Trickle Irrigation Screen Filter Performance as Affected by Sand Size and Concentration
ABSTRACT SAND particle size and concentration were tested for their effects on screen filter performance. Six sand sizes were tested at two concentrations with different filter mesh sizes, and one sand size was further tested at eight different sand concentrations. Smaller ratios of filter pore size to sand particle size caused greater weights of sand to accumulate in the filter prior to reaching a predetermined head loss limit (44.1 kPa). Larger particles were observed to accumulate in the housing whereas smaller particles clogged the pores. Increasing influent sand concentration also caused greater weights of sand to accumulate. An equation characterizing screen filter plugging was developed and used with the data to construct a nomogram of value in predicting the filter's operation under various conditions.