A proposed water irrigation system consists of one main pipe with a pump and three pipe branches (Fig. P11.16). Each branch is terminated by an orifice, and each orifice has the same elevation. It is apparent that the flow distribution can be solved by treating the piping arrangement as a branched system. However, the piping can also be treated as a parallel system in order to determine the flows.
(a) Identify the equations and unknowns to satisfy the solution for a parallel system. Why is it possible to treat the irrigation system as a parallel piping problem?
(b) Why would the solution to a parallel system be preferred to that of a branching system?
(c) Determine the flow distribution and sketch the hydraulic grade line.
(d) What part of the piping would one change to approximately double the discharge, assuming that the individual lengths and pump curve could not be altered?
