Membrane deflection in inline drip emitters

Abstract

This study explores the behavior of membranes found within inline drip emitters when subjected to a concentrated load. Knowing the response of the membrane can be useful in optimizing future emitter designs for characteristics such as lower activation pressure. Two different types of membranes were studied, one from the Jain Turbo Cascade® emitters, and the other from the Jain Turbo Top® emitters. These membranes were placed in a fixture, and a texture analyzer fitted with a ball-end probe was used to measure the force exerted by the membrane at a given deflection. The results were compared to analytical models of the deflection of a simply-supported or clamped rectangular plate with a point load, and it was found that these models do not accurately describe the measured behavior. A sensitivity analysis of the models show that changes in the value of the membrane thickness have the greatest effect on change in theoretical deflection at a given force.