Center Pivot SIS

-Continuously moving lateral line

-Lateral self propelled
-Fixed at one end and rotates
-Irrigates large circular area
-Fixed end-pivot point-
connected to water supply
-Consists series of spans – 30 to 50 m long carried 3 m above ground
by drive unit-
A frame on motor driven wheels 40 m apart
-Lateral Pipe size - 100- 250 mm, 168mm most common
- 400m long (70 -800 m)
-Cover an circular area of 50 ha in square of 65 ha
-End Gun irrigates additional 1- 4 ha
-Moving pipe fitted with impact nozzle Sp or spray nozzles Sp
-Area irrigated by each sprinkler grows larger towards moving end so q
increases or spacing decreases or both
 -Power unit used to drive wheels-
Electric motor- most common- rotates CW and AC Wise
Water pistons, water sp and Turbines, hydraulic oil motors,
air pistons
-Suitable- all field crops- field should be free of obstructions
-Best for soils having uniform infiltration and topography
-Permanently installed- in Sq field-64 ha-
9-12 ha corners un-irrigated
-Most popular in USA-
- Easy to manage, reliable and simple, can apply light and
frequent irrigations, little labour requirement
 Advantages:
-Water delivery simplified due to stationary pivot point
-Guidance and alignment controlled at fixed pivot point
-High water distribution uniformity,
-At end of Irrigation system at starting point
-Good irrigation management-
accurate and timely application of water , fertilizer
and chemicals.
-Economic consideration- irrigate large circular area
-Cost ∞ radius (R ) but Area irrigated ∞ R2
- Common Radius- 400m – 64 ha square field irrigated
– Quarter sector (USA)
 Disadvantages:
-Irrigates 50 -55 ha/ 65ha- 20% area left un-irrigated
-Application rate at outer edge very high
-Light and frequent irrigation except for sandy soil- more
evaporation losses and high maintenance cost
-High pipe friction as more water to be carried to outer end
-On sloping fields- up/down- operating pressure variation are
significant
General Design Concept
-Minimum rotation timer -24 h,
High speed- 12h ,
Advisable to base CP capacity requirement on 90% of
the time-
22 h/d , 7 d/week
 Sprinkler Spacing:
i) Uniform Sp spacing- 9-12 m-
q increases ∞ distance from pivot point ( R )

ii) Semi- uniform Sp spacing-

lateral divided into 3-4 reaches-
different uniform SS in each reach-
wider SS near pivot point- outlet at every 3m
-SS 12m in I/3 , 6m in II/3 and 3m SS in III/3

iii) Uniform Sp discharge-

Most common-near pivot SS-12m –
decrease to 1.5m at outer end
SS ∞ 1/R, SS * R = constant
 Application Frequency and Depth:
-Light and frequent irrigation- every 1 or 2 d (evap loss high)
-Daily consumptive use rate, Ud , multiplied by a factor Kf-
-Average Gross depth of water application d’-
d’ = Kf Ud/Epa,
kf α ( irrig interval and Transpiration rate)= 1 -1.2
Epa= application efficiency = ( 1-Ls)(1-Ld)
System Capacity:
Qs = Qb + Qg = L2 d’ / K T + Qg
Qb = discharge to basic circular field, L/s,
Qg= discharge for end –gun, L/s
L= radius of basic circle, m,
T= average Daily operating time h, K =1146
Travelling Sprinkler Or Traveller:
-High capacity
-Water fed with flexible hose
-Mounted on self powered chases or
moving vehicle
-Travel along a straight line
-Use Gun Sp- q=32 l/s, Dw > 120m
Major components of TSS-
Pumping plant, Main Line, Flexible
hose, traveller unit and Gun Sprinkler
Types- i) Drag hose behind- cable drawn or self propelled- pulls itself
along by winding in cable- drag hose behind it
ii) Hose pull the sprinkler- Hose fed TS- pulled by winding up the
hose. Hose real may be at water supply end or Sp end
4321 1234
-European Travellers- have ridge hose- does not lie flat- pull
Sp by reeling up hose
– Some TS have self-contained pumping plant
mounted on vehicle, pump water directly from a ditch
while the unit moves
-Some TS –equipped with boom- width of wetted
strip = 120 m
-Hose may be connected to buried
pipeline – supply water under pressure
-Hose dia=100 mm, L=200 m,
unit can travel 400 m unattended
-After use- hose can be drained, flattened and wounded
onto a real
-Frequently use part circle Sp- dry part positioned on tow
path
-Requires high pressure- 450-690 Kpa at Sp,
140-280 Kpa hose losses
-Best suitable for light supplemental irrigation
-Used for all crops

-Advantages and Disadvantages – same as for Gun Sprinklers

Preliminary design steps
-General sprinkler design principles such as depth of water application,
optimum application rates, system capacity and others are similar as for set
system
-Net depth of water application and irrigation frequency can be calculated as:
dnet = (FC-PWP) x RZD x P (mm)
dgross =dnet (mm)/E
Irrigation Frequency (IF) =dnet (days)/wu
- Preliminary system capacity (Q) can be obtained using the equation:
Q = K x A x d/ f x T
Where: Q = system capacity (l/s)
K = a conversion constant, 2.78
A = design area (ha)
d = gross depth of water application (mm)
f = irrigation frequency or operation time allowed for completion of 1
irrigation (days)
Sprinkler wetting patterns
- Use Gun sprinklers: apply water to the full circle or part of the circle.
-In general, part circle coverage has a higher uniformity than full circle
-Sprinkler can be chosen from Table for the design discharge
-From Table- a gun sprinkler with a nozzle diameter of 30.5 mm and
operating at 56.24 m head will discharge 24 l/s.
-Diameter of coverage of the sprinkler at that pressure is 120.4 m.
-Precipitation (applicarion)rate should not exceed the soil infiltration rate.
-Application rate of the sprinkler calculated as:
I = K x Q x 360 /π x (0.9 x R)2 x w
Where: I = approximate sprinkler application rate (mm/hr)
K = conversion constant, 360
Q = sprinkler discharge (l/s)
R = wetted radius of sprinkler (m)
w = portion of circle receiving water (degrees)
This equation assumes that 90% of the radius receives sufficient water.
Travel speed

dg =k x Q/ v x W
Where:
dg = gross depth of water application (mm)
k = conversion constant, 60
Q = sprinkler discharge (l/s)
v = travel speed (m/min)
W = tow-path spacing (m)
-Alternatively
v =k x Q/ dg x W
 Example:
Travelling sprinkler irrigation system was to be designed to irrigate wheat crop grown in 24
ha ( 600 m X 400m). The soil of the farm was Sandy Loam. The source of water was located in
the centre of the field. General field slope was 0.4% along the length. The part circle Gun
sprinkler with wetted sector angle of 285 degree was
to be used. The following additional data was available.
S=0.4% 600m
-Effective crop root zone depth = 90 cm
-Available water holding capacity of the Soil =100 mm/m 400m
-Allowable depletion = 40 % Traveler movement
-Peak period irrigation requirement =6 mm/d
-Traveller sprinkler efficiency =75 %
-Operating time per day =23 h/d
-Prevailing wind velocity =6 km/h

Determine the following

i) System layout ii) Net and Gross Depth of irrigation
Iii) Irrigation frequency iv) System capacity
v) Select sprinkler
vi) Approximate sprinkler application rate
vii) Tow path sprinkler spacing
viii) Travel speed
Calculate net depth of irrigation dn = 0.9*100*0.4 = 3.6 cm
Gross depth of irrigation dg = dn/Ei = 3.6/0.75 = 4.865 cm
Calculate irrigation interval t =dn/ETc =3.6/6 = 6 days
Daily gross depth of water application
= dg/t = 4.865/6 =0.811 cm/day
Calculate system capacity Q = K x A x d/ f x T
= 2.78*24* 48.65/1*23 =23.6 l/s
Select Sprinkler from Table 29 for Q ≈ 23.6 l/s -
Q = 23.98 l/s, Dwet = 120.4 m, Operating pressure = 56.24 m
Deter mine Travel width W based on U2 as % of Dwet from
Table 31 = 75% of Dwet
W = 90.3 m, Number of travel paths = 600/90.3 = 6.64
number = 7 number
One Travel path irrigated each day and we need to complete
irrigation in 6 day. Therefore, select a sprinkler having wider
Dwet from Table 29 , say selected sprinkler is as
Q= 28.08 l/s, Dwet = 131.06 m, P=77.33 m,
So W = 0.75 *131.06 = 98.3 m
Number of the travel paths =600/98.3 = 6.1 = 6 OK,
So W = 600/6 = 100m
Application rate of the sprinkler calculated as:
I = K x Q x 360 /π x (0.9 x R)2 x w
=3600*28.08*360/ 3.148 ( 0.9 *50)^2 * 285 = 20 mm/h

Calculate travel Speed as v =k x Q/ dg x W

=60*28.08/48.65*100 = 0.34 m/min