The Computer Controlled Stand-Alone Water Pumping Unit, "SAPUC", has been designed by EDIBON to demonstrate the operation at theoretical and practical level in the field of the stand-alone water pumping installations. This unit provides the students with knowledge and essential skills on the processes and operations of photovoltaic and wind power installations focused in stand-alone water pumping unit.

This unit consists of two water tanks located at different levels. Water is pumped with a centrifugal pump from the lower tank (ground water) up to the upper tank (water storage tank). Centrifugal pump is controlled via solar variable speed drive, pump ON/OFF switch and rotary dial to vary the voltage. In addition, this unit includes a series of sensors, actuators and indicators to get a perfect monitoring, supervision and control of the installation: upper tank level sensor, flow sensor, pressure sensor, mushroom head emergency stop button, pump running indicator, pump error indicator and circuit breakers.

To facilitate use for teaching purposes, this unit is provided with different power connections to be powered by PV array, by wind turbine, by 24VDC laboratory power supply or via AC power supply.

Optionally, the "SAPUC" can be extended with photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, batteries and current controller to demonstrate how a real and complete Stand-Alone Pumping Unit works.

To acquire a complete knowledge, the unit includes a specific manual in which is explained, at theoretical-practical level, the aspects concerning to the stand-alone solar water pumping unit, wind turbines, energy flows, characterize the transformation and estimate overall unit efficiency, to size the solar panels and the variable speed drive for the unit, to set the installation parameters defining the MPPT.