Analysis and Design of Sprinkler Irrigation Laterals

This paper addresses a new design technique for sprinkler irrigation laterals with equally spaced sprinklers and constant longitudinal slope. The technique uses the Darcy-Weisbach friction formula and accounts for the variation of the friction coefficient for a significant practical portion on a Moody diagram. The head loss in sprinkler risers as well as losses in lateral pipe fittings are considered. A computer program employing this technique is designed so as to provide sprinkler outflows and pressure head distributions along the lateral pipe. The results from two numerical examples are compared with results obtained from a widely used classical method. In some cases it is found that designs are substantially different.