Development of a self-regulated bubble irrigation system to control the size and shape of wetting fronts

The main objectives of this study were to introduce a bubble irrigation system, compare the wetting fronts created by the bubble and free-flow systems, and test the viability of a bubble irrigation system. Two laboratory experiments were conducted using 2D flow to measure the wetting fronts. The first experiment measured the free-flow infiltration using an inverted, open plastic bottle. The second experiment tested the bubble-flow technique using an inverted, closed plastic bottle (ICPB). The results showed that the bubble-flow system created a larger width of wetting fronts at the beginning of the infiltration and then expanded less than that of the free-flow system. In contrast, the infiltration depth of the wetting fronts created by the bubble-flow system was much lower than that of the free-flow system. In conclusion, the wetting front width and depth in the bubble-flow system were slightly smaller than those in the free-flow system. In addition, the wetting fronts created by the ICPB were not moved upwards significantly, which proves the ability of specific distribution of the bubble-flow system on the wetting fronts. Therefore, the bubble irrigation system can be used as an alternative for distributing the moisture content in soil profiles.

Text BUBBLE.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB) Official URL or Download Paper: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/pjst/browse/regula...

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