Performance Evaluation of Low-Cost Filter in Field Condition

Abstract

The parameters require for maintaining the crop's health and the integrity of the irrigation system has a relation with quality of irrigation water. In Micro irrigation appropriate filtration is very much important to prevent clogging. Filtration unit is one of the main components in micro irrigation system that too, Primary filter is more important to be installed along with the unit, when the water source is from open reservoir and other water sources. Though it is essential, the primary filter is not being installed by the farmers due to its high cost. Hence this study is an attempt to fabricate low-cost filter and to evaluate its performance with different filter media layer. A low-cost primary filter for drip irrigation system is fabricated. Different filter media layer like silex sand (fine silex, coarse silex), pebbles with different sizes are selected. The results revealed that the removal efficiency of filter using silex sand and pebbles were 71% in terms of turbidity, 78% in terms of total suspended solids removal at flow rate of 12 m3 /hr. This fabricated low-cost filter will be cost effective for small farm applications.