Pressure compensated solar pump for microirrigation without water

reservoir

Balint SuleIrrigation team leader

Summary

Today, the importance of irrigation is increasing. However, the mode of irrigation has changed a lot over the years, both energy and water has become increasingly expensive factor. The purest form of energy and water-saving irrigation is micro irrigation. The development of microirrigation particularly, the pressure compensation gave opportunity for PC solar pump application. The installed solar pump offers the opportunity to test in practice the theoretical issues. Irrigation solved by rigid polyethylene tubes and integrated emitters. Main issue was pressure compensation, which required by micro-irrigation principals. Pressure compensation solwed with a more cheaper solution compared to gravity fed use.

PLANNING AND ASSEMBLY

Flowchart

PV panels peak 1.5 kW, 158 V

Lorentz PumpPs 1200 Centric

Pressure relief valve 1”

Expansion tank (optional)

Built in relief valve

Built in filter with flushing option

Assembled Pressure compensation unit for solar pump

Lines from rigid PE pipe d:20mm

Plastro Katif emitters (red spots) integrated to each sapling

Riser from 2” mainline with tap before every line.

Pressure compensated solar pump ready for microirrigation of orchard.

MEASUREMENT

Measured flows under free outlet

Cloudy day

Clear weather

Extreme values of microirrigation system under 1 bar pressure maximum.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Issues shown, this 1 hectared orchard’s water demand satisfied with pressure compensated solar pump.

Moreover this pump could feed a four times bigger orchard .

This method could certainly held pressure in optimal range.

The most important result is that the pressure compensated solar microirrigation system meets the requirements of microirrigation.

There was uniform application in in drip network.

Water-stressed periods was always managable.

The application of relief valve in this case is clearly superseded the gravity fed tank with a minimal cost.

Blown water could used for husbandry or ponds, or lower in conventional, or in permaculture farming.

Zero need for water tanks, could reduce acquisition costs more than 30%.

Automated irrigation with this solar pump could reduce personell costs.

Precise use of needed amount of water could length well lifetime.

Increased system relief pressure (3-4 bar) with aright selected PC drippers, could lead to uniform but flow follower water application!

CalculationThe current pump at 1 hectare (210 pieces of saplings) is suitable for more than four hectares (900 trees) to perform. Based on 4 liters/tree value, 6 hours daily uptime, under 60 l/min minimum flows capacity. The number of potentially irrigated trees were calculated using the following formula:

= number of potentially irrigated trees

Practically it can be concluded that the resulting 24 liter minimum flow/ wood/ day, is the same as apples and apricots maximum daily water consumption’s lower limit which is 25 liter/day.

In case of direct PC solar pump useful runtime determined with the minimum flow needed for system.

If you are interested contact me!

https://hu.linkedin.com/in/balintsulesulebalint@gmail.com

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