Abstract
The self-cleaning screen filter is one of the most common types used in drip irrigation systems. Backwashing pressure difference and backwashing time for two screen filters with one geometry and two different screens (178 μm and 124 μm) using two water qualities (tap water and sand-water mixture) were studied in a total of 88 runs (42 runs for tap water, 22 and 24 filtration cycles for sand-water mixture and backwashing, respectively). The backwashing pressure difference and backwashing time were calculated using the experimental data, and the results were largely in the range of measured values. Three constraint conditions (flowrate, sand condition and filtration time) of backwashing pressure difference were analysed, and the optimal values of backwashing pressure difference were given as 60.0 and 70.0 kPa for 178 μm and 124 μm filters, respectively. The backwashing time of the screen filter should be an optimal value that ensures that the pressure difference between the internal and external surfaces of the screen decreased to the initial value, and the sand concentration of the backwashed outlet decreased to a small, stable value. Based on the results of the backwashing experiment and prototype observation, the optimal backwashing time was given as 30 to 45 s for both screen filters.
Highlights
Because emitter clogging is difficult to detect and the emitter is expensive to clean or replace, the clogging of emitters is the largest maintenance problem facing drip irrigation systems [1,2,3]
Data obtained from the filtration and backwashing tests allowed two parameters of the backwashing performance of the screen filters to be computed
Some calculated results exceeded the range of measured values, the calculated values of backwashing pressure difference of 21.78 to 85.15 kPa and 36.74 to 143.65 kPa for 178 μm and 124 μm screen filters, respectively, and mean backwashing time of 42 s are basically in the range of the measured values
Summary
Because emitter clogging is difficult to detect and the emitter is expensive to clean or replace, the clogging of emitters is the largest maintenance problem facing drip irrigation systems [1,2,3]. The suspended solids with both organic and inorganic components are the main reason for emitter clogging in drip irrigation the greatest clogging problems are caused by the presence of materials such as silt and algae [4,5,6,7,8]. Among all different types of filters, the automatic backwashing screen filter is one of the most common types used in drip irrigation systems [9]. The filter is the key component of drip irrigation, and several experimental studies have been performed on the performance of filters [9,10].
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