Removal of Suspended Solids in Irrigation Water with Different Filtration Combinations in Drip Systems

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the efficiency of different filter types and their combinations used in drip irrigation systems with created water source conditions in 2014-2015. Hydrocyclone (H), media filter (MF), disc filter (DF), screen filter (SF) and their combinations were tested to determine their efficiency and head losses. The results showed that hydrocyclone and disc filter (H+DF) had the highest filter efficiencies of 99.3 and 98.9%, while the amounts of filtered sediment were 7.2 and 10.7 mg L-1, respectively. When the media filter (MF) was used alone in the system, filter efficiencies of 99.1 and 98.8% were determined respectively in both years. The H+SF combination had the lowest filter efficiency of 90.2 and 92.1% with the highest amounts of filtered sediments as 98.4 and 79.3 mg L-1, in both years. In 2014 experiment year H+MF combination was needed the highest additional pressure as 51 kPa while in the second year of study H+MF+SF combination was needed 34 kPa. Results revealed that H+DF filter combination is the most efficient and requires least backwash pressure in drip irrigation systems.