Hydraulic and anti-clogging behavior of patch-type drip emitters under sediment-laden conditions in Southern Xinjiang

ABSTRACT Graphical abstract based on characteristics of low velocity, vortices near the main flow region, and low turbulent kinetic energy, revealing the relationship between hydraulic performance and clogging of low-flow drip irrigation emitters under sediment-laden conditions This study evaluates the anti-clogging performance of two inline patch-type drip irrigation emitters (high-flow: 2.4 L/h; low-flow: 1.4 L/h) under high fine-sediment conditions (5 g/L, median particle size 0.10–0.11 mm) typical of Southern Xinjiang. Hydraulic performance tests, intermittent clogging experiments, and numerical simulations (Eulerian multiphase flow and discrete phase model) were combined for analysis. Results show that the low-flow emitter, despite a lower flow behavior index (0.404) indicating better hydraulic stability, exhibited weaker anti-clogging capacity: its average flow rate decreased by 28%, with a clogging rate of 23%. In contrast, the high-flow emitter (flow behavior index: 0.535) experienced only a 16% flow reduction and a 10% clogging rate. Simulations revealed that the high-flow emitter maintains vortex structures under sediment-laden flow, promoting particle resuspension and resulting in a shorter average particle residence time (0.1579 s) compared to the low-flow emitter (0.3392 s). Clogging primarily occurred at low-velocity zones such as inlets, turns, and outlets. Operational recommendations include maintaining system pressure at 60–80 kPa, controlling sediment concentration ≤5 g/L, and implementing a two-stage filtration system with regular flushing to enhance long-term reliability.