Automation and control of a pressurized collective irrigation system based on fuzzy logic

Abstract

In the irrigated agriculture sector, to increase productivity and profitability, it is necessary to increase efficiency in the use of water and electricity. Thus, the use of operational processes that maximize productivity in the sector, reducing water and electricity consumption, is essential for irrigation development. This work proposes developing an intelligent control system based on fuzzy logic to control the pressure and flow at the entrances to the plots of a collective pressurized irrigation system. The tests were carried out on an experimental bench that emulates an automated water distribution system installed in the Laboratory of Energy and Hydraulic Efficiency in Sanitation at the Federal University of Paraiba. The pressure was controlled by varying the frequency of the pump set, while the flow was controlled by varying the opening of the control valves upstream of the entrance of each of the plots. With the application of the proposed methodology, the system showed a reduction of 8.47% in water consumption and a 42.51% reduction in electricity consumption. The results were found to validate the use of the controller, indicating that the network could control the design flows and pressures with different set points.