Experimental research on the jet-breaking characteristics and hydraulic performance of a novel automatic rotating sprinkler

Abstract

Abstract To improve the performance of sprinklers that work under low pressure, a new type of automatic rotating sprinkler equipped with different water dispersion devices was designed and the jet diffusion angle and hydraulic performance of the new and original sprinklers were compared using experimental methods. The results indicate that, when the working pressure is below 200 kPa, the jet diffusion angle of the new sprinkler with the water dispersion device B is the largest. Although the pattern radius of the new sprinkler is slightly lower than that of the original, it is more effective in improving the combined coefficient of uniformity (CU) at lower working pressures. Specifically, when the working pressure was 100 kPa, the new sprinkler with the water dispersion device B, which has a square inner hole with a side length of 6.2 mm, improved the CU by 54.89% on average. Remarkably, the CU of the new sprinkler with water dispersion device B at a working pressure of 100 kPa was 6.65% higher than that of the original sprinkler at a working pressure of 200 kPa. The research results provide valuable insights into the design of sprinklers to improve the performance of low-pressure sprinkler irrigation systems.