Improving Operation of Pressurized Irrigation Systems by an Off-grid Control Devices Network

Water demand in irrigation is expected to increase in the near future, and it will be seriously impacted by climate change, specifically in semi-arid areas. The increase of water demand, along with the reduction of water availability, can seriously intensify the frequency and magnitude of pressure deficits in pressurized irrigation networks, with dangerous consequences on the healthy crop growth and on the crop production. In this framework, the present paper investigates the contribution of a network of smart control valves, named GreenValve System (GVS, patented by the Politecnico di Milano), to improve the management of a pressurized irrigation system. The GVS is able to recover energy for its operation from the flow, to be remotely commanded and to introduce management logics based on real-time data in order to create a stand-alone real-time monitoring and control network. In the paper, specifically, a three-step general and replicable methodological approach for the definition of installation and operating conditions for these valves is proposed. The effectiveness of a specific management logic, allowed by the use of the GVS, to limit pressure deficit and failure occurrence in the network is discussed. Reference is made to a case study on a critical on-demand irrigation network. The results showed that the introduction of simple management rules can reduce and even avoid the occurrence of hydrant failure, creating the conditions for more effective use of the resources.