This document discusses sprinkler irrigation systems. It begins by outlining factors to consider when choosing an irrigation method, such as water availability, topography, climate and soils. It then discusses plant water use patterns and provides a graph showing typical daily crop water use. The bulk of the document describes different types of sprinkler irrigation systems including rotating head systems and perforated systems. It provides details on system components like sprinklers, spray pads, rotors, pop-up heads and laterals. It also discusses portable, semi-portable, semi-permanent, solid-set and permanent sprinkler system types.

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Sprinkler Irrigation System:
Components, Types of System & Layout
Speaker
Dr. Jitendra Sinha, Associate Professor
Department of Soil and Water Engineering,
SVCAETRS, FAE, IGKV, Raipur
jsvenusmars@gmail.com, 7000633581

2. CHOICE OF IRRIGATION METHODS:
(a) Source of water and its availability
(b)Topography of the area
(c) Climate of the area
(d) Soils of the area
(e) Crops to be grown
(f) Economics
(g) Local traditions and skills

3. Plant Water Use Patterns
Daily Water Use: peaks late in afternoon; very little water use at night
DAILY CROP WATER USE PATTERN
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400
TIME OF DAY, (hour)
ETRATE,(mm/hr)

4. SPRINKLER IRRIGATION
The sprinkler system is ideal in areas where water is
scarce.
• Pressurized irrigation through devices called sprinklers
• Sprinklers are usually located on pipes called laterals
• Water is discharged into the air and hopefully infiltrates
near where it lands
• A Sprinkler system conveys water through pipes and
applies it with a minimum amount of losses.
• Water is applied in form of sprays sometimes simulating
natural rainfall.
• The difference is that this rainfall can be controlled in
duration and intensity.
• If well planned, designed and operated, it can be used in
sloping land to reduce erosion where other systems are
not possible.

5. Sprinkler irrigation
• Enhanced Uniformity simulation “artificial rain”
• Good application efficiencies (0.7 – 0.8)
– dependent on wind, temperature, humidity
• Fairly terrain independent: can work well in undulation topography
(but design must take terrain into account)
• Can have a low labour content
But
• High initial investment
• High maintenance cost due to pumping
• Can be complex to run
What should be the relation between application rate of sprinkler and
the rate at which water is being absorbed in the soil?????

6. SPRINKLER OR OVERHEAD IRRIGATION
• This method consists of application of water to soil in the
form of spray, somewhat as rain.
• It is particularly useful for sandy soils because they absorb
water too fast. Soils that are too shallow, too steep or
rolling can be irrigated efficiently with sprinklers.
• This method is suitable for areas having uneven topography
and where erosion hazards are great.
• In sprinkler irrigation, water is conveyed under pressure
through pipes to the area to be irrigated where it is passed
out through sprinklers.
The system comprises four main parts:
i. Power generator
ii. Pump
iii. Pipeline and
iv. Sprinkler

7. SPRINKLER OR OVERHEAD IRRIGATION
ADAPTATIONS
1) A dependable supply of water, Uneven topography, Shallow
soils, Close growing crops
ADVANTAGES
1) It ensures uniform distribution of water
2) It is adaptable to most kinds of soil
3) It offers no hindrance to the use of farm implements
4) Fertilizers material may be evenly applied through sprinklers.
This is done by drawing liquid fertilizer solution slowly in to
the pipes on the suction side of the pump so that the time of
application varies from 10 to 30 minutes
5) Water losses are reduced to a minimum extent
6) More land can be irrigated
7) Costly land leveling operations are not necessary and
8) The amount of water can be controlled to meet the needs of
young seedling or mature crops.

8. SPRINKLER OR OVERHEAD IRRIGATION
DISADVANTAGES
• High initial cost
• Higher running cost
• Wind interferes with the distribution pattern, reducing
spread or increasing application rate near lateral pipe.
• There is often trouble from clogged nozzle or the failure of
sprinklers to revolve.
• The cost of operations and maintenance is very high.
• Labor requirement for moving a pipe and related work
approximately nearly one hour per irrigation.
• It is suitable for high value crops.

9. Sprinkler irrigation: Selection Criteria
• Must permit cost recovery within one to two years (and
double investment in a short time)
• Must be suitable for use on small and irregular shaped
plots
• Must require only simple maintenance and tools
• Have a low risk of component failure
• Be simple to operate
• Be durable and reliable – able to withstand rough and
frequent handling without serious damage

10. 10
Components

11. Sprinkler irrigation: System layout

12. System Layout
• Layout is determined by the Physical Features of the
Site e.g. Field Shape and Size, Obstacles, and
topography and the type of Equipment chosen.
• Where there are several possibilities of preparing the
layout, a cost criteria can be applied to the
alternatives.
• Laterals should be as long as site dimensions,
pressure and pipe diameter restrictions will allow.
• Laterals of 75 mm to 100 mm diameter can easily be
moved.

13. Sprinkler irrigation: Sprinkler

14. Impact Sprinklers
Impact Arm
Spreader Nozzle
Range (Drive) Nozzle
Bearing
Two-nozzle, bronze impact sprinkler
Trajectory
Angle

15. Components of Sprinkler System
1. Pumping set
2. Main lines
3. Lateral lines
4. Sprinkler heads
5. Debris screen
6. Desilting basin
7. Booster pumps
8. Take off valves: control pressure in the lateral
lines, used where significant difference in pressure
exist between main line and lateral take off points, in
multi lateral system it allows moving individual lateral
without shutting down the entire system
9. Flow control valves: regulate the pressure and
discharge of individual sprinklers may be helpful in
undulating surface. Seldom needed in level fields.
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16. System Components
• Sprinklers
– Devices (usually brass or plastic) with one or more
small diameter nozzles
• Impact sprinklers
– Drive or range nozzle (hits sprinkler arm and throws
water out farther)
– Spreader nozzle (optional; Applies more water close
to the sprinkler)
– Trajectory angles
– Part-circle sprinklers
– Used in all types of irrigation, but especially
agricultural crops

17. • Spray Pad devices
– Water jet strikes a plate or pad
– Pad spreads the water and may be smooth or
serrated
– Popular on center pivot and linear move
systems
• Gear-driven rotors (rotary heads)
– Energy in the water turns a turbine that
rotates the nozzle through a gear train
– Typically used in large, open turf/landscape
areas

18. Spray Pad Sprinklers
Nozzle
Smooth Deflector Pad Serrated Deflector Pad

19. Pop-up, turbine rotor with riser extended

20. Turbine-driven rotor w/ adjustable spray angle

21. Pop-up, turbine rotor complete
with swing arm and tee

22. • Spray heads
– Heads do not rotate
– Nozzle is shaped to irrigate a certain
angle of coverage
– Typically used for small or irregularly
shaped areas
– Pop-up heads are installed flush with
ground and rise when pressurized

23. Pop-up spray head with adjustable coverage
angle from 1º - 360º

24. • Laterals
– Pipelines that provide water to the sprinklers
– May be below, on, or above the ground
• Risers
– Smaller diameter pipes used to bring water from the
lateral to the sprinkler
– Purposes
– Raises the sprinkler so that the plants won't
interfere with the water jet
– Reduces turbulence of the water stream as it
reaches the sprinkler
• Mainlines and submains
– Pipelines that supply water to the laterals
– May serve several laterals simultaneously

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34. Types of Sprinkler Irrigation System
1. Rotating head system
2. Perforated type system
(https://youtu.be/gNQ0AfrUCMc)
8528219666,
8528219777
34

35. Rotating head type sprinkler systems
• 1. Portable system: Portable main, submain and portable
pumping plant. The system is designed to be moved from one
field to another or other pumping sites that are in the same
field.
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37. • 2. Semi portable system: Similar to fully
portable system except that the location of
water source and pumping plants are fixed.
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38. 3. Semi-permanent system: Portable laterals but permanent
main lines, sub mains, water source and pumping plant.
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39. 4. Solid-set system: For short and frequent irrigation
• Laterals are permanently placed (enough to irrigate the
entire area)
• Laterals are usually buried, with risers or pop-up sprinklers
• Easily automated and popular for turf and some ag/hort
applications
• Capital investment can be high
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40. 5. Permanent system:
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41. Periodically Moved Lateral
• Single lateral is moved and used in
multiple locations
• Examples:
– Hand-move
– Tow-line/skid-tow (lateral is pulled across
the field)
– Side-roll (lateral mounted on wheels that
roll to move the lateral)
• Fairly high labor requirement

42. Moving Lateral
• Single lateral moves automatically
(mounted on wheeled towers)
• Examples:
– Center pivots (lateral pivots in a circle)
– Linear or lateral move systems (lateral
moves in a straight line)
• Fairly high capital investment

44. Pop-up, part-circle impact sprinkler head

45. Mobile Sprinkler Types
• a) Raingun: A mobile machine with a big
sprinkler.
• The speed of the machine determines the
application rate. The sprinkler has a powerful jet
system.
• b) Lateral Move: A mobile long boom with
many sprinklers attached to them.
• As the machine moves, it collects water from a
canal into the sprinklers connected to the long
boom.

46. Traveling Volume Gun Sprinkler Irrigating from Lagoon

48. Centre Pivot
• c) Centre Pivot: The source of water is
stationary e.g. a bore hole. The boom
with many sprinklers rotates about the
water source.

49. Center Pivot System with Spray Pad Sprinklers

50. Sprayer Sprinklers
• Wets a smaller area, 8 to 16
foot radius
• Smaller water flow, 0.25 to
4 gpm
• Less pressure required, 20
to 40 psi
• Can wet rectangular areas
• Automatic “matched
precipitation when part-
circles sprinklers are used

51. Turf Sprinkler Uniformity Test
(catch cans placed on a 5 ft x 5 ft grid)

52. Environment and health friendly operation of micro sprinklers
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