related to bioenergy for Texas. These are programs to develop feedstock for conversion of biomass to energy. The major emphasis is to develop agricultural products for conversion to ethanol or biodiesel and to establish new businesses to perform these conversions; thus creating new jobs. Mr. Vick reviewed three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant proposals for wind power technology. We engage the manufacturers of the pumps and energy systems that we test by providing them data prior to publication and by using them as technical reviewers of our manuscripts. We have a good interchange with these companies and have seen improvements in performance and reliability. Technical papers were provided to a number of businesses and producers applying for the USDA 9006 grant as part of the Farm Bill provisions to support renewable
energy development in rural areas. The papers 'Wind Powered Irrigation for Selected Crops in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains' and 'Wind-Powered Drip Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees' were those mostly provided. Dr. Clark provided information and technical guidance to two ARS laboratories that are considering using wind and solar power systems at their locations. The wind energy research team met with and held discussions with individuals who are planning or developing new wind turbine companies. Dr. Clark organized and conducted a session on Personal Wind Systems for Homes, Farms and Small Business at the Windpower 2006 Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 2006. Dr. Clark served as a technical reviewer for project proposals submitted to the Alaska Energy Authority. This involved written reviews, evaluations, and conference calls. 7. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE:
List your peer reviewed publications below). Comis, D. 2006. Wind and sun and farm-based energy sources. Agricultural Research, A Renewable-Energy Update, August 2006. p. 4-7. Vick, B. 2005. Comparison of wind resources in Texas Panhandle to the utility electrical loading. Presentation to the Texas Renewable Energy Industry Association (TREIA) annual meeting, November 2005, Austin, Texas. Vick, B. 2006. Using the wind or sun to pump water. Presentation to the Texas Renewable Energy Industry Association (TREIA) Round Up, September 2006, Fredericksburg, Texas. Round Up is a renewable energy/organic farming fair that is open to the public. Zayas, J., Jones, P., Holman, A. 2005. CX-100 and TX-100 blade field tests. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandia Report SAND2005-7454. p. 72. Mr. Neal was interviewed by KGNC-710 talk radio during the weekly CREET- Beat program which aired on March 31, 2006 from Amarillo, Texas. The topic of this interview was 'Testing carbon
fiber wind turbine rotor blades for strength and performance.' Clark, R.N. 2006. Wind energy for rural America. he New Bioeconomy: What do we have to be excited about? New Bioeconomy Conference sponsored by West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, April 5, 2006. Clark, R.N. 2006. Wind Power Development Principles. Presented a half- day workshop at the Annual International Meeting of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), July 2006, Portland, Oregon.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N. 2005. Effect of panel temperature on a Solar-PV AC water pumping system. In: Proceedings of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) 2005 Solar Water Congress: Bringing water to the World, August 8-12, 2005, Orlando, Florida. p. 159-164. 2005 CDROM.
- Vick, B.D., Starcher, K., Clark, R.N., Traurig, J. 2004. Matching wind resource in the Southern Great Plains with utility electrical loading. In: American Wind Energy Association: Global Windpower 2004, March 28-31, 2004, Chicago, Illinois. p. 20. 2004 CDROM.
- Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N. 2005. Water pumping performance of a solar-PV powered helical pump. In: Proceedings of International Solar Energy Society (ISES) 2005 Solar Water Congress, August 8-12, 2005, Orlando, Florida. 2005 CDROM.
- Vaughn, N., Clark, R.N., Foster, R. 2005. Wind Water Pumping/Bombe de Agua con Energia Eolica. Alternative Energy Institute, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas. [Study Course on CDROM].
- Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N. 2006. Large scale deployment of renewable energy by combining wind farms with solar thermal power plants. In: Proceedings of the American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, July 8-13, 2006, Denver, Colorado. 2006 CDROM.
- Neal, B., Holman, A., Clark, R.N. 2006. Solid-state sensors for control and data acquisition on small wind turbines. In: Proceedings of American Wind Energy Association. Windpower 2006 Conference and Exhibition, June 4- 7, 2006, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2006 CDROM.
- Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N. 2006. Affect of new blades on noise reduction of small wind turbine water pumping systems. In: Proceedings of American Wind Energy Association. Windpower 2006 Conference and Exhibition, June 4-7, 2006, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2006 CDROM.
- Clark, R.N., Vick, B.D. 2005. Livestock watering with renewable energy systems. In: Outlaw, J., Collins, K.J., Duffield, J.A., editors. Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: CABI Publishing. p. 232-242.
- Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N. 2005. Performance and acoustic analysis of a small wind turbine used with a helical pump for livestock watering. In: Proceedings of the American Wind Energy Association: Windpower 2005, May 15-18, 2005, Denver, Colorado. p. 11. 2005 CDROM.
|
Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? Electrical energy is used on every farm and in all homes and villages because of the number of applications of electricity. Having electrical machinery and appliances enables or increases production and provides a higher standard of living, which all people desire. In remote areas such as large western farms or ranches, islands, or remote fishing villages of Alaska, the extension of the electric utility line is prohibitive because of the cost ($25,000 to $50,000 per mile); therefore, these residents are seeking lower cost, yet reliable electrical energy. Wind power has been suggested as a means to provide good quality electricity. For many rural areas, some form of pumping is required to lift water from a well or stream to provide a reliable, safe drinking water supply. Many of these water supplies
are not adjacent to electric utility lines. Because of the high cost of installing and maintaining rural electric lines with low energy usage, charges per unit of energy used are quite high. Livestock producers are searching for lower cost methods of supplying water for their livestock. Renewable energy technologies of wind and solar power offer excellent possibilities to provide the energy required to pump this water. This research project attempts to develop and demonstrate reliable remote water pumping systems. This technology is also applicable for providing water to the approximately 2 billion people in the world who do not have a clean, safe, reliable drinking water supply. A clean, safe drinking water supply for all peoples would save hundreds of lives each year from cholera, dysentery, and other water- related diseases. This project is coded to National Program 307, Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives, component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. This project
includes development of wind, solar, and biofuel electrical systems for on-farm electric generation where rural electric distribution systems are not available or where they are overloaded. This project addresses the needs of agricultural producers to have a dependable, independent electrical power from alternative energy sources. Also, because of the need to provide a reliable, safe water supply for irrigation, livestock and domestic uses, part of the research contributies to the water supply component of National Program 201, Water Quality and Management. 2. List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. FY-2005 Design and build an inverter-based controllers for a wind-powered water pumping system. Install and test a helical pump at three pumping depths when powered by solar panels. Test two versions of a submersible solar-DC diaphragm pump system using solar PV panels. Use an amorphous-silicon solar array rated at 0.75 kW to power a 12-stage centrifugal pump
and 0.56-kW electric motor. Initiate emissions testing of diesel engines using blended biodiesel fuels. FY-2006 Conduct operational testing of an inverter-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. Design and construct a rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Determine the minimum size solar panels that can be used with a helical pump for livestock watering. Test solar water pumping with a motorized tracker system and a diaphragm pump. Test centrifugal pump with solar panels constructed from polycrystalline. Continue emissions testing for different biodiesel feed stocks. Setup microturbine and perform break-in operation with standard diesel while connected to the mini-grid. FY-2007 Complete study of inverter-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Conduct operational testing on rectifier-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. Develop control logic for PLC controller for wind-powered water pumping. Test Helical pump with optimal solar
panel wattage and optimal power ratings. Compare motorized tracking with fixed panels with diaphragm pumps. Install and test a pump-jack, solar power water pumping system. Write reports on emissions from stationary engines powered by biodiesel. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. Conduct emissions testing on an irrigation engine using standard diesel and biodiesel. FY-2008 Complete the study of the rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Conduct operational testing on the PLC-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Continue testing Helical pump for reliability and lifetime of the system. Continue testing piston pump and pump jack for reliability and lifetime of the system. Combine the solar panels into a 1.5-kW solar system and test a larger centrifugal pump. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. Complete emissions testing on an irrigation engine using standard diesel and biodiesel. FY-2009
Complete operational testing on the PLC-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Complete testing Helical pump for reliability and lifetime of the system. Complete testing piston pump and pump jack for reliability and lifetime of the system. Continue the solar panels into a 1.5-kW solar system and test a larger centrifugal pump. Complete emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine and prepare reports. 3a List the milestones that were scheduled to be addressed in FY 2005. For each milestone, indicate the status: fully met, substantially met, or not met. If not met, why. 1. Design and build an inverter-based controllers for a wind-powered water pumping system. Milestone Not Met Progress slowed by resource limitation (human,fiscal,equipment, etc. 2. Install and test a helical pump at three pumping depths when powered by solar panels. Milestone Fully Met 3. Test two versions of a submersible solar-DC diaphragm pump system using solar PV panels. Milestone Not Met
Progress slowed by resource limitation (human,fiscal,equipment, etc. 4. Use an amorphous-silicon solar array rated at 0.75 kW to power a 12-stage centrifugal pump and 0.56-kW electric motor. Milestone Substantially Met 5. Initiate emissions testing of diesel engines using blended biodiesel fuels. Milestone Not Met Progress slowed by resource limitation (human,fiscal,equipment, etc. 3b List the milestones that you expect to address over the next 3 years (FY 2006, 2007, and 2008). What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years under each milestone? FY-2006 Design and build an inverter-based controllers for a wind-powered water pumping system. Conduct operational testing of an inverter-based controller for wind- powered water pumping. Test two versions of a submersible solar-DC diaphragm pump system using solar-PV panels. Determine the minimum size solar panels that can be used with a helical pump for livestock watering. Test solar water pumping with a motorized
tracker system and a diaphragm pump. Test centrifugal pump with solar panels constructed from polycrystalline. Continue emissions testing for different biodiesel feed stocks. Setup microturbine and perform break-in operation with standard diesel while connected to the mini-grid. We plan to address each of these above milestones in FY-2006. FY-2007 Complete study of inverter-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Design and conduct operational testing on rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Develop control logic for PLC controller for wind-powered water pumping. Test Helical pump with optimal solar panel wattage and optimal power ratings. Compare motorized tracking with fixed panels with diaphragm pumps. Install and test a pump-jack, solar power water pumping system. Write reports on emissions from stationary engines powered by biodiesel. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. Conduct emissions testing on an irrigation
engine using standard diesel and biodiesel. We plan to address each of these milestones in FY-2007. FY-2008 Complete the study of the rectifier-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Conduct operational testing on the PLC-based controller for wind-powered water pumping. Continue testing Helical pump for reliability and lifetime of the system. Continue testing piston pump and pump jack for reliability and lifetime of the system. Combine the solar panels into a 1.5-kW solar system and test a larger centrifugal pump. Conduct emissions testing with biodiesel blends on the microturbine. Complete emissions testing on an irrigation engine using standard diesel and biodiesel. We plan to address each of these milestones in FY-2008. 4a What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? Wind-powered helical water pump: For the wind-powered Grundfos SQ Flex helical pump system, data were collected at 164-, 246-, and 328-ft pumping depths with the original blade rotor
(10-ft diameter) and a shorter blade rotor (9.1-ft diameter). In addition to the pumping performance data collected (hub height wind speed, water flow rate, water pressure that is used to simulate different pumping depths, and wind turbine AC power), acoustical data were also collected. A sound level above 80 dB was measured with the original blade rotor at a wind speed of 22 mph, and the same sound level of 80 dB was measured with a shorter blade rotor but at a higher wind speed of 28 mph. The pump failed to provide sufficient loading at high wind speeds, thus allowing the rotor to exceed optimum rotor speed producing excessive noise and rapid wear of bearings and yaw bushings. Since the fix to this overspeed problem is fairly simple (add a balancer load to the controller to keep the rotor speed from exceeding the threshold that results in high noise), then this should help the wind-powered helical pumping system be an attractive product for farmers and ranchers. 4b List other
significant accomplishments, if any. Solar pumping with centrifugal pump: This year we had another a-Si module damaged due to what we believe is thermal cracking of the module glass (occurred in Dec. /2004). Experienced solar PV designers have suggested the thermal cracking problem we are experiencing with the a-Si modules is due to not being able to temper the glass in the manufacture of thin-film modules (a-Si, Ca-Te) while the more common multi- crystalline modules use tempered glass. Pumping data were collected at 148-ft and 165-ft pumping depth for most of the year, with us currently collecting data at 96-ft pumping depth. This data will help us decide at what pumping depths and required daily water volumes the centrifugal pump should be used as opposed to using solar-PV powered diaphragm and helical pump systems. Solar pumping with helical pump: On the Grundfos SQ Flex helical Solar- PV system, data were collected at three different pumping depths (164, 246, and 328 ft) and
two different solar-PV rated power settings (480 and 640 Watts). In addition, data were also collected at a 96-ft pumping depth for two rated powers (320 and 480 Watt) for comparison to solar AC system with centrifugal pump. This solar-PV system was installed in February 2004 and no down time has occurred on the system. Multi- crystalline solar-PV modules rated at 160 W/ 24 V are used with this system. The pump efficiency of the helical pump was about 60% compared with centrifugal pump efficiency of about 30%. The peak total system efficiency of the solar-PV helical pump system is about 7% compared with that of the solar AC centrifugal pump water pumping system of only 1.3%. This solar-PV powered helical pump system with multi-crystalline modules appears to be very reliable, efficient, high performing, and cost effective, with very little maintenance. 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. -Demonstrated that
a relatively new submersible motor/pump (Grundfos SQ flex helical pump) powered by wind or solar energy can pump water from a deep well for 80 to 120 cattle. Mechanical windmills have predominantly been used to pump water from deep wells (200-600 ft), but most are over 4 decades old and the mechanical windmill piston pump requires considerable maintenance. The SQ flex pump requires little maintenance and costs less to install than the mechanical windmill. Two identical pumps were installed at the USDA-ARS, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, TX. One was powered by a 1-kW wind turbine (testing began Nov. 2003), and the other was powered by 640 Watts of solar photo-voltaic (PV) modules (testing began Feb. 2004) - data were collected on both systems for simulated pumping depths of 246 ft (pumping depth at Bushland, TX) and 328 ft (pumping depth typical of Northern Texas Panhandle). Wind and solar powered centrifugal pumps were not efficient for deep wells
unless the power of the renewable energy systems was very high (10 kW), but the SQ flex positive displacement pump can be powered by wind or solar energy systems in the 0.5 - 1.0 kW range and appear to be more economical for farmers and ranchers than using a conventional mechanical windmill. This work addresses the first objective of our project plan and the National Research Program 307, component 3, Energy Alternatives for Rural Practices. This accomplishment meets ARS Strategic Goal #5, Protect and enhance the nation's natural resource base and environment. 6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? The wind energy research team has provided historical wind data to a wind farm developer, land owners, local politicians, and anyone requesting
data concerning the development of a 160 megawatt wind farm to be located near the research laboratory. Mr. Vick made a presentation for the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission at a meeting of local county judges and commissioners using data taken from published manuscripts. The focus of the meeting was "Wind Energy - an Economic Development Opportunity." The team has helped negotiate an easement between ARS and the wind farm development company to use a small portion of the research laboratory for this wind farm. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2006. The wind energy team and Dr. Clark and Mr. Vick, in particular, have had numerous discussions with a small wind turbine company that is pursuing marketing a wind-powered irrigation system. Dr. Clark was instrumental in connecting the wind turbine manufacturer with a sprinkler irrigation manufacturer. Mr. Vick assembled a summary of several wind-powered irrigation papers and provided the information to this group. The group
plans to install 10-15 wind-powered irrigation systems for use in 2006. Both Dr. Clark and Mr. Vick have participated in planning and informational meetings related to what is now "25 by 25, Agricultures Role in Ensuring US Energy Security" promoted by the Ag Energy Work Group. Dr. Clark spoke at a meeting in Washington, DC, Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy and Mr. Vick attended the AG energy Summit in Austin, TX. We continue to provide information, when requested, in support of this activity. We engage the manufacturers of the pumps and energy systems that we test by providing them data prior to publication and by using them as technical reviewers of our manuscripts. We have a good interchange with these companies and have seen improvements in performance and reliability. We responded to questions posted on a web site sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) by e-mailing answers directly to individuals. Many of these are possible entrepreneurs or
small wind turbine manufacturers. Technical papers were provided to a number of businesses and producers applying for the USDA 9006 grant as part of the Farm Bill provisions to support renewable energy development in rural areas. The papers "Wind Powered Irrigation for Selected Crops in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains" and "Wind-Powered Drip Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees" were provided mostly. The wind energy research team met with and had discussions with individuals who are planning or developing new wind turbine companies. 7. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Paul Gipe. 2004. Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business. Book that has significant material gleaned from several manuscripts written by USDA-ARS, Bushland, personnel on using wind energy for water pumping. USDA/AEI study concludes adding 1500 MW of
wind in Panhandle causes no major problems to utility operations. TREIA (Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association) Autumn 2004 Newsletter. Article was based on information from a manuscript written by USDA-ARS and WTAMU-AEI (West Texas A&M University - Alternative Energy Institute) personnel. Dr. Clark made a presentation on irrigation pumping energy requirements for the DOE-NREL Water-Wind Prospects Workshop, November 2004, Boulder, Colorado. This has led to additional cooperative research work. Dr. Clark made a presentation on wind energy in agriculture to the National Wind Coordinating Committee, January 2005, Tempe, Arizona. Dr. Clark served as a technical expert on wind-water pumping for a national Wind Powering America Summit, May 2005, Evergreen, Colorado. Vick, B. 2005. Using the wind or sun to pump water. TREIA Round Up, September 2005, Fredericksburg, Texas. Round Up is a renewable energy/organic farming fair open to the public. Mr. Vick was interviewed by KGNC-710
talk radio during the weekly CREET beat program aired on June 10, 2005. The topic of this interview was "Using a new pump for livestock watering which uses the sun or wind for power."
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Nelson, V., Clark, R.N., Foster, R. 2004. Wind water pumping [CDROM]. Canyon, Texas: West Texas A&M University, Alternative Energy Institute.
- Clark, R.N. 2004. Performance and maintenance experiences with a wind turbine during 20 years of operation. In: Proceedings of The American Wind Energy. Global Windpower 2004, March 28-31, 2004, Chicago, Illinois. 2004 CDROM.
|
|