Simulation of soil water drainage in sandy soils, laid on a ceramic plate. Comparison with experimental data

Abstract

In the present paper the simulation of water movement during vertical one dimensional drainage is presented. The study is referred to uniform sandy soil samples, laid on a ceramic plate of a very small saturation hydraulic conductivity. The Richards' equation was solved using finite differences. The upper and lower boundary conditions were zero flux and a condition type III (Fourier) respectively, taking into account the impedance of the ceramic plate. A coarse, a medium and a fine sandy soil were examined. From the comparison between experimental measurements and computed results a good approximation was observed.