WO1988008901A1

WO1988008901A1 - Irrigation system

Info

Publication number: WO1988008901A1
Application number: PCT/US1988/001582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hoon Young Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-14
Filing date: 1988-05-12
Publication date: 1988-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1989-11-14
Also published as: KR880014200A; AU1994388A

Abstract

An irrigation system for supplying water to land (4), which is to be cultivated, through main pipe (3) and diversion pipes. The upper end of pipe (3) is arranged to a water supply located higher than the land which is to be cultivated. The diversion pipes are buried under the ground reaching to the cultivated land (14) and the end part of the main line is blockaded so as to utilize normal hydraulic pressure to supply the water to the cultivated land.

Description

IRRIGATION SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-

1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to irrigation systems.

2. Prior Art

An adequate water supply is a key point to the success of farming. Accordingly, governments have invested a great amount of money to form irrigated rice paddies by appropriate arrangement of natural water rice paddies, and this farming policy brought forth a great increase in harvest.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the way of supplying water for farming in arranged irrigated secured rice paddies by the existing cultivated land arrangement which works to prevent the rice paddy from sinking by having rain water outflow into brooks through drainage. As shown, the water supply canal 4, which runs between farming land 12 and bank 11, distributes water by water main lines 13 to rice paddies 14, with drainage being to existing brooks via pipes 16. This approach is not only expensive, but also has other problems as mentioned below.

A first drawback is that the irrigation canal is typically formed as an open ditch along a road adjacent the farming land, such that when driving a tractor into and out of farming land, damage to the open channel is apt to result and therefore a great

SUBSTITUTESHEET sum of money is required for road maintenance and repair.

Another drawback is that because the water is supplied_^ to the cultivated land through an open channel, the amount of water wasted is very great due to natural evaporation and seepage into the surrounding land.

A further drawback is that in a zone located higher than the irrigation canal main line, it is impossible to supply water naturally through the above mentioned irrigation water supply, and in such a zone, it is inavoidable, in reality, to follow the traditional approach of a natural rain rice paddy.

This invention is designed to supply water to land through pipeline buried under the ground, thereby avoiding damage to the farming water supply system, protecting the water supply from natural evaporation and seepage losses, and accommodating water supply to any zone located under the water supply source for disposal at any desired place, thereby allowing cultivation of lands which could not otherwise have been used.

The invention also allows, as needed, the use of a sprinkler powered solely by differential pressure resulting from the difference of water level between the irrigation pipeline source and the sprinkler.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a waterway showing farming water supply and drainage in an existing arranged cultivated land zone;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a waterway showing water supply and drainage by the system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the system shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing the inlet side of the water reservoir and dam;

FIG. 6 is another simplified cross-sectional view showing another arrangement for the inlet side of a water reservoir and dam;

FIG. 7 is a perspective drawing of an inlet device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the inlet device of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an inlet device utilized in an irrigation main canal and bridge main canal;

SUBSTITUTESHEET FIG. 11 is a front view of the device of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the device of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an inlet device utilized with a dammed pool of water;

FIG. 15 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an inlet device utilized with an open collecting conduit;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of another inlet device utilized with a valley canal;

FIG. 18A is a diagrammatic side elevation of an arrangement for use with the system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 18B is a plan view of FIG. 18A;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a connection means for a divergence pipe;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a device fitted at the bottom end of a main canal irrigation pipeline;

FIG. 22 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a run off

SUBSTI device for use with the present invention in high water pressure applications, as in a water reservoir;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing another run off device for use in low pressure applications;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a run off device of the type shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a run off device of the type shown in FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of a device for fitting at the bottom end of a general divergence pipe for low pressure applications;

FIG. 28 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a front view of the device of FIG. 27;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of another device for fitting to the bottom end of a general divergence pip© for high water pressure applications;

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 30; and

FIG. 32 is a front view of the device- of FIG. 30.

In the drawings, the significance of the reference numbers is as follows:

3 - Main pipeline 4 - Water

6 - Manhole

8 - Outflowing device

11 - Canal bank

12 - Farming land 13 - Water supply pipe

_βuBβtmπe ^β*^**0 14 - Cultivating land

15 - Waterway bank

16 - Manhole

17 - Rice paddy bank

31 - E type socket

34 - Divergence pipe

35 - Valve

36 - Outflowing divergence system

41 - First water collection reservoir

42 - Second water reservoir

51 - Bank

52 - Bridge

53 - Remote uplifting motor

54 - Circular overflow

55 - Water gate

56 - Screen

58 - Valve

59 - Inflowing device

61 - Cap

71 - Bottom end device

72 - Water closet

73 - Mining

74 - Water-proof wall

75 - Open channel

82 - Outflowing mouth

83 - Valve

84 - Pipe hole

85 - Water box

351- Valve

412- River bottom

413- Inlet

414- Open channel

415- Outflowing device

417- Well

418- Sink

SUBSTITUTE SHEET 419- Waterless strata

421- Apertured pipe

511- Main canal bank

512- River bank

521- Plate

581- Manhole

582- Cap

591- Screen

592- Inflowing device

593- Cap

595- Inflowing device

596- Diversion gate

597- Gate control

711- Lever seat

712- Gum backing

722- Outlet mouth

813- Water closet

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 5 - 9 illustrate the inflowing structure for the pipeline of the invention for the case where a reservoir 4 and dam constitute the irrigation water supply source. As shown, the front end of pipeline 3 in this invention communicates with the bottom of the reservoir 4. In the case of FIG. 6, the inlet to the pipeline 3 comprises the inlet device 59 of FIGS. 7 - 9. In the case of FIG. 5, where a circular overflow 54 is present, the device 59 is not used. Under either circumstance, the inlet to pipeline 3 is covered with a screen net to prevent garbage from flowing into the front end part of the pipeline. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a main valve 58 in a manhole 581 having a cover 582 may be disposed on an exterior part of the bank 51 for controlling the irrigation water supply.

Referring now to FIGS. 19 and 20, water from the main pipeline 3 coming from the reservoir 4 may be distributed by a plurality of diversion pipes 34 for supplying water to respective cultivating land, and the connection between the main pipe 3 and diversion pipes 34 may be inside of a concrete structured manhole 16. A valve 35 may be included at the inlet to each diversion pipe 34 for managing the distribution of irrigation water from the main pipe 3 to the respective diversion pipes.

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the bottom end of the main pipeline 3 is blocked with a bottom end valve device 71, which is normally closed. In this way, the normal water pressure applicable to the water pipes

T included in the system of the invention is the relatively high pressure determined by the water level of the reservoir, such that a great amount of land can be cultivated. However, in especially required circumstances, for instance, in case it is required to supply water from the main water supply source to a sub-water supply source, the bottom end device 71 may be opened. As shown in FIG. 21A, the end part device can .be directed parallel with ground level or, as shown in FIG. 2IB, bent toward the ground.

FIGS. 23 - 32 illustrate the structure of various outflow devices 8 suitable for connection to divergence pipe 36 buried in the cultivated land, with typical locations of such outflow devices being shown in Figs. 3-4 and 23-24. For example, as shown in FIGS. 30 - 32, the outflow pipe may extend through a hole 84 in the outflow device 8 such that the water overflows onto the respective cultivated land after filling the water box 85 when the valve 83 is opened. This arrangement, of using natural water pressure for supplying water from a reservoir to cultivated land by divergence pipes buried under the land, not only prevents earth and sand from flowing out from the cultivated land but also allows farmers returning home from work to wash their hands and feet with the water existing in the water box.

FIGS. 10 - 13 illustrate a second instance of this invention under the circumstance where the farming water supply is a bridge brook or canal.

Generally, dams are constructed in mountainous zones and bridge brooks flowing into the dam are also in a mountainous area. Traditionally, the way of utilizing bridge brooks passing over the mountainous area was by planting trees around the bridge brooks and utilizing the moisture invading through the earth, in which case the region irrigated was very limited.

The second embodiment of the invention for supplying farming water through water pipe by the normal water pressure of a bridge brook water source contributes greatly to enlarging the amount of land which can be cultivated in a mountainous area, and this is significant in countries such as South Korea where much potential farming land is in such mountainous regions.

As shown in FIGS. 10 - 13, the water gate control 597 located by the side of the bank of a bridge brook opens and closes the water diversion gate 596 for allowing water to flow into the water pressure box 59 through inflowing mouth 595. The diversion is located at the upper front part of the water pressure box 59 and the main pipeline 3 is slightly above the bottom of the water pressure box. In this embodiment, the water level in the water box 59 establishes the normal water pressure for the irrigation water.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 - 13, the screen to be fixed on front of the pipeline to prevent garbage from flowing into the pipeline and the main valve for controlling the farming water supply is the same as in the first embodiment described above, as are the construction and placement of the diversion pipes, run off pipes and bottom end devices. As the way of irrigation using canal water as the water supply is the same as with a bridge brook in its technical structure, a further explanation is omitted.

SUBSTITUTE SHEE! FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a third embodiment of this invention, wherein the irrigation water supply source is an inflowing dammed pool of water.

Traditionally, irrigation water was supplied to cultivate land located lower than the irrigation main canal by means of diverting part of the irrigation water main canal at the side of a river bank for forming an inflowing dammed pool of water for providing an alternate water resource, but under such circumstances the irrigation canal is in the form of an open channel and places higher than the channel could not be irrigated.

The third embodiment, showing how to supply water to cultivate land from a water source comprising a river by using the normal water pressure in a pipeline in accordance with the present invention, will now be described.

For maintaining a regular level of water 41 flowing from the river for the dammed pool of water 52, an orifice gate device 596 is provided at the inner part of the river bank 512 which functions by winding handle lifter 597, with water flowing into the water pressure box 59 through pipe 595 which passes through the diversion gate, and this structure has the advantage of using the water in the water pressure box 59 as the irrigation water supply source.

As usual, the upper end of the pipeline 3 is covered with a screen to prevent garbage from flowing into the pipeline, as explained in the case of other embodiments described above. Similarly, the disposition of diversion pipes, run off pipes, and the bottom end device are the same as in the system first described above.

FIG. 16 illustrates yet another aspect of this invention, namely, utilizing a collecting open conduit 421, beneath a river bed 412 to fill the water pressure box 59. Again, the other components of such a system are the same as those described above in connection with the other embodiments of this invention. Additionally, the required quantity of water can be supplied to any place at a given time by means of the buried run off devices feeding the cultivate land. Also, in an area requiring more hydraulic pressure than normal, an extra power engine is not required for farming water as the water pressure in the pipeline may be used to establish a sprinkler connected to a run off pipe.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another embodiment of the invention wherein the irrigation water supply source is a valley canal. Generally, in a mountain valley, there is always a lot of water flowing. In this instance, best performance is established by using a large size collecting water reservoir in the mountain valley to maintain storage irrigation water with the open channel 414 fed both by run off and a suction pipe from a well 417. In this way, a collecting water reservoir is utilized as the water pressure box of the invention. Here too, the other aspects of the distribution system are the same as described above in connection with the other embodiments hereof.

As will now be apparent from the foregoing description, this invention has the following advantageous effects. By establishing the distribution pipeline underground it is possible to convert to farm land that was occupied by irrigation canals in traditional irrigation systems. Also, by establishing the pipelines underground, maintenance costs are reduced, as there is no anxiety of damage to the system from vehicles, etc. Furthermore, whereas the traditional open channel farming water supply was unable to supply water to places situated higher than the channel, this invention, which utilizes normal hydraulic pressure, is able to extend the zone to which irrigation water is supplied as it is possible to supply water to any place located beneath the irrigation water supply source.

While I have herein shown and described certain aspects of the invention and suggested certain modifications thereto, those skilled in the art will recognize that still further changes may be made, and accordingly the scope of the invention is to be defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of supplying farming water comprising: connecting the upper end of main irrigation pipe to an irrigation water supply source located higher than the cultivated land; burying a diversion pipe connected to said main pipe with said diversion pipe reaching the land to be cultivated, and blocking the end part of the main irrigation pipe for utilizing hydraulic pressure in the main irrigation pipe to supply the farming water to the land.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation water supply comprises a reservoir and dam.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation water supply comprises a bridge river or an irrigation canal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation water supply comprises a river.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation water supply comprises an open conduit disposed in a river bed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the irrigation water supply comprises a mountain valley collecting reservoir.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the main pipe and the diversion pipe are connected inside of a manhole accessible from the surface.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

8. The method of claim 1, wherein water from a diversion pipe is supplied into a water box for run off onto land to be cultivated.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising unblocking the end part of the main pipe for supplying farming water to a sub-irrigation system and blocking the end part when increased water pressure is required.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET