TY - CONF

T1 - Determination of flow parameters through CFD analysis for agricultural irrigation equipment

T2 - 11th International Congress on Mechanization and Energy in Agriculture

AU - Celik, H Kursat

AU - Rennie, Allan

AU - Karayel, Davut

AU - Akinci, Ibrahim

PY - 2011/9

Y1 - 2011/9

N2 - Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful technique, which has been used successfully for a number of years in a wide variety of engineering disciplines, to develop an approach for solving complex fluid flow problems. In more recent years, with the desire to provide more efficient operations, it has become increasingly important to adapt this analysis methodology for advanced agricultural engineering design applications. This paper presents a case study for determining a number of flow parameters for a mini valve, which is used in agricultural irrigation systems, through the utilisation of CFD techniques. In the study, a sample plastic mini valve has been utilised for CFD analyses. Flow behaviour of the fluid in the valve was simulated three-dimensionally using a commercial CFD code. Pressure loss, head loss, flow coefficient, resistance coefficient and cavitation index parameters were calculated for different flow rates with different valve opening positions with the aid of simulation results. According to CFD results; maximum pressure loss of 8214.47 Pa was obtained in the analysis which was set up with flow rate of 4 L min-1 at 45o valve opening positions. And the pressure loss is increasing if valve opening angle and inlet flow volume rates are increased. The Head loss and resistance coefficient are also increasing but flow coefficient is decreasing. The valve opening positions are affecting to the pressure and velocity distributions. In addition to this, charts have been provided to evaluate variations of the pressure, velocity and the flow parameters for the valve. This research improved the understanding of the fluid flow performance of the irrigation equipment and contributes to further research into the development of agricultural irrigation equipment enabled through the utilisation of advanced computer aided engineering (CAE) tools.

AB - Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful technique, which has been used successfully for a number of years in a wide variety of engineering disciplines, to develop an approach for solving complex fluid flow problems. In more recent years, with the desire to provide more efficient operations, it has become increasingly important to adapt this analysis methodology for advanced agricultural engineering design applications. This paper presents a case study for determining a number of flow parameters for a mini valve, which is used in agricultural irrigation systems, through the utilisation of CFD techniques. In the study, a sample plastic mini valve has been utilised for CFD analyses. Flow behaviour of the fluid in the valve was simulated three-dimensionally using a commercial CFD code. Pressure loss, head loss, flow coefficient, resistance coefficient and cavitation index parameters were calculated for different flow rates with different valve opening positions with the aid of simulation results. According to CFD results; maximum pressure loss of 8214.47 Pa was obtained in the analysis which was set up with flow rate of 4 L min-1 at 45o valve opening positions. And the pressure loss is increasing if valve opening angle and inlet flow volume rates are increased. The Head loss and resistance coefficient are also increasing but flow coefficient is decreasing. The valve opening positions are affecting to the pressure and velocity distributions. In addition to this, charts have been provided to evaluate variations of the pressure, velocity and the flow parameters for the valve. This research improved the understanding of the fluid flow performance of the irrigation equipment and contributes to further research into the development of agricultural irrigation equipment enabled through the utilisation of advanced computer aided engineering (CAE) tools.

KW - Agricultural Engineering Design

KW - CAE

KW - CFD

KW - Flow Parameters

KW - Irrigation Valve

M3 - Conference paper

SP - 59

Y2 - 21 September 2011 through 23 September 2011

ER -