Sprinkler Irrigation System Design Procedure as outlined in the following figure

The procedure for designing sprinkler systems can be divided into two phases:
 Preliminary design steps
 Adjustment or final design steps
Preliminary design steps comprise the procedure for synthesizing farm data in order to determine
preliminary design parameters, which will be needed in the final design adjustment process.
• The final design steps reconcile the preliminary design parameters obtained with the
irrigation equipment performance characteristics, as well as human, physical and
financial factors.

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The engineering and hydraulic design is concerned with water requirements, irrigation interval,
application rates, choosing a sprinkler type, spacing of sprinklers and laterals and calculating
pipe diameters and pumping requirements. The steps may be outlined as:

1. Determining the depth of water to be applied per irrigation from the irrigation
requirements, the readily available moisture data, the effective rooting depth and the
expected irrigation efficiency.
2. Determine the convenient irrigation time. Day and night irrigation is often used to make
optimum use of the equipment (and because of low evaporation losses at night). A twice-
daily shift is convenient (early morning and late afternoon), thus allowing for 11 hours
application time per setting. The minimum duration for a setting is determined by the
minimum infiltration rate of the soil. The sprinkler application rate should never exceed
the intake rate.
3. Choose a sprinkler type, which fits the application rate from available manufacturer's
data.
4. From the approximate layout of the mains and laterals and the selected sprinkler, opt for
an average nozzle size and an average operating pressure and find the recommended
spacing from the manufacturer's data sheet.
5. Calculate how many sprinklers should operate at the same time to cover the entire area
in the required interval. This will give you the total length of laterals required.

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 6. From the number of sprinklers operating simultaneously and the discharge per sprinkler
(manufacturer's data), calculate the total system capacity. Determine also the discharge
per lateral.
7. Determine the required size of the main line. This determined form the system discharge,
Q, and the allowable friction losses, and availability in the market. Select also the pipe
strength (class). Terrain elevation and possible lateral positioning should be considered.
8. Determine the size of the laterals. The pressure fluctuation in the lateral should be limited
to 20% of the selected operating pressure for the sprinkler. This limits the discharge
fluctuation to 10%. Since a lateral has multiple outlets along its length, the frictional head
loss is determined. Christiansen's adjustment factor is used to modify the calculated
friction losses for a plain pipe.
9. Determine the total dynamic head. One normally starts from the furthest sprinkler on the
farthest lateral. Take the design operating pressure at the nozzle, add the riser height, add
the friction loss in the lateral, add friction loss in the main and add the elevation
difference between the water supply level and the terrain. This will provide the total
dynamic head H.
10. Calculate the power requirement of the engine/motor.
These steps may have to be repeated a number of times until a satisfactory combination of
variables has been obtained.
Estimating costs
After the full hydraulic engineering design has been made, the remaining bill of quantities and
the cost estimate should not be a problem. Some difficulties may arise from assumed or designed
materials not being available, which may necessitate repeating the calculations with the
availability in mind. The following steps can be distinguished:
1. Based on the provisional design, prepare a detailed design layout, indicating length of
pipes, diameters, risers, valves, bends, and all kinds of other accessories.
2. From this detailed design drawing, prepare a bill of quantities for obtaining quotations for
the whole system and make estimates of costs other than direct sprinkling equipment
(pump house, right of way for buried main line, extension of power line, protection, cost
of installation, etc.
3. Obtain quotations from different suppliers and compare among them and with your
budget. See if you can find any savings in your design; otherwise adjust the area, if
necessary.
Establishment of the Irrigation Water Requirement
The quantity of water required for irrigation is:
dnet = (FC-PWP) × RZD × P (1)
ETc = Kc×ETo (2)

, IF=Irrigation Frequency (3)

(4)
System capacity Determination
Following the determination of irrigation water requirement, the following equation will be used
used to compute the theoretical system capacity:
3
 (5)

Determination of Application Rate

The system capacity obtained is compared against the practical required discharge until an
efficient sprinkler selection and spacing is obtained. The practical system capacity due to
application rate is calculated using the following equation:

Where:
Q = required discharge Nc = the number of laterals operating per shift
Ns = the number of sprinklers per lateral, Qs = the sprinkler discharge (from the manufacturer’s
table)
Hydraulic Design of Pipe Network
Main pipe line takes water from the source through the pump. It is desired to design the pipe
network appropriately for uniform water application and economical system cost. As the
sprinkler system requires pressure to operate, both uniformity water application and system
economy are affected by the frictional head loss through the pipes.

Large variation in friction head loss in the lateral or sub main reduces the uniformity in water
application on the other hand too small variation results in high uniformity, which requires larger
pipe size and this makes system more expensive. Hence it requires optimal combination of
hydraulic and economic consideration.

Design of laterals
There are several formulae available in the literature for estimating frictional head loss through
sprinkler pipes. Various pipe flow formulae like Chezy’s formula, Mannig’s formula, Darcy-
Weisbach, Hazen-William Formula etc are available to predict head loss as a function of mean
velocity in pipe. See the following summary of respective equations.

R = Hydraulic Radius (m) = A/P = d/4

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 I = Energy Gradient
hf = Energy head loss (friction loss in m)
L = Length of pipe (m)
CHW = Hazen-William frictional coefficient of Velocity
It is said that Hazen-William’s formula is the best of these formulae in case of pipes between
hydraulically smooth and rough ones. This formula is most often used for designing water supply
systems, because it is most likely that the pipe in the water supply system is transitional pipe.

However the Hazen-Williams equation is commonly adopted and given by

(6)

Where:
Hf (100) = a friction loss per 100 m of pipe, [m/100 m].
C = a friction coefficient which is a function of pipe material characteristics;
Q = the flow of water in the line L s-1;
D = the inside pipe diameter, mm;
K = a constant which is 1.22 × 1012 for metric units,

The value C increases as the pipe increases. As the number of couplers decreases, the value C
increases. Pipe materials with smoother inside wall will have a higher C value. Table.1 provides
the values of C for different pipe materials.

Table. Typical values of C for use in Hazen-Williams equation

Sr. No. Pipe material C

1 Plastic 150
2 Epoxy-coated steel 145
3 Cement asbestos 140
4 Galvanized steel 135
Aluminum (with coupler every 9.0
5 130
m)
6 Steel (new) 130
7 Steel (15 years old) or concrete 100

(Source: Keller and Bliesner, 1990)

Lateral Design summary

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Length, direction, spacing and total number of lateral lines (in solid systems) or lateral positions
(in semi-permanent installations);
 Flow of the lateral = number of emitters per lateral x emitter flow rate
 Number of laterals operating simultaneously = system flow/flow of laterals
 Number of shifts to complete one irrigation = total number of lateral lines or positions
/number of laterals operating simultaneously;
 Duration of application = irrigation dose in mm / application rate in mm/hr,
Or irrigation dose in m3 divided by system flow in m3/hr

Flow Velocity in Pipe

Normally flow velocities in pipes should not exceed 3m s-1 (10 ft s-1). For permanent systems
with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipe, and asbestos cement (AC) pipe used for water
supply, water flow velocity should not exceed 2.25 m s-1 and most manufactures caution against
using water flow velocity in excess of 1.6 m s-1.

Allowable Head Loss in Sprinkler Pipe

Pressure loss occurs due to friction and joints. This should not exceed practical value. Normally
it should be between 15 and 20 % of the total head.
The difference in elevation head is considered while determining the variation in pressure. This
may be laying of laterals in upward slope or down slope. While the lateral is laid on up slope
direction, the less pressure is available at the nozzle while lateral laid on down slope direction,
the additional pressure is available at the sprinkler nozzle due to gain in energy.
Lateral lines: One of the main characteristics of all emitters is the relationship between the flow
rate and operating pressures, usually expressed as:
q =kdH* (7)
Where q is emitter discharge, k and d are constants (coefficients), H is the pressure of the
emitter and * is an exponent characterized by the emitter flow regime and the flow rate curve as
a function of the pressure. The lower the value of *, the less the influence of pressure variations
on the emitter flow rate along the lateral line. Most of the water emitter flow regime is fully
turbulent with an exponent value equal to 0.5.
In order to ensure a high uniformity of water application over the field, the difference in the
discharge of the emitters should be kept to the minimum possible and in no case exceed 10%.
This criterion was established by J. Christiansen for sprinklers and is now applied in all
pressurized systems. As a general rule, the maximum permissible difference in pressure between
two emitters in operation should be no more than 20%. The lateral lines with emitters must be of
a size that does not allow a loss of head (pressure) due to friction of more than 20%.
• This limits overall variations in Sprinkler Discharge to 10%.

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The loss of head due to friction (friction losses) in lateral pipes is taken from a graph or a table.
The reading is usually given as loss of head of water in metres per 100m. However, this
represents the total flow i.e
In a 50 mm quick coupling sprinkler lateral pipe with a 15m3/hr flow, the friction losses are 7%.
If the length of the lateral is 120m, determine the frictional losses. Ans. 7/100 * 120 = 8.4m.
However, this figure is for the total flow of 15m3/hr running the whole length of lateral. Thus,
this is not true as the flow is distributed en route through the emitters. In order to compute the
actual loss, the above figure is multiplied by Christiansen’s reduction coefficient, F, to
compensate for the water delivered along the lateral lines. The F value depends on the number of
outlets uniformly spaced along the pipeline (See table below).F (m=2 or 1.852)

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 TABLE 1: F FACTOR FOR MULTIPLE OUTLETS

Number F - Value Number F - Value

of outlets (m = 2.0) of outlets (m = 2.0)
1 1 12 0.376
2 0.62 15 0.367
3 0.52 20 0.36
4 0.47 24 0.355
5 0.44 28 0.351
6 0.42 30 0.35
7 0.41 40 0.345
8 0.4 50 0.343
9 0.39 100 0.338
10 0.385 > 0.333

Table A: Reduction factor ‘F’ for friction loss in aluminium pipe with
No. of 1st sprinkler is one 1st sprinkler is 1/2 No. of sprinklers 1st sprinkler is one 1st sprinkler
sprinklers on sprinkler interval sprinkler interval on lateral sprinkler interval from is1/2 sprinkler
lateral from main from main main interval 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 0.341
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
Multiple outlets (Source: Michael, 2010)
Assuming that the above example has 10 emitters (sprinklers) on the lateral, F value is 0.385.
Then, in a 50mm quick coupling lateral, 120 m long, with a flow of 15m 3/hr, with 10 sprinklers
of 1.5m3/hr at 2.0 bars, the frictional losses are: 7/100 x 120 x 0.385 = …….. m head of water.
This figure must not exceed the maximum permissible, which is 20% of emitter’s average
operating pressure i.e. 2 bars x 0.2 = 0.4 bars on level ground. Where the lateral slopes
downwards, the difference in elevation is added to the maximum permissible loss of pressure.
Similarly it is deducted where the lateral slopes upwards.

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Pipe with Multi Outlet
When there are no outlets along the length of the lateral or sub main (usually called as closed
pipe line or blind pipe), the head loss due to friction can be computed by Hazen-William formula
(Equation 6) presented again as follows.

Hazen-Williams formula

Q
( )1.852 (8)
H f (m)  kL C 4.87
Where: D
Hf = friction loss expressed as head (m), k = conversion constant; L = length of pipe (m)
Q = volumetric flow rate (l/sec); C = Hazen-Williams friction coefficient
D = pipe diameter (mm) K=1.22*1010
Notice that in this case that K = 1.22*1010 because, it’s not defined as headloss per 100m

However, in sprinkler lateral or sub main, outlets along the length of the pipe are given as
sprinkler heads or sprinkler laterals as the case may be. Flow of water through the closed or blind
pipe of a given diameter causes more frictional head loss compared to that of a pipe with number
of outlets along the length of the pipe which is due to the fact that the flow rate decreases with
every passing outlet.
To accurately compute friction loss in the lateral with multi outlet, start at the last outlet on the
pipe line and work back to the head of the pipeline, computing the friction head loss between
each outlet for the flow rate between two outlets.
In case of multiple outlets the frictional head loss through the blind pipe is computed for the
given flow rate and then multiply with reduction factor (F) due to reducing flow rate. The
reduction factor depends on the number of equally spaced outlets on the lateral.
Assuming first sprinkler is at the same as other sprinklers located on the lateral, The F can be
computed using following expression (Christiansen, 1942).

F = (8)

Where:
F = reduction factor
N = number of outlets
m = exponent used in the head loss equation (In Hazen-William’s equation the m = 1.852
and for Darcy’s Weisbach equation m = 2)
For N>10, the last term in Equation 8 can be omitted.

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Equation 8 was modified for F to account for the first sprinkler being located one-half the
sprinkler spacing from the supply line. It was assumed that no water flows past the last sprinkler.
The modified expression (Equation 9) indicates that the “F” factor is more than 5 percent larger
for N<20.

(9)

Estimates of “F” values are easy to obtain using Equation (2), but these estimates become much
more tedious when using Equation (3) for large values of N.

Fig. 2: Pressure profile in a lateral laid uphill

Design of Main Pipe

As stated earlier the sub main pipe supplies the water to sprinkler lateral and main supplies water
to the sub main. If more numbers of sub mains are operated simultaneously at same time (a case
for the large field) the procedure described for the design of the lateral may be used. However,
when a single sub main is operated, the size of sub main and main pipe line is selected such that
the annual operating cost and initial cost of the sub main line and mainline should be low.

Normally friction loss of 3 m for small sprinkler system and 12 m for large sprinkler systems are
used in design of main pipe line.

38.2 Pumps and Power Units

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Pumps and Power Units
The suitable size of pump is selected considering the maximum total head against which the
pump expected to operate and deliver the required discharge. This is be determined by

(10)

Where,

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 discharge required to be delivered by pump is determined by multiplying the number of

sprinklers that are operated at any given instant of time by the discharge of each sprinkler. Once
the head and discharge of the pumps are known, the pump may be selected from rating curves or
tables provided by the manufacture.

The horse power requirement of pump is given by

hp = Qt × Ht / 75 × nP (11)
Qt = total discharge, L s-1,
Ht = total head, m
np = efficiency of pump(fraction)
Where, the friction loss, Hf in the laterals is within 20% of the average pressure.
The average pressure head, can be expressed approximately by

(11)
Where, = pressure at the sprinkler on the farthest end.
If the lateral is on nearly level land or on the contour, the head at the main is given
Hn = Ho + Hf (12)

Example 1
Design a sprinkler irrigation system to irrigate 5 ha Wheat crop.
Assume
Soil type = silt loam, Infiltration rate at field capacity = 1.25 cm h-1, Water holding capacity = 15
cm m-1, Root zone depth = 1.5 m, Daily consumptive use rate = 6 mm day-1, Sprinkler type =
Rotating head.

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This example is adopted from Tiwari (2009).

Solution:
Step I
Given infiltration capacity =1.25 cm h-1
Hence maximum water application rate = 1.25 cm/h
Step II
Total water holding capacity of the soil root zone = 15 x 1.5 = 22.5 cm
Let the water be applied at 50% depletion, hence the depth of water to be applied
= 0.50 x 22.5 = 11.25 cm
Let the water application efficiency be 90 per cent
Depth of water to be supplied = 11.25 / 0.9 = 12.5 cm
Step III
For daily consumptive use rate of 0.60 cm
Irrigation interval = 11.25 / 0.6 = 19 days
In period of 19 days, 12.5 cm of water is to be applied on an area of 5 ha. Hence assuming 10
hrs. of pumping per day, the sprinkler system capacity would be

Step IV
Let the spacing of lateral (Sm) = 18 m,
Spacing of Sprinklers in lateral (Sl) = 12 m
This selection is based on using following consideration:
Operating pressure of nozzle = 2.5 kg cm-2
Maximum application rate = 1.25 cm h-1
Referring sprinkler manufacturer’s M/S NOCIL, Akola catalogue (Table 38.4), the nozzle
specifications with this operating pressure and application rate is:
Nozzle size : 5.5563 x 3.175 mm
Operating pressure : 2.47 kg/cm2 and
Application rate : 1.10 cm hr-1 (which is less than the maximum allowable application rate
of 1.25 cm h-1)
Diameter of coverage: 29.99 ≈ 30.0 m
Discharge of the nozzle: 0.637 L s-1 = 0.637 x 10-3 m3s-1

To calculate the frictional loss in the lateral:

1. Determine the length of pipe in the lateral and the number of outlets for the lateral;
2. Calculate the frictional loss using the Hazen-Williams equation as if the lateral carried the full
flow through its length; and
3. Multiply the calculated frictional loss by the factor (F), which is a function of the number of
outlets.
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 No. of
1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10
Outlets
F1 1 0.63 0.53 0.48 0.45 0.43 0.41 0.4
F2 1 0.51 0.43 0.41 0.39 0.38 0.37 0.36
NOTE: Use F1 when the first sprinkler on the lateral is one full sprinkler spacing from the
beginning of the lateral. Use F2 when the first sprinkler on the lateral is 1/2 of one normal
sprinkler spacing from the beginning.
Step V

Total no. of sprinkler required = = 14.12 ≈ 14 sprinklers

Considering two sprinkler laterals, therefore 7 sprinklers on each lateral.

Step VI
The sprinklers spaced at 12 m intervals on each lateral. The lateral lines will be at 18 m spacing.

Step VII
Total length of each lateral = 12 x 7 = 84
Operating pressure = 2.47 kg cm-2

Total allowable pressure variation in the pressure head is 20%, hence maximum allowable
pressure variation in pressure = 0.2 x 2.47 = 0.494 kg/cm2 = 4.94 m
Assume pressure variation due to elevation = 2 m
Permissible head loss due to friction = 4.94 – 2 = 2.94 m
Total flow through the lateral = 7 x 0.637 x 10-3 = 4.459 x 10-3 m3s-1

Reduction factor (F) = = 0.333 + 0.071 + 0.0034 = 0.407

Head loss due to friction = using Darcy’s weisbach equation and reduction factor.

Hf =

or 2.94 =

Hence diameter of lateral = 63 mm

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Assume height of riser pipe =1 m
The head required to operate the lateral lines (Hm) = 24.7 + 2.94 + 2 + 1 = 30.6 m
Frictional head loss in main pipe line (Hf) = 30.6 x 0.2 m = 6.12 m

Calculating in the same way as done in case of lateral

or
D = 69.10 ≈ 75 mm
Total design head (H) = Hm+ Hf +Hj +Hs

Where:
Hj = Difference in highest junction point of the lateral and main from pump level = 0.5 m
(assume)
Hs = Suction lift (20 m, assume)
H = 30.6 + 6.12 + 0.5 + 20 = 57.22 m

The pump has to deliver 0.009 m3s-1 of water against a required head of 57.22 m
Hence, the horse power of a pump at 60% efficiency

Set time (Ts)

The set time refers to time each set of sprinklers should operate at the same position so as to
deliver gross irrigation depth. It is given by the following equation:

Where: Ts = set time (hr); Pr = sprinkler precipitation rate (mm/hr)

Pipe size determination
This involves the selection of appropriate diameters of pipe types that can carry a given flow
below the set velocity limit. For instance, the velocity limit for uPVC pipes is approximately
2m/s (Wilson, 2015). The pipe sizes are also determined based on various classes of pipe. uPVC
pipes are available in pressure ratings of 6 bar– Class B, 9 bar – Class C, 12 bar – Class D and 15
bar – Class E. Alternatively, the pipe diameters for use can be determined with the following
equations:

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Where: A = area (m2), V= velocity of flow (m2/s), Q = volume (m3/s)

where: π = Pi Constant d= diameter of pipe

Pipe size determination continued

• For example, the velocity limit for uPVC pipes is about 2 m/s. Also, depending on the water
pressure, different classes of pipes can be selected for the same pipe type.
• uPVC pipes come in pressure ratings of 40 metres (Class 4), 60 metres (Class 6), 100 metres
(Class 10) and 160 metres (Class 16).
• If, for example, the water pressure at a pipe section is 30 metres and uPVC pipe is being
used, then a pipe rated at class 4 should be selected.
• There are a number of different types of pipes. The engineer should consider what pipes are
available on the market and their costs.
• Manufacturers provide friction loss charts, such as those in Figures 5- 8, which can be used
in sizing the pipes.

Water Distribution Test

Once all parts of the sprinkler system are properly installed, a water distribution check should
be conducted to assure that the designed sprinkler spacings give a uniform distribution.
Perform this test during a calm time of the day or observe the wind direction to better interpret
data. Stake out a rectangular grid about the same size as your riser lateral spacings. Set cans in
a square grid 3 to 4 meters apart; containers should be weighed down or anchored so that they do
not tip over. Turn on the irrigation system until the cans have an average of 1.5 cm of water in
them. Afterward, with a ruler or graduated cylinder (a syringe works well also), measure the
depth of water (or volume) in each container and record the data. Arrange the data from smallest
to largest values. Determine the average depth of water in the lowest 25% of the cans, and the
average in all the cans and determine the distribution uniformity.
The Distribution Uniformity (DU) is the ratio (expressed as a percent) between the depth of
water applied by sprinkler irrigation in the low quarter (lowest 25%) to the mean depth applied.

Example: A farmer has sprinklers set up on a 40' 40' (12 m 12 m) grid. He or she sets up 16
cans in a grid at 10 feet (3 m) apart. The values in the cans are as follows:
Can: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Depth: 20 16 17 22 25 22 18 26 28 23 21 23 22 16 15 20
15
 Ordered 15 16 16 17 18 20 20 21 22 22 22 23 23 25 26 28
depth:

The average water measured in the 4 cans (1/4 of all the cans) with the lowest water application
was 16 mm. The average water applied in all the cans is 20.9 mm. The DU is then:

This uniformity is very acceptable in most cases.

In sprinkler irrigation, the infiltrated depths may be represented by applied depths. Acceptable
DU values depend on the value of the irrigation water, crop, energy costs, and labor. Generally,
DU values below 67% are unacceptable; however, with low value water and crops, a 50% DU
may be acceptable. With high value, moisture sensitive crops and high water costs, DU values of
80% or higher may be considered acceptable.

Design of storage tank

- Design of storage tank is necessary to get head for sprinklers,
- For hilly region or terraced land at least 25 m of head is available for sprinklers,
- The capacity of storage tank shall be fixed for one day irrigation,
- The capacity is based on the number of laterals and its discharging capacity
Worked Example
Examples
1. A 76.2 mm diameter aluminum lateral pipe has been designed for sprinkler irrigation
system. The lateral carries 30 sprinklers spaced at 18 metres, with the first sprinkler located
one full sprinkler spacing from the entrance to the sub-main. Water entering the lateral from
the sub-main is maintained at a pressure head of 30m corresponding to a design sprinkler
discharge of 0.16l/s. Assuming the field surface is level and that frictional factor ‘C’ for
aluminum is 135, determine the following:
(a) Required lateral discharge in l/s
(b) Head loss due to friction for a through pipe of equivalent diameter to the lateral, m
(c) Actual headloss in the lateral pipe, m.
(d) Last sprinkler discharge, l/s.
(e) Entrance flow velocity in the laterals, m/s.
Solution
(a) Required lateral discharge, QL
QL = (No. of sprinklers * Sprinkler discharge) = 30* 0.16l/s = 4.8 l/s
(b) Head loss due to friction for a through flow pipe

16
  Q1.852    4.8l / s 1.852 
    
Hf(m) = 1.22*1010 (SL*Ns)  C4.87  = 1.22*1010(18*30)  
135   = 9.33 m
D   76.2 4.87 mm 
   
 
( c) Actual friction head loss for the lateral, Hac
Hac = Hf * (F) (From Table F = 0.367)
= 9.33 m * 0.367 = 3.42 m
(d) Discharge from last sprinkler, qlast
qlast = K(Hlast)0.5 but qd = K(Hd)0.5 but 0.16 l/s = K(30m)0.5 , K = 0.029
qlast = 0.029 ( 30-3.42)0.5 = 0.151 l/s
(e ) Entrance flow velocity into the lateral

Ve = Q/A =
4.8 *10 3 m 3 s 1 = 1.05 m/s
2
 0.0762 
 
 4 
2. A trial configuration of a hand-move sprinkler system has a lateral running down slope
from a mainline along a constant grade of 0.005 m/m. The design operating pressure of the
nozzle is 310 kPa. The trial length of the lateral results in a distance of 400 m between the
first and last sprinkler. Compute the maximum allowable headloss due to friction as m/m.

• Since the lateral runs along a moderate constant grade line, the sprinklers at each end of
the line are critical. Convert the nozzle operating pressure to head.
• Ha = p/[p(g)] = 310,000 Pa/[1000 kg/m3(9.807 m/s2] = Ha = 31.61 m
• Compute the increase in elevation between the two critical sprinklers. Since the elevation
decreases along the lateral, the increase in elevation is negative and equal to the constant
slope times the length of the lateral.
• He = -S l = -0.005 m/m(400 m) = -2.0 m
• Set the allowable pressure differential between the critical nozzles to 20 percent.
Compute allowable headloss due to friction
• HL = [0.20(31.61 m) - (-2.0 m)]/400 m HL = 0.021 m/m
Design Methodology
Software Inventory
a) Google Earth Pro – For viewing, modification of markers and downloading map of the farm.
b) TCX Converter- for converting points generated in Google Earth to comma separated values
that will be used in Surfer.
c) Surfer- For generation of contour map.
d) CROPWAT 8.0 – For establishing crop water requirements and soil parameters.
e) EPANET 2.0 – For designing layout of pipe line systems from water intake to the main and
lateral pipes.
f) Auto – CAD – For drawing project diagrams.

Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Variation in pressure

17
 Q  CxAx 2 xgxH Where
Q - Flow rate
C – Coefficient, which depends on a nozzle type
A - Cross section area of a nozzle
H - Pressure head

Example 3
What is the expected differences in discharge between the two ends of a lateral sprinkler, when
the hydraulic gradient along a lateral pipe is 20%.
The flow rate of a sprinkler is as follows QKx H
Two identical sprinklers have a same coefficient:
Q2 K x H 2

Q1 K x H 1
Q2 H2 H2
 
Q1 H1 H1
H 2  0.8 x H 1 (20%difference)
Q2 0.8 H 1
  0.8  0.89  90%
Q1 H1

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The difference in flow rate between the two ends is 10% (within 20% rule), once the exponent is 0.5.
Example 4
Determine the system’s capacity for a sprinkler irrigation system to irrigate 16 hectares of maize
crop. Design moisture use rate is 5 mm per day. Irrigation efficiency is 70 per cent. Irrigation
period is 10 days in a 12-day interval. The system is to be operated for 20 hours a day.
Solution
Moisture used by the crop during irrigation interval of 12 days= 5x12=60 mm. Hence the net
depth of irrigation to be applied to the crop, d, is 6 cm. Other data to be used in equation (10)
are
Area of the field, A = 16 ha
Operating hours, hr=20 hours
Irrigation period, F = 10 days
Water application efficiency, Ea = 70 %
Substituting these values in equation (10), the capacity of the pumping system, q, is calculated as
follows:

Example 5
Consider a farm where the mainline is located at the middle of the field, the maximum length of
the lateral is 150 metres. It will have 13 sprinklers operating at the same time, delivering 1.16
m3/hr each at 350 kPa pressure to convey the water through 76 mm diameter pipe.
Determine:
(i) flow at the beginning of the lateral
(ii) Frictional loses in a blind pipe 150m
(iii)Frictional loses corresponding to 13 outlets
• Therefore the flow at the beginning of the lateral will be:
Q = 13 x 1.16 m3/hr = 15.08 m3/hr.
• According to the friction loss chart for aluminium laterals (Figure 5) a 76 mm diameter pipe
would have a friction loss of 1.3 m per 100 m of pipe (1.3%).
• If the pipe was just a blind pipe (i.e. without multi-outlets) then the friction loss for a
discharge of 15.08 m3/hr would be: HL = 0.013 x 150 = 1.95 m
• By taking into consideration the "F" factor corresponding to 13 outlets (sprinklers),
HL = 0.013 x 150 x 0.373 = 0.73 m
• If instead of 76 mm, 63 mm pipe is used then HL = 0.033 x 150 x 0.373 = 1.85 m
• Assuming that each valve hydrant would serve 3 lateral positions (one on each side of the
hydrant and one at the hydrant), then the friction losses for the 18 m aluminium pipe (header)
with a flow of 15.08 m3/hr should be included in the friction losses for the lateral:
HL = 0.013 x 18 = 0.23 m for the 76 mm pipe.
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• Therefore the total friction losses in the 76 mm lateral, when the header is used, are 0.96 m
(0.73 + 0.23).
• If the 63 mm pipe is used the friction losses in the header will be
HL = 0.033 x 18 = 0.59 m
• Therefore, the total friction losses in the 63 mm lateral, when the header is used, will be 2.44
m (1.85 + 0.59)

Tutorials
Q.1 Briefly describe the unique features of a sprinkler system that makes it ideal for irrigation in
most situations.
Q.2. Briefly describe the most important components of a furrow irrigation design.
Q.3. Briefly describe a semi- portable sprinkler irrigation system, and show reasons why it is
considered the ideal system in certain situations.

Q.4. Ten (10) micro-sprinklers are installed along a plastic lateral pipe (grade 4) at 10 m apart (the
first sprinkler is 5 meters). The flow rate of the selected sprinkler is qs = 120 l/h, at a pressure of hs
= 20 meters. The riser height is 0.15 m (which can be ignored). What is the appropriate lateral
pipe diameter?
Q. 5: A fruit tree plot (96 x 96 m) is designed for irrigation with a solid set system. A manifold is
laid throughout the center of the field. The whole plot is irrigated simultaneously. The flow rate
of the selected micro-sprinkler is qs = 0.11 m3/hr at a pressure (hs) of 2.0 atmosphere. The space
between the micro-sprinklers along the lateral is 8 meters and between the laterals is 6 meters.
What is the required diameter of the pipes?
Q. 6: A polyethylene lateral pipe, grade 4, has 10 micro-sprinklers at 10 meters apart, while the
first is only one half way. The flow rate of the selected sprinkler is qs = 120 l/h at hs = 20 meters.
The riser’s height is 0.15 meter (can be ignored). What is the required pipe for the lateral pipe?

Q.7: A flat field, 360 x 360 m, is irrigated with a hand moved aluminum lateral pipe (C = 135).
The water source to the lateral pipe is from a sub-main, which crosses the center of the field. The
selected sprinklers are Naan 233/92 with a nozzle size of 4.5 mm, pressure of 25 m (hs) and flow
rate (qs) of 1.44 m3/hr. The space between the sprinklers is 12 meters apart, and the location of
the first sprinkler is 6 meters away from lateral inlet. The riser height is 0.8 m and diameter of
3/4". Carry out design computations.

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Q.8. Given a surveyed piece of land (18ha) Fig 1, Design a suitable commercial semi portable
system: The following soil and crop data are provided;
 Soil medium texture loam
 Crop Wheat peak daily use 5.8mm/day
 Root Zone Depth (RZD) = 0.7
 Available moisture 140mm/m and Allowable depletion (P) = 50% or 0.5
 Soil Infiltration rate 6mm/hr.
Computation
(a) Calculate the net depth of application
(b) Determine the gross depth for the system operating at 85% efficiency
(c) Calculate Irrigation frequency
(d) Calculate the set time
(e) Calculate the preliminary system capacity
(f) Select appropriate sprinklers for the given conditions
(g) Complete the design, layout and produce a Bill of Quantities.

Figure 1 : Farm map

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