INTRODUCTION
⌅Since ancient times, water has been an essential element for the survival of humanity. Its management and rational use have allowed the invention of novel pumping machines, in which the human being has used various energy sources to solve energy and environmental problems in agriculture (Ávila-González et al., 2021ÁVILA-GONZÁLEZ, E.; RÍOS-HERNÁNDEZ, A.; MOREJÓN-MESA, Y.; CAMPOS-CUNÍ, B.: “Evolución histórica de las fuentes energéticas empleadas en el abasto de agua y riego agrícolas”, Revista Ingeniería Agrícola, 11(1): 47-57, 2021, ISSN: 2227-8761.).
The achievement of higher productions with high and stable yields requires knowledge of the factors that produce greater energy consumption in irrigation, as it is the basis for establishing energy saving strategies in irrigation, taking into account that the increase in irrigation time demand for greater consumption of water and energy (Tornés-Olivera et al., 2016TORNÉS-OLIVERA, N.; AJAYI, O.O.; GÓMEZ-MASJUAN, Y.; GUERRERO-ALEGA, A.: “Eficiencia de aplicación máxima del agua y longitud del surco en función de los caudales”, Revista Ciencias Técnicas Agropecuarias, 25(1): 23-27, 2016, ISSN: ISSN: 1010-2760, e-ISSN: 2071-0054, Publisher: Universidad Agraria de La Habana.).
In the furrow irrigation system, the input flow, furrow length, irrigation time and infiltration characteristics are variables that affect its performance; however, the efficiency of water application is mainly influenced by the amount of water applied, the infiltration of the soil and the rate of progress (Tornés-Olivera et al., 2016TORNÉS-OLIVERA, N.; AJAYI, O.O.; GÓMEZ-MASJUAN, Y.; GUERRERO-ALEGA, A.: “Eficiencia de aplicación máxima del agua y longitud del surco en función de los caudales”, Revista Ciencias Técnicas Agropecuarias, 25(1): 23-27, 2016, ISSN: ISSN: 1010-2760, e-ISSN: 2071-0054, Publisher: Universidad Agraria de La Habana.; 2020TORNÉS-OLIVERA, N.; GÓMEZ-MASJUAN, Y.; MYOR-ROBLES, E.; BROWN-MANRIQUE, O.: “Determinación de la eficiencia hídrica y energética en el riego localizado, bajo condiciones protegidas”, Revista Ciencias Técnicas Agropecuarias, 29(1): 46-55, 2020, ISSN: ISSN: 1010-2760, e-ISSN: 2071-0054, Publisher: Universidad Agraria de La Habana.)
A furrow irrigation system has different components such as the water source, the pumping equipment; as well as the network of channels and ditches for the distribution of water in the irrigation plot. Determining the energy efficiency of a pumping system for surface irrigation requires knowledge of the relationship between the electrical power consumed by the pump, the amount of water pumped, the energy consumed by the pump, the operating time of the pump and the hydraulic power supplied by the pump; Therefore, an efficient pumping system with a high energy yield must be capable of supplying a greater amount of hydraulic energy per unit of electrical energy consumed.
The engine power ensures the required transfer of hydraulic power to achieve high pump efficiency with minimal power loss; however, its behavior is influenced by the pumping flow and the discharge pressure according to Amador-Vilariño et al. (2020)AMADOR-VILARIÑO, J.L.; MARTÍNEZ-RODRÍGUEZ, J.B.; BROWN-MANRIQUE, O.: “Nuevo enfoque para el análisis energético-económico en la selección de las conductoras de impulsión”, Revista de Ciencia y Tecnología, (33): 1-10, 2020, ISSN: 1851-7587, Publisher: SciELO Argentina.; for this reason, it is essential to understand the relationship between hydraulic power and mechanical power to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs of the system (Pineda-Ortiz & Chica-Arrieta, 2020PINEDA-ORTIZ, J.C.; CHICA-ARRIETA, E.L.: “Métodos numéricos para el desarrollo de una turbina hidrocinética tipo Gorlov”, Revista UIS Ingenierías, 19(3): 187-206, 2020, ISSN: 1657-4583, Publisher: Universidad Industrial de Santander.).
Mathematical models are important tools because they can help improve the energy efficiency of irrigation, simulate the interaction between the different components of an irrigation system, evaluate different irrigation strategies, and make decisions about energy use. They can also favor the design of energy-efficient irrigation systems, which can reduce energy costs and improve the sustainability of agriculture (Perellada-Gamio & Albelo-Martínez, 2020PERELLADA-GAMIO, M.R.; ALBELO-MARTÍNEZ, M.: “Análisis de la gestión energética en la Empresa Elementos de Riego para la agricultura”, Revista Ingeniería Agrícola, 10(2): 68-73, 2020, ISSN: 2306-1545, Publisher: Instituto de Investigaciones de Ingeniería Agrícola.).
Mathematical modeling is a fundamental component for the comprehensive management of water resources and the environment; for this reason, regression techniques are widely used to obtain information through forecasting, but they previously require the measurement and comparison of their performance through different error measurement criteria (Álvarez-Sevilla et al., 2017ÁLVAREZ-SEVILLA, I.; BROWN-MANRIQUE, O.; DEL CID-COLINDRES, E.P.: “Estimación de variables hidrológicas mediante modelos de regresión en la cuenca del rio Suchiate, Guatemala”, Revista Ciencias Técnicas Agropecuarias, 26(3): 22-29, 2017, ISSN: ISSN: 1010-2760, e-ISSN: 2071-0054, Publisher: Universidad Agraria de La Habana.).
The objective of this study is to propose mathematical models for the estimation of parameters of a pumping system in furrow irrigation that contribute to improving the energy efficiency of irrigation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
⌅The research was carried out at the Tío Pedro farm in the municipality of Venezuela, Ciego de Ávila province, Cuba, which is located at 21°45'04'' North Latitude and 78°46'45'' West Longitude.
The experimental area consisted of a completely randomized strip experiment with a length of 251.60 m and a width of 18 m for an area of 4528.8 m2 (0.45 ha). This surface was subdivided into plots with a length of 62.90 m and a width of 6 m (10 rows) with the purpose of achieving greater control of the experimental variables. Three rows of the central strip were selected as shown in (Figure 1).
In the investigation, the cultivation of black beans of the ICA PIJAO variety planted with spacing between plants of 10 cm and between rows of 60 cm was evaluated for a planting frame of 0.24 m2. The cultivar was planted with an average depth of 20 cm and the norms established for this type of soil were taken into account.
In the study area, an open furrow irrigation system has been established, consisting of a Caprari submerged vertical centrifugal pump type T8C/7/8-71X connected to an asynchronous submerged electric motor with a 100 mm diameter coupling to the hydraulic parts; a hydraulic masonry work for the diversion of water; the main channel dug into the ground and without lining with a superficial width of 1.85 m; base width of 0.12 m; total height of 0.38 m and length of 512 m. This is used to supply water to the internal irrigation network of the farm where the experimental plot is located.
The total workload of the pump was calculated analytically by applying the energy balance between the surface water level in the well and at the outlet of the discharge pipe. In this analysis the reference level is drawn by the base of the pumping equipment. The equations used were:
If the suction and discharge pressures are canceled because they are points where atmospheric pressure acts, the following mathematical expression is obtained to estimate the total workload of the pump:
Where Ea is the energy at the selected point in the suction pipe (m); Ed the energy at the selected point in the discharge pipe (m); HB the total working load of the pump (m); Pa the pressure in the suction pipe (m); Pd the pressure in the discharge pipe (m); ρ the density of water (kg m-3 ); g the acceleration of the force of gravity (m s-2 ); ΣhTa-d total frictional and localized energy losses (m); Za the suction height with respect to the base of the pump (m); Zd the discharge height with respect to the base of the pump (m); va the velocity in the suction pipe (m s-1 ); vd the velocity in the discharge pipe (m s-1 ); Ad is the area of the discharge pipe (m2 ).
The electrical parameters of the motor measured were the current, the voltage and the power factor with the use of the analyzer of electrical networks of the brand SPERRY DSA-500. The variables were measured in each of the irrigations carried out throughout the period and were repeated five times to obtain the average value.
The main electrical and hydraulic parameters of the motor and the pump evaluated were: hydraulic power, power delivered by the motor, electromechanical performance of the motor-pump assembly, pump performance and electrical power. These calculations were based on the measurement of the rotation speed of the shaft in revolutions per minute (rpm), by means of a digital contact tachometer of the GMKD brand and precision of 0.02%.
The efficiency of the submersible motor was assumed equal to 80%, since modern electric motors have a high efficiency, which can range between 75% and 95%.
Where Ph is the hydraulic power (kW); ρ the density of water (kg m-3 ); g the acceleration due to gravity in (m s-2 ); QB the flow discharged by the pump (m3 s-1 ); HB the total working load of the pump (m); Pe the electrical power (kW); I the measured electric current; V the measured voltage; cos(φ) the power factor; Pm motor power or brake power (kW); nf the number of phases; ηem the electromechanical performance of the motor-pump assembly; ηb is the efficiency of the pump (%); ηm engine performance (%); Pen the electrical power necessary to compensate losses (kW); ΣhTa-d the total frictional and localized energy losses (m).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
⌅Table 1 shows the values of the hydraulic parameters of the pump during the evaluations carried out in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. It is observed that the fluctuations occurred within the limits indicated in the following intervals: pumping flow, QB [60.6 - 63.1 L s-1]; pumping head, HB [18.0 - 18.7 m]; hydraulic power, Ph [10.7 - 11.5 kW]; pumping time, TB [2.0 - 3.1 h] and volume pumped, VB [515.8 - 686.3 m3].
Date | QB (Ls-1) | HB (m) | Ph (kW) | TB (m) | VB (m3) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
01/07/2020 | 62.3 | 18.5 | 11.3 | 23 | 515.8 |
01/14/2020 | 62.6 | 18.6 | 11.4 | 2.5 | 563.4 |
01/21/2020 | 62.1 | 18.4 | 11.2 | 2.0 | 447.1 |
01/28/2020 | 62.2 | 18.5 | 11.2 | 2.9 | 649.4 |
02/04/2020 | 60.9 | 18.1 | 10.8 | 2.8 | 613.9 |
02/11/2021 | 61.7 | 18.3 | 11.1 | 3.0 | 666.4 |
02/18/2021 | 61.5 | 18.3 | 11.0 | 3.1 | 686.3 |
03/10/2021 | 62.1 | 18.4 | 11.2 | 2.9 | 648.3 |
03/17/2021 | 60.6 | 18.0 | 10.7 | 2.4 | 523.6 |
03/24/2021 | 62.4 | 18.5 | 11.3 | 23 | 516.7 |
03/31/2022 | 61.9 | 18.4 | 11.1 | 2.6 | 579.4 |
04/07/2022 | 62.5 | 18.6 | 11.3 | 2.5 | 562.5 |
04/21/2022 | 62.2 | 18.5 | 11.2 | 3.0 | 671.8 |
04/28/2022 | 63.1 | 18.7 | 11.5 | 2.4 | 545.2 |
Average | 62.0 | 18.4 | 62.0 | 2.6 | 585.0 |
In (Figure 2) the functional relationship between the variable flow rate and pumping load is presented, which respond to a potential model with a positive exponent; so the trend of the curve is upward. The R2 determination coefficient is high with a value of 0.9993 and demonstrates the capacity of the model to simulate the load of the equipment at a given moment based on the pumping flow. The mathematical equation that relates these two variables is:
Where HB is the pumping head (m); QB the pumping flow (Ls-1).
These results coincide with those presented by Brown-Manrique et al. (2003)BROWN-MANRIQUE, O.; ARTEAGA-TOBAR, R.E.; COMPANIONI-, J.L.: “Estimación de caudales y carga de presión en tuberías de riego perforadas con el uso de funciones estadistico-matematicas”, Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, 24(1): 37-42, 2003, ISSN: 1680-0338, Publisher: Editorial Universitaria de la Republica de Cuba.) in the analysis of the relationship between the flows and the workload of the pump in a furrow irrigation system with multi-gate pipes, which satisfactorily adjusted to a potential model and allowed its practical use in the improvement of efficiency parameters and uniformity.
In (Figure 3) the functional relationship between hydraulic power and flow is exposed, which respond, as in the previous model, to a positive potential type function with a high coefficient of determination R2 of 0.9996.
Similar behavior was found in the analysis of the relationship between the hydraulic power and the pumping load (Figure 4), which adjusted favorably to the potential function with a coefficient of determination of 0.9998. The equations that express these previous relationships are:
Where Ph is the hydraulic power (kW), QB the pumping flow (Ls -1) and H B the pumping head (m).
These equations can be used to improve the operation of the pumping system, because they allow to predict the value of the hydraulic power based on the flow and the pumping head (m). In this sense, Andrade-Cedeño (2018)ANDRADE-CEDEÑO, R.J.: “Gestión Energética de una Estación de Bombeo mediante el uso del Control Estadístico de Procesos. Estudio de Caso: Acueducto “La Esperanza”-Refinería del Pacífico”, Revista Politécnica, 40(2): 7-18, 2018, ISSN: 1390-0129, Publisher: Escuela Politécnica Nacional. reported that hydraulic power affects energy savings and increases the efficiency of the pump, provided that hydraulic losses are reduced. For their part, Santos-Azevedo et al. (2016)SANTOS-AZEVEDO, M.S.; LEÓN-BENÍTEZ, C.A. de; CABRAL-LEITE, J.; PÉREZ-ABRIL, I.: “Procedure to energetic analysis of centrifugal pumping systems: Procedimiento para el análisis energético de sistemas de bombeo centrífugos”, Dyna, 83(199): 114-117, 2016, ISSN: 0012-7353, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v83n199.55945. explained that since hydraulic power is the product of flow and differential pressure (head loss), to save energy it is necessary to achieve high values of this power by controlling both variables.
In (Figure 5) the functional relationship between time and volume is exposed in equipment installed for pumping water in a furrow irrigation system. The relationship found responds to a potential model with a high coefficient of determination of 0.9933 as shown in the following equation:
Where VB is the volume pumped by the pumping equipment (m 3) and TB is the pumping time during the irrigation event (s).
Development of functions for the construction of characteristic curves
⌅This paper presents two quadratic functions developed for the purpose of building the characteristic curves of a centrifugal pump under operating conditions, which were deduced from the considerations presented by Hernández-Ramírez et al. (2019)HERNÁNDEZ-RAMÍREZ, G.; SEGOVIA, A.M.; SALAZAR, E.; BELTRAN-REINA, R.; PINO-TARRAGÓ, J.C.: “Modelación matemática del coeficiente de corrección de carga del bombeo de hidromezcla laterítica/Mathematical modeling of the coefficient of load correction of the pumping of hydromixtures lateritic”, Dyna, 86(208): 19, 2019, ISSN: 0012-7353, Publisher: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v86n208.72006. for the mathematical modeling of the coefficient of correction of the pumping head and the criteria of Gavilánez-Luna (2019)GAVILÁNEZ-LUNA, F.: “Incidencia de la presión sobre el coeficiente de rugosidad C de Hazen-Williams”, Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua, 10(5): 214-225, 2019, ISSN: 2007-2422, Publisher: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24850/j-tyca-2019-05-08.) widely used in the estimation of head losses through the Hazen Williams equation.
Based on the above, the problem posed was channeled towards the adaptation of analytical procedures derived from fluid mechanics with the purpose of obtaining the fundamental parameters of a pump that works in the extraction of groundwater for irrigation by gravity, which they vary in relation to the nominal ones offered by the manufacturers; because its determination is carried out under controlled conditions in specialized laboratories. The equations found are:
Where HB is the pumping head (m), QB the pumping flow (Ls -1), η the pump efficiency (%) and Hsyst the system head (m).
These equations allow to predict the characteristic curves of the load and efficiency of the pump; as well as the system (Figure 6). Similar works have been developed by different authors such as Martínez Valdés & Riaño-Valle (2018)MARTÍNEZ VALDÉS, Y.; RIAÑO-VALLE, F.: “Deducción analítica de las curvas características de las bombas rotodinámicas en paralelo”, Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, 39(1): 112-126, 2018, ISSN: 1680-0338.; Martínez Valdés & Riaño_Valle (2019)MARTÍNEZ VALDÉS, Y.; RIAÑO_VALLE, F.: “Deducción analítica de las curvas características de las bombas: variación de rpm y diámetro”, Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, 40(3): 101-115, 2019, ISSN: 1680-0338.; Valencia-Ochoa et al. (2020)VALENCIA-OCHOA, G.; ACEVEDO-PEÑALOZA, C.; DUARTE-FORERO, J.: “Desarrollo de una metodología para la predicción de curvas características en bombas periféricas.”, AiBi Revista de Investigación, Administración e Ingeniería, 8(2): 54-61, 2020, ISSN: 2346-030X, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15649/2346030X.756.; Peñaloza & Tolentino-Eslava (2022)PEÑALOZA, M.A.; TOLENTINO-ESLAVA, R.: “Curvas características de una bomba centrífuga como recurso didáctico (Characteristic Curves of a Centrifugal Pump as a Didactic Resource)”, Pistas Educativas, 43(141), 2022, ISSN: 2448-847X., who managed to determine the coefficients of the characteristic curves that are the fundamental step for the elaboration of the graphic part.
The head-flow curve, the efficiency of the pump for the point of operation of the system, the local losses and the technical state of the pumping unit are the main factors that influence energy consumption and the behavior of energy efficiencies. And hydraulics of a pumping system; for this reason, it is essential to periodically control the technical-economic indicators to achieve their effective and efficient exploitation (Barreda-Trujillo, 2012BARREDA-TRUJILLO, Á.U.: “Método práctico de obtención de potencia y eficiencias de unidades de bombeo en operación”, Ingeniería hidráulica y ambiental, 33(3): 86-97, 2012, ISSN: 2788-6050, e-ISSN: 1680-0338.).
CONCLUSIONS
⌅The results of the evaluations of the hydraulic parameters of a pump that supplies water to a furrow irrigation system showed fluctuations within the expected limits for the variables flow, head, hydraulic power, pumping time and pumped volume. In addition, a functional relationship of the potential type was found between the flow and the pumping head, as well as between the hydraulic power and the flow and the pumping head. These ratios can be used to improve pump system performance and achieve energy savings and increased pump efficiency. Quadratic functions were also developed for the construction of characteristic curves of the pump under operating conditions, which will make it possible to predict the characteristic curves of the load and efficiency of the pump and of the system in general. The periodic control of the technical-economic indicators is essential to achieve an effective and efficient operation of a pumping system.