HOW DOES A SOUTHERN CROSS TRAVELLING IRRIGATOR WORK ?

THE IRRIGATOR IS DRIVEN BY A DOUBLE ACTION HYDRAULIC WATER MOTOR WHICH ACTUATES TWO ARMS WHICH CAUSE A CABLE, ANCHORED AT THE END OF A FIELD, TO BE WOUND UP ON A CABLE DRUM CAUSING THE MACHINE TO "WALK" ALLONG A FIXED TWO HUNDRED METRE LANE. THE WATER IS SUPPLIED BY A FLEXIBLE HOUSE WHICH IS DRAGGED BEHIND THE MACHINE.

THE SPEED OF THE IRRIGATOR, AND THEREFOR THE AMOUNT OF WATER LAID DOWN, IS CONTROLLED BY A SIMPLE VALVE WHICH REGULATES THE IRRIGATORS TRAVELLING SPEED. THE SLOWER THE SPEED, THE MORE WATER WHICH WILL BE LAID DOWN. THE HYDRAULIC SYTEM IS SELF GOVERNING ENSURING THAT THE TRAVEL SPEED OF THE IRRIGATOR VARIES BY NO MORE THAN EIGHT PERCENT OF IT'S AVERAGE SPEED. THE MACHINE IS EASILY CAPABLE OF TRAVELLING TWO HUNDRED METRES IN ELEVEN HOURS. THIS ALLOWS IT TO IRRIGATE AN AREA APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED METRES LONG TWICE A DAY.

THE AREA IRRIGATED IN AN ELEVEN HOUR CYCLE DEPENDS ON THE SIZE IRRIGATION GUN USED, A TYPICAL CONFIGURATION WETTING AN AREA FIFTY METRES WIDE BY TWO HUNDRED METRES, OR APPROXIMATELY ONE HECTARE AT A TIME. FOR AN IRRIGATION CYCLE OF FIVE DAYS TEN HECTARES CAN BE EASILY IRRIGATED, THE WATER DEPTH APPLIED DEPENDING ON THE SIZE GUN USED AND SYSTEM PRESSURE.

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