Hectron automatic filters for irrigation and micro-irrigation
Hectron automatic filters for irrigation and micro-irrigation
Irrigation and micro-irrigation systems need a long service life to be profitable: they must therefore be protected from dirt and wear caused by various particles. The filtration products developed by Hectron are particularly recommended for this field where they can operate in an automated way. Here are the Hectron product ranges that can be used for this purpose and concrete examples of installations where they have proved their worth.
The need for water filtration in irrigation and micro-irrigation systems
Irrigation and micro-irrigation systems are expensive and must be kept running continuously. Many of their components are buried in the ground and require costly maintenance if necessary.
Filtration is therefore essential in order to avoid any kind of malfunction. Solenoid valves, drip irrigation systems or micro-sprinklers are fragile and cannot withstand water loaded with particles of varying size in the medium term. It is therefore upstream of these devices that Hectron's automatic filtration solutions are the most cost-effective, easy to install and low-maintenance.
Which Hectron filters can be used for the filtration of irrigation and micro-irrigation systems?
There are three types of filters that can be used for this type of application: AG automatic filters, Prago automatic filters and HN hydrocyclones.
Fully automated operation without human intervention
No consumables to change
A low filtration level that allows the removal of small particles
The filtration thresholds can thus start at 0.5-1 microns and eventually reach much higher thresholds of 500 microns.
The Hectron filter models in this range can all withstand a maximum pressure of 5 bar and are made of stainless steel casing.
The characteristics that vary according to the models are the maximum admissible flow rates and the types and diameters of the inlets and outlets, i.e.:
AG 100: 8 m³/h and 1" female thread
AG 200: 45 m³/h and 2" female thread, 3" male thread and DN80 flanges
AG 300: 120 m³/h and 3" male thread and DN100 and DN150 flanges
AG 400: 340 m³/h and flanges of DN100, DN150, DN200 and DN250
Prago automatic filters
The automatic filter called Prago is also an economical alternative for the filtration of water from boreholes supplying watering or irrigation installations.
This filter can be operated at various filtering levels: 100, 200 or 300 microns and it admits a maximum pressure of 6 bars. Its maximum flow rate is 10 m³/h.
Easy to install, it only requires a 230 V 50 Hz power supply and consumes only 50 W. It is a rather light model (only 6 kilograms) and featuring 1''¼ threaded inlets and outlets.
HN hydrocyclones
Hectron hydrocyclones are ideal for use in watering and irrigation systems. Their great advantage is their ability to filter out large particles: installed upstream of a finer filter, they provide effective protection for the latter.
The hydrocyclone works on the clever principle of using the incoming fluid to develop a centrifugal force and flow pattern. The high density particles then accumulate downwards and are discharged into a reservoir.
Hectron HN hydrocyclones are made of stainless steel and combine high durability with no oxidation.
They have 1" and 2" threaded inlets and outlets and can accept a maximum flow rate of 25 m³/h and a maximum pressure of 10 bar. The result obtained by the hydrocyclones is satisfactory in that more than 80% of suspended solids larger than 100 µm are removed.
Examples of the filtration of irrigation and micro-irrigation systems with Hectron products
There are of course many installations that use Hectron filters to protect irrigation and micro-irrigation systems. Nevertheless, it is possible to mention a few that stand out:
For example, in Lapouyade in Gironde, a closed-loop water filtration system has been implemented for the cultivation of tomatoes in greenhouses. The irrigation system is now filtered by 20 micron filtration using Hectron products.
For the same type of installation with greenhouses, in the Lot-et-Garonne at Sainte Bazeille, the company Catim has installed 2 AG200 DN80 PN10 filters in 100 microns to protect 0.5 mm nozzles that dispense water pumped from the Garonne.
In the context of a nursery located at La Genete in Saône-et-Loire (Pépinière des Avettes), the water from the borehole was found to be very high in sand. This water intended for watering had to be filtered to protect the solenoid valves, the micro-sprinklers and the drippers. Hectron recommended an 80-micron AG100 filter to remove almost all of the sand carried by the pumping water.
Sprinkler systems can also be protected at much lower thresholds where necessary. This is the case of a sprinkler system installed at Vrigny in the Loiret region where an AG200 2" filter is set at 5-8 microns to ensure maximum protection.
It also happens that irrigation water comes from purification installations. For example, in La Flotte in Charente-Maritime, the company Saur has installed an AG400-316 L filter in DN150, with a 20 micron filtration, ensuring a flow rate of 100 m³/h to protect the UV treatment systems before sending the water into the irrigation network.
Hectron: the ideal automatic filtration for many applications
As we have just seen, Hectron automatic filters are ideal for irrigation and micro-irrigation systems. But the versatility of the Hectron self-cleaning filter range is a real asset in many other areas. This is the case for the protection of heat pumps in collective buildings, the filtration of lake or river water, the treatment of drinking water, the protection of factory networks, the filtration of sea water or the protection of purification plants.
For all of these applications, there are one or more Hectron filter models that can filter to the appropriate threshold and offer low installation and maintenance costs.
Moreover, the autonomous operation of these filters, as well as the absence of human intervention and consumables to be renewed, makes them extremely competitive compared to any other solution of the competition.
