WSEAS Transactions on Heat and Mass Transfer
Print ISSN: 1790-5044, E-ISSN: 2224-3461
Volume 11, 2016
Determination of Soil Parameters Under Gravitation and Centrifugal Forces in 3D Infiltration
Authors: , ,
Abstract: A novel set-up for the study of unsaturated flow characteristics in porous media is examined. In this set-up, a sample of cylindrical shape is submerged in water chamber and the water infiltrates into it. The top of the cylinder is isolated and from its bottom water flows out to the collection chamber. Both chambers except of the sample bottom (resp. its part) are mutually isolated. Determination of soil parameters (in fundamental flow characteristics) requires non-invasive measuremets of global characteristics as amount of infiltrated and outflow water in some time moments (see the figure 1 below). When using centrifuge the measurement data could be extended also by measurements of centrifugal force. A precise and efficient numerical method is developed for solution of mathematical model based on Richard’s strongly nonlinear and degenerate equation expressed in terms of van Genuchten/Mualem experimental model describing effective saturation and hydraulic permeability versus pressure. The previously used 1D models (tube shape samples) experience serious issues with the effects of fingering, where due to the small inhomogenities preferable streams in the tube can emerge. Moreover, the isolation of sample mantle is technically difficult, especially in centrifugation mode. On the other hand the numerical realization is much more difficult as in 1D mathematical model. The numerical experiments support our method requiring only simple non-invasive measurements.
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Keywords: water transport, unsaturated porous media, soil parameters, scaling of mathematical model, gravitation and centrifugal forces
Pages: 115-120
WSEAS Transactions on Heat and Mass Transfer, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5044 / 2224-3461, Volume 11, 2016, Art. #13