Agricultural Hydraulics - Irrigations

The course consists of the following thematic units:

1. Introduction - Basic concepts of hydraulics.

2. Hydrological cycle, the importance of water in agriculture, the irrigation project, Water Properties

3. Fluid statics (Definitions, pressure variation with depth, manometers, hydrostatic thrust on plane and curved surfaces, applications)

4. Fluid hydrodynamics (Continuity, Bernoulli and energy equation, Pitot tube, Venturi tube, applications).

5. Pipe flow hydraulics. Uniform flow. Energy losses, minor head losses, Darcy - Weisbach and Hazen Williams equations, conservation of energy and equation of continuity for the solution of pipe flow problems, pumps and pipe flow, Cavitation phenomenon.

6. Water flow in open chanels. Definitions, types of flow and factors affecting flow in open chanels, Open chanels’ design equations, Hydrometers in open chanels.

7. Soil structure - Movement and distribution of the groundwater

8. Crop water needs – Crop evapotranspiration

9. Design of collective pressurized irrigation networks operating on demand or with rotation

10. Surface irrigation methods (Irrigation Water Demand, borders, furrows)

11. Sprinkler Irrigation- Underground irrigation system

12. Drip irrigation Micro-Sprinkler Irrigation

Tutorial: Problem solving with the aim of better understanding the theory and demonstrating practical application.