Water Vapor Transport in Soils from a Pervaporative Irrigation System
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 8
Abstract
A novel method for irrigation with saline water uses a polymer membrane, formed into a tube, to treat and distribute the water simultaneously. The flux of water across the membrane occurs by the process of pervaporation, during which a phase change from liquid to vapor occurs. Thus, water arrives in the soil in the vapor phase. The experimental results presented in this paper demonstrate that, contrary to previous assumptions, soil vapor flows are a significant transport mechanism during pervaporative irrigation in dry soils. The soil water sorption properties affect the rate of condensation in the soil, which in turn affects both the water distribution in the soil and the loss of water vapor to the atmosphere. The flux from the tube becomes limited by high humidities adjacent to the external surface of the membrane. Thus, enhancing condensation in the soil or increasing diffusion through the soil increases flux from the system. These findings highlight the need to consider how plants might interact with water supplied in the vapor phase.
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Acknowledgments
The writers acknowledge the financial support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) UK, provided through a Ph.D. studentship and the in-kind support of DTI-r and Du Pont, without whom this paper would not have been possible. The writers also gratefully acknowledge the funding for this paper provided by the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) under Project Number 09123-11. The writers also thank the reviewers for their helpful comments on the research reported in this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 8 • August 2013
Pages: 1062 - 1069
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 16, 2012
Accepted: Apr 3, 2013
Published online: Apr 5, 2013
Published in print: Aug 1, 2013
Discussion open until: Sep 5, 2013
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