Starting and Steady-State Characteristics of DC Motors Powered by Solar Cell Generators

The performance of dc motors (series, separately-excited, and shunt motors) powered by a solar cell generator and loaded by two different types of loads, one a constant load and one a ventilator load, were analyzed with respect to the transient (starting) and steady state operation. Direct current motors are employed in photovoltaic water pumping systems; therefore, the understanding of the system operation and the matching of the system components (solar cells, dc motor type, and load type) are important factors of the system design. Since the solar cell generator in a nonlinear and time-dependent power supply with an output that varies with the insolation (hourly and daily), the performance characteristics of the dc motor are different when supplied by a solar cell generator than when supplied by a conventional constant voltage source. The transient solution was obtained by using an available computer program - SUPER SCEPTRE. The separately - excited (or permanent magnet) motor with a ventilator load was found to be the most suitable for the solar cell generator. The series motor is quite acceptable, but the shunt motor gives poor performance. In all cases the ventilator load is more compatible with the solar cell generator than with the constant load.