International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage Commission Interationale des Irrigation et du Drainage



Sprinkler Irrigation

In sprinkler or overhead irrigation, water is piped to one or more central locations within the field and distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers or guns. A system utilizing sprinklers, sprays, or guns mounted overhead on permanently installed risers is often referred to as asolid-setirrigation system. Higher pressure sprinklers that rotate are calledrotors and are driven by a ball drive, gear drive, or impact mechanism. Rotors can be designed to rotate in a full or partial circle. Guns are similar to rotors, except that they generally operate at very high pressures of 40 to 130lbf/in² (275 to 900 kPa) and flows of 50 to 1200 US gal/min (3 to 76 L/s), usually with nozzle diameters in the range of 0.5 to 1.9inches (10 to 50mm). Guns are used not only for irrigation, but also for industrial applications such as dust suppression and logging.

 

Sprinklers can also be mounted on moving platforms connected to the water source by a hose. Automatically moving wheeled systems known astraveling sprinklersmay irrigate areas such as small farms, sports fields, parks, pastures, and cemeteries unattended. Most of these utilize a length of polyethylene tubing wound on a steel drum. As the tubing is wound on the drum powered by the irrigation water or a small gas engine, the sprinkler is pulled across the field. When the sprinkler arrives back at the reel the system shuts off. This type of system is known to most people as a "waterreel" traveling irrigation sprinkler and they are used extensively for dust suppression, irrigation, and land application of waste water. Other travellers use a flat rubber hose that is dragged along behind while the sprinkler platform is pulled by a cable. These cable-type travellers are definitely old technology and their use is limited in today's modern irrigation projects.

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Dictionary - Sprinkler Irrigation Terms

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