SOLAR POWERED AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION PUMPING

摘要

In cooperation with Sandia Laboratories, a solar-powered irrigation pumping system was designed and installed at Willard, New Mexico. The system incorporated an east-west oriented field of parabolic trough solar collectors to heat oil. The hot oil in turn heated freon which drove a high-speed turbine connected to the irrigation pump. In conjunction with the solar pump, agricultural experiments were conducted by New Mexico State University. These included drip irrigation of typical food crops that could be grown in the area.