0000000000308019
AUTHOR
Mustafa Elfahl
Experimental Tests to Validate a Simple Procedure to Design Dual-Diameter Drip Laterals on Flat Fields
Multiple-diameter laterals reduce the total cost in microirrigation systems, however, the length of each sublateral should be determined carefully to assure appro-priate performance of emitter flow rates. The most accurate method is the numerical trial and error, which is time-consuming. A series of research efforts have been made to propose simple analytical design procedures. By using the power-law form of the Darcy-Weisbach formula, and equal emitters spacing for the sublaterals, Sadeghi et al. (Sadeghi et al. in J Irrig Drain E-ASCE 142:04,016,020, 2016) extended a previously introduced design solution for one-diameter laterals to tapered laterals. Recently, a simplified procedure to de…
Designing Trickle Irrigation Systems in Sloping Fields without Pressure-Compensating Emitters: Application of the IRRILAB Software
When designing trickle irrigation systems in sloped fields, the use of pressure-compensating (PC) emitters is generally preferred to ensure the emitter distribution uniformity regardless of the land topography and the variable operating pressures. However, the cost of PC emitters is generally higher than non-pressure-compensating (NPC) ones; moreover, the compensating membrane installed inside the emitters can lose elasticity due to the exposition to solar radiation, water quality, and chemical applications. Recently, the irrigation laboratory (IRRILAB) version 1.0 software application was developed to design microirrigation systems for rectangular and planar sectors when using NPC emitters…
Centre-pivot irrigation system design for uniform water application rate
<p>In the last few decades, the use of centre-pivot irrigation systems has significantly increased, since it makes farming easier, is more efficient and less time-consuming compared to the other irrigation systems. Several studies have been focused on the hydraulics of the centre-pivot systems. Standard high-pressure impact sprinklers or low-pressure spray sprinklers or Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) systems are generally mounted on the pipeline.</p><p>To ensure the uniformity of water application, the centre-pivot design requires increasing the flow rates along the lateral, because the sprinklers farther from the pivot move faster, and th…
Verification of IRRILAB Software Application for the Hydraulic Design of a Micro-Irrigation System by Using IRRIPRO for an Apple Farm in Sicily
In recent years, many studies have been performed to develop simple and accurate methods to design micro-irrigation systems. However, most of these studies are based on numerical solutions that require a high number of iterations and attempts, without ensuring to maximize water use efficiency and energy-saving. Recently, the IRRILAB software, which is based on an analytical approach to optimally design rectangular micro-irrigation units, has been developed, providing the solution corresponding to the maximum energy-saving condition, for any slope of the laterals and of the manifold. One IRRILAB limitation is that, according to its theoretical basis, the rectangular planform geometry and uni…
Hydraulic Design of the Center-Pivot Irrigation System for Gradually Decreasing Sprinkler Spacing
Design strategies that enhance modern irrigation practices, reduce energy consumption, and improve water use efficiency and crop yields are fundamental for sustainability. Although microirrigation is currently a widely applied method, center-pivot irrigation systems have become very popular on large farms, thanks to their automation, wide-coverage, and reliability. Different design procedures have been proposed, even though some aspects have not been solved yet. This paper presents a simple design procedure for center-pivot systems using a gradually decreasing sprinkler spacing along with a pivot lateral, which makes it possible to set favorable and uniformly distributed water application r…