The Clogging Rules of Ceramic Emitter in Irrigation Using Saline Water with Different EC

Abstract

Infiltration irrigation with saline water is a more effective method than drip irrigation to alleviate water scarcity worldwide, but so far, no report has discussed the clogging rules of ceramic emitters, a major component of infiltration irrigation system. To explore the clogging mechanism of ceramic emitter in saline water infiltration irrigation system, we used four kinds of saline water sources with electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.18, 1.74, 3.78, and 7.74 ds/m, respectively. In addition, we specifically investigated the law of discharge ratio variation (Dra) of ceramic emitters, as well as the composition and growth process of clogging substance. The results indicated that the Dra of ceramic emitters decreased in the process of saline water irrigation, and the higher the EC, the more obvious the decrease. The calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was the main component of the clogging substance in the inner wall of ceramic emitters. The clogging part was a layer on the inner wall of the emitters rather than the pores in the walls, and the clogging did not occur suddenly. Instead, it was caused by the long–term accumulation of the clogging substance. Moreover, with the increase of EC, the flocculation between the clogging particles in the water was enhanced and thus promoted the formation of stable and compact aggregates, which fundamentally led to the clogging acceleration of ceramic emitters. This clogging mechanism of ceramic emitters can provide some theoretical reference for the establishment of anti-clogging strategy.

A Review of the Category, Mechanism, and Controlling Methods of Chemical Clogging in Drip Irrigation System

“…Chemical clogging of emitters does not occur suddenly. It is caused by the long-term accumulation of the clogging substances [62,63]. There are randomness and fluctuations in the flow rate of a single emitter [26].…”

“…There are randomness and fluctuations in the flow rate of a single emitter [26]. Chemical clogging processes can be categorized as gradual, fluctuating, or sudden reductions of emitter discharge [26,62,64], in which the sudden reductions in flow are normally observed in the high salinity water. Overall, the discharge of emitters shows a gentle fluctuation trend at first, and then a sharp decline with the operation of the system [20].…”

Agricultura irrigada no Brasil: ciência e tecnologia

“…Os precipitados químicos podem ser produzidos ao se modificar as condições iniciais da água tais como o pH, temperatura, presença de íons incompatíveis e devido à evaporação da água nos emissores após cada irrigação, aumentanto a concentração dos sais ao ponto de ultrapassar o limite da sua solubilidade. As obstruções químicas mais frequentes são de originados de precipitados de carbonatos de cálcio (RIZK et al, 2019) ou sulfato de cálcio (CHEN et al, 2019b). O risco de obstruções não depende somente das concentrações destes componentes, mas também do regime hidráulico, das dimensões e da forma dos emissores.…”

Effects of saline water with different concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions on emitter clogging in drip irrigation integrated water–fertilizer system

“…A study discovered that saline water clogging is a gradual process (Zhangzhong et al, 2021). Additionally, the higher the electrical conductivity of irrigation water is, the more severe the emitter clogging, and CaCO 3 is the main factor for clogging (Chen et al, 2019; Zhangzhong et al, 2021). Research has shown that the desalinated saline water salinity threshold should be kept below 5 g/L to maintain the favourable anti‐clogging performance of drip irrigation (Liu et al, 2022).…”