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How soil texture, channel shape and cross‐sectional area affect moisture dynamics and water loss in irrigation channels
Author(s) -
Mu Zhifan,
Li Tianxiao,
Liu Dong,
Fu Qiang,
Hou Renjie,
Li Qinglin,
Ji Yi,
Cui Song,
Li Mo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.14155
Subject(s) - infiltration (hvac) , environmental science , soil texture , channel (broadcasting) , soil science , moisture , irrigation , water content , hydrology (agriculture) , soil water , geotechnical engineering , computer science , geology , materials science , telecommunications , biology , ecology , composite material
To enhance the utilization efficiency of farmland irrigation water and reduce the leakage of water conveyance channels, the leakage process of channels was simulated dynamically. The simulated results were compared with data measured in laboratory experiments, and the performance of the model was evaluated. The results indicated that the simulated values of the model were consistent with the observation values, and the R 2 values varied between 0.91 and 0.99. In addition, based on the laboratory experiments, a water supply system (Mariotte bottles) and soil box were built using plexiglass. Three influencing factors, namely, the channel form, soil texture and channel cross‐sectional area, were varied to observe and calculate the resulting cumulative infiltration amount, infiltration rate and wetting front migration distance. HYDRUS‐3D software was used to solve the three‐dimensional soil water movement equation under different initial conditions. The results demonstrated that the U‐shaped channel was more effective than the trapezoidal channel in increasing the utilization efficiency of the water resources. A U‐shaped channel with a small channel cross‐sectional area should be adopted and the soil particle size should be prioritized in the construction of water conveyance channels for farmlands. The simulation results were in agreement with the observed results, which indicates that HYDRUS‐3D is a reliable tool that can accurately simulate the soil moisture movement in water conveyance channels. The research results can provide a reference for the design and operation of farmland irrigation systems.