Sprinkler installations: types, application

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Sprinkling is one of the most common irrigation methods. Its use is impossible without the use of a special unit. This type of sprinkler sprays water, directing water droplets onto the soil and plants. This makes it possible to irrigate areas with complex relief, with permeable soils, and also located in the zone of unstable moisture.

This process can be compared to natural rain. But only with one that has a small intensity, but is long in time. At the same time, irrigation with a sprinkler allows you to create the most favorable conditions for the growth of crops.

Advantage of irrigation units

The considered method of irrigation is the most promising and effective. Compared to surface irrigation, it has a number of advantages. They consist of:

- full mechanization of work;

- the possibility of more precise adjustment of the irrigation rate, whichset within wide limits;

- the ability to moisten a site with a large slope or complex microrelief.

Water intake for irrigation by sprinkling installation is possible from various sources. It can be an open or closed channel, as well as an urban water supply system. When using sprinkling machines and installations for irrigation, work aimed at the implementation of irrigation and output furrows is excluded, and the conditions for mechanized care for crops (their sowing, processing and subsequent harvesting) are improved. The planned harvest is obtained in this case with less water consumption, if we compare this process with surface irrigation. Moisture savings range from 15 to 30 percent. Simultaneously with irrigation, the necessary fertilizers can be applied to the soil.

Disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation

The use of machines and installations for irrigating the soil has some disadvantages. First of all, it requires high costs of metal, which is necessary for the manufacture of aggregates and pipes. In addition, the sprinkling process is highly energy intensive. Irrigation machines, depending on capacity, consume from 40 to 100 kWh.

The disadvantages of sprinkling are:

- uneven watering in the wind;

- impossibility to deeply moisten dense soils;

- inexpediency of application in conditions of heavy soils in dry and hot climates.

The concept of sprinklers and machines

Which irrigation technique is this type? Sprinkler systems meandevices that consist of lightweight portable collapsible pipelines. They also have special nozzles for creating drops.

Irrigation machines are such installations that are equipped with their own means of mechanized movement. Such equipment can be mounted on a tractor. Some modifications of sprinklers move around the irrigation site on their supports. Irrigation units are portable.

Classification by water flow transformation

What are sprinklers and machines? According to the nature of the transformation of water jets into rain, they are divided into two groups - fan and jet. In the first of them, a wide stream is created. It looks like a thin film in the form of a fan. Encountering air resistance on its way, this stream breaks up into small drops. The resulting rain is stationary with respect to the plant or machine, while irrigating the entire area that is adjacent to the position of the machine. Fan apparatus are distinguished by the simplicity of the device.

Water exits from a jet sprinkler in the form of axisymmetric streams. Encountering air resistance during their movement, they break up into drops. This type of aggregates allows you to irrigate the area adjacent to it in the form of a sector. In order to moisten the area in a circle, such a flow is given an angular (rotational) movement using rotary devices.

Inkjet devices, in turn, are divided into long-, short- and medium-jet. The first of these are the mostproductive. However, their disadvantage is that they break up water into larger droplets than short jets. Intense flows of artificial rain lead to the rapid formation of runoff and puddles.

Medium jet units produce water flows from 0.1 to 0.22 mm within a minute. This indicator can be reduced to the level of 0.05-0.06 mm per minute. At the same time, such devices make it possible to obtain drops with a small diameter. Due to this, such installations are used in areas with large irrigation rates.

In order to increase the capture area, as well as to reduce the average intensity of rain, units with impulse action and with extended shafts are used.

Classification according to the principle of action

What other types of sprinklers are used to irrigate fields? According to their principle of action, they are divided into positional, as well as those working in motion. The first of them is a collapsible distribution pipeline with hydrants, as well as with two wings equipped with short-jet nozzles or medium-jet devices.

Positional short jet machines by their design are represented by a two-console sprinkling truss, which is hung on the tower of a caterpillar self-propelled support. The lower edge of the unit is a water pipe. Its outer end is connected to a hydrant. There are openings with nozzles on the pipe.

Such a stationary sprinkling plant allows you to almost completely automate the process of moisteningsoil. Indeed, in this case, the unit is located on the site for the entire irrigation season. A positional sprinkler is usually powered by a single device. They can be, for example, a pump that takes water from a nearby reservoir, water supply, etc. The negative side of stationary installations lies in their low utilization rate over a certain period of time. To carry out calculations of stationary sprinkler installations, you will need to know their productivity, jet ejection range, as well as the size of the irrigated area.

There is also such a type of sprinkler installation as semi-stationary. It is a mobile semi-automatic units designed for hose irrigation.

Mobile sprinklers are considered more maneuverable. However, they require specially assigned personnel to maintain them.

Main working parts

Sprinklers and machines consist of:

- nozzles (sprinklers) used in short-jet units, while the drop flight distance is no more than 5-8 m;

- sprinklers used in medium jet devices (create a droplet flight distance of 15-35 m), as well as in long-range jets (40-80 m).

The nozzles have no rotating parts. At the same time, these elements are deflector, half, slotted, and also centrifugal.

The most common is the first type of nozzles. In sprinkler installations and the machines where they are installed, water is crushed whenhitting a cone (deflector). If the pressure is small, then the unit creates a uniform rain, the droplet diameter of which is in the range from 1 to 1.5 mm. The intensity of such irrigation is about 1 mm per minute.

Among the advantages of deflector nozzles, a small droplet size is distinguished (from 0.9 to 1.1 mm). In addition, when using these elements, sprinkler machines and irrigation installations require a small amount of energy consumption. Among the shortcomings of the deflector nozzles, the droplets are heterogeneous in size, as well as the uneven distribution of the liquid over the area of the site. Due to the high intensity of the generated rain, the use of such elements in machines and installations of positional action is quite rare.

To obtain one-sided irrigation, half and slot nozzles are used. The reflector of the first of them is made in the form of a cone. It is welded to a bent plate that blocks 1/2 of the outlet. Slit nozzles are obtained by sawing a pipe. The water flowing out of the resulting hole takes the form of a fan-shaped flat film. At the same time, it breaks up into drops less intensively than when using deflector nozzles. This results in a wet zone near the sprinkler.

The principle of operation of a centrifugal nozzle is to supply water through a tangential channel located in the body of this part. As a result, the liquid actively swirls and is involved in the vortex motion. Near the exit from the central hole, an annular flow is formed, inthe center of which is free space. A jet of water, which has a tangential velocity component, breaks out in the form of a thin funnel-shaped film. Further, this flow of water meets air resistance and, losing stability, breaks up into drops.

In addition to nozzles, sprinklers have one or more stems, on the outlets of which there are nozzle tips. When watering, these parts rotate around their vertical axis. Taking off from such a nozzle, a jet of water acquires a speed equal to 20-30 meters per second, and breaks into the air, breaking up into drops.

The diameter of the nozzles, as well as the speed at which the device will rotate, is calculated so that the watered area can be covered with a uniform layer of water, the droplet diameter of which does not exceed 1.5-2.5 mm. It should be borne in mind that these indicators can be adjusted. To do this, nozzles of different diameters are installed on sprinkler installations (for long-range jets, their sizes can range from 15 to 40 mm, and for medium jets - from 3 to 15 mm), and the pressure of the incoming liquid changes.

The main elements of an irrigation system include a pump, motors and supporting structures.

Device for irrigation of fields "Frigate"

The production of sprinkling machines is carried out in the city of Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region. Here, the Fregat plant produces a fairly wide range of models that fully satisfy the needs of agriculture, which is in need of inexpensive high-tech units. The devices produced by the enterprise have a mechanical principle of operation.

Sprinkler installations "Fregat" are a pressure pipeline. This design is mounted on supports and equipped with medium jet devices. The movement of the pipeline is carried out in a circle, in the center of which there is a fixed hydrant (water enters the machine from it). In self-propelled supports, a hydraulic drive device is provided, which has a system for adjusting the speed of movement. There is also automation, which ensures that the straightness of the pipeline is maintained at the required level. In just one turn, the sprinkler is able to provide the required irrigation rate. The rotation of the unit is carried out using trolleys located at a distance of 25 and 30 meters. The source of energy for such movement is the water pressure, which is created in the supply pipeline. Through the valve, the liquid enters the hydraulic cylinders. They set the wheels in motion thanks to a system of pushers and levers.

This type of sprinkler is operated by an operator. He sets her one or another speed of movement, which must correspond to the required rate of irrigation. Water is supplied to the machine from a pumping station, which can be stationary or mobile.

Based on the duration of the irrigation period, the Fregat sprinkling machine can be used at two or more points. Moving the device from one position to another takes approximately 5-6 hours. It is being towedclass Z tractor T.

The advantage of DM "Fregat" is its high degree of uniformity of the generated rain. This is achieved through the use of a special design solution for sprinklers, their watering while moving in a circle and adjustment. Various modifications of spray nozzles also contribute to the creation of uniformity and fine dispersion.

Volzhanka field irrigation device

This rain machine is used to moisten fields sown with cereals, vegetables, melons, and industrial crops. It is also used for watering meadows and pastures.

The Volzhanka sprinkler system is connected to fixed-type irrigation networks or to a collapsible pipeline. The machine is operated with a distance between hydrants of 18 and 24 meters.

Use such a unit in all areas of agriculture. At the same time, the slope of the irrigated area cannot exceed 0.02, and the wind speed must be within five meters per second.

Using the Volzhanka rain machine, it is possible to carry out vegetative irrigation (with different rates), water-charging, pre-sowing, and so on.

The main technical characteristics of the unit are:

- positional irrigation method;

- water supply from a closed irrigation system;

- hydrant pressure up to 0.4 MPa;

- irrigation area from 1.44 to 19.92;

- the need for service personnel (1 person);

- unit weight - 6200 kg.

Device for irrigation of fields "Valley"

These sprinklers are made in the USA. The main advantage of such units is the high quality of irrigation and minimal water loss with maximum automation of the process. A large number of such devices can be managed by only one person, whose workplace is located in the office. The design of American machines is made of fully galvanized parts. At the same time, it is very stable and powerful.

Such a system has a number of advantages. So, it is able to cover a large area, as well as provide high flexibility of use, which is unlikely to be done by other units for irrigating fields. Such advantages make it possible to implement the application of the "Valley" sprinkler systems for sugar beets and other agricultural crops. This decision significantly increases the production capacity of cultivated fields and increases the net profit for farmers many times over.

There are the following modifications of similar DM:

1. Front type. This machine travels all over the field and processes 98 percent of its surface.
2. Deployable rain systems. They are configured to irrigate fields with different widths. In such units, a hose or channel is used to draw water.
3. Generic type. These "Valley" rain machines are specially designed for circular movement. In this regard, farmers have an excellent opportunity to reduce the cost of funds per hectare.
4. Two-wheel front-mounted unit. Suchmachines have remarkable flexibility in various operating modes. They move around the field and are able to make circular movements, irrigating irregular or L-shaped fields.

Drum type devices

Irrigation equipment of this type is fully consistent with its name. The drum sprinkler system consists of a wheeled trolley on which the sprinkler or sprinkler is located, as well as the machine itself. The latter has a drum. A polyethylene hose is wound around it

What is the working principle of drum sprinklers? The trolley, connected to the machine with a polyethylene hose, moves across the field, while irrigating the soil. One of the main advantages of such units is their ability to be installed quickly. The machine is placed on the site of one edge of the field. A trolley with a sprinkler is installed on its opposite side. After that, the machine is connected to the pump, with which it turns on.

The disadvantage of drum-type units lies in the loss of part of the water during operation. This is due to the high dispersion of liquid in the air, when some of the flow is blown away by the wind. Losses also occur due to evaporation. Despite this disadvantage, drum-type machines are very often used to irrigate small fields, as well as areas that have an irregular shape. The mobility and flexibility of these rain machines in such cases is the only optimala solution to preserve the crop during the hot season.

The calculation of the irrigation rate when using drum-type installations is made taking into account the speed of the cart, as well as the volume of water that is supplied through the hose.

Device for irrigation of fields UD-2500

These sprinklers are designed to moisten areas sown with fodder, vegetable, industrial crops and perennial grasses. With the help of such machines, watering is carried out in a circle or in sectors. At the same time, the UD-2500 sprinkling plant moves along the rows of plant crops. Water intake by such a unit can be carried out both from an open and from an open source.

Installation for irrigation of fields UD-2500 refers to the drum type. Its basic principle of operation is that from an irrigation network hydrant, a water pump or an autonomous station, liquid is supplied to the installation with a pressure of 3 atm. This pressure of water sets in motion a hydraulic drive turbine, the rotation of which is transmitted through a gearbox to a drum with a polyethylene pipe wound on it. Next, the liquid enters the long-range apparatus (sprayer) and irrigates the soil.

Arrangement of a sprinkler installation on a personal plot

It's just great if in the area where your house or cottage is located, it rains regularly, completely satisfying the need of plants for water. However, this kind of luck is not for everyone. Most gardeners are forced to periodically water their flower beds, lawns and beds.

For maximum automation of this process, it can bepurchased a special sprinkler system. However, such pleasure will require significant financial investments. In order to save money, you can design a do-it-yourself sprinkler installation. The homemade device is very simple. It is a tube located on two supports. This shape makes it easy to move the device by pulling on the hose.

To make a homemade rain plant you will need:

- aluminum tube with a diameter of 10 mm;

- clamps;

- two PVC tubes;

- drill;

- hacksaw.

In each of the PVC pipes, one hole with a diameter of 10 mm must be drilled. An aluminum tube is inserted into them. Slots (cross-shaped, vertical or inclined) are sawn in this part with a hacksaw. Next, at one end of this aluminum tube, you need to install a plug, and connect a hose to the other end, securing it with clamps.

Such a device allows you to easily change the direction of irrigation. To do this, just turn the metal tube.

You can use a similar sprinkler for a terrarium to keep it at the right level of humidity.