Simulation and parameter study on a solar based water source

This model and evaluation files helps you to simulate and optimize the solar energy and water flow of a solar based deep water source.

This Simulink-model and attached Matlab-parameter files and evaluation files helps you to simulate and optimize the solar energy and water flow of a solar based deep water source. This project is developed in focus to optimize the future built water supply projects in Benin. Its motivation comes by a personal journey.

The model contains a water source, submersible water pump, photovoltaic modules, pump controller, water tank and water supply. The pump is solar driven and influenced by a floating switch. The water supply is controlled by a water demand fullfillment algorithm. The tank takes the pumped water, stores it for the water supply.

After a time domain simulation a evalution files calculates two main parameter:

• Water fullfillment: How good the daily water supply has met?
• Energy utilisation: How much of solar energy is used by the pump?

Furthermore the is one more parameter to help optimizing the tank and pump size:

• Tank utilisation: How much tank volume is used averagly?
• Installed pump to PV power: Maximum power of pump in comparison to PV peak power.

By a parameter study the sizing of the system's components can be optimised, such as:

• pump power
• PV peak power
• tank volume