Smart city irrigation system

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUT Technická 2896/2, 61669 Brno, Czech Republic

^* Corresponding author: Marcela.Pirkova@vutbr.cz

Published online: 4 July 2024

Abstract

Most irrigation systems are built to irrigate field crops in agriculture. However, it has been observed that a sufficient irrigation dose should also be supplied to urban greenery. The areas of interest are prerequisites for reconstruction in the coming years. Therefore, an area in Brno, which the people of Brno call Špitálka, is chosen for the proposal. There are old buildings belonging to the Teplárny Brno (Brno's heating plant). The irrigation system is designed with the validity of known equations describing the hydromechanics of fluids. An experimental model of the selected part is made to confirm the functionality of the design. It is not within the spatial possibilities of the laboratory to build the entire extensive pipe network. The experimental measurement involves pumping the medium into a tank, which is a storage tank stored in an old cooling tower. This mentioned tower finds application as a multifunctional reservoir when one of its functions is water accumulation. A section with water transport to the highest point is chosen for the experimental track. It represents green roofs, which are also a part of irrigation, as there is often not enough watering in the form of precipitation in the summer months. The discharge pipe from the pump is controlled with a valve to obtain a constant inflow and outflow in the experimental tank. Volume flows and absolute pressures are measured in the specified points during the different water attitude levels in the storage tank. By comparing the results of experimental and theoretical data and subsequent correction, a suitable proposal is obtained for the reconstruction of the irrigation network for the Špitálka area.