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

1
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

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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

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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

4
 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).

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 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

6
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).

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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

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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.

9
Fig. 2.7 Baudi

Fig. 2.8 Nawn

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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).

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 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

12
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,

13
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

14
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

15
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

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 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

17
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.

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 Fig. 2.15 Polly House in Neri

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

19
 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

20
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.

21
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

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  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

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 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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

28
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

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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

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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)

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  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

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 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.

33
 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

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 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.

35
 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

36