Abstract
The water shortage has become a great challenge for Yellow River irrigation regions; for the high level of suspended sediment in Yellow River, sprinkler irrigation, which has achieved superior anti-clogging performance, can be an effective solution for water conservation in agriculture management. For the direct utilization of the Yellow River water resource in irrigation land as irrigated by movable sprinkler irrigation systems, a series of experiments about the effect of sediment-water on the hydraulic performance of fixed spray plate sprinkler was conducted. The results showed that peak water precipitation rate appeared as both clean and sediment-water jetting from the groove, and the differences were that sediment-water minimized peak value of water application rate and increased wetted radius efficiently. The water distribution of an individual sprinkler resembled lotus shape with different working conditions, and the application rate nearby sprinkler increased with the increase insediment concentration, resulting in higher water distribution uniformity. In addition, sediment-water increased the spray distance remarkably with a maximum increasing ratio of 7.79%; meanwhile, it led to the transfer of peak application region to the edge of the wetted circle and, consequently, the wetted area increased. The calculation result of the water diffusion coefficient indicated that sediment-water contributed to splintering water jet effectively, but the analysis of variance showed that no significant change was obtained with increasing sediment concentration. All these results suggested that the sediment-water in Yellow River could be directly utilized in agriculture irrigation with superior hydraulic performance, and it would be helpful to protect and maximize the utilization of the Yellow River resource.
Highlights
As known for its high level of suspended sediment, the Yellow River is one of the most important water resources in north and northwest China [1,2]
In order to discover the water distribution pattern of rotating spray plate sprinkler (RSPS) and fixed spray plate sprinkler (FSPS), Faci et al [17] performed experiments with different nozzles in wind condition, and the results showed that the water distribution of RSPS had a conical shape, and the FSPS concentrated in a circular crown
The results showed that peak water precipitation rate appeared during irrigation with both clean and sediment-water; in contrast with clean water, sediment-water not onlyminimized peak value of water application rate and increased the water application rate closer to the sprinkler, making water distribution more uniform
Summary
As known for its high level of suspended sediment, the Yellow River is one of the most important water resources in north and northwest China [1,2]. Flood irrigation method has been widely used in these regions, especially in north China, which exacerbates the problem of water scarcity [3]. For the maximum utilization and protection of this limited water resource, water-saving irrigation technology should be promoted in Yellow River irrigation regions. As an effective and water-saving way to irrigate, drip irrigation has been applied in most farmlands [4,5,6,7]. There are still some bottlenecks, limiting the direct use of the Yellow River resource for drip irrigation, and the main reason is high sediment concentration
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
