WO2017114988A1

WO2017114988A1 - Irrigation installation

Info

Publication number: WO2017114988A1
Application number: PCT/ES2016/070923
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrés Manuel MARTÍNEZ DE AZAGRA PAREDES
Original assignee: Universidad De Valladolid
Priority date: 2015-12-30
Filing date: 2016-12-21
Publication date: 2017-07-06
Also published as: ES2622437A1; ES2622437B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an irrigation installation comprising a series of suction irrigation emitters buried in the soil, and a water supply system. The irrigation emitters consist of receptacles (1) that have rigid walls and are water-permeable. The supply system is formed by tubes (2) that connect the recipients (1) to a supply source (3).

Description

IRRIGATION INSTALLATION

DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention.

The present invention relates to an irrigation installation, comprising a series of water container containers, distributed over the area to be irrigated, at least partially buried in the ground, and a network of pipes connecting said containers with each other and with a water supply source.

The object of the invention is to provide a suction irrigation system through the porous wall containers, which are arranged buried in the ground, next to the plants to be irrigated, at the desired depth, and which supply the soil with water in quantity dependent on variables such as crop type, soil characteristics, water availability and any other parameter of agronomic, technical or economic interest.

Background of the invention.

Among the conventional irrigation systems that are currently practiced, namely: gravity, sprinkler, micro-sprinkler, drip or exudation irrigation, it is this latter irrigation system that could resemble the system of the invention, and without However, irrigation through exudation belts or hoses requires pressure, at least about 5 meters of water column, at least, being porous materials that are not rigid. Exudation tapes are superficial or slightly buried pipes that with water pressure swell and exude water, that is to say drip and moisturize the soil.

It is also known the suction irrigation practiced in an artisanal way, with clay containers. The filling of these containers is usually done manually each time they are emptied, although systems have already been tested for automatic filling from an elevated tank through irrigation branches and with a float valve inside each vessel. The use of small clay capsules replacing integrated drippers has also been tested. This last system eliminates the risk of overflow during the filling of the vessels, but does not take advantage of its ability to accumulate water. By not installing traps or suction cups in the hydraulic circuit, these irrigation systems with closed mud capsules are forced to keep the pipes full of water and with pressure during the entire irrigation day.

Description of the invention

The present invention aims at an irrigation installation, with suction irrigation emitting vessels, in which the soil sucks from said emitters more or less water depending on the moisture content of the soil, without having to maintain pressure on the irrigation emitters or the pipes that feed them.

In the installation of the invention, the irrigation emitters consist of water-containing containers with rigid and porous walls, permeable to water, at least in certain areas or areas of said walls. These containers consist of a sintered plastic material, preferably of a plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), ethylene acetate vinyl (EVA), polypropylene (PP), polybutylene (PB-1), polystyrene (PS), polyamides (PA), polyethersulfone (PES), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), as well as any combination thereof.

In any case, the material from which the water container containers are constituted, the thickness of their walls and their permeability (or saturation hydraulic conductivity) will be chosen so that said containers deliver the desired flow V to the ground for a given dryness, that is, for the difference in water potential considered in the irrigation design.

The container that becomes part of the installation of the invention allows watering the soil where it is installed thanks to the permeability of its walls. The container carries out a localized, underground and self-regulated irrigation due to the humidity or dryness in the soil itself, without the need for pressure on the branch during irrigation, which results in a significant saving of water and energy. The vessel emits a volumetric flow rate (symbol: q) that depends on the thickness of its porous walls (symbol: e), on the hydraulic saturation conductivity of said walls (symbol: J), on the size of its oozing surface (A) and of the difference in water potential {Δψ) existing between the water inside the container and the water in the irrigated soil, in accordance with the Fundamental Equation of the Porous Media Hydraulics, also known as Darcy's Law, whose formula is: q = k _s ~ - A

Thus, for example, for a permeability of the porous plastic of 1.0 μηνη ^"1 , a difference of water potential of 10 m, a thickness of the walls of 5 mm and an oozing area in contact with the ground of 0.05 m ² , the flow rate emitted by a container full of water of 1 L capacity is 0.10 Lh ¹ , a value that is used to estimate its emptying time and filling interval: approximately one day.

According to a possible embodiment, the saturation water conductivity of the walls of the container, at least in areas or areas permeable to water, may be between 0.01 μηνΐτ ¹ and 100 μηνη ^"1 .

The container can adopt any configuration and can comprise a container body with water-permeable walls, at least in certain areas or areas thereof, an upper neck with at least one radial hole for connection to the pipe network, and a drain plug that It may include an air expulsion valve, which closes the water inlet when the container is filled. The neck of the container may have radial holes for serial connection of several containers, within the pipe network.

Brief description of the drawings.

The attached drawings show an example of a non-limiting embodiment, in which:

- Figure 1 schematically shows an irrigation installation constituted according to the invention.

- Figure 2 corresponds to detail A of Figure 1 on a larger scale.

- Figure 3 shows in diametrical section a possible embodiment of the container that becomes part of the installation of Figure 1.

- Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3, showing a possible execution variant.

- Figure 5 shows in diametral section the plug with trap of the containers of Figures 3 and 4, on a larger scale. Detailed description of an embodiment.

An irrigation installation is shown in Figure 1 comprising a series of containers (1) water containers and a network of pipes (2), which connect said containers to a water supply source (3).

The containers (1) are buried in the ground, in the vicinity of the plants (4) to be irrigated, at the desired depth and are made of rigid walls and permeable to water, at least in part of their surfaces, so as to provide, by suction of the ground in which they are buried, an amount of water depending on the humidity or dryness of the land, all without the need for hydrostatic pressure in the pipe network (2).

As best shown in Figure 2, the containers (1) are buried in the ground so that only the cap (5) that closes the neck or mouth of said container protrudes so that said cap can regulate its filling, as will expose later.

The containers (1) can adopt any configuration, for example cylindrical, prismatic, conical, etc., with flat or curved bottom and can comprise, Figure 3, a fully permeable body (6) and shoulders (7) and neck ( 8) waterproof, having one or two radial holes (9) in the neck (8).

In the case of Figure 4, the container (1) has only certain permeable zones (10) in its wall, and has one or two holes (9) for connection to the pipe network (2).

The containers (1) can be connected bypass or in series, in which case they will have two holes (9), Figure 3, for connecting the pipes (2) that connect adjacent containers.

Preferably, the containers will have on the neck (8), Figure 3, or on the upper wall of the body, Figure 4, a mouth endowed with a stopper (5) as shown in Figure 2, which remains unburied.

This plug (5) can be threaded to the neck or mouth of the container and incorporate an air expulsion valve with closure by a spherical float (1 1) that is displaced upwards by the water, closing the hole (12) when filling the container (1), thus preventing the liquid from spilling. When the float (1 1) does not close the hole (12), through it air can enter to allow the suction of water from the container (1), through the permeable areas of its walls.

The described valve can be protected by a cap (13) that, allowing air to escape, prevents the entry of dirt.

The suction irrigation emitting vessel may have different forms to adjust to the conditions of the land, crop, climate or agricultural exploitation. Thus, a special form can consist of a drum or bottle with hardly any neck, as shown in Figure 4, and with holes (9) in the body of the container for connection of the pipes (2). Both the container, its drain plug (5) with a hood (13) and the ducts (2) can be buried at the proper depth so as not to hinder the cultivation work with tractors and implements. In this option it may be of interest that a component of the container is metallic, for example the drain plug, to be able to locate the vertical of all the emitters quickly and accurately, if necessary.

In the event that the container (1) has a neck (8), as shown in Figure 3, this neck will have an adequate length so that the main humectant zone of the container is at the desired depth and appears from the I lightly ground only the crown of the same and the drain plug. The holes (9) can be reinforced by an outer sleeve and square made of plastic material.

The procedure used for the manufacture of the containers (1), as regards its permeable areas at least, consists of a conventional sintering process, which consists of the introduction of the plastic particles used as raw material in a mold and its subsequent heat treatment and compression. Other sintering methods and the inclusion of fillers, fillers, fibers, metal powders and other additives in the mixture of plastic particles to be sintered are not excluded.

Claims

one . Irrigation installation, characterized in that it comprises a series of suction irrigation emitters buried in the ground and a water supply network; whose emitters of irrigation consist of containers of rigid walls, permeable to water in certain areas or areas at least, with the capacity to emit through said walls a flow; and whose water supply network is composed of pipes that connect the containers with a supply source, watering the installation, once the emitters are filled.

2. Installation according to claim 1 characterized in that the saturation hydraulic conductivity of the permeable walls of the containers is between 0.01 μηνΐν ¹ and 100 μηνΐν ¹

3. Installation according to previous claims characterized in that the containers, at least in their permeable areas, are made of a sintered plastic material, among the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride ( PVDF), ethylene acetate vinyl (EVA), polypropylene (PP), polybutylene (PB-1), polystyrene (PS), polyamides (PA), polyethersulfone (PES), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or a combination thereof.

4. Installation according to previous claims, characterized in that the container comprises a container body, of water permeable walls on at least part of its surface, an upper neck with at least one radial hole for connection with the network of water supply pipes, and a drain plug.

5. Installation according to previous claims, characterized in that the neck of the container has a height slightly greater than the depth to which the body of the container is buried.

6. Installation according to claim 4, characterized in that the neck has two or more radial holes for connecting as many conduits belonging to the water supply network.

REPLACEMENT SHEET (RULE 26)