Wind Potential and Wind Pump Water Discharge for Drip Irrigation

Wind Pump drip irrigation is a system that is not documented but developed to link the theory of wind regime, wind machine and drip irrigation to deliver low but frequent applications of water to plant roots for clean energy and to exploit advantages of drip efficiencies. This was by synchronizing wind speed, wind pump discharge, and evapotranspiration. At Lake Victoria Shore (5700 Km2) Kenya, the challenge was lack of adequate wind speed data obtained only at Ahero, Kadenge, Kibos, Muhuru Bay, Rusinga (2m height) and Kisumu at 2m and 10m heights for the large area. Rusinga had 2m height data and a pre-installed wind pump while Ng'ura site lacked wind speed data but a wind pump was installed. The objective of this study was to determine wind potential and estimate water discharge from variable wind speeds for use of a wind pump drip irrigation system at the Lake Shore. This comprised design and installation of the system at Ng'ura, collection of actual wind speed and discharge data from Rusinga Island. A survey map was used in positioning the pipeline, dug well, water tank and the sedimentation tank at Ng'ura.