Soil Water Retention and Conductivity When Vapor Flow Is Important
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 129, Issue 3
Abstract
Models of soil water transport often calculate conductivity K from the water retention curve (WRC). Residual water content has been defined as θ where When nonisothermal, coupled vapor and liquid water transport are considered, fails because vapor transport often reduces θ to near zero. The author’s objective was to test a model that used unsaturated with θ dependence typical of while a WRC with was used elsewhere in the model. The system was a closed column of steady state, unsaturated, nonisothermal fine quartz sand with temperature (T) ranging from 5 to 40°C. Soil parameters were adjusted to simulate replicated experimental data from one initial θ condition. The model predicted θ and T within the range of the experimental data and reproduced the sharp drying front. It also satisfactorily modeled experiments with several different initial θ. Model heat flux predictions averaged 11% more than measured values. Experiments performed with two soil column lengths were not substantially different.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 129 • Issue 3 • June 2003
Pages: 201 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 27, 2001
Accepted: Aug 8, 2002
Published online: May 15, 2003
Published in print: Jun 2003
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