Irrigateplus – EPANET irrigation software

This is a guest post by David García, manager of IrrigatePlus.

Irrigateplus is a program based on EPANET that includes, in a single program, all the necessary tools for the design, calculation and analysis of irrigation systems.

Even though IrrigatePlus aims to maintain the original interface of Epanet (so users can take advantage of the tutorials and examples for Epanet on several languages), multiple internal tools have been added with the objective of optimizing the irrigation, the selection of sprinkler type and the management of irrigation areas.

For short, IrrigatePlus has four differentiating elements:

• Databases with the specifications for each sprinkler (Max. and min. pressure, pressure-radius function, flow-pressure function, precipitation rate,.)
• Design tools (Sprinklers, Irrigation Area, Angle, Orientation,..)
• Visualization tools (Irrigated Area, Opacity, Gradient, …)
• Calculation Engine (Emission exponents for each sprinkler)

One of its main advantages is its ease of use and its integration with EPANET, which means all its visualization and post-processing tools allow for a complete analysis of the network through the creation of plans, maps, charts and tables.

In the same way, it allows for the listing of used materials, exporting it to a spreadsheet in an easy way (Diameter and length of pipes, sprinkler models, diffusers, nozzles, ..).

IrrigatePlus speeds up such tasks as the election of sprinklers (model, nozzle and angle), the generation of a network model (branched or meshed networks of any size), the planning of irrigation schedules and the interpretation of the results derived from hydraulic simulations.

All this allows for the optimization of the diameter of pipes, the positioning of the valves, the selection of pumping equipment and the uniformity of the irrigation. In short, IrrigatePlus is a great tool helping in selecting and diagnosing the suitability of each of the elements that form an irrigation network (pumps, connections, valves, sprinklers, piping,..).

IrrigatePlus is available in two formats: a free version designed for testing the characteristics of the program without any limitation (it includes a set of default sprinklers); and a paid version with access to the commercial catalogs of major sprinkler manufacturers worldwide.

For more information, visit the web site of IrrigatePlus (www.irrigateplus.com).