The Chemical Clogging and its Effects on Hydraulic Performance of Different Types of Emitters with Different Flow Rates using Water of Karoun River

    In order to study the chemical clogging and its effect on hydraulic performance of trickle irrigation system, four treatments includes compensating emitters (Netafim and Micro-Flapper), non-compensating emitters (Mehr and Goldani), three treatment of flow rates that includes 8, 4 and 2 lph (liters per hour) were selected and tested using Karoun river’s water in No. 1 research farm of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) and irrigation was performed in 31 times with irrigation frequency for two days, at pressure of 1.5 bar. The results showed that decreasing of flow rate of Micro-Flapper emitter with 8 and 4 LPH flows is higher than the other treatments and this decreasing is significante at the five percent. Also the Micro-Flapper emitter with 2 lph flows has the lowest decreasing of flow rate. Based on field observations, herniation of silicon diaphragm that used in Micro-Flapper emitters with 8 and 4 lph flows is the main reason for the reduction of flow rate and high values of CV, q_var and q_d. So in this particular case the Chemical sediment did not impose a major effect. Turbulent regime of water at the outlet is the reason of resistance against the chemical clogging in the Micro-Flapper emitter with 2 lph flows. In Netafim emitter with 8 and 4 lph, despite having the significant clogging in five percent signification level have a minimal values of CV, q_var and q_d and high values of EU and CU. In this experiments, the treatment which had the lowest coefficient of manufacturing Variation, was accounted to it the lowest coefficient of variation of flow rate and the highest Emission Uniformity of variation. In most treatments during the Irrigation, values of CV, q_var and q_d increased and values of EU and CU decreased. According to the results presented, the Goldani emitter with 8 gph flows is rated and selected as the top emitter in both terms of resistance against the chemical clogging and hydraulic performance parameters than other emitters.