Evaluating Sensitivity to Clogging by Solid Particles in Irrigation Emitters: Assessment of a Laboratory Protocol
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 11
Abstract
As drip irrigation develops rapidly worldwide, the need for a standardized method to evaluate emitters’ clogging sensitivity is reinforced. Methodologies for evaluating the sensitivity of emitters to clogging enable identification of trends in the change in performance of emitters operated under clogging risk, selection of emitter designs with higher performance for a given set of water characteristics, and recommendation of a consistent filtration method and maintenance routines. In this study, a clogging test protocol for evaluating the sensitivity of emitters to clogging caused by suspended solid particles was assessed to improve the reliability of test results and analyze the impact of sample size (number of emitters) on clogging result accuracy. Two models of integrated non-pressure-compensating emitters were tested in three replications. The clogging test procedure consisted of four stages that varied in size and concentration of solid suspended particles. The results enabled accurate assessment of the combination of size and concentration of particles that caused clogging in each emitter model, thereby revealing trends in the sensitivity of emitters to clogging, which were not dependent on emitter sample size. Recommendations for an international standardized clogging test protocol are proposed.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the São Paulo State Scientific Foundation (FAPESP-Brazil, Projects Nos. 2015/19630-0 and 2018/20099-5) for financial support and to the Universidade de São Paulo - Comité Français d'Évaluation de la Coopération Universitaire et Scientifique avec le Brésil (USP-COFECUB) program of academic cooperation between French and Brazilian researchers (Project No. 2015-3). This study was also financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 11 • November 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 3, 2020
Accepted: Jun 29, 2020
Published online: Aug 18, 2020
Published in print: Nov 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jan 18, 2021
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