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Assessment of clogging effects on lateral hydraulics: proposing a monitoring and detection protocol

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Abstract

Ageing of drip irrigation systems due to clogging of emitters is considered the largest maintenance problem in microirrigation and this problem is enhanced in subsurface irrigation systems. Whatever the source of the clogging problem, a methodology for early detection of clogging in the field can be useful in decision-making about deploying cleaning processes (flushing or injection of chemicals) and avoiding replacement of laterals. This work presents a methodology for simulating clogging conditions able to reproduce the effects of clogging on pressure profiles, head loss, and emitters flow rate distribution along a single levelled lateral with constant inlet pressure. This methodology was validated by several experiments conducted under controlled conditions of clogging induced by changes in the flow rate of emitters. The effects of clogging intensity and position on hydraulic parameters of a single lateral were analysed in detail and aspects relating to pressure, head loss, and flow rate measurements were discussed. For a given lateral set-up, it is possible to draw a chart relating flow rate and head loss for various levels and positions of clogging. Assuming that measurements of head loss and flow rate are available, this diagram enables immediate estimation of the level and location of clogging, which is useful for deploying maintenance routines. Finally, a protocol was proposed to detect the level of clogging and estimate its position along a levelled lateral under constant inlet pressure. Although constant lateral inlet pressure is atypical in large agricultural settings, it may occur in greenhouse or experimental settings.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to John Deere Water for supplying the drippers used in this research, as well as the following institutions for their financial support: Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l’environnement et l’agriculture (IRSTEA, France), Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia—Engenharia da Irrigação (INCT-EI, Brazil), Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ/USP, Brazil), in the framework of the Brazil-France cooperation program ARCUS II.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Padua Dias, 11–LEB–ESALQ, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Antonio Pires de Camargo & José Antônio Frizzone

  2. Centre d’Aix en Provence, Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies Pour l’Environnement et l’Agriculture, 3275 Route de Cézanne CS 40061, 13182, Aix en Provence Cedex 5, France

    Bruno Molle & Séverine Tomas

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  1. Antonio Pires de Camargo
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  2. Bruno Molle
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  3. Séverine Tomas
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  4. José Antônio Frizzone
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Pires de Camargo.

Additional information

Communicated by N. Lazarovitch.

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de Camargo, A.P., Molle, B., Tomas, S. et al. Assessment of clogging effects on lateral hydraulics: proposing a monitoring and detection protocol. Irrig Sci 32, 181–191 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-013-0423-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-013-0423-z

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