The study of microirrigation hydraulic design has been widely addressed over many decades to enhance on-farm water use efficiency and water distribution uniformity with minimal impact on energy consumption through introducing innovative engineering solutions for better control of the system. The thesis first reviewed the literature, providing an overview of the microirrigation system, its performance, and its hydraulic design procedures are provided along with a review of some approaches that were developed for the hydraulic design, and examine their assumptions and theories. Among this literature are IRRIPRO and IRRILAB software, which were developed among the research activities carried out at the University of Palermo (Italy). IRRILAB software is based on analytical solutions and allows saving energy, but requires a rectangular shape of the sector defined by two uniform slopes one for the laterals and one for the manifold, whereas IRRIPRO finds numerical solutions that required a lot of attempts but can be applied on any shape of the sectors. These two software may offer a unique solution in designing microirrigation units through capturing the positive aspects of both and in the meanwhile overcoming the negative ones. This thesis investigates the performance of IRRILAB and IRRIPRO software applications, using pressure-compensating-emitters and not-pressure-compensating ones, to design microirrigation systems in an apple farm in Sicily, which is characterized by a high irregular topography, thus it is suitable for the purpose of this study. Several investigations were carried out through both theoretical verification and experimental validation in the field. To begin with, the theoretical study to verify the performance of IRRILAB software application in designing a large number of microirrigation sectors characterized by different irregularities degree in sector's slope and planform geometry was carried out by using the design parameters of IRRILAB as input in the IRRIPRO software that is able to show the pressure head distribution maps for each sector. The results of this study have shown that the IRRILAB software could be recommended because it is easy to use, making it possible to save energy, especially when sectors are almost rectangular and uniform in slopes. In addition, a further investigation was carried out for IRRILAB software by performing an experimental study for only one sector extended to 7,369 m2. Without considering the minor losses caused due to the presence of emitters along the laterals, the microirrigation sector for this experiment was designed as recommended by IRRILAB software using a not-pressure-compensating emitter, aimed at validating that the measured emitter’s flow rates fall within the corresponding limits of IRRILAB acceptability. Results showed that for some emitters, flow rates fall below the minimum admitted value. This was ascribed to the irregularity of the sector planform geometry, not exactly rectangular as IRRILAB requires, as well as the effect of minor losses that were neglected in the design. Subsequently, the latter issue was then investigated by using a new methodology introduced recently that makes it possible to quantify the amount of minor losses in terms of the equivalent length. Based on the calculation, a new experiment different from the previous one that neglects minor losses to a new one in which minor losses are considered was performed. Results have shown that a certain improvement of the emitters' flow rates was obtained, referring to the important role of the minor losses that are playing in microirrigation systems design. This study concluded that the recently introduced procedure to account for minor losses could be successfully implemented in IRRILAB to improve microirrigation systems design. In conclusion, an experimental investigation study is carried out to assess the performance of the IRRIPRO software in simulating the field situation of microirrigation systems under different operating pressures. This study is based on field measurements of emitter flow rates aimed at validating that the measured emitter’s flow rates in the field match the results obtained through IRRIPRO simulations. Different statistical analyses were performed in order to show the accuracy of IRRIPRO software prediction for the emitters' flow rates. The experiment results showed how the use of IRRIPRO software allows representing the field situation, thereby, can be used to improve the performance of any microirrigation system, provided that a similar design layout is applied.
(2022). Validating IRRILAB and IRRIPRO software applications to design microirrigation systems in an apple farm in Sicily.
Validating IRRILAB and IRRIPRO software applications to design microirrigation systems in an apple farm in Sicily
ELFAHL, Mustafa
2022-09-27
Abstract
The study of microirrigation hydraulic design has been widely addressed over many decades to enhance on-farm water use efficiency and water distribution uniformity with minimal impact on energy consumption through introducing innovative engineering solutions for better control of the system. The thesis first reviewed the literature, providing an overview of the microirrigation system, its performance, and its hydraulic design procedures are provided along with a review of some approaches that were developed for the hydraulic design, and examine their assumptions and theories. Among this literature are IRRIPRO and IRRILAB software, which were developed among the research activities carried out at the University of Palermo (Italy). IRRILAB software is based on analytical solutions and allows saving energy, but requires a rectangular shape of the sector defined by two uniform slopes one for the laterals and one for the manifold, whereas IRRIPRO finds numerical solutions that required a lot of attempts but can be applied on any shape of the sectors. These two software may offer a unique solution in designing microirrigation units through capturing the positive aspects of both and in the meanwhile overcoming the negative ones. This thesis investigates the performance of IRRILAB and IRRIPRO software applications, using pressure-compensating-emitters and not-pressure-compensating ones, to design microirrigation systems in an apple farm in Sicily, which is characterized by a high irregular topography, thus it is suitable for the purpose of this study. Several investigations were carried out through both theoretical verification and experimental validation in the field. To begin with, the theoretical study to verify the performance of IRRILAB software application in designing a large number of microirrigation sectors characterized by different irregularities degree in sector's slope and planform geometry was carried out by using the design parameters of IRRILAB as input in the IRRIPRO software that is able to show the pressure head distribution maps for each sector. The results of this study have shown that the IRRILAB software could be recommended because it is easy to use, making it possible to save energy, especially when sectors are almost rectangular and uniform in slopes. In addition, a further investigation was carried out for IRRILAB software by performing an experimental study for only one sector extended to 7,369 m2. Without considering the minor losses caused due to the presence of emitters along the laterals, the microirrigation sector for this experiment was designed as recommended by IRRILAB software using a not-pressure-compensating emitter, aimed at validating that the measured emitter’s flow rates fall within the corresponding limits of IRRILAB acceptability. Results showed that for some emitters, flow rates fall below the minimum admitted value. This was ascribed to the irregularity of the sector planform geometry, not exactly rectangular as IRRILAB requires, as well as the effect of minor losses that were neglected in the design. Subsequently, the latter issue was then investigated by using a new methodology introduced recently that makes it possible to quantify the amount of minor losses in terms of the equivalent length. Based on the calculation, a new experiment different from the previous one that neglects minor losses to a new one in which minor losses are considered was performed. Results have shown that a certain improvement of the emitters' flow rates was obtained, referring to the important role of the minor losses that are playing in microirrigation systems design. This study concluded that the recently introduced procedure to account for minor losses could be successfully implemented in IRRILAB to improve microirrigation systems design. In conclusion, an experimental investigation study is carried out to assess the performance of the IRRIPRO software in simulating the field situation of microirrigation systems under different operating pressures. This study is based on field measurements of emitter flow rates aimed at validating that the measured emitter’s flow rates in the field match the results obtained through IRRIPRO simulations. Different statistical analyses were performed in order to show the accuracy of IRRIPRO software prediction for the emitters' flow rates. The experiment results showed how the use of IRRIPRO software allows representing the field situation, thereby, can be used to improve the performance of any microirrigation system, provided that a similar design layout is applied.
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