Sahuquet Ange, Meunier Simon, Cherni Judith A, Charpentier Anne, Vezin Thomas, Darga Arouna, Zuffinetti Guillaume, Kitanidis Peter K, Quéval Loïc
Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, CNRS, GeePs, 91192, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, GeePs, 75252, Paris, France.
Heliyon. 2024 Oct 25;10(21):e39718. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39718. eCollection 2024 Nov 15.
Water pumps powered by photovoltaic energy, often named 'photovoltaic water pumping systems' (PVWPS), offer a promising solution for improving water access in developing regions. Regular pumping tests are essential for characterizing boreholes and ensuring sustainable groundwater extraction. Traditionally, these tests are conducted only at the time of PVWPS installation using diesel pumps. However, since PVWPS typically have a lifespan of around 20 years, the borehole's condition may change over time, necessitating ongoing testing. To overcome this challenge, this article presents a novel method for conducting pumping tests using the PVWPS's own photovoltaic modules as the power source, greatly simplifying regular borehole monitoring over the PVWPS's lifespan. This approach improves the long-term technical sustainability of PVWPS. By eliminating the need for diesel generators, it reduces also costs, emissions, and logistical complexity while ensuring continuous water supply during testing. The principle and protocol for these proposed tests are outlined, as well as the key indicators for analysis. Furthermore, the associated costs and benefits are thoroughly explored. The proposed method is applied to a PVWPS in a village in Burkina Faso. This PVWPS has 750 W of photovoltaic modules, a 10 m³ water tank, and a 56 m borehole. Results show that the photovoltaic pumping tests allow to accurately determine borehole parameters, achieving a model fit with an average R of 0.99. Additionally, a photovoltaic pumping test costs $43, which is significantly lower than standard pumping tests: a multiple step drawdown test costs $511 and a long pumping test costs $2050. Moreover, the proposed photovoltaic pumping tests can prevent premature replacements of PVWPS components, leading to significant savings. While demonstrated in a specific context, this method is transferable to other systems, offering potential benefits for companies, local authorities, governments, and NGOs involved in the development and maintenance of PVWPS in rural areas.
由光伏能源驱动的水泵，通常被称为“光伏抽水系统”（PVWPS），为改善发展中地区的用水状况提供了一个很有前景的解决方案。定期抽水试验对于确定钻孔特性和确保可持续的地下水开采至关重要。传统上，这些试验仅在安装PVWPS时使用柴油泵进行。然而，由于PVWPS的使用寿命通常约为20年，钻孔状况可能会随时间变化，因此需要进行持续测试。为了克服这一挑战，本文提出了一种新颖的方法，即使用PVWPS自身的光伏模块作为电源进行抽水试验，大大简化了PVWPS使用寿命期间的常规钻孔监测。这种方法提高了PVWPS的长期技术可持续性。通过无需柴油发电机，它还降低了成本、排放和后勤复杂性，同时确保测试期间的持续供水。概述了这些拟议试验的原理和规程，以及分析的关键指标。此外，还深入探讨了相关的成本和效益。所提出的方法应用于布基纳法索一个村庄的PVWPS。该PVWPS有750瓦的光伏模块、一个10立方米的水箱和一口56米深的钻孔。结果表明，光伏抽水试验能够准确确定钻孔参数，实现平均R值为0.99的模型拟合。此外，一次光伏抽水试验成本为43美元，远低于标准抽水试验：一次多级降深试验成本为511美元，一次长时间抽水试验成本为2050美元。此外，所提出的光伏抽水试验可以防止PVWPS部件过早更换，从而节省大量资金。虽然该方法是在特定背景下进行演示的，但可转移到其他系统，为参与农村地区PVWPS开发和维护的公司、地方当局、政府和非政府组织带来潜在益处。
