Performance Evaluation of Flywheel Solar Water Pump for Semiarid Climate Zone in Nigeria Using ANOVA

Abstract

A flywheel solar water pump is a pump used to deliver water for irrigation, farming, and domestic used for house hold. A flywheel was incorporated on the rotating shaft to increase the shaft power and minimize power waste during operation. Mounting or installing a solar water pump in the wrong location leads to the solar water pump's short life and low discharge capacity when in use. To evaluate the performance matrix (flow rate) of the flywheel solar water pump in the semi-arid climate zone in Nigeria, and to examine a suitable location with reasonable discharge capacity of this pump, was the aim of this study. Standard test conditions and four (4) locations were chosen, with the average temperature of the location and solar irradiance of the dry and wet seasons. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the performance of the flywheel solar water pump in terms of flow rate capacity. STC (250C), Kano (270C), Abuja (280C), Niger (290C), and Kebbi (300C) with irradiance of 1000W/m2, 5800W/m2 and 7000W/m2 respectively. The findings show that the location with temperatures such are 250C, 270C, 280C, 290C, and 300C indicate that the flow rate in m3/s also differs, such as 0.0025m3/s, 0.00275m3/s, 0.0005m3/s, 0.0030m3/s and 0.0010m3/s respectively. Also, the irradiance (W/m2) for standard test conditions, dry season and wet season, such as 1000W/m2, 5800W/m2, 7000W/m2 has a different effect on the defendant or response factor (flow rate m3/s) as 0.00275m3/s, 0.0001m3/s and 0.00175m3/s, respectively, with 53% (0.53) pump efficiency.