Uniformity of water distribution in linear movement with a double-sprinkler of self-propelled hard hose traveler

This paper introduces the development of a self-propelled hard hose traveler to accelerate the transition of the traditional JP50-180 hard hose traveler toward becoming an irrigation robot and enhancing its applicability in farmland. The uniformity model of linear motion water distribution is established by utilizing the total frequency of application during the sprinkler motion and the radial application depth once during the fixed sprinkler rotation. The average application depth deviation between the tested and calculated values is 7.4%. The effect of combined irrigation with sprinkler motion is superior to that of motion irrigation with a single sprinkler. The average application depth decreases as the motion speed increases while the water distribution uniformity ( CU value) remains constant. The average application depth decreases as the path spacing increases. In contrast, the CU value first increases and then decreases. The highest CU value is approximately 94%, with the optimal path spacing being 1.5R and the optimal combinations of sprinkler rotation angles α, β, and γ being 0°, 90°, and 90°, or 90°, 90°, and, 0°, or 0°, 180°, and 0°, respectively depending on the case. The above indicators are significant for planning the irrigation application of a self-propelled hard hose traveler.