DETERMINATION OF OPTIMAL PARAMETERS OF DRIP TAPE FOR MECHANIZED LAYING

The introduction of drip irrigation systems in irrigated areas is impossible without the creation of special machines for laying drip tape. The advantage of in-soil laying of the tape is the absence of losses due to evaporation of irrigation water and the inadmissibility of its heating to temperatures dangerous for the plant in the hot season. To ensure high-quality laying of the drip tape in the soil, constant tension of the tape is required when the speed of the machine fluctuates or it suddenly stops. The absence of constant tension will lead to jamming of the tape in the laying pipe or its twisting, which will make further operation of the drip irrigation system impossible and will require repair work that requires additional labor costs. Constant tension of the tape ensures its precise location in the soil, which will eliminate additional pressure losses when the position of the tape changes during operation of the drip irrigation system. To maintain constant tension, a permanent brake is required. This creates additional tensile forces applied to the tape. The tape is also affected by the resistance of laying it in the soil. The research was aimed at establishing the numerical values of the forces acting on the drip tape to assess their impact. The most popular tapes on farms are those with a thickness of 0.15...0.25 mm due to their low cost. Research has established that for underground installation it is desirable to use a tape with a thickness of at least 0.2 mm. When using a tape with a thickness of 0.15 mm, tensile forces can lead to dangerous deformations of the tape, making it impossible to further use