Determining the Uniformity Coefficient and Water Distribution Characteristics of Some Sprinklers

Abstract

The basic aim of the sprinkler irrigation method, as in other irrigation methods, is to apply irrigation water as uniformly as possible to the root zone. The uniform distribution of the applied water in sprinkler irrigation depends on factors such as sprinkler type, number and size of nozzles, arrangement of sprinklers, working pressure and the speed and direction of the wind. Sprinkler and lateral spacing should be determined by also taking the speed and direction of the wind into consideration. The aim of this study was to determine the application limits and the curves of water distribution under different working pressures, spatial arrangement and nozzle diameters under field conditions of some irrigation sprinklers which are widely used in Turkey. The objective was to determine the most appropriate system arrangement by using a computer program called CATCH3D. Five sprinklers were tested in the experimental area of Ondokuz Mayis University Campus and their water distribution characteristics identified. The most suitable operating parameters for Bereket 3: 12×18 m, Bereket 2: 12×18 m, Egeyildiz 6×18 m, Goktepe 6×12 m and for Atesler sprinkler 12×18 m arrangement type were determined. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information.