A solar powered pump is a pump running on the power of the sun. A solar powered pump can be more environmentally friendly and economical in its operation compared to pumps powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) or animal power.
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Unlike a normal pump (such as positive displacement pumps, ...), the solar powered pump is actually a more of a dictionary phrase than a technical one.It is only used to describe that there's a pump, being powered by another device (such as solar panels), being powered by the renewable electricity generated from the sun (solar electricity).
A solar powered pump thus consist of 4 parts :
Solar array (photovolatic cells, solar panels) takes up 50% - 80% of the whole setup cost, which is the most expensive part.
There are two major types of solar pumps, DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current). DC solar pump:
AC solar pump: A solar pumping inverter is needed in AC solar pump setup. The inverter converts DC generated from solar array to AC to drive the pumps in the mean time (as the controller) to control output and speed.
If you have got a solar fountain at your home, then you must have learnt that it is very convenient to install the solar fountain in your backyard. But the actual situation may be that you do not know what to do with your solar garden fountain or the tabletop fountain. After all, why should you pay to set up the solar pump when the process is so easy? The following 3 steps will help you accomplish the setup and then just enjoy the beauty your new solar water fountain brings to you.
1. Initiate the pump Any kind of water pump, regardless whether the electricity powered water pump or solar powered pump, can not have a good performance if it is pumping air. To initiate the solar pump, you need to put the body into the water so that the intake can fill with water and the air inside can be removed at the same time. This process takes a little time but is quite essential. This step should be every time when is has ever been detached from the solar water fountain and has not worked for a period of time.
2. Expose the solar panel to sunlight With the solar power as the energy source, you can place the solar powered fountain anywhere as you like, however be sure the solar panel must be located where the panel can receive maximum sunbeam. The longer the solar panel is exposed, the more energy it will get for the fountain to work.
3. Get the debris out of the water Though most solar powered pumps are equipped with a filter to prevent dust and waste from blocking the solar fountain intake, the choice of water type can still exert some influence the fountain performance. The fact is that the purer water enables more efficient pumping. The tap water which seems to be quite pure can also leave some minerals from the water in the pump. To prevent this, distilled water can be used, which however would cost more. On the other hand, you can also change the water more frequently and pay more attention of the water cleaning.
Solar PV water pumping systems are used for irrigation and drinking water in India. The majority of the pumps are fitted with a 200 watt - 3,000 watt motor are powered with 1,800 Wp PV array which can deliver about 140,000 liters of water/day from a total head of 10 meters. By 30 September, 2006, a total of 7,068 solar PV water pumping systems have been installed. [1]
Many oil and gas wells require the accurate injection (metering) of various chemicals, under pressure to ensure safe and environmentally sustainable operation. Historically, these chemical injection pumps (CIP) have been driven by a gas reciprocating motor utilising the well's gas and exhausting the gas into the atmosphere. As this results in adding to the Earth's Greenhouse Gas problems as well as other environmental issues, Solar Powered Chemical Injection Pumps (Solar CIP) have been a welcome development.
The installation of a Solar Array (Photovoltaic cells) not only provides a a sustainable power source for the Solar CIPs but can also provide an electric source to run remote SCADA type diagnostics with remote control and Satellite/Cell communications from very remote locations to the desk-top/notebook computer.