solar power auto irrigation system

Department of Electrical Engineering 1

CHAPTER-1

SOLAR POWERED AUTO IRRIGATION SYSTEM

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF PROJECT

The main intention of this project is to develop a solar power irrigation system for

agriculture to operate the irrigation pumps automatically by moisture level sensing

using a solar energy. This system derives power from solar energy through photo-

voltaic cells. Hence, dependency on erratic commercial power is not required.

The proposed system uses a microcontroller of the 8051 family and a battery for

power supply. In this system, the sensor part is built using an op-amp acting as a

comparator connected to the microcontroller for sensing the moisture condition of the

soil. A motor is controlled by the relay which is interfaced to the microcontroller

through a transistor driver. In this project, a solar panel is connected to the circuit

through a charge controller for monitoring the sunlight level. The charge controller is

used to protect the battery by providing all protections besides charging.

In irrigation process, the solid monitoring is the most critical parameter, so we have to

monitor the soil condition by the sensors, whether the soil is dry or wet. If it is dry,

then the microcontroller sends the commands as per the program to switch the motor

using a relay with the solar power, and if it is dry, then it switches off the motor

automatically. The on/off condition of the pump is displayed on an LCD display.

This project in future can be enhanced by interfacing it with a GSM modem to gain

control over the switching operation of the motor.

The irrigation system is defined as a system that distributes water to targeted area.

The efficiency of the irrigation is based on the system used. Since antiquity, the

human life is based on agriculture and the irrigation system is one of the tools that

boost agriculture. There are many other types of irrigation system all over the world

but these irrigations are encountering many problems. In fact, there are few modern

systems but they mostly fail in one way to another. The automation plays an

important role in the world economy; therefore, engineers struggle to come out with

combined automatic devices in order to create complex systems that help human in its

activities so that the system automatically processes itself without any human

intervention. So we would like to develop an automatic irrigation system.

Basically, the project consists of electrical part and mechanical part. The

electrical part consists of photovoltaic, which is meant to generate power and the

power is stored in the rechargeable battery. The mechanical part consists of pump, to

pump out the water from the water source. The parameters in the project are soil

humidity condition, water level condition, the position of the Sun. The solar system is

used to generate the power to the entire system and the solar system is much cheaper

than the electrical system. It is suitable to the rural area that is why the solar system is


used as a power supplier to replace DC motor electricity source. In fact the initial cost

of solar installation is higher than use of DC electrical motor but the solar system has

no bill compared to electrical which has bill to pay every month. It is a versatile

source of renewable energy that can be used in any application. The system consists

of hardware and software and, finally, the integration of the two parts to provide the

results. The hardware system consists of the sensors, and drivers. In hardware design,

we need all the components that are necessary to accomplish the project, and these

components are solar panel, DC water pump motor, sensors and some minor

components like tank and reservoir.

1.2 EXISTING SYSTEM

Most of the existing systems are manual system. The manual system needs labor for

monitoring the productivity and health crop. Considering labor‟s salary, the system

will cost much more than the automatic system, in which there is no assistance to the

system. The farmer himself has to check the moisture level of the soil and has to make

a judgment whether the field requires water or not. This way of inspecting the

moisture level is not accurate and this drawback can be eliminated by using soil

moisture sensor which is been used in our architecture. Moreover, the temperature

required for the crops to sustain, differs from crops to crops. If the temperature

increases or decreases than the expected temperature, it may affect the quality of the

crops. This problem can be overcome by using the shielding mechanism, thereby

maintaining the desired temperature.

Fig. 1.1 Traditional Method Of Checking Moisture Of Soil


1.3 BLOCK DIAGRAM

Fig. 1.2 Block Diagram Of Project

1.4 COMPONENTS

1.4.1 Hardware Required

8051 Series Microcontroller

Op-Amp

LCD

Solar Panel

MOSFET

Relay

Motor

Voltage Regulator

Diodes

Capacitor

LED

Crystal

Transistor


1.4.2 Software Required

Keil Compiler

Language: Embedded C or Assembly

1.5 WORKING

On the input side there are three sensors. Soil moisture sensor will check the moisture

of the soil as per the crop which is to be cultivated. When the moisture level of the

soil goes above or below the set value, it will direct the microcontroller whether it

should pump the water or not. Humidity sensor will check the temperature of the

surrounding. If the temperature goes above or below the set value which is needed for

a crop to grow, the microcontroller will direct the shedding to shed the entire field

thereby maintaining the temperature needed by the crop for its healthy growth. The

water level sensor will check whether the water in the reservoir or tank is empty or

not. Buzzers are connected at the output side to get rid of birds, animals, and

mosquitoes. LCD display is used to notify what actions is been taken by the

microcontroller. The entire system is been monitored with the help of GSM module,

thereby making it a close loop system, thus, providing feedback to the farmer on what

actions is been taken by the microcontroller.

Fig. 1.3 Working Model


CHAPTER-2

PAST ANALYSIS OF PROJECT

To understand how irrigation works and its importance, we present a brief

background about small-scale irrigation and introduce some commonly known

traditional irrigation methods and their significance. Irrigation is a way for farmers to manipulate existing water sources to either store or

distribute the resource. It has been a fundamental need for the survival for farmers

because it provides water, the lifeblood of crops, to the growing plants when there is

not enough rain. One of the first reported cases of irrigation is among the ancient

Egyptians, who built dykes to trap the water that would flood from the Nile River.

Irrigation strategies are necessary to all forms of agriculture due to the

unpredictability of the weather. It provides a guarantee that there will be water in the

case of a drought. It also has the added benefit of keeping the plants at a safe

temperature level to mitigate frost during cold spells and to stop them from

overheating during times of increased heat. Irrigation is also necessary to promote

evaporative cooling by delaying bud formation, and some microorganisms are helped

with the added moisture (Jamal & Shinwari, 2013). As one researcher noted, the

“objectives of irrigation are: to supply water partially or totally for crop need, to cool

both the soil and the plant, to leach excess salts, to improve groundwater storage, to

facilitate continuous cropping, and to enhance fertilizer application” (Jamal &

Shinwari, 2013, para. 3).

2.1 TYPES OF IRRIGATION IN INDIA

Different methods of irrigation were implemented regionally in India because of the

location in which they were situated as well as the availability of nearby resources.

Nevertheless, we identified three common formats for irrigation that exist in India.

These include diversion channels, surface-drainage tanks, and wells. Across regions

and districts in India, these methods usually have a variety of nomenclature, each

influenced by the region.

2.1.1 Diversion Channels

One traditional irrigation method that is common is the diversion channel as seen on

Figures 2.1 and 2.2 below (called kuhls in Himachal Pradesh).


Fig. 2.1 Hand-dug Kuhl in Kamand

Fig. 2.2 Permanent Kuhl in Kataula

The traditional kuhl is constructed with a dug-out main diversion channel that has

structures that can be temporary or permanent. Due to annual floods that might

destroy the system, temporary channels, which are built using boulders, rocks,

bamboo, and tree branches, are preferred. In recent years, people have also started

using concrete. These kuhls flow through different distribution points creating a

diversion-based system (People‟s Science Institute, 2003). Moreover, this system can

range from hundreds to thousands of kilometers long to allow water (primarily

floodwater) to be diverted to farmlands. The canals are aligned to draw water from the


hill streams or springs. Kuhls also collect rainwater and melted snow running from the

slopes above them. In addition, lands that are to be irrigated are usually situated on

hill-sides, and are supplied on terraces where water flows due to the gravity that

“traverses the contours of a mountain slope” (People‟s Science Institute, 2003, p.14)

(Sengupta, 1985; CE IIT Kharagpur, 2011d). Figure 2.3 gives an illustration of kuhl

design (Forestry Department, 1998).

Fig. 2.3 Water Channel Flow

A group of these diversion channels often create community-based systems that are

used for “sustainable, cost effective and successfully managed by local

[governments]” (Bhaduri, 2013, para.1). This system, which dates back to 16th

century, is used best post-monsoon when the abundant rainwater runs off through

diversion channels. The construction requires a site that has a concrete foundation and

has a depth of at least eight inches, where factors like the slope area of land and the

available rivers are also considered (Bhaduri, 2013). In the Western Himalayan

Region, for example, farmers started irrigation processes that were invented to adapt

to these mountainous landscapes. In northern India from Jammu and Kashmir valleys

down through Himachal Pradesh and ending in Uttaranchal, farmers have designed

kuhls that are aligned with land contours to draw water from streams or springs.

These canals can range in length from one kilometer to fifteen kilometers. They

generally have a trapezoidal cross section and are one to two tenths of a square meter

in area (CE IIT Kharagpur, 2011d).


2.1.2 Tank Irrigation

Another traditional method our group identified is tank irrigation. The nomenclature

for this system is rather misleading because tanks are utilized as small reservoirs that

are typically in a rectangular prism shape and are used as embankments. This

irrigation system is usually constructed in chains to have water flow from tanks

upstream to tanks downstream which are important ancient traditions of storing the

available water from rainfall, streams or rivers that help improve the cultivation of

crops (Chandrasekaran, Devarajulu, & Kuppannan, 2009; Palanisami, 2006;

Palanisami, Meinzen-Dick, Giordano, Van Koppen, & Ranganathan, 2011; Vemula,

2010). Tanks can take many forms, as seen in Figure 6 below (Jupiter Informed Ltd.,

2010; Kajisa, 2012).

Fig. 2.4 Tank Irrigation

Fig. 2.5 Tank Irrigation


Similar to tank irrigation systems, traditional khatris are pits, made of rocks, which

mainly collect rainwater seeping through these rocks. It is generally built near the foot

of the hill with a dug tunnel and steps leading inside through the basin of water.

Multiple khatris may be constructed, but ideally, the water gets collected in the lower-

most khatri. These structures do not provide water directly to the fields; the water

needs to be carried to the locations. They are usually for drinking purposes as well as

washing and taking baths. Being more expensive than kuhls (approximately INR

15000 per khatri), they are not as popular as kuhl (Center for Science and

Environment, n.d.; Sharma & Kanwar. 2009). One of the examples of khatri can be

seen in Figure 7 below (Mohan, 2012).

Fig. 2.6 Khatri

Baudis and nawns are also tank-style surface water harvesting techniques. Deep pits

are built to collect and store the water and they are generally covered with a roof.

Both use same techniques, but the difference appears in the final usage of them. Baudi

generally has a tank-like structure to store the water, in contrast to nawn, which is

larger and used for numerous purposes such as drinking, washing, and taking showers

(Sharma & Kanwar, 2009). One of the examples of a baudi and nawn can be seen in

Figures 2.7 and 2.8 below.


Fig. 2.7 Baudi

Fig. 2.8 Nawn


Tank irrigation systems have components that include the “tank embankment, surplus

of escape weir, and outlet channels” (Vemula, 2010, para.1), which are built across

the slopes for easy collection and preservation of water. Starting from the tank bank,

water flows through the sluices that connect to paddy fields. Tank irrigation is

managed by local villagers and mainly used in regions that have dry seasons and

irregular monsoons. However, this method has a few disadvantages. The water easily

evaporates and the tank occupies a huge area of land, which leads to costly

maintenance. Moreover, because the tank is used as water storage, perennial water

supply is not guaranteed especially during dry, hot summers (Jupiter Informed Ltd.,

2010; Vemula, 2010; Kajisa, 2012).

2.1.3 Wells

The implementation of the well design requires digging a hole in the ground to

provide a perennial “soft water” supply. This “soft water” is more appropriate for

irrigation because it sometimes has a lower salt level. Saline water is capable of

destroying the quality of crops and has an adverse effect on soil (Abrol, Yadav &

Massoud, 1988). To reduce the salinity, wells, which are generally at shallow depths,

are dug near the ponds where water is collected on rainy days. Well irrigation is

mainly used in alluvial plains due to the softness of the soil. It is also more popular in

regions where ground water is plenty and diversion channels are available. This

irrigation method is preferable because of the ease of operation, and reduction of

danger from water clogging compared to the canal (channel) irrigation during the

water flow. Especially when the water level is high, farmers sometimes still utilize

water-harvesting systems such as rahat (known as the Persian wheel), which was

commonly used in India in 9th and 10th century (Vishwanath, 2009). The rahat is

typically operated either by domestic animals such as cows and ox or by people. This

expense of energy to push the rod that connects through the wheel to lift the water is

also one disadvantage of this system (Verman, 1993; Jupiter Infomedia Ltd., 2010;

Sengupta, 1985). An example of well irrigation using the rahat is seen on Figure 2.9

(Acharya & Vishwanath, 2008; Jupiter Infomedia Ltd., 2010).


Fig. 2.9 Well Irrigation

Fig. 2.10 Well Irrigation: Rahat Operation

Most traditional systems, such as diversion channels and well irrigation, do not

require extensive and complicated maintenance and operation. These systems rely on

available natural resources, particularly the water source. Moreover, in India,

engagement of the people in the community especially for a community-based system

is significant. Traditional systems provide an opportunity for the people to be


involved. In addition, operation and maintenance cost of a traditional system is

reasonable provided that the system is shared by a number of farms and villagers that

use the water (Kout et al., 2012).

2.2 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE IRRIGATION DESIGN

These traditional systems are typically in small-scale (meant for a village) where

maximum efficiency and sustainability is considered. Customary irrigation methods

proved to be resourceful in the use of boulders and tree branches for diversion

channels, the storage of rainwater in tanks and the use of wells to collect groundwater.

(Jupiter Informed Ltd., 2010). Moreover, they have been in existence for years and

able to provide the community good quality of crops (Sengupta, 1985). The

implementation of traditional irrigation systems depends on factors such as the

environment, economy, and technology.

2.2.1 Environment

Among the environmental factors, climate conditions and monsoon patterns,

geographical terrain, types of natural water resources, and different types of crops and

their corresponding water requirements all play a role. Here we outline factors

influencing the choice of irrigation systems in and around Kamand in greater depth

(Chaturvedi, 2011; Sengupta, 1985).

2.2.2 Climate

There are two main seasons in Himachal Pradesh, the summer and the winter. The

transition between the two seasons every year is important for the region. The main

growing season for Himachal Pradesh is from June to October. This generally falls in

line with the rainy/monsoon season. Traditionally, the growing season coincides with

the south-western monsoon (CE IIT Kharagpur, 2011d). Because it commences at the

same time as the monsoon rains, there is usually plenty of water. However, apart from

these two months of monsoon, the farmers have a hard time cultivating due to lack of

water.

The majority of usable water at lower elevations comes directly from local rivers.

These rivers are fed by glacial melt. Due to climate change, the monsoon season has

been unusually dry in recent years. If the trend of global warming continues then the

loss of glacial reservoirs is a potential threat. This could prove catastrophic in the

event of them disappearing. If the farmers are unprepared for a prolonged drought

they could lose the entire crop. A water storage system such as tank irrigation is

useful in preserving water for future purposes.

2.2.3 Water resources

Another environmental factor that affects irrigation methods is the source of water.

This includes understanding attributes of the existing seasons and yearly climate of a

particular region. Developing traditional agricultural methods were primarily based on

a consideration of how much water is available in a particular area (Sengupta, 1985).

Most traditional irrigation systems used water supply from rainfall, river water,


natural springs and ground water, which is accessed through wells. The amount of

available rainwater and streams and rivers also help indicate if a diversion channel

irrigation method is applicable. Alternative sources of water for irrigation are snow-

fed perennial streams, water lifts, and the Uhl and Beas River. In and around Kamand,

the main sources of water for irrigation include the river Beas, its tributary Uhl and a

few natural springs.

2.3 ASSESSING THE GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PUBLIC RESPONSE

To learn about the government policies and irrigation schemes for our project, we

interviewed local government officials representing branches of agricultural planning

such as the Agriculture Department and Irrigation and Public Health (IPH)

Department. Most were in agreement that the need for irrigation was high, but noted

that cost and terrain as key reasons for inaccessibility. The most surprising finding

was that agency officials use a cost-benefit analysis to determine action. They focus

on assisting villages that could provide better income as well as helping more people.

Farmers living on hilly mountains received minimal help as they are remote areas and

have lesser population.

Government plans were created to improve agriculture and accelerate the process of

implementing irrigation facilities. Through archival research we found that in

Himachal Pradesh, government projects such as The National Watershed

Development Program has created strategies to increase the productivity of

agriculture. These strategies included soil and water conservation, production of high

quality fruit and vegetable seeds, and better marketing facilities. The 12th draft of the

five-year (2012-2017) plan of the government in Himachal Pradesh aims to improve

agriculture by providing farmers access to irrigation facilities and productivity of their

crops. As of March 2012, 413 schemes were completed across the state. The

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (AIBP), which was created in 1996-1997

aimed to complete the ongoing irrigation projects faster. Because of the program,

17374.86 hectares of land has been produced for irrigation since December 2006.

We interviewed Mr. Prakash Thakur, AEO (Agriculture Extension Officer) and Mr.

Pooran, ADO (Agriculture Development Office) from the Agriculture Department

that is situated in Jawahar Nagar, Khaliar. According to them, there are several

government schemes and projects implemented throughout the district to improve

irrigation on fields. The MGNREGA scheme that is being implemented in Kataula

has helped farmers by constructing kuhls using concrete for more permanent

structures. Similar schemes such as the Sigali Sadog, Kandla, Bathari, and the Arang

Kuhl were constructed more than 15 years ago. Presently, these schemes fund the

maintenance of the channels, which includes clearing of sands in the kuhls when they

become blocked.

In the Department of Irrigation and Public Health Department (IPH) of District

Mandi, we interviewed Mr. Santosh Sharma (Assisstant Engineer, IPH Dept.) who


explained to us about the various programs that are being implemented in and around

Mandi town. For higher altitude villages, the government is providing large subsidies,

where it pays 80% of the construction cost to farmers that cover the one-time initial

investment to build tanks for storing the rainwater or to utilize modern irrigation

techniques.

Through interview, we also found that modern techniques such as the micro-irrigation

system and poly-houses were introduced to produce better quality crops. One of the

major schemes the government is implementing is the “Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan

Bagwan Samridhi

Yojna” that was stated about 5 years ago to promote modern and more efficient

irrigation facilities. This scheme had an average total budget of INR 553 Crores for

the entire state. Under this scheme, a technique that the government is successfully

implementing is the Micro Irrigation System (MIS), which consists of sprinkler and

drip irrigation systems. This technique also implements protected cultivation by

utilizing poly-houses that are used for off-season crops. This scheme was open to all

people and places. One area such as Sundernagar benefitted greatly from this scheme

while places such as Kathindi and Kataula are still lagging behind.

We spoke with Mr. Hans Raj Kaudid, Junior Engineer, who stated that there are no

irrigation schemes currently being implemented in the Kamand region. Instead, we

were able to gather about other schemes in other locations such as Nandal and

Sundernagar. In Nandal, the government constructed the Lift Irrigation System (LIS),

which gathers water from the nearby rivers then pumps the water uphill to villages.

However, the government is unable to provide any help at the heights of 200m or

more from the river, as it is difficult and not cost-efficient. The cost efficiency is

measured in terms of Benefit Cost Ratio, which is evaluated using the ratio of the

monetary gain and the construction cost. Moreover, Kathindi, located between Mandi

and Kamand, is at a high altitude of over 1500m. No irrigation system is possible in

this village. Due to the lack of water sources such as rivers that are naturally present

in lower altitude villages, there is no water to irrigate with. Similar to Kataula,

villagers in Kathindi cannot implement khatris and Persian wheels because the ground

water level is too low. The government is unwilling to invest in these villages because

the project would be costly for such a small percentage of the population.

In Balh Valley in Sundernagar, we learned about a large-scale irrigation scheme that

began its operation one year ago supplying water to villages in and around the area. It

is one of the largest irrigation schemes in Himachal Pradesh; it cost INR 96.76 Crore

to build and with 15 km of main line, it irrigates a total of 2355 hectares.

According to the government officials we interviewed, there are mainly two demands

from the people. First, they demanded the government to establish sources of water by

tapping the monsoon rains, which accounts for 70% of the annual rainfall between the

months of July and August, using rainwater harvesting. Although there are modern

advancements, the people‟s need for irrigation is not fully met. Farmers also


demanded implementation of modern irrigation villages at higher altitudes as it is not

cost-efficient. Therefore, the only water source for irrigation is rainfall.

2.4 EVALUATING VILLAGES & ASSESSING IRRIGATION TECHNIQUES

We evaluated and assessed the fields of seven villages in and around Kamand

including Kataula, Kamand, Kathindi, Hadbon, Neri, Khani and Sundernagar. In each,

we identified irrigation methods farmers used, ongoing government projects (if

applicable), local crops produced, and water and irrigation issues farmers were facing.

When we visited the local villages, we discovered that there were many

commonalities between them. In the villages located near plentiful water sources there

was, in every case that we encountered, an occurrence of kuhls. The farmers would

divert water from the river through their farms and back to the river. These kuhls are

used, in addition to irrigation purposes, in the operation of mills. In only one scenario

did we find that the kuhls were government subsidized, everywhere else they were

hand dug by the farmers who operated the farms. At the higher elevations we found

that the farmers were much more self-reliant; they use smaller fields to grow crops for

self-consumption. As the crops being grown are not being used for profit, they are not

putting active efforts towards improving the irrigational methods and rainwater is

sufficient for the time being.

2.4.1 Kataula Irrigation

We visited the village of Kataula, which is near the north campus of IIT Kamand. It is

a village that lies between village of Bagi near Parshar and Kamand. There are mainly

three types of traditional sources of irrigation: mud kuhls (temporary ditches that have

to be re-made with every harvest), rainfall, and mud tanks. Other forms of irrigation

such as khatris and Persian wheels cannot be implemented in Kataula because the

ground water level is too low.

Fig. 2.11 Kataula Village


Fig. 2.12 Near By Spring

2.5 NERI IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Neri is a small village about 10 km away from the IIT Kamand Campus. The main

crops of this village are corn, while other crops such as cauliflower and radish are also

grown in small quantities. Average villagers have received no governmental help for

irrigation. The farmers utilize mostly rainwater for irrigation. Only a few farmers

made kuhls. These kuhls were hand-dug for temporary usage and had to be re-dug

every time a new harvest was being planted. There were more permanent kuhls but,

based from our interview, they were primarily used for running the mills, having no

irrigation purposes at all.

Fig. 2.13 Neri Village Fields with Nearby Spring


While most farmers have not pursued any external help, few farmers have utilized

government help. For example, a government initiative called Himachal Pradesh

Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA) provided some farmers with a device that

used the water flow of the river to irrigate the fields without using electricity or any

other energy source. However, the pipes for the device were stolen and the device was

out of commission

Fig. 2.14 Unused Water Pump in Neri

Moreover, we interviewed one farmer who utilized the Micro Irrigation System (MIS)

using sprinkler and drip irrigation system in his poly-house as seen in Figures 22 and

23. The facility was 23 square meters with a cost of around INR 4 Lakhs for

construction. Under the “Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan Samridhi Yojna” the state

government of Himachal Pradesh government subsidized 80% of the cost. Although

the crops grown from the poly-house generated higher profits, the farmer complained

that the materials used to make the poly-house were not of good quality, the

tarp/plastic covering it started to tear. In addition, the sprinklers have started to

malfunction only after 2 years of operation.


Fig. 2.15 Polly House in Neri

Fig. 2.16 Water Tank Used for Poly-house , Water Travels through Pipes


CHAPTER-3

DETAIL STUDY OF PROJECT AND ITS EQUIPMENTS

Solar power is absolutely perfect for use with irrigation systems for gardens,

allotments, greenhouses, and polytonal. When the sun is shining you need more water

and so the solar power is there for the pump. By adding a suitable deep-cycle

leisure/marine battery, power can be made available 24 hours per day enabling

watering in the evening the best time to water plants in the summer so that the water

has a chance to soak into the ground.

An automated agriculture pump system can be put together using a suitable 12V

programmable timer which will turn on the pump at the same time every evening.

Alternatively a bespoke electronic relay control board* can be put together to supply

power to the pump (or many different pumps) with your choice of turn on/off times

each day. To protect the pump from being damaged if it runs out of water to pump,

and to prevent any secondary tanks from overflowing, float switches can be used to

detect water levels and their readings fed into the electronic controller

Fig. 3.1 Electronic Controller

Solar photovoltaicity is being widely used in different applications. Despite of various

limitations of several energy sources, one of the most appropriate and simplest use of

photovoltaicity is water pumping. Solar powered water pumping system is widely

used in crop irrigation now days. The major advantage of this water pumping system

is storing water when sun is shining thus eliminating the need of batteries. It enhances

the simplicity and reduce the overall cost of the system. There are two types of solar


power water pumping system. They are battery coupled and direct coupled. Battery

coupled water pumping system shown in fig 1(a) consists of PV panels, charge

control regulator, batteries, pump controllers, pressure switch, tank and DC water

pump. The PV panels charges the batteries, which provide supply to the pump

whenever water is needed. In direct coupled pumping system which is shown in fig

electricity from PV modules is directly sent to the pump which in turn pumps water

whenever it is needed. This is designed to pump the water only during day time while

battery coupled can pump the water both during day and night. Since in direct coupled

water pumping system the amount of pumping is directly dependent on the sunlight

hitting the PV panels and the type of the pump, thus due to change in intensity of

sunlight during the day the amount of water pumped by the system also changes.

Following are the equipment use in this project

8051 Series Microcontroller

Op-Amp

LCD

Solar Panel

MOSFET

Relay

Motor

Voltage Regulator

Diodes

Capacitor

LED

Crystal

Transistor

3.1 8051 MICROCONTROLLER

The microcontroller incorporates all the features that are found in microprocessor.

The microcontroller has built in ROM, RAM, Input Output ports, Serial Port, timers,

interrupts and clock circuit. A microcontroller is an entire computer manufactured on

a single chip. Microcontrollers are usually dedicated devices embedded within an

application. For example, microcontrollers are used as engine controllers in

automobiles and as exposure and focus controllers in cameras. In order to serve these

applications, they have a high concentration of on-chip facilities such as serial ports,

parallel input output ports, timers, counters, interrupt control, analog-to-digital

converters, random access memory, read only memory, etc. The I/O, memory, and on-

chip peripherals of a microcontroller are selected depending on the specifics of the

target application. Since microcontrollers are powerful digital processors, the degree

of control and programmability they provide significantly enhances the effectiveness

of the application. The 8051 is the first microcontroller of the MCS-51 family

introduced by Intel Corporation at the end of the 1970s. The 8051 family with its

many enhanced members enjoys the largest market share, estimated to be about 40%,

among the various microcontroller architectures.


The microcontroller has on chip peripheral devices. In this unit firstly we differentiate

microcontroller from microprocessor then we will discuss about Hardware details of

8051 and then introduce the Assembly level language in brief.

3.1.1 Pin Diagram Of 8051

Fig. 3.2 Pin Diagram 8051

Description of each pin is discussed here

V CC →5V supply

VSS → GND

XTAL2/XTALI are for oscillator input

Port 0 – 32 to 39 – AD0/AD7 and P0.0 to P0.7

Port 1 – 1 to 8 – P1.0 to P1.7 • Port 2 – 21 to 28 – P2.0 to P2.7 and A 8 to

A15

Port 3 – 10 to 17 – P3.0 to P3.7


P 3.0 – RXD – Serial data input – SBUF

P 3.1 – TXD – Serial data output – SBUF

P 3.2 – INT0– External interrupt 0 – TCON 0.1

P 3.3 –INT1 – External interrupt 1 – TCON 0.3

P 3.4 – T0 – External timer 0 input – TMOD

P 3.5 – T1 – External timer 1 input – TMOD

P 3.6 –WR – External memory write cycle – Active LOW

P 3.7 – RD – External memory read cycle – Active LOW

RST – for Restarting 8051

ALE – Address latch enable

1- Address on AD 0 to AD 7

0 – Data on AD 0 to AD 7

PSEN– Program store enable

3.1.2 Architecture Of 8051

It is 8-bit microcontroller, means MC 8051 can Read, Write and Process 8 bit data.

This is mostly used microcontroller in the robotics, home appliances like mp3 player,

washing machines, electronic iron and industries. Mostly used blocks in the

architecture of 8051 are as follows

Fig. 3.3 8051 architecture


Fig. 3.4 Architectural block diagram of microcontroller 8051

3.2 LCD

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) consists of rod-shaped tiny molecules sandwiched

between a flat piece of glass and an opaque substrate. These rod-shaped molecule in

between the plates align into two different physical position based on the electrical

charge applied they alien the block the light entering through them, whereas when no

charge is applied they become transparent.

Light passing through makes the desired image appear. This is the basic concept

behind LCD displays. The LCD are most commonly use because of their advantages

over other display technology. They are thin and flat and consume very small amount

of power compare to LED display and cathode ray tubes (CRTs).

3.2.1 Types Of LCD

1. Segment LCD: - display number letters and fixed symbols and where used in old

style industrial panel display and such standard where we need to display fixed

number of character.

2. Graphical LCD: - instead of segment it has pixels in row and columns. By

energizing set of pixel any character can be displayed

3 Colour LCD display: - are of type passive matrix and thin film transistor/ active

matrix.


3.2.2 Special Characteristics Of LCDs:

Liquid crystal are very sensitive to constant electric field only AC voltage can be

applied as DC voltage can cause an electrochemical reaction, which destroy the liquid

crystal.

Temperature dependent and in a very cold or hot environment LCD may not work

correctly. This is a relative effect. Sometime display needs a temperature

compensation circuit to automatically adjust the applied LC voltage.

Consume less power and generate less heat

Save a lot of space

Due to less weight and flatness LCDs are highly portable.

No flicker and less screen glare in LCD to reduce eyestrain

3.3 LED AND SLIDE SWITCHES

LED & Switch Card has 8 nos. of Point LEDs, are the most commonly used

components, usually for displaying Logical output of Device pin‟s states also to

visually indicate the state of each microcontroller/processor I/O pin. Slide Switches,

to give a digital input to the devices to evaluate the pin states. All point LEDs, switch

lines and power lines are terminated by the 20pin connector

Digital Inputs

Digital Outputs

20-pin Box Header

20-pin FRC Cable

3.3.1 Slide Switch

Through Hole Mounting Type

SPDT Circuit

ON-OFF Function

Voltage4A @ 125VAC Contact Rating @

PC Pin Termination Style

Vertical Orientation

Vertical actuation options

Fig. 3.5 LED and Slide Switches


3.3.2 Interfacing Switch

Fig.3.4 shows how to interface the switch to microcontroller. A simple switch has an

open state and closed state. However, a microcontroller needs to see a definite high

or low voltage level at a digital input. A switch requires a pull-up or pull-down

resistor to produce a definite high or low voltage when it is open or closed. A resistor

placed between a digital input and the supply voltage is called a "pull-up" resistor

because it normally pulls the pin's voltage up to the supply.

Fig. 3.6 Interfacing switch to Microcontroller

3.3.3 LED (Light Emitting Diode)

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) is the most commonly used components, usually for

displaying pins digital states. Typical uses of LEDs include alarm devices, timers and

confirmation of user input such as a mouse click or keystroke.

3.3.4 Interfacing LED

Fig. 3.6 shows how to interface the LED to microcontroller. As you can see the

Anode is connected through a resistor to GND & the Cathode is connected to the

Microcontroller pin. So when the Port Pin is HIGH the LED is OFF & when the Port

Pin is LOW the LED is turned ON.

Fig. 3.7 Interfacing LED to Microcontroller


3.4 RELAY A relay driver IC is an electromagnetic switch that will be use when ever we want to

use a low voltage circuit to switch a light bulb ON and OFF which is connected to

220v main supply. The required current to run the relay coil is more than can be

supplied by various integrated circuit like Op-Amp etc. relay have unique property

and are replaced by solid state switch that are stronger than solid state device. High

current capacity, capability to stand ESd and drive circuit isolation are unique

property of relays. There are various way to drive the relay some of the relay driver

IC are as follows

High side toggle switch driver

Low side toggle switch driver

Bipolar NPN transistor driver

N-channel MOSFET driver

Relays are component that permit a low power circuit to control signals or to control

Signals

The relay components

1. Zener Diode

2. 6-9v relay

3. 9V battery

4. 2n2222 Transistor 1K ohm Resistor

Fig 3.8 Relay Driver IC Circuit


3.5 TRANSFORMER

Transformer is a static device that transfer electrical energy from one circuit to other

circuit with change in voltage or current without change in frequency. In this step

down transformer is used. Usually Dc voltage are required to operate various

electrical equipment and their voltage are 5V, 9V, 12V. but these voltage can be

obtain directly thus the ac input available at the main supply i.e 230V is to be brought

down to the required voltage level. This is done by transformer. Working principal of

transformer is based on fraday‟s law of electromagnetic induction principal.

Fig. 3.9 Transformer

3.6 SOLAR PANELS

In space, the most powerful source of energy is the sun. When in day, the sun

provides of energy to the satellite [SMAD]. The trick, of course, is to harness this

energy in a usable way. For about 60 years, humans have used solar cells (or

photovoltaics) in order to convert this wealth of energy in the suns rays (photons) into

usable energy in the form of current (electrons). This process uses semiconductors

which when excited by the photons, release a free electron that is then lose to flow as

current. The principles of this conversion are not as important to understand as the

fact that with all forms of energy conversion, this process has an efficiency.

Manufacturing processes and material choices have improved over the years so that

high grade cheaper terrestrial solar cells made from silicon can reach efficiencies of

around 18% and more expensive space grade solar cells made from triple junction

gallium arsenide can reach about 32% efficiency in production models [SMAD].

Some cells still in the R&D phases have been known to go up to 40% efficiency. The

terrestrial models are cheaper and have less efficiency because they do not need to be

as space efficient as space cells where the projects usually have extreme surface area

requirements. Solar cells can be manufactured in all shapes and sizes depending on


the manufacturer and the production material. Solar cells are electrically connected

and mounted together to form solar arrays, also known as solar panels.

A solar panel is a collection of solar cells. Although each solar cell provides a

relatively small amount of power, many solar cells spread over a large area can

provide enough power to be useful. To get the most power, solar panels have to be

pointed directly at the Sun. Solar panels need surface area, more exposure means

more electricity can be converted from light energy

Solar energy absorbed by solar panel or in other word Photovoltaic Cell (PV). Photo„,

meaning light, and ‗voltaic„, meaning electricity. Photovoltaic systems use silicon

cells to convert solar radiation into electricity [2].The PV system captures the sun„s

energy using solar photovoltaic cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity,

which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. Each cell is made from

one or two layers of semi-conducting material, usually silicon.

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are the special made semiconductor such as silicon, widely

use. Basically when the light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it absorbed by

semiconductor – energy transferred to semiconductor. Energy knocks the electron,

allowing them to move freely. PV also has electric field that only allow electron move

in certain direction. This flow of electron we called current.

We can use basically three types of solar panel.

Mono-crystalline Solar Panel

Polycrystalline Solar Panel

Thin-Film Solar Panel

Fig. 3.10 Solar Panels


3.7 CRYSTAL

Crystal and ceramic resonator-based oscillators typically provide very high initial

accuracy and a moderately low temperature coefficient. RC oscillators provide fast

start up and low cost but generally suffer from poor accuracy over temperature and

supply voltage, with variations of 5% to 50% of nominal output frequency.

While the circuits illustrated in Figure 1 are capable of producing clean reliable clock

signals, the performance of these can be heavily influenced by environmental

conditions and circuit component choice. Care should be taken with the component

selection and layout of all oscillator circuits. Ceramic resonators and their associated

load capacitance values have to be optimized for operation with particular logic

families. Crystals, with their higher Q, are not so sensitive to amplifier selection but

are susceptible to frequency shifts (and even damage) when overdriven.

Environmental factors that influence oscillator operation include electromagnetic

interference (EMI), mechanical vibration and shock, humidity and temperature. These

factors give rise to output frequency changes and increased jitter and can, in severe

cases, cause the oscillator to stop functioning.

Many of the problems described above can be avoided through the use of oscillator

modules. These are self-contained oscillators with a low impedance square wave

output and guaranteed operation over a range of conditions. The two most common

types are crystal oscillator modules and integrated RC oscillators (silicon oscillators).

Crystal oscillator modules provide similar accuracy to discrete crystals. Silicon

oscillators are more precise than discrete RC oscillators and many provide

comparable accuracy to ceramic resonator based oscillators.

Fig. 3.11 Crystal Circuit


3.8 MOTER

Electric motors are sized (rated) to operate under a standard set of conditions. Motors

must be selected for different applications based on nameplate ratings. The nameplate

describes the operating parameters for an electric motor and communicates this

information to the user. If a 40 horsepower (HP) motor is overloaded (accidentally

used to drive a load larger than 40 HP or operated at less than rated voltage), the

motor will draw excessive amperage in an attempt to provide the necessary power to

drive the load. When an overload exceeds the nameplate rating, the motor will run

hotter than its design operating temperature. This increase in temperature deteriorates

motor winding insulation and shortens motor life. Motor conductors and insulation are

not designed to power loads larger than the nameplate ratings.

Fig. 3.12 Moter For Irrigation

3.9 BATTERY

A battery, which is actually an electric cell, is a device that produces electricity from a

chemical reaction. Strictly speaking, a battery consists of two or more cells connected

in series or parallel, but the term is generally used for a single cell. A cell consists of a

negative electrode; an electrolyte, which conducts ions; a separator, also anion

conductor; and a positive electrode.

The electrolyte may be aqueous (composed of water) or non-aqueous (not composed

of water), in liquid, paste, or solid form. When the cell is connected to an external

load, or device to be powered, the negative electrode supplies a current of electrons

that flow through the load and are accepted by the positive electrode. When the

external load is removed the reaction ceases.

A primary battery is one that can convert its chemicals into electricity only once and

then must be discarded. A secondary battery has electrodes that can be reconstituted

by passing electricity back through it; also called a storage or rechargeable battery, it

can be reused many times.

Some of the major types of battery use in this arrangement are as follows.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd)


Lithium Ion (Li-ion)

Lead Acid

Fig.3.13 Battery

3.10 TIMER

A timer is a specialized type of clock. A timer can be used to control the sequence of

an event or process[4]. Whereas a stopwatch counts upwards from zero for measuring

elapsed time, a timer counts down from a specified time interval, like an hourglass.

Timers can bemechanical, electromechanical, electronic (quartz), or even software as

all modern computers include digital timers of one kind or another. When the set

period expires some timers simply indicate so (e.g., by an audible signal), while

others operate electrical switches, such as atime switch, which cuts electrical power.

Fig.3.14 Programmable and Mechanical Timer


CHAPTER-4

FUTURE SCOPE OF PROJECT

4.1 SOLAR SYSTEM IRRIGATION IN INDIA

Providing adequate and quality power to domestic and other consumers remains one

of the major challenges before the country. There is also an increasing concern to

reduce reliance on fossil fuels in meeting power needs and opting for cleaner and

greener fuels instead. With about 300 clear sunny days in a year, India‟s potential for

producing solar power is far more than its current total energy consumption.

However, presently the amount of solar energy produced in India is insignificant

compared to other energy resources. Therefore, solar power is being increasingly

utilized worldwide as a renewable source of energy. India has huge untapped solar

off-grid opportunities, given its ability to provide energy to vast untapped remote

rural areas, the scope of providing backup power to cell towers and its inherent

potential to replace precious fossil fuels. The solar PV off-grid opportunities in India

are huge, given the fact that over 400 million people do not have access to grid

connected electricity. The off-grid opportunities are significant, given the cost

involved in off-grid applications when compared to huge financial investments to be

made to set up grids. Moreover, specific government incentives to promote off-grid

applications, rapid expansion of wireless telecom and telecom companies‟ desire to

reduce operating cost for base stations are also expected to prompt. Growth in off-grid

opportunities. The potential of replacing huge usage of kerosene used for lighting

rural homes makes off-grid applications desirable. Off-grid PV application examples

include remote village electrification, power irrigation pump sets, telecom towers,

back-up power generation, captive power generation and city, street, billboard and

highway lighting. The government‟s solar mission envisages off-grid applications

reaching 2,000 Mw by 2022 and deploying 20 million solar lighting systems for rural

areas.

4.2 DESIGN OF AUTOMATIC PHOTO-IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Water is the primary source of life for mankind and one of the most basic necessities

for rural development. The rural demand for water for crop irrigation and domestic

water supplies is increasing. At the same time, rainfall is decreasing in many arid

countries, so surface water is becoming scarce. As these trends continue, mechanized

water pumping will become the only reliable alternative for lifting water from the

ground. Diesel, gasoline, and kerosene pumps have traditionally been used to pump

water. However, reliable solar (photovoltaic [PV])are now emerging on the market

and are rapidly becoming more attractive than the traditional power sources. These

technologies powered by renewable energy sources (solar), are especially useful in

remote locations where a steady fuel supply is problematic and skilled maintenance

personnel are scarce.


Fig.4.1 Solar Power Irrigation System

4,3 DESIGN METHODOLOGY

The main objective of this project is to watering to the fields and simultaneously

generating the power for pumping water from storage tank there is lots of technology

tried to reduce the power consumption but not succeed our technique is power

generation and efficient utilization of generated power Main components are required

in this automations are solar panel, arm processor, sensors, dc motors, relay, battery.

If the user (farmer) sends the text message via mobile phone as [@.ONX] it checks

the level of tank and condition of moisture in field depending on the level of tank the

operations takes place. We can know the level of water with the help of level sensors.

If the task is completed then the GSM module sends the simple message as

“WATERING IS COMPLETE” to the user. If the task is not completed it sends

message as “WATERING IS NOT COMPLETED LAGGING RESOURCES”. The

state of charge of the battery is sensed by charge sensor and sends it to ARM

PROCESSOR and the level sensor sense the level of water in tank and sends it to the

PROCESSOR.

Fig.4.2 Solar Power Irrigation System


CONCLUSION

The entire system will act as a crop insurance system, as it will protect the crops by

shielding it from untimely rain, hail stones, and temperature, thereby helping the

farmers to get optimum cultivation. Also, it will help to make proper use of water, as

the soil moisture level differs from crops to crops and this will be taken care of by the

soil moisture sensor. As the entire system will be powered by solar energy which will

be stored in the rechargeable batteries, one need not think of the electricity

consumption, as life of solar panel which is available these days is 25 years.

In this study, automatic irrigation of dwarf cherry trees planted to 8 decares of area is

realized with solar energy powered two different BLDCs and RF units. Motor with

deep well pump has been utilized for water storage from Dam Lake to pool and motor

with centrifugal pump is utilized for the purpose of transferring of water kept in pool

to drip irrigation system. An installed capacity of 3.84 kW with 48 pieces of solar

panels was designed to satisfy water requirement by growing of trees. Battery and

water tank are utilized for the purpose of storing energy obtained from solar panels

and in the meanwhile the stability of the system is also increased. Sun tracking circuit

was utilized for the purpose of providing energy more efficiency than the installed

power. Water demands of trees were defined with soil moisture sensors and were

satisfied with output pressure and flow rate is achieved by pump. Site-specific

irrigation provides effective management of scarce water resources and inhibits tree

dead cause of too much irrigation. Also this sensor-based drip irrigation prevents

moisture stress of trees, erosion and salification, provided less growth of weeds and

decreased the amount of water utilized by these weeds. In addition to this system

removes workmanship that is needed for flooding irrigation. Environmental pollution

is prevented with renewable energy and energy production from local resources is

encouraged. An advantage of system is that system needs no maintenance. The use of

this photoirrigation system will be able to contribute to the socio-economic

development in the Tokat region.


REFRENCE

Y. Kim and R. G. Evans, ―Software design for wireless sensor-based site-

specific irrigation‖, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture,

W. R. Anis and H. M. B. Metwally, ―Dynamic performance of a directly

coupled PV pumping system

R. E. Katan, V. G. Agelidis, and C. V. Nayar, ―Performance analysis of a

solar water pumping system

F. Cuadros, F. Lopez-Rodriguez, A. Marcos, and J. Coello, ―A procedure to

size solar-powered irrigation (photoirrigation) schemes