Design a center pivot irrigation system that has a lateral of 450 m length and diameter of 203.

2/200 mm
(OD/ID mm). Consider that the lateral completes one revolution in 20 hrs during the peak demand that
is 9 mm/day. The application efficiency is 90%. The sprinkler that is used for this center pivot system has
the following specifications: qs = 4.0 m3/hr, Ho = 4.1 bar, Dw = 37.8 m. Use fixed sprinkler-Variable
spacing approach to arrange the sprinklers on the lateral. Divide the lateral to five reaches of equal
outflows. Calculate also the Max application rate in this system and the potentiality for run off
occurrence; knowing that the infiltration rate as a function of time is given by the following equation:

I = 4.2 t -0.5 + 8.0 where I is the infiltrated depth in mm/hr

Solution:

1- To calculate the required application depth per day Da

r
Da = ETmax / Ea
Qcp Qr zero
Da = 9.0 mm / 0.90 = 10.0 mm/day

2- To calculate the system capacity for this center pivot

R
Qcp =  R2 Da / T

Qcp =  (450)2 × (10mm/1000) /20 hr = 318.0863 m3/hr or = 0.088357 m3/sec

3- To calculate the head loss along the lateral

Hf = 8/15 × [10.65 (Q/C)1.852 L / (D)4.87] “This formula will be given in the exam”

Hf = 8/15 × [10.65 (0.088357 m3/sec /140)1.852 × 450 m / (200 mm/1000)4.87]

Hf = 7.679918 m

N.B. Use the ID = 200 mm not the OD and Take C = 140 (Hazen-William Coefficient)

4- Since the outflow discharge per unit length of the lateral is not equal, the five reaches will not be
equal in length. To calculate the length of each reach; use the following equation:

Qr/Qcp = 1- (r/R)2 or we can rearrange to be in the following form

r = (sqrt( 1- (Qr/Qcp))) × R

Then for the five reaches:

At Qr/Qcp = 0.8 r1 = (sqrt( 1- 0.80)) × 450 = 201.2461 m L1= r1-0 = 201.25 m

At Qr/Qcp = 0.6 r2 = (sqrt( 1- 0.60)) × 450 = 284.605m L2= r2- r1 = 83.36 m

At Qr/Qcp = 0.4 r3 = (sqrt( 1- 0.40)) × 450 = 348.5685m L3= r3- r2 = 63.96 m

At Qr/Qcp = 0.2 r4 = (sqrt( 1- 0.20)) × 450 = 402.4922m L4= r4- r3 = 53.92 m

At Qr/Qcp = 0.0 r5 = (sqrt( 1- 0.00)) × 450 = 450 m L5= r5- r4 = 47.50 m

N.B. the previous calculations can be done for any number of reaches where the
Qcp will be divided equally on the number of reaches. In other words, if the
reaches is six then Q1/Qcp = (1-(1/6)) = 0.833 Q2/Qcp = (1-(2/6)) = 0.667 and so on
and so forth.

5- To calculate the pressure head at each boundary of the different reach, the following equation will be
used “This formula will be given in the exam”

Knowing that; HR = Ho & Hcp – HR = Hf

Then

Hr = {[ 1- 15/8 ( r/R – 2/3 (r/R)3 + 1/5 (r/R)5)] × Hf } + Ho

At r = 0.0 HCP = 48.68 m

At r = r1 = 201.25 m H1 = 43.047 m

At r = r2 = 284.60 m H2 = 41.71 m

At r = r3 = 348.57 m H3 = 41.18 m

At r = r4 = 402.49 m H4 = 41.02 m

At r = r5 = 450 m H5 = 41.00 m

The outflow of each reach Q equals QCP/5 = 318.0863/5 = 63.61725 m3/hr

6- To calculate the number of sprinklers and sprinkler spacing in each reach we will perform the
following:

Fifth reach (5-4):

L5= 47.50 m

Average pressure in the fifth reach H5 avg = (H5+ H4)/2 = 41.01042 m

Actual sprinkler discharge q5 avg = qo × sqrt (H5 avg/Ho) = 4.000508 m3/hr

 Number of sprinklers N5 = Q/ q5 avg = 63.61725/4.000508 = 15.90

Take N5 = 16 sprinkler

Ss 5 = L5/ N5 = 47.50/16 = 2.97 m

N.B. the sprinkler spacing for the last reach is always the smallest spacing along
the lateral and usually greater than 1.5m otherwise use sprinkler with higher
discharge
Repeating the procedures for the remaining reaches with the same notations will give

Fourth reach (4-3):

L4= 53.92m

Average pressure in the fourth reach H4 avg = (H4+ H3)/2 = 41.10261 m

Actual sprinkler discharge q4 avg = qo × sqrt (H4 avg/Ho) = 4.005002 m3/hr

Number of sprinklers N4 = Q/ q4 avg = 63.61725/4.005002 = 15.88

Take N4 = 16 sprinkler

Ss 4 = L4/ N4 = 53.92/16 = 3.37 m

Third reach (3-2):

L3= 63.96 m

Average pressure in the Third reach H3 avg = (H3+ H2)/2 = 41.4471 m

Actual sprinkler discharge q3 avg = qo × sqrt (H5 avg/Ho) = 4.021751m3/hr

Number of sprinklers N3 = Q/ q3 avg = 63.61725/4.021751= 15.8183

Take N3 = 16 sprinkler

Ss 3 = L3/ N3 = 63.96 /16 = 4.0 m

Second reach (2-1):

L2= 83.359 m

Average pressure in the second reach H2 avg = (H2+ H1)/2 = 42.37853m

 Actual sprinkler discharge q2 avg = qo × sqrt (H2 avg/Ho) = 4.066689m3/hr

Number of sprinklers N2 = Q/ q2 avg = 63.61725/4.066689= 15.6435

Take N2 = 16 sprinkler

Ss 2 = L2/ N2 = 83.359 /16 = 5.21 m

First reach (1-0):

L1= 201.25m

Average pressure in the fifth reach H1 avg = (H1+ HCP)/2 = 45.86358m

Actual sprinkler discharge q1 avg = qo × sqrt (H1 avg/Ho) = 4.230601m3/hr

Number of sprinklers N1 = Q/ q1 avg = 63.61725/4.230601= 15.0374

Take N1 = 15 sprinkler

Ss 1 = L1/ N1 = 201.25/15 = 13.42 m

N.B. the number of sprinklers in each reach is usually the same; however the
spacing is varied from reach to another.
7- To calculate the Max application rate and potential run off  VR 
r
Vr =  r

 = 2/T = angular velocity

R
Vr
Vr = 2 r /T = linear velocity at any radius r
ARMax
VR = 2 R /T = linear velocity the outer point where r=R = 450

VR = 2 450 /20/60 = 2.356194 m/min

The opportunity time at any radius r is

Tor = Dw / Vr ARavg

At r= R ToR = Dw / VR = 37.8/2.356194 = 16.043 min = 0.267 hr

AR avg at r= R is Da/ToR = 10.0 mm/ 0.267 = 37.40 mm/hr

AR Max = 4/ × AR avg = 47.62 mm/hr

Tor
 I = 4.2 t -0.5 + 8.0 where I is the infiltrated depth in mm/hr

To calculate the infiltrated depth Di at the outer point during the ToR the infiltration equation will be
integrated from t=o to t=ToR

 I dt = 0ToR (4.2 t -0.5 + 8.0)dt = [8.4 t0.5 + 8.0 t]0ToR = 8.4 ToR0.5 + 8.0 ToR

Then Di = 8.4 × (0.267)0.5 + 8.0 × 0.267= 6.48 mm

The potential runoff depth Dr is

Dr = Da – Di = 10.0 - 6.48 = 3.5 mm

Based on the following allowable surface storage values for center pivot systems with the land slope:

Slope % Allowable Surface Storage mm

0-1 12.7
1-3 7.6
3-5 2.5

Then if the land slope is less than 3% no run off will take place and the Dr shall
be infiltrated later without running along the slope. But if the slope is greater
than 3% there might be runoff at the outer ring of the irrigated area

AR AR Pattern at Downstream end

&
IR
mm/hr
Potential Run off

AR Pattern at Upstream end

Soil Intake Rate

Time