Sprinkler Performance as Function of Nozzle Geometrical Parameters

Abstract

The main design parameter for a square nozzle is its inside contraction angle, and key design parameters for a triangular nozzle include the inside contraction angle and the length-to-width ratio of the triangular orifice. The variation of discharge coefficient, pattern radii, and uniformity of water application as a function of the parameters previously mentioned were studied. For a square nozzle, both the discharge coefficient and the pattern radius decreased with increasing inside contraction angle when the angle exceeded 50°. The suitable inside contraction angle is around 30°. For a triangular nozzle, the influence of the inside contraction angle on its discharge coefficient and water application was insignificant for an angle range of 10°–45°, but the water application profiles from a single sprinkler were sensitive to the orifice height-to-width ratio. A 1.00 height-to-width ratio nozzle discharges more water near the sprinkler and yields a higher uniformity coefficient than other ratio nozzles for a given sprinkler pressure and spacing.