Evaluating the performance of some local and imported emitters to improve their hydraulic performance

Abstract EN

Due to the climatic changes in Egypt, the remarkable population growth and the high demand for water, especially for irrigation water.

To rationalize the use of irrigation water, it has been applied efficient irrigation systems such as trickle irrigation system for irrigating trees and plants by securing the least amount of water for the plant without wasting and saturation of the surrounding area.

This study aims to evaluate the performance of some local and imported emitters.

In this study, 16 emitters were used (9 imported emitters and 7 local emitters) divided into (9 non-pressure compensating and 7 pressure compensating), for evaluation under different operating pressures (0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25 and 1.5 bar), in addition to measure the hydraulic performance of the manufacture's coefficient of variation (CV % ), emitter flow variation ( % ), and the emission uniformity (EU % ).

The results showed that the highest emission uniformity value for emitters of (OT1, OT2, KF, TKY, CKF and OT3), with discharge of (2) L / h non- pressure compensating (NPC), 4 l/h non-pressure compensating (NPC), 4 l / h pressure compensating (PC), 8 l/ h non- pressure compensating (NPC), 8 l / h pressure compensating (PC) and 16 l / h non-pressure compensating (NPC) respectively, while, the lowest manufacture's coefficient of variation value (CV% ), emitter flow variation ( % ) were used with 6 emitters in the second part of the laboratory experiment to evaluate the side lines under the length of the hoses (50, 75, 100 m) at a distance between the emitters (4 m), for the calculation of the emission uniformity (EU% ), friction 
losses and consumption of power.

From the last result in laboratory and through evaluation the 6 emitters under study in terms of prices and emission uniformity (EU% ), a randomized field study was conducted on the farms where the three emitters (OT2, KF and OT1) under lateral length (50 m) and emitter spacing (4 m).

The purpose of the field test was carried out to determine the degree of clogging throughout the operating period (after 2 and 4 years).

A field test used an emitter (OT1, OT2 and KF) found for two months and has been used again for two years when farming in the farm was expanded and used four years ago by expanding the farm, the emitter (OT2) clogging ratio was 3.09% within two months, 6.95% within two years and 10.49% within 4 years, the emitter (OT1) clogging ratio was 5.26% within two months, 11.11% within two years and 17.64% within 4 years, the emitter (KF) clogging ratio was 6.83% within two months, 13.63% within two years and 20.96% within 4 years.

The results showed that the lowest degree of clogging ratio of the emitter (OT2) was within two months of operation.

In general, and as expected, the results indicate that clogging ratio increased with increasing the time of installation of the field emitter and the range of factors affecting the periodic maintenance and design of good and components of irrigation network with high quality and ratio of manufacture's coefficient of variation (CV% ).