Pressure-Compensating Inline Drip Irrigation Emitter with Low Activation Pressure

Systems and methods for modeling ways to best design pressure-controlled drip irrigation emitters are provided. The systems and methods are designed to help reduce activation pressure while maintaining a substantially constant, desirable flow rate in an irrigation system. Various parameters that impact the activation pressure and the flow rate can be adjusted to assist in finding optimal designs. The parameters can at least include one or more of resistances in a flow path, resistances in a membrane cavity, a membrane, or placement of a membrane with respect to a membrane cavity. Optimal designs for such emitters based on the discloses systems and methods are provided, including at least one exemplary embodiment in which a length of a flow path is substantially reduced as compared to known emitters.