DESIGN OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SYSTEM

A sprinkler irrigation system, to suit the conditions of a particular site, is specially designed in order to achieve high efficiencies in its performance and
economy. The step-by-step procedure in the planning and design of a sprinkler irrigation system is as follows:
• Inventory of Resources and Conditions:
– Map of the area: It is prepared and drawn to scale with sufficient accuracy to show all dimensions so that lengths of main and laterals can be scaled
therefrom. It should be a contour map or at least, should show all relevant elevations with respect to water supply, pump location, and critical
elevations in the fields to be irrigated.
– Water supply: Water should be chemically suitable for irrigating the crops and soil. It should not have any corrosive effect on the equipment. It
should be relatively clean and free from suspended impurities so that the sprinkler lines and nozzles are not clogged.
– Climatic conditions: The consumptive use of crop depends upon the climatic parameters such as temperature, radiation, intensity, humidity, and
wind velocity. System is designed for daily peak rate of consumptive use of crops irrigated by it. A peak demand in the range of 2 to 10 mm
depth/day is equivalent to a continuous flow of 0.23 to 1.16 litres/sec/ha.
– Depth of irrigation: Calculated on the basis of available moisture holding capacity of the soil in its different layers and the soil moisture extraction
pattern of the crop in its root zone depth.
– Irrigation intervals: ‘Length of time allowable between successive irrigations during the peak consumptive use of the crop.’ It can also be varied
by altering the hours of set.
– Water application rate: Limited by the infiltration capacity of soil.
Soil texture and profile 0-5% Slope 5-8% Slope 8-12% Slope 12-16% Slope
Coarse sandy soil to 2 m 5.0 cm/h 3.7 cm/h 2.5 cm/h 1.3 cm/h
Coarse sandy soils over more compact soils 3.7cm/h 2.5 cm/h 2.0 cm/h 1.0 cm/h
Light sandy loams to 2 m 2.5 cm/h 2.0 cm/h 1.5 cm/h 1.0 cm/h
Light sandy loams over more compact soils 2.0 cm/h 1.3 cm/h 1.0 cm/h 0.8 cm/h
Silt loams to 2 m 1.3 cm/h 1.0 cm/h 0.8 cm/h 0.5 cm/h
Silt loams over more compact soils 0.8 cm/h 0.6 cm/h 0.4 cm/h 0.3 cm/h
Heavy textured clays or clay loams 0.4 cm/h 0.3 cm/h 0.2 cm/h 0.1 cm/h
– Sprinkler spacing: To achieve uniform sprinkling of water, it is necessary to overlap the area of influence of the sprinklers. The overlap increases
with the increase in wind velocity.
Average wind speed Spacing
No wind 65% of the diameter of the water spread area of a sprinkler
0 – 6.5 km/hr 60% of the diameter of the water spread area of a sprinkler
6.5 – 13 km/hr 50% of the diameter of the water spread area of a sprinkler
Above 13 km/hr 30% of the diameter of the water spread area of a sprinkler
– Power source: Electric power is most convenient when the pump is stationary. Their initial and maintenance costs are less. Portable diesel pumping
sets are the most suitable and practical for fully portable sprinkler systems.
• Types of Systems and Layout: With the type of sprinkler determined, based on pressure limitations, application rates, cover conditions, crop
requirements, and availability of labour, the next step is to determine the location of the pumping unit, the orientation of mains and laterals, sprinkler
spacing, operating pressure, and nozzle sizes that will most nearly provide the optimum water-application rate with the greatest degree of uniformity of
distribution.
– Location and nature of water supply. The source of water supply for sprinkler irrigation is usually a tube well or open well located on the farm.
Sometimes, however, surface water sources may also be used with sprinkler irrigation system. The well may be located at a high corner or, more
likely, at the centre of the farm to minimize the distance the water must be pumped. The layout of the mains will depend on the location of the
well. It is advantageous if the pump for the well is designed to lift the water and provide necessary pressure to overcome the friction loss in the
pipelines and to operate the sprinklers. Sometimes it may be necessary to adopt a sprinkler irrigation system with an already laid underground
pipeline water distribution system or field channels. In case of underground pipelines, a portable pumping plant can be used with the suction
attached to the hydrants mounted on the pipe outlets. In case of field channels running along one edge of the farm, a portable pumping set and
sprinkler unit with the lateral extending to the field may be used to draw water directly from the channel and distribute it through the sprinklers.
Alternatively, the channel can be run down the centre of the field. The laterals will then be only half as long so that smaller length laterals could
be used, but the channel may interfere with tillage operations and may result in some reduction in the net area cropped. Another alternative is to
have a permanent pumping plant at the source and distribute the water in buried pressure pipelines. These pipelines will usually run down the
centre of the field so that the outlets will offer little hindrance to tillage and other farm operations.

Layout plan for sprinkler irrigation system. The laterals are moved to Typical field layouts for fully portable sprinkler units
successive positions up on one side of the main and then down on the other drawing water from streams or field channels.
– Orientation of laterals: To obtain a reasonable degree of uniformity in the discharge of each sprinkler, the mains should be located in the general
direction of the steepest slope, with the laterals at right angles thereto and as close as is practical to the contour. The usual design is based on the
lateral being level. If the lateral slopes upgrade appreciably, it is difficult to design for a reasonable length. If it slopes downgrade, the length can
be longer than usual, but rarely does the slope remain uniform for each setting. Any system in which the laterals are moved should be planned for
successive irrigations in strict rotation, so that the interval between irrigations is the same for each portion of a field. This means that, with a main
located along the middle of a field, a given lateral will normally be moved to successive positions up one side all hen down the other. Otherwise,
when the irrigation of one side has been completed, the lateral would have to be carried all the way back to the lower end in order to start over
again.
• Sprinkler selection and spacing: The required discharge of an individual sprinkler is a function of the water application rate and the two-way spacing
of the sprinklers. It may be determined by the following formula: q  Sl  Sm  I ; in which, q = required discharge of individual sprinkler, litres/second;
360
Sl = spacing of sprinklers along the laterals, metres; Sm = spacing of laterals along the main, metres; I = optimum application rate, cm/hr.
– Height of sprinkler riser pipes: The height of the risers depends upon the maximum height of the crop. To avoid excessive turbulence in the riser
pipes, the minimum height of riser is 30 cm when the riser pipe is of 2.5 cm diameter and 15 cm when it is of 1.8 to 2 cm diameter.
• Capacity of the Sprinkler System: depends on the size of the area to be irrigated (design area), the gross depth of water applied at each irrigation, and
the net operating time allowed to apply water to this depth. System capacity may be calculated as follow: Q  2780  A  d ; in which, Q = discharge
FH E
capacity of the pump, litres/sec; A = area to be irrigated, hectares; d = net depth of water application, cm; F = number of days allowed for the completion
of one irrigation; H = number of actual operating hours/day; E = water application efficiency, %. F and H are of major importance as they have a direct
bearing on the capital investment per hectare required for equipment. Greater the product of these two factors (operating time) the smaller is the system
capacity (hence the cost) for a given area.
• Hydraulic Design of sprinkler systems: The hydraulic design of sprinklers is aimed at obtaining a uniform irrigation coverage, the desired rate of
application, the breakup of sprinkler drops necessary to minimize structural deterioration of the soil surface, and the efficiency desired to reduce the
energy requirement in operating the system and to maximise the area of coverage. The main hydraulic principles involved in a sprinkler system design
are given below.
– Discharge of sprinkler nozzle: The discharge of a sprinkler nozzle may be computed from the following orifice flow formula derived by Toricelli:
3 2
q  Cd  a  2 gH ; in which, q = nozzle discharge, m /sec, a = cross-sectional area of nozzle or orifice, m , H = pressure head at the nozzle, metres,
g = acceleration due to gravity, m/sec2, Cd = coefficient of discharge which is a function of friction and contraction losses (the coefficient Cd of
good nozzles should be 0.95 to 0.96).
– Water spread area of sprinkler: The area covered by a rotating head sprinkler may be estimated by the following formula suggested by Cavazza:
R  1.35  dH ; in which, R = radius of wetted area covered by the sprinkler, metres, d = diameter of nozzle, metres, H = pressure head at the
nozzle, metres. Maximum coverage is attained when the jet emerges from the sprinkler at an angle of 30° to 32° above the horizontal. Most rotating
sprinklers are standardised at 30°.
– Break-up of jet: Some break-up of the jet of water is necessary to attain uniformity of coverage and to minimize the presence of excessively large
drops. The larger drops lose less velocity and travel farther. They also strike the soil surface at a higher velocity, with more energy to cause
structural deterioration of the soil surface. There is need for some compromise among distance of throw, uniformity of coverage, and effect on the
soil surface. There is a natural tendency of jets to break-up because of air resistance, and the break-up increases with pressure. The break-up is
usually increased by having slots in the nozzle or by a pin impinging on the jet. Slow rotation sprinklers, which make about 0.67 to 1 rpm for small
sprinklers and 0.25 to 0.5 rpm for large sprinklers, provide good coverage. The following empirical formula suggested by Tanda (Pillsbury, 1968)
provides an index of jet break-up: Pd  H  10q 0.4 ; in which Pd = index for jet break-up, H = pressure head at nozzle, metres, q = sprinkler
discharge, litres/sec. It has been noticed that if Pd is greater than 2, the condition of drop size is good; if 4, the condition of drop size is best; and
if greater than 4, pressure is being wasted.
– Rate of application: The average rate of application, often called “precipitation intensity”, for a single sprinkler may be estimated by the following
formula: R  q in which Ra = water application rate, cm/hour, q = rate of discharge of sprinkler, litres/sec, A = wetted area of sprinkler, m2
360  A
a

• Design of Sprinkler Laterals: A sprinkler lateral has equally spaced sprinklers along its length. In the beginning the flow will equal the combined
discharge of all the sprinklers. This will decrease along the line until, at the farthest end, there will be only the flow of the last sprinkler. Therefore, the
friction loss in a lateral will be much less than if the total flow were carried through the entire length of the line. However, many authorities advise
against ‘tapering’ of pipe diameters in laterals, as it then becomes necessary to keep the various pipe size in the same relative position. The system may
also be less adaptable to other fields and situations. It is recommended that the total pressure variation in the laterals, when practicable, should not be
more than 20 % of the higher pressure. If the lateral runs uphill or downhill, allowance for this difference in elevation should be made if determining
the variation in head. If the water runs uphill, less pressure will be available at the nozzle; if it runs downhill, there will be a tendency to balance the
loss of head due to friction. It is necessary to compute the friction loss in the lateral line where flow decreases along its length. A simple approximate
procedure, devised by Christiansen (1942), has become standard. First, ascertain the friction loss with full flow to the end of the line, using appropriate
formulae or the values given in Appendix H, Table H1 to H5 (based on Scobey’s formula). Next, refer to Table given below for “F” factors by which
the friction loss with full flow to the end of the line are multiplied to obtain the approximate friction loss in the lateral. By this method and through trial
and error, it will be possible to select a lateral of the proper size, so that the friction loss will not exceed that which is allowable.
Table: Correction factor ‘F’ for friction losses in aluminium pipes with multiple outlets
Correction factor F when Correction factor F when
Number of Number of
1st sprinkler is 1 1st sprinkler is ½ 1st sprinkler is 1 1st sprinkler is ½
sprinklers sprinklers on
sprinkler interval sprinkler interval sprinkler interval sprinkler interval
on lateral lateral
from main from main from main from main
1 1.000 1.000 16 0.365 0.345
2 0.625 0.500 17 0363 0.344
3 0.518 0.422 18 0.361 0.343
4 0.469 0393 19 0.360 0.343
5 0.440 0.378 20 0.359 0.342
6 0.421 0.369 22 0.357 0.341
7 0.408 0.363 24 0.355 0341
8 0398 0.358 26 0.353 0.340
9 0.391 0.355 28 0.351 0.340
10 0.385 0.353 30 0.350 0.339
11 0.380 0.351 35 0.347 0.338
12 0.376 0.349 40 0.345 0.338
13 0.373 0.348 50 0.343 0.337
14 0.370 0.347 100 0.338 0.337
15 0.367 0.346 > 100 0.335 0.335
The design capacity for sprinklers on a lateral is based on the average operating pressure. Where the friction loss, Hf, in the laterals is within 20 %
of the average pressure, the average head, Ha, for design in a sprinkler line can be expressed approximately by Ha = Ho + ¼ Hf; in which Ho is the
pressure at the sprinkler on the farthest end. Thus, the average pressure is equal to the pressure at the farthest end plus one-fourth the friction loss.
Where the lateral is on nearly level land or on the contour, the head (pressure) Hn at the main is Hn = Ho + Hf.
By Solving for Ho in equation Ha = Ho + ¼ Hf, by substituting in equation Hn = Ho + Hf and by making an allowance for differences in elevation
along the lateral. Hn = Ha + ¾ Hf ± ¾ He + Hr; in which, He = maximum difference in elevation between the first and last sprinklers on the lateral,
metres, and Hr = the riser height, metres. The term ¾ He is positive if the lateral runs up the slope and negative if it runs down the slope. This term is
an approximation since the allowance for the difference in elevation varies with the number of sprinklers on the lateral.
 Pressure profile in sprinkler irrigation lateral laid uphill Pressure profile in sprinkler irrigation line laid downhill
• Main Line Pipe Size: The function of the main lines and sub-mains is to convey the required quantity of water at the desired pressure to all lateral lines
under maximum pressure conditions. The selection should be based on economic considerations. Main line friction loss of about 3 m for small systems
and 12 m for large systems may be allowed. The friction losses in main lines of the portable aluminium pipe can be determined Appendix H, Tables
H1 and H3. Semi-rigid plastic irrigation pipelines manufactured of PVC or asbestos compound are also used in sprinkler irrigation. In designing
sprinkler irrigation, water may be pumped through low pressure reinforced cement concrete (RCC) pipes to a booster pump employed to pump water
directly in the laterals. Appendix H Tables H4 and H5 provide, respectively, the friction loss in PVC or asbestos compounds and asbestos cement
pressure pipes.
• Pumps and power Units: In selecting a suitable pump, it is necessary to determine the total head against which the pump is working. This may be
determined by: Ht = Hn + Hm + Hj + Hs in which Ht = total design head against which the pump is working, m, Hn = maximum head required at the main
to operate the sprinklers on the lateral at the required average pressure, including the riser height, m, Hm = maximum friction loss in the main and in the
suction line, m, Hj = elevation difference between the pump and the junction of the lateral and the main, m, and Hs = elevation difference between the
pump and the source of water after drawdown, m. The amount of water that will be required is determined by multiplying the number of sprinklers by
the capacity of each. When the total head and rate of pumping are known, the pump may be selected from rating curves or tables furnished by the
manufacturer.