Simulating the pressure performance in a center-pivot irrigation system (Original)

Abstract

In this work, the behavior of the pressure in a central-pivot irrigation machine was simulated applying different methodologies: analytical method, the EPANET professional program and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) of the SolidWorks 2014 software package. Deficiencies were detected in the prediction of the pressure by the analytical method; meanwhile, EPANET computer program was not effective, since it has the disadvantage that it does not take into account the local losses, which are significant in these technologies irrigation. Computational Fluid Dynamics correctly predicted the behavior of pressure in central-pivot irrigation machines; it also allows the simulation of several important variables that hydraulically characterize the irrigation systems.