Flow Zones

Quick video

x

Power Tip: Irrigation Tools In 3 Minutes

• What Flow Zones Do – and Don't Do
• Creating Flow Zones
  • Creating Flow Zones Using the New Flow Zone Command
  • Creating Flow Zones Using the Size Mainline Pipe Tool
• Sizing the Mainline
• Flow Zones and Golf Course Design
• Related Webinars

Before you size the mainline pipe in your irrigation system design, you might need to set a limit on the flow within a certain area of pipe. Flow Zones are extremely helpful in this situation. Using our New Flow Zone tool, you can quickly draw areas (Flow Zones) throughout your system while assigning a maximum flow to those areas.

Flow Zone callouts are now Multileaders (MLeaders). More information on MLeaders

What Flow Zones Do – and Don't Do

Flow zones set a maximum flow rate in a particular area of your design.

 

Let's say you have a mainline that tees to two different areas, as shown in this example, and you want to limit the flow to 200 GPM on both sides. You can use flow zones to achieve that goal.

In this example, you could use our Flow Zone tool to create a flow zone for this region, setting the Maximum multi-valve flow to 200 GPM.

As a result, the zone will limit the flow to 200 GPM on both sides of the tee.

Creating Flow Zones

We offer two methods for creating Flow Zones:

• Creating Flow Zones Using the New Flow Zone Command
• Creating Flow Zones Using the Size Mainline Pipe Tool

Creating Flow Zones Using the New Flow Zone Command

We've added a tool for creating a new Flow Zone by either drawing them or selecting closed polylines – without the need to open the Size Mainline tool, as before.

Open the New Flow Zone tool:

 

F/X Irrigation ribbon, New Flow Zone flyout

 

 

 

 

 

Type NewFlowZone in the Command line

 

F/X Irrigation menu, New Flow Zone option

The Maximum Multi-valve Flow dialog box will open.

1. Enter a Maximum multi-valve flow for the zone you want to create (example: 100 GPM).

 

2. The Calculated pipe sizes for Standard and Looped pipe will change as you toggle the Velocity slide.

 

3. Use this slide to set a flow velocity for the zone. As you move the slide, you can watch the Calculated pipe sizes change to fit the velocity you've set.

The Command line will prompt: First point, [Select]:

You can either begin drawing your Flow Zone or select a closed polyline area in your drawing to turn into a Flow Zone.

When drawing a Flow Zone, just draw the border around the mainline you want to include. Don't worry about any other heads or lateral pipe. You'll define the border by clicking whichever points are necessary for the boundary area. However, remember that this area is like a “window” that will only include mainline areas you completely enclose. The system will ignore any areas that you simply cross over, as in a “crossing” selection.

 

 

Good

 

Not good

When ready to close the area, right-click to define the Flow Zone. That's it! You can continue to create Flow Zones in this way as needed.

Once you're finished defining Flow Zones, we recommend reviewing your work and NOT proceeding immediately to sizing the mainline.

We recommend creating a customized keyboard shortcut (such as NFZ) for the New Flow Zone command. For instructions, please see our Customize Shortcut Keys documentation page.

Creating Flow Zones Using the Size Mainline Tool

You can also create Flow Zones while sizing the mainline.

To create a Flow Zone using this method, open the Size Mainline tool:

 

F/X Irrigation ribbon, Size Mainline Pipe flyout

 

 

 

or type MainLineSize in the Command line

 

F/X Irrigation menu, Size Mainline Pipe option

The Mainline Size dialog box will open.

 

 

 

Click New Flow Zone.

The Maximum Multi-valve Flow dialog box will open.

1. Enter a Maximum multi-valve flow for the zone you want to create (example: 100 GPM).

 

2. The Calculated pipe sizes for Standard and Looped pipe will change as you toggle the Velocity slide.

 

3. Use this slide to set a flow velocity for the zone. As you move the slide, you can watch the Calculated pipe sizes change to fit the velocity you've set.

As with creating Flow Zones using our New Flow Zone tool, draw your Flow Zone boundary around the mainline you want to include, without worrying about heads or lateral pipe. A Flow Zone will only recognize mainline areas that are completely enclosed within its border.

Once you're ready to finish a Flow Zone area, use the Close command (type C and press Enter) to close the polyline and complete the Zone.

Once you're finished creating Flow Zones, we recommend reviewing your work and NOT proceeding to sizing the mainline. Click the Cancel button in the Mainline Size dialog box to stop creating Flow Zones.

Sizing the Mainline

Once you've verified that you've created your Flow Zones correctly, you can proceed to sizing the mainline.

When you size the mainline in a drawing that includes Flow Zones, make sure you select the Multiple Valves Operating at a Time option in the Mainline Size dialog box.

The mainline will size for the amount entered in the Maximum Mainline Flow box, but the Flow Zone areas will be forced to size according to the maximum flow amounts you've set for them.

Flow Zones and Golf Course Design

Flow Zones are extremely useful in golf course design. For example, golf course designers need to control the flow allow to each tee area. A typical golf course will have a high-flow feeder mainline looped through the course, and then a certain limitation flow zone forced at each tee and fairway. This type of design allows the course manager to water as many heads at one time at any fairway/tee, and then as many fairways/tees as allowed by the overall mainline feeder.

Related Webinars

• Understanding Irrigation Calculations: Join us for a deep dive into exactly what our software is doing when sizing your irrigation design. We'll cover where losses occur in different types of equipment, which schedules are available to help you analyze your system, and how to make the proper adjustments for a successful final product. (1 hr 12 min)