Exercise 9 step by step

In this exercise we’ll start to use Epanet and VeProLG togheter. Information technology in irrigation is like a toolbox, and
we have to be able to use all these tools together to resolve our irrigation problems. At first, we need to clarify some of the
concepts that underlie the irrigation system design.

Target in irrigation system design

Decreasing pipes diameter

Increasing pipe diameter Best irrigation
1° Target - Reduce system design
material cost and High uniformity target
2° Target - Reduce
installation cost energy cost 3° Target - Reduce
water losses

First two targets have a conflict. To reduce material cost we need to use small pipes's diameter, to reduce energy cost we
need to reduce head losses and so increase pipes’s diameter.

Some studies has resolved these problems using general criteria that allow us to find The balance point between
installation costs and operating costs (if we want to be very accurate we have to know the real actual cost of energy and
the real actual cost of materials location by location).

When our irrigation system works four months during the year our velocity target of water is 1.5 m/s

When our irrigation system works six months during the year our velocity target of water is 1.2 m/s

When our irrigation system works during all the year our velocity target of water is 1 m/s

In exercise 9 velocity target is 1 m/s. This means that we have to be able to find a pipe diameter for each different pipes
that allow us to have a velocity less or near than 1 m/s.

1° Step Field geometry by google earth

Using Google Earth we have to measure our three fields

Watching slope for each field we can understand where we have to

put manifold and where is our lateral length.

Always mainfold have to be in higget position and direction of the

water have to be from the highest position to the lowest position
Mainfold

Dripline
Field 1

Mainfold length: 100 m

Lateral length (side 1): 245 m

Elevation higgest point (mainfold): 59 m

Elevation lowest point: 53 m

59−53
Slope: × 100 = 2.4%
245

Field 2

Mainfold length: 41 m

Lateral length (side 1): 98 m

Elevation higgest point (mainfold): 53m

Elevation lowest point: 51 m

53−51
Slope: × 100 = 2%
98

Field 3

Mainfold length: 97 m

Lateral length (side 1): 380 m

Elevation higgest point (mainfold): 54m

Elevation lowest point: 44 m

54−44
Slope: × 100 = 2.6%
380
2° STEP Set VeProLGS INPUTS
From the exercise sheet you can find all the others VeProLG inputs. You have to find a dripline model that can be works in
all three fields. We have to open VeProLGs. Field 3 has the greater length so we have to start from this field to find the
best dripline model. This field has the most difficult design conditions, so if the software will be able to find a dripline
model for this hard situation probably this solution will be fine for the others (some dripline model).

We start from field 3

2.6 97

380

0.3

2500

1.5

Polietilene AD PFA 2.5

110

My advice , save now first file for Field 3

Step 3° Find the best dripline model for field 3 (and so for others fields)
At first we have to decide which drip line models will participate in the ranking

Using this tool and exclude “pressure-compensating”

driplines

By this option box you have to make a “Ranking on EU” (to save water)

380

2.6

The winner is T-Tape 710 Inlet pressure 10.5 m

Now we have to check in plot way our driplines system to know the flow-rate and inlet pressure
Step 4° Check field 3 in using plot way

Now we now two new important information about our system.

The Flow rate for node 5 is 32.1 l/s and so 115.56 m3/h Pressure at this node is 10.5 meter of water

Now we can put the some dripline model in the others two field to find the best inlet pressure and after to know flow rate
and pressure at node 3 and 48.
Step 5 Find inlet pressure for field 1

Select the dripline model

245 Set the field length

Set the slope

So now we khow how much is for field 1 the inlet pressure (9.63), so we have to check using plot way to know the plot
flow-rate
Step 6° Check field 1 in using plot way

Now we now two new important information about our system.

The Flow rate for node 3 is 25.1 l/s and so 90.36 m3/h Pressure at this node is 9.6 m

Now have to repeat this two steps 5 and 6 also for field 2. And the results are

Field 2 Flow rate = 6.84 m3/h Inlet pressure = 8.98 m H2O

To make a point

Field 1

Inlet pressure 9.6 m

Flow-rate 90.36 m3/h

Field 2

Inlet pressure 8.98 m

Flow-rate 6.84 m3/h

Field 3

Inlet pressure 10.5

Flow-rate 115.56 m3/h

Step 7° Find the best pump for your irrigation system

To choose the pump we need to know:

 Total flow-rate
 Total Head

In this exercise all the fields delivered water together (in an optimum design it is not realistic but is only one exercise). Total
flow-rate is the sum of the single field flow rate 90.36+6.84+115.56 = 212.76 m3/h

Total Head is equal to:

Ht = Hd+Hs+ Hz+Ho
Ht Total Head
Hd Discharge Head: is the maximum head loss that we have inside our pipes network in this situation we can estimate
this value knowing that in node 5 we need 10.5 m in node 48 we need 9.6m so we now that we can lose like 1 m between
node 53 and node 3. To have a safety margin (we have to be sure that our pump will be able to delivered our flow-rate) we
can increase this value in 3m

Hs Suction Head: is the head loss that we have in pipe placed between reservoir and pump. In this exercise we consider
the pump very near to the reservoir and so we don’t calculate it 0m

Hz Elevation head. Is the difference between water level elevation in our reservoir and the highest point elevation. In our
situation is Point 3 elevation 59m Reservoir elevation 44m so 59-44= 15m

Ho Operating pressure. Is the maximum operating pressure that we need at the node were we have flow-rate. In our
situation the maximum operating pressure Is 10.5m

Ht = 3+0+15+10.5= 28.5 m
Ft= 212.76 m3/h Now we are able to choose our pump
Step 8° To choose the pump
Using a pump catalog you have to find a family of pumps that have a good curve (means like horizontal curve, more than as
possible), and we want work, if is possible, in the middle position of pump curve (this mean good efficiency).

By this step I choose the family of curve. After I have to find the graph of this family.

We have to choose the pump curve up of our point position so for this situation our pump is

100-315-334
Step 9° Set proprietis in Epanet
In epanet at first we have to set the elevation fot each node (using google earth)
For the reservoir you have to set the Total Head  is the elevation of water level in the pound (44)

Now we have to set the flow rate for

Node 3 Field 1 90.36 m3/h

Node 48 Field 2  6.84 m3/h

Node 5  Field 3  115.56 m3/h

Now we have to model the pump inside Epanet
Now we need to set preliminary pipes diameter (200) and pipes roughness (140).

Step 10° Run analisis

After the analisys we have to check the pipes velocity for each pipes and set a new diameter to have velocity less than 1
m/s (or very near than 1 m/s)

Pipe diameter after design

We finish our exercise but we can make some considerations about inlet pressure at the three mainfolds.

We have an high pressure for each node, because the pump curve is far from our point. To resolve it we have two
ways.

First way is to use PRV (pressure reguleted valve). In this kind of valve we can set the pressure after the valve so we can
reduce the pressure to have for example 10.5 m at node 5 (Field 3)

Second way is to use a variable-frequency drive for pump that allow us to change the frequency of our pump and so
change the curve. We have to change pump velocity (1 is 100% of normal velocity, 0.9 means 90%) to have in the last node
the pressure that we need