DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF WATER LIFTING DEVICE IN KANO, NIGERIA

The arrangements for small-scale irrigation requires a significant attention in the agriculture of rural areas of developing countries. The pressure on water resources has increased in last few decades, causing the lowering down of the water table and making the manual equipment impractical for the extraction of water. Shadouf is still in operation in most of the rural parts of Nigeria and is used for lifting the water by distributing the force applied by the operator. Shadouf deliver the water with low efficiency, have shorter operational life, and its efficiency primarily depends upon the force applied by the operator. For the efficient irrigation, improved equipment is required which can lift the water from greater depths with a better efficiency. In this study, the working methodology of shadouf is reviewed and a modified water lifting devices was designed which can lift the water from greater depth (more than 6 m). The experimental results indicate the improved efficiency with the use of modified water lifting device. The comparison of conventional shadouf and modified lifting devices shows the increase in efficiency by 16%. The efficiency was identified at the variable head and seasons. Such low-cost devices are expected to be extremely useful to the farmers around the world, especially those with small agricultural fields and situated in regions with low rainfall.