Automation for indoor single-radius sprinkler tests

• Grant number: 13/14370-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Soil and Water Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Tarlei Arriel Botrel
• Grantee: Ezequiel Saretta
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Simulations of sprinklers water uniformity distribution are usually performed from single-radius tests because they require less time and labor compared with full method. However, radial tests are still laborious, requiring trained operators dedicated to monitoring and carrying out these tests. Thus, this paper proposes the development of an automated system for indoor radial tests, so as to reduce the manpower required and also the time to obtain the results. The system will be built at the Laboratory of Testing Irrigation Material (LEMI) located at ESALQ/USP, in Piracicaba - SP, in a sector for the standardized testing of sprinklers. The automated system will consist of a pumping unit with automatic adjust of the testing pressure, a system for management and another one for water collection. The management system will consists of a computer, equipped with a supervisory application for user interface and communication with other systems. The computer will command the pump set and the opening and closing of solenoid valves, both of a manifold as the drainage, installed in collection tubes. The valves in the manifold will allow sequencing reads the water level in collection tubes through a pressure transducer, and the others, the drainage of water from the pipes. The Student's t test for paired data will be used for testing the hypothesis that the system be developed provides as the same result as the manual measurement, on average, at a 5% level of significance.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SARETTA, Ezequiel. Analysis of uncertainty of an automated system for testing irrigation sprinklers. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.