Measuring Pumping Plant Efficiency of a Typical Irrigation System

Pumping water for irrigation requires a large amount of energy. A typical irrigation system has a water source, often a well, a pump and a drive unit. Electric motors are common drive units but internal combustion engines are also used. The efficiency of the pumping plant is often related to the interaction of these three components. In this video, Dr. Tom Scherer, North Dakota State University Agriculture Engineer, will explain how to perform a pumping plant efficiency test for an electric motor powered deep well turbine pump in a well.
Information on how to determine if sprinkler nozzles are delivering a consistent amount of water is provided in the related video "Checking the Uniformity of the Sprinkler Heads on a Center Pivot: "The Can Test" - • Checking the Uniformit...

[@samuelwinkler5914]

It's awesome to see a very detailed field test. We do all of our testing at our plant. We just started field audits, but it's new to us.

[@robertreznik9330]

You are lucky to have shallow wells. I have been figuring well eff. since 1950's and our farm had first wells drilled in 1942 west of Lubbock where 2,000 gpm wells were common, now only small wells. We are pumping from 700' with 800' wells in Texas Panhandle. So eff. is very important.

[@biosyncfarm]

thank you irrigation tom selleck

[@joemc111]

Great video.

[@MuhammadUmar-xo1rm]

very nice

[@ChamblissLantana]

Hello NDSU EXT, do you have circulars of completing a pumping plant evaluation to complete in the field on your webpage? please refer me if you do have some literature to share. Thank you.

[@johnkosheluk1041]

what does a test like that cost

[@picobyte]

Motors with permanent magnet rotors are most efficient,but simple AC motors will do just fine. The bigger motors get the more efficient they are.

[@IPfreelyY55]

Haha those old us motors are insulated with espestice

[@krabvonchefenstein5753]

IPfreelyY55 Asbestos?

[@IPfreelyY55]

ahahhahaa yes! what an epic fail! hahahah

[@thestrawberrypatch5644]

The pump efficiency is totally dependent on how well or poorly it was specified. Typically upper 70%s but a well specified pump could get in the low 80s. Typical electric motor efficiency is 91% but everything you need to know is on the tag. Decent test but the explanation of results was mediocre.

[@emmawheeler7541]

meh