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Optimization of groundwater abstraction system and distribution pipe in pressurized irrigation systems for minimum cost

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Abstract

A tool named DOPIR (Dimensioning Of Pressurized IRrigation) was developed to optimize the process of water abstraction from an aquifer for pressurized irrigation systems. This tool integrates the main factors throughout the irrigation process, from the water source to the emitter. The objective is to minimize the total cost of water abstraction and application (C T) (investment (C a) + operation (C op) per unit of irrigated area according to the type of aquifer, crop water requirement and electricity rate periods. To highlight the usefulness of this tool, DOPIR has been applied to a corn crop in Spain with a permanent sprinkler irrigation system, considering two types of aquifer: confined and unconfined. The effects of parameters such as the static water table in the aquifer (SWT), irrigated area (S), number of subunits in the plot (NS), sprinkler and lateral pipe spacing, and average application rate (ARa) on C T have been analyzed. Results show that energy cost (C e) is the most important component of C T (50–72 % in the case studies). Thus, it is very important to adapt the design and management of the irrigation and pumping system throughout the irrigation season to the energy rate periods.

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Abbreviations

A :

Investment annuity (€ T−1)

ARa :

Average application rate of the irrigation system (L T−1)

c :

Coefficient of the characteristic curve

C :

Friction coefficient

C a :

Investment annuity per unit of irrigated area (€ L−2 T−1)

C as :

Investment annuity per unit of irrigated area, only in subunit (€ L−2 T−1)

C e :

Energy annuity per unit of irrigated area (€ L−2 T−1)

C es :

Energy annuity per unit of irrigated area, only to give the necessary pressure in subunit inlet (H su) (€ L−2 T−1)

C i :

Total investment cost (€)

C m :

Maintenance cost (€ L−2 T−1)

C ms :

Maintenance cost, only in subunit (€ L−2 T−1)

C op :

Annual operation cost (€ T−1)

CRF:

Capital recovery factor

C T :

Total annual cost of water application (€)

C w :

Cost for transporting water from the source to the irrigation subunit inlet (€)

dd:

Theoretical drawdown in the well (L)

D :

Inner diameter of pipe (L)

D d :

Drilling diameter (L)

D l :

Diameter of lateral pipe (L)

DL:

Dynamic water lift (L)

D p :

Inner diameter of pumping pipe (L)

D wp :

Inner diameter of well pipe (L)

e :

Annual rate of escalation in energy costs (fraction)

E a :

General application efficiency for the irrigation system (dimensional)

E p :

Efficiency of pumping system (dimensional)

EU:

Emission uniformity (dimensional)

h :

The saturated depth of drilled aquifer after pumping (m)

h a :

Average pressure head in the subunit (L)

h f :

Pipe head loss with constant flow rate (L)

h s :

Minor singular head losses (L)

H :

Pressure head required at the pump

H 0 :

Pressure head required at the inlet of the irrigation subunit (L)

H s :

Saturated depth of aquifer before pumping (L)

H su :

Pressure head required at inlet of the valve located in the origin of subunit (L)

i :

Interest rate (fraction)

L :

Pipe length (L)

N :

Useful life (T)

N p :

Power absorbed by the pump (kW)

NS:

Number of subunits

Ot:

Monthly operation time of the pump (T)

Pa:

Power access price (€ kW−1 T−1)

P :

Energy rate (€ kW−1T−1)

P p :

Power of the pump (kW)

P d :

Pump depth (L)

P t :

Power of the transformer (kVA)

q :

Specific capacity (L3 T−1 L−1)

q a :

Average sprinkler flow in the subunit (L3 T−1)

Q :

System flow from the aquifer (L3 T−1)

Q o :

Inflow rate to the pipe (L3 T)

Q 0s :

Inflow rate to the irrigation subunit (L3 T)

R :

Radius of the cone of influence (L)

R n :

Net crop irrigation water requirement (L3 L−2 T−1)

R g :

Gross crop irrigation water requirement (L3 L−2 T−1)

S :

Irrigated area (L−2)

SWT:

Static water table (L)

Ot:

Monthly operation time of the pump (T)

T :

Transmissivity of the aquifer (L2 T−1)

W d :

Well depth (L)

WPD:

Impermeable depth in the top of confined aquifers (m)

Δh :

Difference in extreme pressure heads in the irrigation subunit (% of h a)

Δq :

Difference in extreme sprinkler flow in the irrigation subunit (% of q a)

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the JCCM, for funding the PEII-2014-011-P project and to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC), for funding the AGL2011-30328-C02-01 and AGL2014-59747-C2-1-R projects (Co-funded by FEDER).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Centre of Water Research (CREA), UCLM, Ctra. de las Peñas, km 3,2., 02071, Albacete, Spain

    F. Carrión, J. M. Tarjuelo & M. A. Moreno

  2. Civil Engineering Faculty, UCLM, Campus Universitario, Ciudad Real, Spain

    J. Sanchez-Vizcaino

  3. Industrial Engineering Faculty, UCLM, Campus Universitario s/n, Albacete, Spain

    J. I. Corcoles

Authors
  1. F. Carrión
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  2. J. Sanchez-Vizcaino
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  3. J. I. Corcoles
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  4. J. M. Tarjuelo
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  5. M. A. Moreno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. Moreno.

Additional information

Communicated by S. Ortega-Farias.

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Carrión, F., Sanchez-Vizcaino, J., Corcoles, J.I. et al. Optimization of groundwater abstraction system and distribution pipe in pressurized irrigation systems for minimum cost. Irrig Sci 34, 145–159 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-016-0489-5

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