Performance Optimization of a Newly Designed Dynamic Fluidic Sprinkler

Abstract

HighlightsThe results confirmed that the optimal combination of structural parameters was achieved with the factor combination of 25 mm length of the tube, 150 kPa pressure, 3 mm diameter of the tube, and 5 mm nozzle diameter.The influencing factors in decreasing order of importance were: working pressure, length of the tube, and nozzle diameter for coefficient of uniformity, and nozzle diameter working pressure and diameter of the tube for range.Droplet velocities from test 7 ranged between 0 and 6.0 m/s, while that from test 2 was slightly larger, ranging from 0 to 6.7 m/s under low-pressure conditions.ABSTRACT: To select the appropriate combination of the factors for the dynamic fluidic sprinkler, hydraulic performance tests at low pressure were conducted. The main structural parameters in this study were the length of the tube (L), pressure (H), the diameter of the tube (M), nozzle diameter (N), they are represented by factors A, B, C, and D, respectively. An orthogonal array with four factors and three levels was selected, and the direct analysis technique was used to analyze the test data. The droplets and velocities data of the sprinkler were obtained by a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor. MATLAB R20014a software was used to calculate the simulated coefficient of uniformity (CU). The results showed that the optimum values of the structural parameters were: the length of the tube (25 mm), the working pressure (150 kPa), the diameter of the tube (3 mm), and the nozzle diameter (5 mm). The factors affecting coefficient of uniformity and range, in decreasing order of importance were nozzle diameter, pressure, length of the tube, and the diameter of the tube. The highest coefficient of uniformity obtained was 91% when the length of the tube was 25 mm. Droplet sizes decreased with the increase of pressure. Droplet size ranging from 0.1 to 4 mm was obtained under test 7 with a mean droplet size of 0.38 mm. The study can give a reference to the operation for saving water in sprinkler irrigated fields. Keywords: Droplet, Dynamic fluidic sprinkler, Orthogonal test, Structural parameter, Uniformity, Velocity.