Analysis of Head Loss in Disk Filters Due to Geometry of Disk Filter Media in Drip Irrigation System

Abstract. Micro-irrigation system has high initial invest and low energy cost. Disk filters are commonly used in micro-irrigation system for the removal of inorganic and suspended organic particles present in agricultural water. However, many flow paths in the disk filter show congested characteristics resulting in relatively higher head loss than sand and mesh filters. It is important to optimize the structure of disk filter in micro irrigation system. The head loss disk filter media take charge of more than 60% of total head loss in whole disk filter. The shape of cross section of disk grooves especially play a large role in resulting the head loss in disk filter media. In this study, the experiment was executed to investigate disk filter‘s head loss with half-elliptic and regular triangular cross section. The experiment uses two disk filters that have similar filter body but have different cross section of disk grooves. The experimental results show the disk filter with half-elliptic cross section of disk grooves have less head loss than the disk filter with regular triangular one.