Water treatment methods to prevent blockages in drip irrigation systems

Based on the water quality analysis results, different measures should be taken to treat the water quality of drip irrigation water sources in response to the main reasons that may cause blockages. In summary, drip irrigation water quality treatment methods can be classified into two categories: physical and chemical. Physical treatment is the removal of all organic and inorganic impurities from water with a particle size larger than 1/10 to 1/7 of the pore size in the system; Chemical treatment involves adding one or several chemical agents to water to control biological growth and adverse chemical reactions, altering the chemical properties of irrigation water. Physical and chemical treatments can be carried out separately, or simultaneously or in combination.

The physical treatment methods for water include clarification, filtration, or a combination of both. The task of physical treatment of water is to accurately determine the required filtration level and select a reasonable filter form based on the solid impurities contained in the water source and the aperture of the drip irrigation system; Determine the filter size based on the flow rate through the filter and calculate the head loss; Simultaneously determine the filter flushing method, flushing interval time, etc.

(1) Clarify. The function of clarification is to remove larger inorganic suspended particles from water. Reservoirs and dams have good clarifying effects; Drip irrigation systems that use river and canal water as water sources often require the construction of specialized sedimentation tanks or water collection and storage tanks to clarify the water source. Clarification is also an economical and effective method for preliminary treatment of water quality, which can greatly reduce the content of impurities in water. Adding aeration to the clarification tank is a good way to remove iron and other soluble solid substances from irrigation water.

(2) Filtering. When water flows through a porous or porous medium object (such as sand), the suspended or colloidal substances in the water are intercepted or retained by the pores or the surface of the medium object. This method of separating impurities from the mother liquor is called filtration. Filtering treatment is one of the widely used, economical, and effective treatment methods in drip irrigation systems. It is important to choose the correct physical treatment method for water, which should generally be determined based on the system flow rate, droplet flow channel size, and water quality.