Induction motor drive for PV water pumping with reduced sensors

This study presents the reduced sensors based standalone solar photovoltaic (PV) energised water pumping. The system is configured to reduce both cost and complexity with simultaneous assurance of optimum power utilisation of PV array. The proposed system consists of an induction motor-operated water pump, controlled by modified direct torque control. The PV array is connected to the DC link through a DC-DC boost converter to provide maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control and DC-link voltage is maintained by a three-phase voltage-source inverter. The estimation of motor speed eliminates the use of tacho generator/encoder and makes the system cheaper and robust. Moreover, an attempt is made to reduce the number of current sensors and voltage sensors in the system. The proposed system constitutes only one current sensor and only one voltage sensor used for MPPT as well as for the phase voltage estimation and for the phase currents' reconstruction. Parameters adaptation makes the system stable and insensitive toward parameters variation. Both simulation and experimental results on the developed prototype in the laboratory validate the suitability of proposed system.