A Smart Pipe Length Splitting Method for Cost Minimization of a Pressurized Irrigation Network. A Case Study in Greece

A Smart Pipe Length Splitting Method for Cost Minimization of a Pressurized Irrigation Network. A Case Study in Greece | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Smart Pipe Length Splitting Method for Cost Minimization of a Pressurized Irrigation Network. A Case Study in Greece Nikiforos Samarinas, Asimenia Gravani, Christos Evangelides, Athanasios Loukas This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4598573/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Water Resources Management → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The increasing global demand for high-quality agricultural products poses significant challenges for water resource management while the traditional irrigation methods, reliant on open canal systems, are inefficient and environmentally detrimental, necessitating a shift to more efficient pressurized irrigation networks. However, designing these systems is complex and costly, primarily due to the high expenses associated with pipe materials. This research introduces a novel pipe length splitting (PLS) method which optimizes the pipe diameters and lengths by allowing a strategic splitting of the pipes under certain constraints (e.g. flow velocity, head losses etc.) aiming to reduce costs without sacrificing the network efficiency. In this work the proposed PLS method combined with the existing computationally efficient Simplified optimization method offers a robust solution for cost minimization while it is very flexible and compatible also with various existing optimization methods (e.g. linear and dynamic programming). In this work the network under study was the existing open canal irrigation network of Limnochori in North Greece which was studied as a pressurized irrigation network. Applying the Simplified method in conjunction with the PLS, the comparative study shows a total cost reduction of 21,930€ while PLS affected 45% of the total number of pipes. These numbers can be considered remarkable considering that the network can be characterized as a small-medium sized network (107 hydrants). Ultimately, the PLS method is a valuable tool for engineers and decision-makers, which could be used also to other hydraulic works, providing economic benefits through cost savings while also supporting broader goals of environmental sustainability and water resource conservation. pipe sizing optimal design pump head economic pipes Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Sep, 2024 Read the published version in Water Resources Management → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 23 Jul, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Jun, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 19 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 18 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4598573","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":319372622,"identity":"ba5766d9-f743-4ccf-9ae4-20e8fa5523da","order_by":0,"name":"Nikiforos Samarinas","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCgw0GciCa8QFMhJkILcZghQYHIAKMzYS0MDYwgLWwSRClRX7a2YMHZxQYyJm3tz+r/lBxR46B/Yz54wKG2nxcWgxu5yUc3GBgYCxz5ozZjQNnnhkz8OQYNs9gOG7ZgEuLdI7BwQcGfxJnSOSw3TjYdjixgQGohYfhmAFOh80GazEAakl/VgDWwv8GvxaG20AtG8BaEswYwFokwLbU4NRiANIyA+gXCZ4zxhJngH5hk3hWOJvH4AA+hxl/7PljICfB3v7wQwUwxPj5kzd85qmow+0wNHCAgQ1i+2FidQC1QEEd0VpGwSgYBaNg2AMAsCNbCPKJsv0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1619-778X","institution":"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: Aristoteleio Panepistemio Thessalonikes","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nikiforos","middleName":"","lastName":"Samarinas","suffix":""},{"id":319372623,"identity":"9feaf7d1-9017-44a5-ac51-0dd9be8ac7b7","order_by":1,"name":"Asimenia Gravani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: Aristoteleio Panepistemio Thessalonikes","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Asimenia","middleName":"","lastName":"Gravani","suffix":""},{"id":319372624,"identity":"d11005ad-16a3-4e43-8826-3b5ecc96eb60","order_by":2,"name":"Christos Evangelides","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: Aristoteleio Panepistemio Thessalonikes","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Christos","middleName":"","lastName":"Evangelides","suffix":""},{"id":319372625,"identity":"896d9cb3-6a81-4fce-aa33-da94392121f3","order_by":3,"name":"Athanasios Loukas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: Aristoteleio Panepistemio Thessalonikes","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Athanasios","middleName":"","lastName":"Loukas","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-18 08:40:21","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4598573/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4598573/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-024-03978-7","type":"published","date":"2024-09-20T15:57:49+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":65104102,"identity":"16febc96-abed-4fbc-b21d-58862265e4a5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-23 16:11:40","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1880324,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"2024WRMPLS.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4598573/v1_covered_7fd317e8-21f2-483f-a22f-79ca51c212e4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eA Smart Pipe Length Splitting Method for Cost Minimization of a Pressurized Irrigation Network. 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