ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION LATERALS

This paper addresses a new design technique for sprinkler irrigation l aterals with equally spaced sprinklers and constant longitudinal slope . The technique uses the Darcy-Weisbach friction formula and accounts for the variation of the friction coefficient for a significant practi cal portion on a Moody diagram. The head loss in sprinkler risers as w ell as losses in lateral pipe fittings are considered. A computer prog ram employing this technique is designed so as to provide sprinkler ou tflows and pressure head distributions along the lateral pipe. The res ults from two numerical examples are compared with results obtained fr om a widely used classical method. In some cases it is found that desi gns are substantially different.