Brushless DC Motor-Driven Water Pumps with Solar PV Array Integration Using Golden Eagle Optimization

Photovoltaic (PV) energy systems are increasingly favored due to their sustainability and low operating cost. However, their power output is highly sensitive to fluctuating weather conditions, necessitating efficient control strategies to ensure maximum energy extraction. A solar PV-powered water pumping system (WPS) using a brushless DC (BLDC) motor is proposed in this manuscript. A modified Cuk converter is integrated into the system to ensure continuous current at both output and input ends. The system’s control is handled by a fractional-order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller, whose factors are optimized utilizing the Golden Eagle optimization (GEO) algorithm. The primary objective of the research is to improve energy conversion efficiency, minimize motor torque ripple and maintain reliable performance under varying solar irradiance. The modified Cuk converter is not tuned directly; rather, the GEO algorithm is used to optimally tune the FOPID controller that governs the converter’s operation. The proposed method is implemented and its efficacy is analyzed with traditional optimization techniques in MATLAB, like grey wolf optimization (GWO), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Whale optimization algorithm (WOA). Simulation outcomes reveal that the proposed system achieves superior performance in multiple aspects. The BLDC motor torque is reduced to 15 t*e, lower than the 15.8 t*e observed in other methods. Furthermore, the system exhibits improved voltage regulation, reduced steady-state error and enhanced dynamic response. The controller also shows better resilience under rapid changes in irradiance, indicating robustness and reliability. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed GEO-tuned FOPID controller in improving the total efficacy of solar WPS.