Abstract:
Efficient irrigation technology is pivotal in modern agriculture, with reel sprinkler machines contributing significantly to water conservation and crop productivity. However, traditional reel sprinkler machines exhibit limited mobility, inadequate field adaptability, and high energy consumption, hindering their widespread application. This study addresses these limitations by designing a self-propelled reel sprinkler machine with enhanced comprehensive performance capabilities. A hybrid irrigation mode is proposed to optimize irrigation efficiency and uniformity. The machine features high-ground clearance to prevent crop damage during irrigation operations. A radial water distribution fitting curve for fixed-point irrigation was established, and a water calculation model for mobile irrigation mode was constructed based on single sprinkler water distribution tests. A comprehensive evaluation model was developed, incorporating optimization objectives of irrigation intensity, uniformity coefficient, and power consumption under the design irrigation quota. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) generated the Pareto frontier, and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) determined the optimal parameter combination. With objective weights set at 0.388 for irrigation uniformity, 0.224 for irrigation intensity, and 0.388 for power consumption, the optimal parameters under a 45 mm irrigation quota and 0.5 MPa system pressure were identified: sprinkler site spacing at 1.2 times the sprinkler range, adjacent centerline travel track spacing at 1.4 times the sprinkler range, irrigation time of 0.7 hours per point, and unit movement speed of 100 m/h. Under these conditions, the irrigation uniformity coefficient reaches 85.81%, and the work efficiency is approximately 367.4 m²/h, representing a 34% improvement in efficiency compared to the conventional dual-sprinkler mode. Water distribution analysis indicated that adjacent travel track spacing significantly influenced distribution patterns, with optimal balance achieved at 1.3-1.5 times the sprinkler range. Sprinkler site spacing had the most significant impact on the uniformity coefficient, while power consumption was primarily affected by sprinkler site spacing and movement speed. The proposed self-propelled reel sprinkler machine employing a hybrid irrigation mode effectively balanced field adaptability, mobility, and energy efficiency, providing a theoretical foundation for developing advanced reel sprinkler machines in modern agricultural irrigation systems.