COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DESIGN METHODS OF PRESSURIZED IRRIGATION NETWORKS

✍ Scribed by César González-Cebollada; Bibiana Macarulla

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 224 KB
• Volume: 61
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1531-0353
• DOI: 10.1002/ird.657

✦ Synopsis

ABSTRACT

This paper offers a comparison between the main methods of designing a pressurized irrigation network. The methods are applied to two networks: a small example network and a real irrigation network (located in Fonz, Huesca province, Spain). After presenting and defining the design problem, the theoretical foundations of the main existing design methods are reviewed. These methods are: maximum velocity, recommended velocity, Mougnie velocity, constant hydraulic slope, Lagrange multipliers, linear programming, Labye's method, genetic algorithms and recursive design. Implementation of each is explained.

The Example and Fonz networks are then presented with detailed information in figures and tables. The design methods were applied to both networks and results are shown with bar graphs. Final costs were very different depending on the method used. Methods without economic considerations in their formulations (functional methods) were more expensive than advanced methods with internal economic targets. In this comparison, the Lagrange multipliers method and recursive design method were less expensive solutions in both networks. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.