Abstract
Drip irrigation has become an application trend of water-saving irrigation technology due to its excellent water-use efficiency. However, the energy dissipation form of the commonly used labyrinth channel is relatively simple, and the corresponding energy dissipation mechanism research is inadequate. This article proposes a new kind of channel structure of drip irrigation emitters based on the structure of scalariform perforation plates in plant xylem vessels. We establish a total of 16 sets of orthogonal structure schemes. Using numerical simulation and physical experiments, the hydraulic performance and energy dissipation mechanism of the perforated drip irrigation emitters (PDIE) are studied. The results show that the flow index of PDIE is 0.4665–0.5266. The hydraulic performance of PDIE in the high-pressure zone is the best, and the flow index is 0.4665–0.5046. As the pressure increases, the velocity of the flow of the upper perforation increases rapidly, the flow ratio decreases, the flow index decreases, and the hydraulic performance improves. To further verify the energy dissipation mechanism, a lower flow ratio and a better hydraulic performance were obtained through appropriately expanding the upper part of the upper perforation inlet to the channel boundary. The research sheds new insights for optimizing the hydraulic performance of PDIE. Results reported here provide a theoretical basis for the structural design of drip irrigation emitters and the energy dissipation mechanism research.
Highlights
Drip irrigation emitter is an important part of a micro-irrigation system
The numerical simulation based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), experimental test, and theoretical analysis based on fluid mechanics are the main research methods for the hydraulic performance and energy dissipation mechanism of drip irrigation emitters
The hydraulic performance of perforated drip irrigation emitters (PDIE) was analyzed from the perspective of macroscopic flow ratio and microscopic velocity, starting from the energy dissipation mechanism
Summary
Drip irrigation emitter is an important part of a micro-irrigation system. It transforms continuous jet into uniform and stable dripping flow, stabilizing flow and reducing pressure [1]. Zhang et al [8] calculated the relationship between the drip irrigation emitters’ flow rate and working pressure through the CFD software package and obtained the flow field distribution in the arc labyrinth channels. Wu et al [12] used CFD to study the flow in the channel of labyrinth drip irrigation emitters, in which the anti-clogging performance of these emitters was carried out by way of analyzing the velocity distribution characteristics in different cross-sections of the same structure unit. Based on the perforated drip irrigation emitters (PDIE) developed by the author team, this study adopts the CFD software package for numerical simulation, proposes a numerical simulation method suitable for PDIE, and further analyzes the hydraulic performance and energy dissipation mechanism of PDIE according to the flow field of the channel. This work is meaningful for optimizing the hydraulic performance of PDIE, which can provide a theoretical basis for the structural design of the drip irrigation emitters and the study of the energy dissipation mechanism
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
