Hydraulic performance of fertigation applicators

Abstract EN

Hydraulic performance of injectors is one of the main factors influencing the efficient practice of fustigation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of design and operating parameters on fertilizer injectors' hydraulic performance.

Three types of fertilizer injectors (by-bass pressurized mixing tank, venturi, and positive displacement pump) had been investigated under operating conditions.

The injectors were calibrated for injection flow rate and the change in concentration rate.

The Injectors injection rate was determined by measuring the injected volume during a specific duration of time.

The maximum injection rates were 40, 3.0, and 240.21 / min under pressure differences of 0.7, 1.4, and 2.5 bars for by-bass pressurized mixing tank, venturi, and positive displacement pump, respectively.

Venturi and positive displacement pump had shown a relatively linear concentration rate where the by-bass pressurized mixing tank showed change in concentration rate during the operating time.

Two dimensionless coefficients were driven CQ (Coefficient of injection rate) and Cp (Coefficient of pressure difference) for different parameters affecting injectors' performance.

The dimensionless coefficients showed increasing degradation in performance for venturi, by-bass pressurized mixing tank, and positive displacement pump.

The maximum values of CQ were 2.3 x 103, 3.06 x 104, and 18.4 X104 at Cp values 3.9 X 105, 1.95 X 105, and 7 X 105, respectively.