Irrigation Water Distribution Systems Research Articles

Optimal Pumping Flow Algorithm to Improve Pumping Station Operations in Irrigation Systems

In Spain, irrigated agriculture is the most water-intensive sector, consuming around of 80% of water resources. Moreover, irrigation water distribution systems are the infrastructure by which one-third of water resource losses take place. Monitoring and controlling operations in irrigation canals are essential for mitigating leakages and water waste in operational actions. On the other hand, energy consumption by agriculture is around 5% of usage in developed countries and even higher in undeveloped countries. Although it is a small part of the total energy supply for a country, energy waste reduces the competitiveness of the agriculture sector, which continually reduces profit margins in an economic sector with very low profit margins already. The tool developed in this paper aims to increase the efficiency of water and energy management in the agricultural sector and is included in an overall control diagram for scheduled irrigation management. This tool, the optimal pumping flow (OPF algorithm), optimizes the pumping flow from the irrigation canal to the irrigation reservoir in terms of water level at the canal and reservoir, crop flow demand, system constraints, and energy prices. Regarding the results, the OPF algorithm can calculate the optimum pumping operations, being able to optimize water resource usage and energy expenses by ensuring that the water level at reservoirs remains within a specified range and that pump flow never exceeds a threshold. Further, it allows for the management of pump operations outside of peak hours. On the other hand, the OPF algorithm is also integrated into the overall control diagram in a second test. Here, the OPF algorithm collaborates with a control canal algorithm such as the GoRoSo algorithm to optimize canal gates and pump operations, respectively. In this scenario, OPF reduces cumulative energy expenses by 58% compared to the scenario where the pump station operates only when the reservoir water level is below a certain threshold.

Operating inlet pressure head assessment for multi-outlet submain manifolds in a low-pressurized water distribution network system

Abstract Multi-outlet pipes can be used to distribute and collect fluids and have applications in various engineering fields, especially in the water supply system. The hydraulic design of a submain unit pipeline with multiple outlets is a very important concern for the proper hydraulic performance of irrigation water distribution systems. The operating inlet pressure head, H0I, is a main hydraulic component for the proper hydraulically efficient design and evaluation of pressure head distribution along the line. The energy-gradient ratio (EGR) approach is a useful tool to identify first which type of pressure profile occurs for a given uniform design slope with other hydraulic variables initially known and then, comprehensively evaluate its definite hydraulic characteristics along the line. Knowing the hydraulic properties of any type of pressure profile regarded enables the design engineer to evaluate pressure parameters through the line sections in a simple way. The procedure is simplified by regarding the localized head loss along the pipe but neglecting the change in kinetic head. The present analytical technique performs sufficiently accurately in comparison with the computer-aided software design technique, for all performed simulations.

Assessing Fungal Plant Pathogen Presence in Irrigation Water from the Rio Grande River in South Texas, USA

Irrigation is important in many crop production systems. However, irrigation water can be a carrier of plant pathogens that can enter the system and spread to fields, resulting in crop damage and yield losses. The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas is an important area for agricultural production which depends on the Rio Grande River as a source of water for irrigation. Thus, the presence of plant pathogens in the Rio Grande River could have important implications for crop productivity in the region. Cultured-based methods and molecular identification methods are used for monitoring plant pathogens in irrigation water. However, these methods are labor-intensive and just detect targeted pathogens. To overcome these limitations, in this study, the ITS2 amplicon metagenomic method was applied for evaluating the fungal diversity, composition, and presence of fungal plant pathogens in irrigation water from the Rio Grande River as it leaves the water reservoir (WR) and it arrives at an irrigation valve at a farm (FA). Results from the Shannon (WR = 4.6 ± 0.043, FA = 3.63 ± 0.13) and Simpson indices (WR = 4.6 ± 0.043, FA = 3.63 ± 0.13) showed that there are significant differences in the fungal diversity and community structure between the two locations and the PCA analysis showed a clear differentiation between both fungal communities. Several OTUs identified in both locations included potential plant pathogens from diverse genera including Cladosporium, Exserohilum, and Nigrospora, while others such as Colletotrichum and Plectosphaerella were found only in one of the two locations assessed. This work indicates that microbes, including plant pathogens, may enter or exit throughout the irrigation-water distribution system, thereby modifying the microbial community composition along the way. Understanding the dynamics of plant pathogen movement in irrigation water systems can help growers identify risk factors to develop measures to mitigate those risks. This study also shows the usefulness of the metagenomic approach for detecting and monitoring plant pathogen in irrigation water.

Integrasi Metode Objective Tree Diagram dan Quality Function Deployment dalam Perancangan Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram Pump) untuk Sistem Distribusi Air Irigasi Ramah Lingkungan di Sumatera Barat

This study proposes an integration between the Objective Tree Diagram (OTD) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methods in the design of a Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram Pump) for an environmentally friendly irrigation water distribution system in West Sumatra. The hydram method uses the potential energy of river water to drive the pump without the need for electricity or fossil fuels, thereby reducing negative environmental impacts. This study involved a design phase of Identifying user requirements, Developing an Objective Tree Diagram to decompose the ultimate goals, and Integrating Quality Function Deployment to link user requirements with technical specifications. The design results indicate that the hydram pump can be designed to meet the needs of irrigation systems in West Sumatra. With a minimum waterfall height of 0.5 meters, the hydram pump can produce a head of 10 meters. The inlet flow rate is designed to be a maximum of 0.0354 m3/second, while the outlet flow rate is 0.028 m3/second or approximately 2448 liters daily. Integrating OTD and QFD methods allows designers to comprehensively understand user requirements, connect them with precise technical specifications, and reduce the gap between design and actual needs. This research is expected to contribute to developing an environmentally friendly irrigation water distribution system in West Sumatra. By using an integrative approach of the OTD and QFD methods, the design of the hydram pump can be more targeted and meet user needs. The implications of this research can be utilized as a guide in designing efficient and sustainable irrigation water distribution systems while reducing negative environmental impacts in the region.

Drainage and Irrigation Water System in Peripheral Urban Areas

Polluted water, floods, and inefficient irrigation water distribution system are the main issues of water system conditions of Indonesia especially in peripheral urban areas. In those areas, because of the rapid increased of land prices, the occurrences of small residential areas are massive replacing the existence of productive rice fields. Not only land conversion and mixed land use have been the results, the mix function is also experienced in water system between drainage system and irrigation water system in those areas. Taken Sukoharjo Regency in Central Java Indonesia as a case study, the study is aimed to investigate the integration between irrigation and drainage water system. To trace that, we undertook three analyses: 1) comparing the physical layout of both water system in practices; 2) collating and analysing Indonesia regulations on irrigation and drainage system; 3) analysing the association between 1) and 2). We identified why there is an overlap or intertwined function in the practices. This was done by elaborating the discrepancies and incompatibility through the content analysis of the regulations. The study reveals that the mix function between drainage system and irrigation water system happened because there is dualism in their regulations. This is crucial to coordinate between the provision of drainage system and irrigation water system in Indonesia regulations to prevent the occurrence of intertwined problems and steer water system management toward sustainable condition.

Optimization of Ecologically Safe Water Management in Reclamation Systems Under Water Resources Shortage

The optimized designed irrigation scheme and water distribution system to reduce the anthropogenic impact and remove the pollutants by 20–25 % have been presented. The optimal launch sequencing of the irrigation equipment has been introduced by using the study irrigation area under conditions of water resources scarcity to determine the launch sequences regardless the crop rotation used. The presented model allows to bring down the irrigation water consumption by 30 % while decreasing the working cycle of the irrigation material, specifically by reducing the number of land irrigations without any impact on the yield.

Технико-экономическое обоснование стоимости транспортировки сточных вод для ирригационных целей в административном округе Кербела (Ирак)

Introduction. The study presents an assessment of the economic feasibility of different pipe materials used to transport treated wastewater. The choice was made between pipes made of ductile iron, glass-fiber reinforced polyester (GRP), concrete, and plastic. Hydraulic calculations of operation of an irrigation water supply and distribution system were made using WaterCAD V8i software. Two options of the system operation, that entail different flow rates and diameters, are considered: if the flow rate is equal to 1.16 m3/s and pipe diameters vary from 800 mm to 1,200 mm, and if the flow rate is equal to 4.63 m3/s, and pipe diameters vary from 1,600 to 2,000 mm. Materials and methods. The article analyzes the legal and regulatory documentation on design and construction, urban planning solutions for residential areas, architectural and structural solutions for apartment buildings, statistical and analytical reports on housing construction in Russia, presented on the Internet. Results. Irrigation water represents treated wastewater fed by the wastewater treatment facilities in the city of Karbala, Iraq. Two hydraulic models were designed with account for the above-mentioned costs. Head losses were estimated for each model with regard for all studied materials and pipe diameters using the WaterCAD V8i software and a mathematical model for the purpose of selecting the optimal pipe diameter. Conclusions. A mathematical model was developed to calculate the cost of transporting wastewater in pipes having different diameters and made of four different materials. The ratio of costs to the diameter of pipes, made of four different materials, was identified by developing an empirical equation. The co-authors used the Darcy – Weisbach technique and the Hazen – Williams method to calculate the operating costs with regard for variable diameters, flow rates for the two models, head losses due to friction, annual operation time, annual cost of electric energy, and the energy efficiency of the unit. Thus, a mathematical model was obtained, that can be applied to select the most optimal pipe diameter.

Minimization of Operational and Seepage Losses in Agricultural Water Distribution Systems Using the Ant Colony Optimization

The present study’s main objective is to simultaneously minimize operational and seepage losses in agricultural water distribution systems, relying on the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). For this purpose, the following arrangements were made: i) Hydraulic flow simulation of the distribution systems was conducted by developing an Integrator Delay (ID) model using MATLAB and appraisal performance of the water distribution system, ii) The seepage simulation alongside the system employing a calibrated and validated estimation equation, iii) developing the ACO model to minimize operational and seepage losses within the agricultural water distribution Systems. Two single-objective and one multi-objective functions were considered to minimize seepage loss, operational loss, and both loss components simultaneously. The Moghan irrigation water distribution system, Iran, was selected as the case study. Optimization results revealed that the first through third objective functions managed to reduce the total losses in the Moghan water distribution systems by, respectively, 0.39, 3.1, and 4% compared to the existing conditions. A comparison with the optimization results from LINGO, a nonlinear optimization model, was suggestive of the advantages of the ACO in terms of the optimal result and optimization time. The proposed method can be used as a practical measure to improve water productivity within the scale of agricultural water distribution systems by improving the manual operating system’s performance in the status quo.

Effects of coupling multiple factors on CaCO3 fouling in agricultural saline water distribution systems

Saline water is an alternative resource that could be used to meet agriculture irrigation demands. Fouling, particularly that caused by calcium carbonate (CaCO3), often occurs in saline irrigation water distribution systems, and severely restricts the utilization of saline irrigation water. So far, water acidification is the common practice for avoiding CaCO3 fouling. However, this approach is often ineffective and regularly contributes to environmental pollution. This study investigated an effective practice to overcome CaCO3 fouling issues by regulating shear stress, temperature and ions in saline irrigation water irrigation systems. The effects of different near-wall shear stress at 0.05, 0.20, 0.40 and 0.60 Pa, coupling with temperature of 10, 20 30 and 40 ºC and cations Mg2+ and Fe3+ were analyzed. Results demonstrated that the CaCO3 fouling rate was linearly increased at initial shear stress, while decreased at higher shear stress, and the highest fouling rate was observed at 0.40 Pa, ranging between 21.4%−80.3%. The coupling of temperature and cations with shear stress significantly (p < 0.05) affected the fouling growth rate at each shear stress. The differences in fouling rate (fitting curves slopes k > 1) among different shear stress get larger with increasing temperature, while they decreased and increased with the addition of Mg2+ and Fe3+, respectively, when compared with pure solution of CaCO3. Refinement analysis showed the largest unit-cell volume and lattice parameter of calcite at shear stress of 0.40 Pa, resulting in a significant effect on distribution of fouling particle sizes and morphologies. Moreover, some anti-fouling measures were further proposed based on the formation behavior of CaCO3 fouling. These findings might provide a new perspective to control CaCO3 with potential implications for sustainable saline water management for irrigation.

Simulation and evaluation of agricultural water distribution and delivery systems with a Hybrid Bayesian network model

Regular appraisal performance of the irrigation water distribution systems from the adequacy, equity, and sustainable operation perspectives are essential due to the significant water losses that has been led by the improper adjustments of the hydraulic structures. Appropriate operational strategies could be adapted when the irrigation district authorities have a pragmatic approach to assess the hydraulic behavior of the system. This study develops an intelligent model for i) hydraulic simulation and ii) operational performance evaluation of the agricultural water distribution systems by employing a Hybrid Bayesian Networks (HBNs). The developed model was tested on a real test case located in Iran and under the different operational scenarios. In this regard, firstly, a hydrodynamic model of the test case was developed, calibrated, and validated to simulate the hydraulic condition of the irrigation canal based on a wide range of the canal inflow variations, called operational scenarios. Then, performance assessment was conducted for the scenarios based on adequacy, equity, and efficiency of water distribution perspectives. The results were employed for the training of the HBNs model. The HBNs model configuration was selected based on the irrigation district manages expectations, where the performance indicators of "adequacy," "efficiency" and "equity" of water delivery, needs to be calculated for the canal inflow variations in different operational scenarios. Validation of the developed HBNs model reveals that Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Coefficient of Determination (R2) of the superior model within the entire output nodes are 17.31% and 0.96, respectively. The results indicated the ability of the HBNs Model for the "Simulation/Performance Appraisal" of any operating systems in the irrigation districts. The developed model is a useful tool for i) periodic appraisal performance of the distribution system, ii) operational personals and ditch-riders, and iii) regionalization of the district to facilitate the recurrent inspections and field visiting.

Developing Sprinkler for Seedling Trays Irrigation

This research aimed to develop and evaluate of manual sprinkler for seedling trays irrigation in incubate greenhouses, chassis with wheel and two arms were developed to facilitate sprinkler pull and mechanical transmission by adding eccentric mechanism for sprinkler pump arm instead of manual one. This research also aimed to develop the irrigation water distribution system with multi - point holder and distributing regularly in two directions with increasing the number of irrigation nozzles. Preliminary experiments were carried out to ensure equal discharge of sprinkler nozzles on the same hose axis at factors : irrigation hose inclination angle on the horizontal level (0o, 5o, 10o, 15o and 20o) with Nk (Mini sprinkler and Fog sprinkler) nozzles at wheel : eccentric revolutions We (1:1, 1:2 and 1:4). Developed sprinkler experimented in one of the greenhouses for incubate vegetables seedling trays, at three different tested factors, two types of irrigation nozzles Nt (Mini sprinkler and Fog sprinkler), Wheel : eccentric revolutions (We) (1:1, 1:2 and 1:4), three levels of sprinkler irrigation hose arm height (H) from trays surface (13, 15 and 17) cm. The results showed that: the irrigation hose best inclination angle 10o gave regular discharge l/s. for two types of nozzles. In general, the rate of sprinkler nozzle irrigation discharge (6.3 × 10-2) L/s. and water distribution is steadily increasing with increased We from 1:1 to 1:4 at irrigation hose arm height H = 13 cm.

From farm-scale to lab-scale: The characterization of engineered irrigation water distribution system biofilm models using an artificial freshwater source

Contaminants in freshwater environments, as well as the associated negative impacts on agricultural produce, have emerged as a critical theme of the water–energy–food nexus affecting food safety and irrigation management. Agricultural produce exposed to irrigation with questionable freshwater can internalize and concentrate pollutants. However, the potential risks posed by the ubiquitous presence of biofilms within irrigation water distribution systems (IWDS) remains overlooked, even though such biofilms may harbor and spread pathogenic, chemical, and other environmental pollutants. Our limited knowledge about the role and functional attributes of IWDS biofilms can be blamed mostly to experimental challenges encountered during attempted studies of these biofilms in their natural environments. Hence, a laboratory-based experimental system designed to simulate a freshwater environment was combined with a biofilm reactor capable of recreating the piping environments in water distribution systems. This experimental system was then tested to assess the robustness and repeatability of experimental early-stage biofilms with respect to physical structure and microbial community, using state-of-the-art confocal microscopy and next-generation sequencing, respectively. The results demonstrated the suitability of this laboratory-based experimental system for studying the impacts of selected pollutants on irrigation water distribution systems.

Effectiveness of Irrigation Water Distribution System in Enhancing Rice Cropping Index at Subak Padanggalak, Kedewatan Irrigation Area, Bali

Effectiveness of Irrigation Water Distribution System in Enhancing Rice Cropping Index at Subak Padanggalak, Kedewatan Irrigation Area, Bali

Preliminary study of soil permeability properties using principal component analysis

Soil permeability measurement is undoubtedly important in carrying out soil-water research such as rainfall-runoff modelling, irrigation water distribution systems, etc. It is also known that acquiring reliable soil permeability data is rather laborious, time-consuming, and costly. Therefore, it is desirable to develop the prediction model. Several studies of empirical equations for predicting permeability have been undertaken by many researchers. These studies derived the models from areas which soil characteristics are different from Indonesian soil, which suggest a possibility that these permeability models are site-specific. The purpose of this study is to identify which soil parameters correspond strongly to soil permeability and propose a preliminary model for permeability prediction. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 16 parameters analysed from 37 sites consist of 91 samples obtained from Batanghari Watershed. Findings indicated five variables that have strong correlation with soil permeability, and we recommend a preliminary permeability model, which is potential for further development.

Efisiensi Pemberian Air Pada Jaringan Irigasi Way Bini Kecamatan Waeapo Kabupaten Buru Provinsi Maluku

Dams irrigation system is important facility to ensure the water availability during rice cultivation. The aim of this study was to verify the condition of Way Bini irrigation system in providing irrigation water and water distribution system to meet the needs of rice cultivation in Savana Jaya Village, Waeapo Subdistrict, Buru District. The research used survey method. The results showed that the irrigation water debit required for appropriate rice cultivtion was 677.16 L/sec (0.68 m3/sec) which was smaller than that of the Way Bini dam; 750 L / s (0.75 m3 / s), while the efficiency of the irrigation water requirement was 70% which was categorized as good to excellent.

Modeling of Mixed Crop Field Water Demand and a Smart Irrigation System

Taiwan average annual rainfall is approximately 2500 mm. In particular, 80% of the rainfall occurs in summer, and most of the heavy rainfall is caused by typhoons. The situation is worsening as climate change results in uneven rainfall, both in spatial and temporal terms. Moreover, climate change has resulted the variations in the seasonal rainfall pattern of Taiwan, thereby aggravating the problem of drought and flooding. The irrigation water distribution system is mostly manually operated, which produces difficulty with regard to the accurate calculation of conveyance losses of channels and fields. Therefore, making agricultural water usage more efficient in the fields and increasing operational accuracy by using modern irrigation systems can ensure appropriate irrigation and sufficient yield during droughts. If agricultural water, which accounts for 70% of the nation’s total water usage, can be allocated more precisely and efficiently, it can improve the efficacy of water resource allocation. In this study, a system dynamic model was used to establish an irrigation water management model for a companion and intercropping field in Central Taiwan. Rainfall and irrigation water were considered for the water supply, and the model simulated two scenarios by reducing 30% and 50% of the planned irrigation water in year 2015. Results indicated that the field storage in the end block of the study area was lower than the wilting point under the 50% reduced irrigation water scenario. The original irrigation plan can be reduced to be more efficient in water usage, and a 50% reduction of irrigation can be applied as a solution of water shortage when drought occurs. However, every block should be irrigated in rotation, by adjusting all water gates more frequently to ensure that the downstream blocks can receive the allocated water to get through the drought event.

Distributed Coordination of Asymmetric Compartmental Systems Under Time-Varying Inputs and Its Applications

In this paper, we present new distributed coordination for a set-point regulation of asymmetric compartmental systems under periodically time-varying external inputs. The feature of the proposed coordination is to adjust system parameters, which is directly related to interflow rate among compartments and outflow rate to environment. In contrast to symmetric compartmental systems, there is a difficulty in analysis resulted from a property of compartmental matrix in the asymmetric cases; however, we solve the problem by designing an appropriate coordination range of the system parameters. In order to compensate the time-varying effect in the inputs, we assume that the structure of the inputs is a finite Fourier series, and show that the coordination of the system parameters should have the same structure with the same frequencies. The remainder of the coordination is to determine coefficients of the Fourier series of the system parameters. We develop a distributed update law for obtaining the coefficients. We apply the distributed coordination to water irrigation systems and water distribution systems, and show the effectiveness of the proposed distributed coordination schemes through numerical simulations.

Improvement of sustainability indicators when traditional water management changes: a case study in Alicante (Spain)

Pressurized water systems are designed to guarantee the flow demanded by each user, considering the minimum required pressure. The pressurized water systems have increased water efficiency since their implantation, but they also increased the consumed energy and therefore, the greenhouse gasses emissions. The present manuscript develops the proposal of the sustainable indicators that were selected through deep review. These indicators are related to social-cultural, economic, and environmental criteria. Furthermore as novelty, they were described and applied on a pressurized water network, complementing the energy indexes usually used in the energy audit. To reach the improvement of the sustainability in water systems, new strategies should be developed to improve all sustainability criteria, included the water and energy efficiency. These strategies were developed and analyzed by using of specific hydraulic software (i.e., EPANET) and they were based on operation rules to estimate the hydraulic values (pressure and flow). The operation and the regulation strategies were applied on a particular case study, in which, the energy saving was 12.26%, the cost saving was 15.54%, the reduction of energy footprint of water was 15.04%, and the decrease of GHG was 12.26% although the increase of the distributed volume was 9.07%. Besides, the supply guarantee for both irrigation and urban water distribution systems was increased in the new proposal of water management. Finally, the proposal to replace of a pressure reduction valve by a sustainability recovery machine (e.g., pump working as turbine) contributed with a generation of renewable energy equal to 103,710 kWh/year.

Drip Line Flushing with Chlorine May Not Be Effective in Reducing Bacterial Loads in Irrigation Water Distribution Systems

Irrigation water distribution systems are used to supply water to produce crops, but the system may also provide a protected environment for the growth of human pathogens present in irrigation water. In this study, the effects of drip tape installation depth and sanitization on the microbial quality of irrigation groundwater were evaluated. Drip tape lines were installed on the soil surface or 5 or 10 cm below the soil surface. Water samples were collected from the irrigation source and the end of each drip line every 2 weeks over an 11-week period, and the levels of Escherichia coli, total coliforms, aerobic mesophilic bacteria, and enterococci were quantified. Half of the lines installed at each depth were flushed with sodium hypochlorite for 1 h during week 6 to achieve a residual of 10 ppm at the end of the line. There was a statistically significant (P = 0.01) effect of drip tape installation depth and sanitizer application on the recovery of E. coli, with increased levels measured at the 5-cm depth and in nonsanitized lines, although the levels were at the limit of detection, potentially confounding the results. There was no significant effect of drip tape depth on total coliforms, aerobic mesophiles, or enterococci. In contrast, a statistically significant increase (P < 0.01) in the recovery of total coliforms was recorded from the ends of lines that received chlorine. This may be indicative of shedding of cells owing to degradation of biofilms that formed on the inner walls of the lines. These findings emphasize the need to better understand conditions that may lead to corrosion and increases in bacterial loads inside drip lines during flushing. Recommendations to growers should suggest collecting groundwater samples for testing at the end of drip lines rather than at the source. Guidelines on flushing drip lines with chlorine may need to include water pH monitoring, a parameter that influences the corrosive properties of chlorine.

IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEMS OF TECHNICAL WATER SUPPLY WITH COOLING TOWERS FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS PERFECTION. Part 1

In order to reduce the temperature of cooling water and increase the efficiency of use of power resources the main directions of modernization of systems of technical water supply with cooling towers at steam power plants are presented. The problems of operation of irrigation systems and water distribution systems of cooling towers are reviewed. The design of heat and mass transfer devices, their shortcomings and the impact on the cooling ability of the cooling tower are also under analysis. The use of droplet heat and mass transfer device based on the lattice polypropylene virtually eliminates the shortcomings of the film and droplet-film heat and mass transfer devices of the cooling tower, increasing lifetime, and improving the reliability and efficiency of the operation of the main equipment of thermal power plants. The design of the water distribution devices of cooling towers is also considered. It is noted that the most effective are water-spattering low-pressure nozzles made of polypropylene that provides uniform dispersion of water and are of a high reliability and durability.