Survey
Project
Assessment
Installation
How to Design
How to create an irrigation system professionally
Differences between design tools
In the past, irrigation systems were designed with spreadsheets and abacuses, methods now little used because they were very laborious and slow. Now engineers mainly design with simplified software provided by manufacturers, with CAD programs or with dedicated professional tools such as IrriPro and IrriRT
| Design Software | Simplified | CAD | IrriPro and IRRIRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design time | Short | Medium |  |
| Reliability of results | Limited | Low | HIGH |
| Product Catalog | Only 1 manufacturer |  |  |
| Plant extension | Small | Any | Any |
| Exports processed | | Just drawings | |
Why choose a valid design tool
A good design tool provides reliable results by performing rigorous hydraulic, physical, geometric calculations and, in the case of surveying, accurately using detailed GIS information. In this way, the technician will be able to know the quality of irrigation at each point, the functioning of the system before installing it or improve an existing system by identifying inefficiencies.
| Taken into account in the | IrriPro and IrriRT | Other software | Potential error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slope | Variable point by point | Constant for type of pipeline | 40% uniformity value |
| Water velocity in pipe | Calculated as variable | Set as constant value | High |
| Continuous pressure drops |  |
Calculated with equivalent flow rate | 30% total pressure drops |
| Local losses | |
|
50% total pressure drop |
| Integral calculation of the system | |
Calculation for single duct/block | |
| Temperature | |
|
7-10% total pressures |
| Hydraulic quantities (calculation) | For each element | General evaluation |
The rigorous criterion uses all equations of hydraulics for hydraulic calculation including the characteristic equation of spouts. Simplified methods use only the equation of motion by imposing the value of velocity
How to carry out a survey
The aspect that takes the most time and has the greatest consequences in the creation of an irrigation system is the knowledge of the land where the system will be built. Without accurately knowing elevations, slopes and extensions, a project cannot be developed.
IrriPro and IrriRT provide 3 ways to acquire the relief of a terrain, for immediate processing of the 3D model of the terrain
As an example, a 5 percent error in estimating the slope of a 75-meter-long lateral pipeline can result in an error, in estimating flow rates, of up to 25 percent.
Why trust Google Maps
Is the data captured by Google Maps reliable?
From our experience and studies by various Italian and foreign universities, the answer is yes. The quality of GIS data extracted from the Google Maps service is at or above the level of 1:5,000 scale technical mapping and therefore sufficient for irrigation system design. The following are the results of some studies:
The accuracy of the elevation data generally ranges from 3 arc-second (1 point every 90 meters) to 1/3 arc-second (1 point every 10 meters), up to 1/9 arc-second in U.S. and many urban areas (1 point every 3 meters). The service, made available for Google Maps and Google Earth, is derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) project(https://eospso.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle-radar-topography-mission) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)(http://www.usgs.gov/) and other mapping services. On surveys of several sample areas (in Italy and Nigeria), an average error on the elevation figure of about 2.5 meters was found. Cartography with satellite maps is always related to the Google Maps service.
From our experience and studies by various Italian and foreign universities, the answer is yes. The quality of GIS data extracted from the Google Maps service is at or above the level of 1:5,000 scale technical mapping and therefore sufficient for irrigation system design. The rigorous criterion uses all equations of hydraulics for hydraulic calculation including the characteristic equation of spouts. Simplified methods use only the equation of motion by imposing the value of velocity
Still doubts about the reliability of our software
Manufacturers, companies, universities, and research centers have long used IrriPro and IrriRT for design services, experimental evaluations, or as an educational tool. Several agreements have been made between Irriworks and universities, research centers, and professional associations
Our Partners
