There is a growing trend towards the use of larger machines in Ireland. The key reasons for this are tight working windows and a demand for more output in less time with increased efficiency.
Umbilical slurry spreading has lagged behind this trend towards larger output methods, particularly in terms of hose diameter. Contractors are buying larger dribble bars and trailing shoe systems but are mostly sticking with 4in layflat hose.
The movement towards larger-diameter hose has been slow for two key reasons. The first is the hourly rate system that is preferred by most Irish contractors. Moving from 4in hose to 6in brings with it just under three times the output per hour. So, if the rate being charged cannot increase in accordance to hose size, the contractor will lose out.
For a larger diameter hose to work sucessfully, charing has to increase proportionally to the increasesd output.\David Ruffles
The second reason is the lack of understanding among some farmers and contractors of the benefits of larger layflat hose in umbilical systems. Increases in output can be hard to believe – but it’s just physics. So, here are some examples that show the benefits of going bigger bore.
Let’s look at a typical five-bay single slatted shed, tanks size 2.7m x 3.5m x 4.8m. Assuming there is 38m3 (10,000 gallons) of slurry per bay, this equates to 50,000 gallons or 227m3 of slurry. Fields are around the farmyard, so 1,000m of layflat hose is needed.
The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors Ireland (FCI) guided rate for umbilical slurry spreading is €150/hr. Though this can vary by up to €50/hr depending on location, we will use this figure for our calculations. We will use the Darcy Weisbach pressure loss formula to calculate the pressure differential along a pipe of known length and diameter.
The results speak for themselves in terms of output per hour and cost per m3. The differences in time alone to complete the 227m3 job between the slowest and fastest is 1hr 26mins (2.20hrs and 0.76hrs respectively).
In terms of pricing, the 4in system costs €1.45/m3 while the 6in system costs €0.50/m3.
Savings are made on diesel also. Even if the tractor pumping burned twice the fuel using the 6in system, which it realistically wouldn’t, the tractor on the 4in system still costs more to run.
A larger diameter hose brings about increases in output and reductions in fuel consumption.\Adrian Leech
It is worth noting that the above is a theoretical calculation to show the differences in flow depending on hose diameter, all of which have the same pressure drop.
Out in the field, factors such as bends in the hose and undulating terrain will have an effect on results.
The workings above are based on keeping pressure drop constant at eight bar.
The reasons
The most popular reasons contractors we spoke to gave for moving to the larger hose are:
To increase the volume of slurry moved per hour.To decrease pressure but still maintain the same flow as before. This reduces pump wear and fuel costs as the higher pressure is not required in most cases.To pump further distances without the need for a secondary pump along the line. This was highlighted by contractors pumping on hilly terrain in particular.Farmer view: James Duncan,
Dungourney, Co Cork
James Duncan based in Dungourney, Co Cork, has a 600-cow dairy herd that leaves behind a large volume of slurry to be handled during the year. The Duncans manage the slurry with their own umbilical system. “When we go at slurry we want it done fast, so we bought a 12m twin-macerator system with 6in and 4in piping – 1,200m of 6in and 400m of 4in. Output is serious. We pump with a Fendt 820 and Bauer pump. On a good day, pumping on relatively flat ground with the full 1,600m of piping out, we can achieve 200m3/hr. On our most hilly ground output would be back to 100m3/hr at its lowest but anywhere around the 150m3/hr mark is good going. Pressure has never been an issue. If we could have chosen bigger pipe we would have.”
On a good day, pumping on relatively flat ground with the full 1,600m of piping out, we can achieve 200m3/hr
Contractor view: Gerry Murphy,
Mitchelstown, Co Cork
Contractor Gerry Murphy runs two umbilical systems. His most recent system consists of 5in and 6in hose. “We said we’d take a chance and go 5in and 6in. Everything has worked better since – the flow to the macerator is unreal. Typically we would have 600m of 6in and 800m of 5in rolled out, sometimes more, with the flowmeter always reading between 160m3 and 180m3. Fuel consumption pumping has definitely reduced while the tractor out spreading is now burning more diesel as it’s driving faster to cope with increased flow. Having said that, the savings still outweigh the increased consumption in the field. Without a doubt we are moving through each job at a much better rate and I am confident farmers will pay a slightly increased hourly rate in return.”
If a farmer with one dog wants to move 200 sheep through a 6ft gate, Which makes more sense? Use more dogs to increase pressure on the sheep or widen the gate and increase the number of sheep that pass through at once? The principle is the same with slurry.
However, adoption of larger-diameter hose has been slow because of how it affects the bottom line for contractors. Larger hoses mean less time spent in a farmer’s yard pumping and if the hourly rate does not increase according to hose diameter, the contractor loses out.
For this to work, farmers need to know the system offered when pricing contractors. Or, ideally, the whole pricing structure needs to change from the hourly system to charging per cubic metre pumped. Charging per cubic metre with a set price for reeling in and out would work best in most situations, with a possible additional charge for long distances where over 1,500m of hose is used, for example. Regardless of hose diameter, hilly terrain will affect output.
Small jump
Even a small jump from a 4in to a 4 1/3in hose brings about significant benefits in terms of output. But larger diameter hoses have a few negatives aside from a higher initial cost, which would typically be paid off based on increased output alone.
A larger hose will require more space on a reeler, therefore less can be carried compared to standard 4in hose.
Naturally, less meters of 5in and 6in hose will be carried on reelers compared to 4in.\David Ruffles
The tractor spreading with 6in hose will require more power and ballast to manage the added hose weight in the field, although the best solution is to reduce hose size for the last few hundred metres in the field where the tractor is spreading, reducing drag and helping maintain or increase pressure. A faster forward speed will be required for higher flow to the spreading system in the field.
Moving towards higher output systems cannot be justified from a contractor’s perspective unless rates change in accordance to hose diameter or the charging method changes from hourly to volume-based.
A pricing change could benefit both the farmer and the contractor. Apart from the initial cost of the larger-diameter hose, fixed operating costs will remain the same if not less for the contractor, with the result of increased output and ability to handle more work. While from the farmer’s perspective, the contractor will be pumping for less time, so higher rates could be afforded in most cases.
There is a growing trend towards the use of larger machines in Ireland. The key reasons for this are tight working windows and a demand for more output in less time with increased efficiency.
Umbilical slurry spreading has lagged behind this trend towards larger output methods, particularly in terms of hose diameter. Contractors are buying larger dribble bars and trailing shoe systems but are mostly sticking with 4in layflat hose.
The movement towards larger-diameter hose has been slow for two key reasons. The first is the hourly rate system that is preferred by most Irish contractors. Moving from 4in hose to 6in brings with it just under three times the output per hour. So, if the rate being charged cannot increase in accordance to hose size, the contractor will lose out.
For a larger diameter hose to work sucessfully, charing has to increase proportionally to the increasesd output.\David Ruffles
The second reason is the lack of understanding among some farmers and contractors of the benefits of larger layflat hose in umbilical systems. Increases in output can be hard to believe – but it’s just physics. So, here are some examples that show the benefits of going bigger bore.
Let’s look at a typical five-bay single slatted shed, tanks size 2.7m x 3.5m x 4.8m. Assuming there is 38m3 (10,000 gallons) of slurry per bay, this equates to 50,000 gallons or 227m3 of slurry. Fields are around the farmyard, so 1,000m of layflat hose is needed.
The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors Ireland (FCI) guided rate for umbilical slurry spreading is €150/hr. Though this can vary by up to €50/hr depending on location, we will use this figure for our calculations. We will use the Darcy Weisbach pressure loss formula to calculate the pressure differential along a pipe of known length and diameter.
The results speak for themselves in terms of output per hour and cost per m3. The differences in time alone to complete the 227m3 job between the slowest and fastest is 1hr 26mins (2.20hrs and 0.76hrs respectively).
In terms of pricing, the 4in system costs €1.45/m3 while the 6in system costs €0.50/m3.
Savings are made on diesel also. Even if the tractor pumping burned twice the fuel using the 6in system, which it realistically wouldn’t, the tractor on the 4in system still costs more to run.
A larger diameter hose brings about increases in output and reductions in fuel consumption.\Adrian Leech
It is worth noting that the above is a theoretical calculation to show the differences in flow depending on hose diameter, all of which have the same pressure drop.
Out in the field, factors such as bends in the hose and undulating terrain will have an effect on results.
The workings above are based on keeping pressure drop constant at eight bar.
The reasons
The most popular reasons contractors we spoke to gave for moving to the larger hose are:
To increase the volume of slurry moved per hour.To decrease pressure but still maintain the same flow as before. This reduces pump wear and fuel costs as the higher pressure is not required in most cases.To pump further distances without the need for a secondary pump along the line. This was highlighted by contractors pumping on hilly terrain in particular.Farmer view: James Duncan,
Dungourney, Co Cork
James Duncan based in Dungourney, Co Cork, has a 600-cow dairy herd that leaves behind a large volume of slurry to be handled during the year. The Duncans manage the slurry with their own umbilical system. “When we go at slurry we want it done fast, so we bought a 12m twin-macerator system with 6in and 4in piping – 1,200m of 6in and 400m of 4in. Output is serious. We pump with a Fendt 820 and Bauer pump. On a good day, pumping on relatively flat ground with the full 1,600m of piping out, we can achieve 200m3/hr. On our most hilly ground output would be back to 100m3/hr at its lowest but anywhere around the 150m3/hr mark is good going. Pressure has never been an issue. If we could have chosen bigger pipe we would have.”
On a good day, pumping on relatively flat ground with the full 1,600m of piping out, we can achieve 200m3/hr
Contractor view: Gerry Murphy,
Mitchelstown, Co Cork
Contractor Gerry Murphy runs two umbilical systems. His most recent system consists of 5in and 6in hose. “We said we’d take a chance and go 5in and 6in. Everything has worked better since – the flow to the macerator is unreal. Typically we would have 600m of 6in and 800m of 5in rolled out, sometimes more, with the flowmeter always reading between 160m3 and 180m3. Fuel consumption pumping has definitely reduced while the tractor out spreading is now burning more diesel as it’s driving faster to cope with increased flow. Having said that, the savings still outweigh the increased consumption in the field. Without a doubt we are moving through each job at a much better rate and I am confident farmers will pay a slightly increased hourly rate in return.”
If a farmer with one dog wants to move 200 sheep through a 6ft gate, Which makes more sense? Use more dogs to increase pressure on the sheep or widen the gate and increase the number of sheep that pass through at once? The principle is the same with slurry.
However, adoption of larger-diameter hose has been slow because of how it affects the bottom line for contractors. Larger hoses mean less time spent in a farmer’s yard pumping and if the hourly rate does not increase according to hose diameter, the contractor loses out.
For this to work, farmers need to know the system offered when pricing contractors. Or, ideally, the whole pricing structure needs to change from the hourly system to charging per cubic metre pumped. Charging per cubic metre with a set price for reeling in and out would work best in most situations, with a possible additional charge for long distances where over 1,500m of hose is used, for example. Regardless of hose diameter, hilly terrain will affect output.
Small jump
Even a small jump from a 4in to a 4 1/3in hose brings about significant benefits in terms of output. But larger diameter hoses have a few negatives aside from a higher initial cost, which would typically be paid off based on increased output alone.
A larger hose will require more space on a reeler, therefore less can be carried compared to standard 4in hose.
Naturally, less meters of 5in and 6in hose will be carried on reelers compared to 4in.\David Ruffles
The tractor spreading with 6in hose will require more power and ballast to manage the added hose weight in the field, although the best solution is to reduce hose size for the last few hundred metres in the field where the tractor is spreading, reducing drag and helping maintain or increase pressure. A faster forward speed will be required for higher flow to the spreading system in the field.
Moving towards higher output systems cannot be justified from a contractor’s perspective unless rates change in accordance to hose diameter or the charging method changes from hourly to volume-based.
A pricing change could benefit both the farmer and the contractor. Apart from the initial cost of the larger-diameter hose, fixed operating costs will remain the same if not less for the contractor, with the result of increased output and ability to handle more work. While from the farmer’s perspective, the contractor will be pumping for less time, so higher rates could be afforded in most cases.
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