Sources of Power on the Farm -Electrical, Wind, Solar and Biomass; Bio-Fuels

Farm power includes any source of energy used to support commercial agriculture. It plays a pivotal role in determining the yield strength of tilled land. Preparation of land, weed management, threshing, and transportation of food crops are all executed by electricity-driven machinery or other sources of power. We witness modernization in cultivation due to technological advancement adapted by the farmers. In India, mechanization was introduced in the late 1950s when there used to be one tractor per 3600 hectares of farmland compared to today’s one tractor per 24 hectares. Studies also indicate that the total number of draft animals dropped from 80 million to 50 million.

Sources of Power on the Farm

Direct use of power is essential to operate agricultural equipment, manage water supply, irrigation and harvesting. Minimum reliance on manpower, cattle, and manual tools results in an efficient and sustained production rate. Electrical energy is most widely used for irrigation and state water supply. Similarly, the Indian Government is taking action to re-ignite wind energy projects. These hosted turbines in farms facilitate pumping water from wells, grinding edible grains, and running small-scale machines. Moreover, it is a clean source of power and less costly to handle. The concept of the solar farm was put forward by Charles Fritts in 1883. They are known for saving energy consumption from local power stations as they utilize photovoltaic (PV) panels that fulfill the commercial agricultural requirements. Combustion of biofuels emits high-pressure steam when they undergo treatment in boilers. This steam runs turbines in generators producing electricity. Wood, landfill gas, crops, garbage, and alcohol fuels like biodiesel all fall within the range of biomass.

Role of Electrical Power 

Modern farming culture demands energy usage at all stages of production namely soil preparation, seed sorting, irrigation, weeding, and harvesting. Even post-harvest power use comes in practice for storage, transportation, and processing. To serve this need, electrical power is widely preferred by the agro-industry to function both big and small equipment. As electrical energy cannot be stored for long, consumption has to be synchronized with a volume of generation. To regulate seamless running there has to be centralized management.

Step by step Generation of Electricity:

Electricity generates when a metal coil is made to move in a magnetic field. This method is implemented to produce electricity for commercial usage. When Direct Current ‘I’ passes over the potential difference ‘V’, power ‘P’ gets generated.

 In Mathematical language:

P = V. I

We can also say that, P = I2R (as V=IR; here, R is resistance)

Also, P = I2R = V2/R

For alternating current, the AC voltage is termed as root mean square voltage, and the power (time average power) is given by: Prime Avg= Vrms2/R

Some advantages of choosing electrical energy are:

• Less expensive in the long run.
• Less prone to damage caused by adverse weather conditions.
• Can work longer at a stretch.

Some disadvantages include:

• The huge initial investment for installation.
• A skilled technician is needed to avoid accidents.

Role of Wind Power 

The global approach of shifting to wind power is increasing exponentially over the last couple of decades. Wind flow must be rotational to generate power output making the governing principle almost similar to hydropower systems in a farm. The multiplied figure of available wind speed and swept area of the rotor gives us the power output of a windmill. This leads to a limited scope of implementation as mills can lift water only at places where there is a minimum wind speed of 32kmph. Severe uncertainty arises due to sole dependence on weather. In India, 2540 windmills are presently installed having an average capacity of 0.50 hp. It makes one of the most affordable sources of power on the farm in India.

However, disadvantages are there in form of:

• High investment.
• Limited maintenance facility in remote areas.
• Matching generators and pump sets are not readily available.

Role of Solar Power

The solar farm also referred to as a solar park operates using ground-mounted solar panels comprising large areas. Community farms and utility-scale farms are the two popular solar projects which sometimes deliver energy requirements offsite. Winnowing (blowing a current of air to remove chaff) of grains is done using solar power. Apart from direct involvement in farming, solar energy helps in installing electric fences. As it comes with no waste and noise emission, it is nature friendly. In addition, it helps to minimize agricultural power subsidies and also motivate farmers for reduced electricity cost. The world’s largest solar power plant is situated in Bhadla Solar Park in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, thanks to its favorable high temperatures.

Role of Biofuels in farming

Cultivated crops and wastes derived from them form liquid fuels. These are capable of meeting growing power needs. While burning such matter (ethanol, biogas, and green diesel), they are less harmful than gasoline. Using them proves to be beneficial by reducing the life-cycle of greenhouse gasses by 86%. Additionally, smog formation can also be avoided as biofuel emission lowers the presence of particulate matter in the air. The only downside may be sighted as an increment in labor costs which is inevitable for this method.

Conclusion 

This article profoundly focused on the sources of power in a farm, it focused on the different forms of power generation in the farm which comes from various elements.