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Scaling of infiltration behavior in dissimilar porous materials
Author(s) -
Youngs E. G.,
Price R. I.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr017i004p01065
Subject(s) - hydraulic conductivity , dimensionless quantity , infiltration (hvac) , porous medium , scaling , saturation (graph theory) , capillary pressure , materials science , capillary action , porosity , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , conductivity , soil science , soil water , composite material , geology , geometry , mathematics , physics , combinatorics , quantum mechanics
Microscopic characteristic lengths, as used in the theory of similar porous media, were obtained from measurements of hydraulic conductivity at saturation, of soil‐water pressure at half saturation, and of the integral of hydraulic conductivity with soil‐water pressure, for dissimilar materials with a wide range of particle sizes and shapes. The ratio of the microscopic characteristic lengths obtained in these three ways showed little variation between materials. Dimensionless variables defined in terms of them were used to scale experimental results with packed columns of the materials for vertical downward infiltration, for horizontal infiltration, and for vertical upward capillary rise. The scaled results for all materials were in agreement and fitted theoretically derived relationships for the three situations.