31st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF LARGE PV PUMPING SYSTEMS

J. Muñoz(*), J.M. Carrillo, F. Martínez-Moreno, L.M. Carrasco, L. Narvarte.

Grupo de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos. Instituto de Energía Solar – Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (IES-UPM)
(1)
Address: ETS Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI). Ronda de Valencia, 3. 28012 Madrid (Spain)
E-mail: javier@ies-def.upm.es
Orcid ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9301-9215

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the modelling of components for large PV pumping systems, which have been
implemented in an online and free-software simulator of PV systems called SISIFO, which is publicly available at
www.sisifo.info. Among other features, this software tool allows the prediction of water pumped as function of PV
size and type and the analysis of system performance.
Keywords: PV System, PV Pumping, Water-Pumping, Software, Modelling, Simulation.

1 INTRODUCTION 2 MODELING OF THE WATER PUMPING PV

The reduction of cost for PV modules caused by the
massive installation of grid-connected systems has
increased the economic competitiveness of conventional
decentralised PV applications. In particular, there is a
renewed interest in water PV pumping systems, which
are the object of this paper, and PV-diesel hybrid
systems, which are discussed in a concurrent paper of this
conference [1].
Large PV water pumps, in the range of hundreds of
kW, are emerging as commercial products for water
irrigation applications and, even in industrialised
countries, they may compete or complement the
connection to the electricity grid.
For example, in Spain, despite the hybridization of
grid and PV pumps is not allowed by the present
regulatory framework, some regional agriculture
associations are studying the possibility of integrating
large stand-alone PV pumps in their current irrigation
systems.
These irrigation systems are usually composed by
several centrifugal pumps of several hundreds of kW
with an aggregated capacity in the MW range, and
associations are decided to supply one of more of these
pumps with PV, which would reduce the contractual
power required from the electricity grid at noon when
kWh prices, besides, are relatively high.
To assess this integration and analysing technical as
well economic aspects, it is necessary to predict the
volume of water pumped by the PV system, typically, for
a yearly period.
This paper describes the modelling of components for
large PV pumping systems, which have been
implemented in an online and free-software simulator of
PV systems called SISIFO, which is publicly available at
www.sisifo.info.
This simulation tool allows the prediction for water
pumping as function of PV size and type and the analysis
of system performance. Finally, a simulation example of
a real 20kW PV pumping demonstrator installed in the
Irrigator Community of Alto Vinalopó, Alicante (Spain),
is presented. This demonstrator includes a North-South
horizontal tracker which improves the efficiency of the
PV pumping system in terms of m3 of pumped water per
kWh of the incident irradiance.
The presentation of this paper has been organised
with the following structure. Section 2 describes the
modeling of the system components and Section 3
presents the simulation example.
SYSTEM
The configuration of the simulated water pumping
PV system is displayed in figure 1, which is composed of
a PV generator, a variable-frequency inverter and an AC
centrifugal pump.
PV Frequency AC centrifugal
generator converter pump
Figure 1: Configuration of a water pumping PV
system.
The detailed modeling of the PV generator and the
inverter is beyond the scope of this paper, but it is
described elsewhere by the authors [2][3]. It is just worth
mentioning that SISIFO allows the simulation of three
static and six sun-tracking PV generators. For example,
static ground-mounted or building-integrated PV
generators in roofs or façades, and conventional one-axis
horizontal or two-axes sun-trackers. Sun-trackers
generate more energy at higher equipment cost and some
of them, e.g., one-axis horizontal solar trackers, may be
cost-effective in particular energy scenarios at present PV
modules prices.
We focus here only on the modelling of the system
curve (pipeline characteristic) and the AC centrifugal
pump, which is composed by an AC motor and a
mechanical centrifugal pump. Figure 2 shows the scheme
of the AC pump including some of the power
terminology defined below in this paper.
PH
P1 P2
AC motor
Centrifugal
pump
Figure 2: Scheme of an AC centrifugal pump.
2.1 AC motor model
The AC motor is characterized by its rated output
mechanical power (P2,NOM), or rated shaft power, and its
power conversion efficiency, M, which is calculated as:
P2 p2
M   (1)
P1 p 2  (k m 0  k m1 p2  k m 2 p22 )

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Where p2=P2/P2,NOM being P2 the output mechanical
power of the motor and P1 the electric input power of the
motor. Parameters km0, km1 and km2 are fitted from the
motor efficiency curve, which is normally provided by
the manufacturer.
2.2 Centrifugal pump model
The characteristics of the pumps are normally
provided by the manufacturers at a constant, nominal or
rated, speed. Figure 3 shows an example of the variation
of typical pump parameters as a function of the
volumetric water flow, Q, which is usually expressed in
[l/s] or [m3/h].
The parameters displayed in Figure 3 are:
H Head. The curve H-Q of the pump is usually
called the "pump curve".
P1 Electric input power.
P2 Shaft power.
P Pump efficiency. It is defined as the ratio
PH/P2, where PH is the hydraulic power,
which is equal to PH=k·H·Q. The constant k
depends on the dimensions of H and Q.
MP Motor-pump efficiency (MP=MP). It is
defined as the ratio PH/P1.
Head
The operating point on pump curve may be calculated
either graphically or numerically. Obviously, the second
method is used in simulations, but let us first describe the
graphic method, which will be useful to illustrate the
problem.
Graphically, the operating point is in the intersection
of pump curve (Equation 2) and system curve (Equation
4). Figure 4 shows an example, where the operating point
at rated speed (1=NOM) would be the point A.
H
Affinity parabola
Pump curve
C
H1 A System curve
B 1   NOM
H2
 2  1
Q2 Q1 Q
Figure 4: Graphical example for determining the
operation point of the pump with variable speed.

However, the operation point is not constant because

the speed of the pump varies according to the PV power,
which itself depends on solar radiation. The variation of
the pump speed modifies the pump curve and the
Efficiency P operating point. Figure 4 shows the new curve and new
operating point B at a lower speed (2<1). As the
MP system curve does not change, the operating point is
always in this curve.
Hence, the calculation of the operating point requires
Power P1 the determination of pump curves as a function of pump
speed. The solution is obtained using the well know
affinity laws for pumps, which, assuming that the
P2
impeller diameter and water density remain constant,
state that:
Q (Flow)
Figure 3: Typical pump characteristics at constant
Q1  1
speed provided by manufacturers. 
Q2  2
For simulation purposes, some of these 2
H 1  1 
characteristics are fitted with second order polynomials  
H 2   2 
(5)
[4]. For example, H-Q and P2-Q curves may be written,
at rated speed, as: 3
P 21   1 
 
H (Q )  k B 0  k B1Q  k B 2Q 2 (2) P 2 2   2 

P 2(Q )  k P 0  k P1Q  k P 2Q 2 (3) In the previous equation, Q is the volumetric water

flow, H is the head and P2 is the shaft power. Subscripts
In order to determine the operating point of the pump 1 and 2 indicate two different operating points, which are
is necessary to know the relationship between H and Q in a parabola that passes through the origin. The equation
for the hydraulic components (pipeline, valves, etc.), of this “affinity” parabola is obtained by solving
which is usually so-called the "system curve". The simultaneously the first two affinity equations:
system curve has been modelled with the following
2 2
equation: H1  1   Q1 
    or
H 2  2   Q2 
H S (Q )  k S 0  k S 2Q 2
(4) (6)
2
Q 
Where HS is the system head, and kS0 and kS2 are H1  H 2  1 
constants that represent, respectively, static head and  Q2 
friction losses.

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For example, in Figure 4, points C and B are in the

same affinity parabola. It can be observed that the point C
is not in the system curve (because the static head is
different from zero) and it can not be an operating point.
Nevertheless, it is required as intermediate calculation in
the numerical procedure described below. Finally, it is
worth pointing out that affinity laws assume that pump
efficiency remains constant for points 1 and 2, i.e., that
P1=P2.
The final goal of the pump modelling is obtaining the
relationship between the output water flow, Q, and input
shaft power, P2. For this purpose the following numerical
procedure is applied:
1. Assume an initial flow equal to Q2.
2. Calculate the corresponding head on system Figure 6: North-South horizontal one-axis PV tracker
curve, H2=HS(Q2) (point B(Q2,H2)). installed in the Irrigator Community of Alto Vinalopó,
3. Determine the affinity parabola (Equation 6) that Alicante (Spain).
passes through point B.
4. Calculate the intersection of the affinity parabola
and pump curve (Equation 2), to obtain the point
C(Q1,H1).
5. Determine the hydraulic power at point C,
PH1=k·H1·Q1.
6. Determine the shaft power at point C, P2 (Q1).
7. Calculate pump efficiency at point C,
ηP1=PH1/P2(Q1), which is equal to the efficiency
at point B, ηP2= ηP1.
8. Calculate the hydraulic power at point B, PH2. (a)
9. Finally, determine the shaft power at point B as
P22=PH2/ ηP2.
Varying Q2, a set of discrete points for P22 are
obtained, which allow determining the relationship
between flow and shaft power. For simulation purposes,
these points are fitted with a third degree polynomial:

Q ( P 2)  kQ 0  kQ1 P 2  kQ 2 P 2 2  kQ 3 P 2 3 (7)

The previous equation has the typical shape displayed (b)

in Figure 5, where the parameter P2MIN is the minimum
required shaft power for water pumping.

(c)

P2 MIN P2

Figure 5: Typical shape of the relationship between

flow, Q, and shaft power, P2. The parameter P2MIN is
the required minimum power for water pumping.
3 SIMULATION EXAMPLE
This section presents a simulation example of a real
20kWp PV pumping demonstrator installed in the
Irrigator Community of Alto Vinalopó, Alicante (Spain),
which pumps water from a borehole whose static head is
250m.
This demonstrator includes a North-South horizontal
one-axis tracker (see Figure 6) which improves the
efficiency of the PV pumping system in terms of m3 of
pumped water per kWh of the incident irradiance.
(d)
Figure 7: Characteristics of the AC centrifugal pump.
The characteristics of the centrifugal pump are
displayed in Figure 7. Points marked with circles have
been obtained from manufacturer information and solid
lines are the simulation models. Figure7-a shows the
pump curve at the rated speed (2900rpm) together with
the system curve. Figure 7-b represents the motor
efficiency as a function of the shaft power, which reaches

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a maximum around 80%. Figure 7-c displays the Table I: Yearly grid-connection costs from a
mechanical shaft power as a function of the flow at rated representative borehole provided by the Irrigator
speed. And, finally, Figure 7-d shows the calculated Community of Alto Vinalopó.
curve using the above described numerical procedure, but Item Value
here as a function of the input electric power, P1. Operation time 2,613h per year
Figure 8 displays the yearly Sankey diagram for the Water pumping 738,679m3
system, where energy losses are indicated as a percentage Electricity consumption 958,939kWh
of the reference yield. In AC, the final yield reaches 2049 Total electricity cost 94,247€
kWh/kWp, of which 1158 kWh/kWp are converted into Per unit costs 9.8 c€/kWh
useful hydraulic energy. In terms of water pumping, they 12.8c€/m3
are equivalent to 1637m3/kWp or 32740m3 per year.
The performance ratio, PR, is defined here as the
ratio of useful hydraulic energy to the reference yield and 14

is equal to 46%. This efficiency may be substantially 12

improved in larger systems, where the pump and motor
efficiencies are higher. 10
The initial investment cost of the demonstrator is

Flow [m /h]
8

3
2,4€/Wp which, assuming a system lifetime of 20 years,
translates into a pumping cost equal to 7.3c€/m3. 6
Obviously, this cost should decrease for larger systems 4
and by economies of scale, and should be increased with
additional costs (capital, operation and maintenance, 2
etc.). Anyway, the final cost could be economically
0
attractive taking into account that, at present, the irrigator -10 -5 0 5 10
True solar time [hours]
community where this demonstrator has been installed
spends 12.8c€/m3 (see Table I).
Figure 5: Daily variation of water flow during the
characteristic days of the year.

4 CONCLUSIONS
This paper has presented the modelling of large PV
pumping systems, which has been implemented in
SISIFO, an online and free-software simulator of PV
systems that is publicly available at www.sisifo.info.
Besides, a simulation example of real case study is
described, which illustrates some of the capacities of this
simulation tool.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work has been possible thanks to the funding of

the FP7 European Programme (Energy) in the project
PhotoVoltaic Cost reduction, Reliability, Operational
performance, Prediction and Simulation (PVCROPS),
Project reference 308468. (www.pvcrops.eu).

REFERENCES

[1] J. Muñoz, JM Carrillo. Modeling and sizing of

large PV-diesel hybrid systems without energy
storage. EU PVSEC 2015, Hamburg.
[2] Muñoz, J., Marroyo, L., Collares-Pereira, M.,
Tyutyuyndzhiev, N., Conlon, M., Elmoussaoui, A.,
and Wilkin, B. An Open-Source Simulation Tool of
Grid-Connected PV Systems. 28th European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and
Exhibition, 2013, 3882–87.
Figure 8: Yearly Sankey diagram for the simulated PV doi:10.4229/28thEUPVSEC2013-5BV.4.18.
system. Energy losses are indicated as percentage of the
[3] J. Muñoz et al. SISIFO: An online simulator of PV
reference yield.
systems. Technical Reference Manual v1.0.
Available at: www.sisifo.info
Finally, it is worth mentioning that SISIFO also
allows a detailed analysis of system performance. For [4] Suehrcke, H., J. Appelbaum, and B. Breshef.
example, the user may access to the time series of any Modelling a Permanent Magnet DC
simulated variable (powers, losses, water flow, pump Motor/centrifugal Pump Assembly in a
speed, etc.). For example, Figure 9 shows the daily Photovoltaic Energy System. Solar Energy. Vol.
variation of water flow during the characteristic days of 59, no. 1–3, 1997: 37–42.
the year. doi:10.1016/S0038-092X(96)00117-X.

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