Field investigation on the Application of an Automatic Discharge Control Valve on Water Uniformity in a Tape Irrigation System

Tape irrigation systems have become popular due to water resources scarcity. Uniform water distribution in such systems is of great importance. In this study the application of an automatic discharge control valve is investigated in terms of water distribution uniformity of tape irrigation systems. To this end, control valves of the design discharges of 0.4 and 0.6 l/s were fabricated based on the current design methods. To study the effect of the automatic discharge control valve, variations of the water distribution uniformity in tapes and laterals were estimated in some field tests. The results indicated that the uniformity coefficient increases up to 93% at the tapes’ entrance. Finally, recommendations were provided to select a reliable tape length. It was found that a pressure increase of 2.5 times higher than the design value would result in tape failure. Therefore, correct tape length selection is of great importance to prevent any damages.