Reducing the power required for irrigation: designing low-pressure, pressure-compensating drip irrigation emitters and high efficiency solar-powered pumps for emerging markets

Type Thesis or Dissertation - Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Title Reducing the power required for irrigation: designing low-pressure, pressure-compensating drip irrigation emitters and high efficiency solar-powered pumps for emerging markets
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2015
URL https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/100350
Abstract
This thesis presents a mathematical model investigating the physics behind pressurecompensating
(PC) drip irrigation emitters and a design of a highly efficient solarpowered
centrifugal pump for small-acreage farmers drawing from shallow groundwater.
The global community is facing a worsening crisis with regards to the water-energyagriculture
nexus. Irrigation is a proven way to increase the agricultural productivity of a
plot of land; however, with a growing population, it will be necessary to invest in
methods of irrigation that are both energy- and water-efficient, and intensify the
agricultural output per unit of land. Drip irrigation, a method of irrigation where water is
delivered directly to the plant roots through a network of tubes and valves, is a highly
water-efficient method that gives high yield per unit area. The current challenge to
adoption facing drip irrigation is the high capital and operating costs. It is possible to cut
these costs by developing a valve, called an emitter, that gives the desired flow rate at a
lower pressure. This lower pressure in turn requires less energy from the pump, allowing
for a smaller and less expensive pump, and even making a solar-powered system
affordable for small-acreage farmers.
In coming decades, it will become increasingly necessary to switch from fossil-fuel based
energy to renewables, such as solar. For small acreage farmers in the developing world,
this switch will not only alleviate the pains of paying the recurring and volatile costs for
diesel fuel, it will also help to lighten the load on the electrical grid by those using
electric pumps.

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