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Effect of soil texture on the emission characteristics of porous clay pipe for subsurface irrigation

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Abstract

Laboratory and numerical experiments were carried out to analyze the effect of soil texture on the emission characteristics of porous clay pipe used for subsurface irrigation. Results show that the emission rate of the pipe is linearly related to the applied hydraulic head in the open environment. With the pipe embedded in the soil, the emission rate becomes a function of the soil texture and the applied hydraulic head. For a given soil texture, as the applied hydraulic head in the pipe increases, the moisture content in the vicinity of the pipe becomes higher, and the effect of the capillary forces on the emission rate of the pipe decreases. Under saturated conditions in the vicinity of the pipe, the effect of capillary forces in the flow domain on the emission rate of the pipe is negligible. The study results are useful in designing the lateral spacing and installation depth of the pipelines, irrigation run time and length, and the hydraulic head required for proper operation of porous clay pipe based subsurface irrigation systems.

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Acknowledgments

The findings reported in this paper are based on the doctoral research study undertaken by the third author at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand. The financial support provided by the Iranian Agricultural Engineering Research Institute for pursuing the study and research is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water Engineering and Management, School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Km 42 Phaholyothin Highway, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand

    Ashim Das Gupta, Mukand Singh Babel & Shahram Ashrafi

Authors
  1. Ashim Das Gupta
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  2. Mukand Singh Babel
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  3. Shahram Ashrafi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mukand Singh Babel.

Additional information

Communicated by S. Raine.

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Das Gupta, A., Babel, M.S. & Ashrafi, S. Effect of soil texture on the emission characteristics of porous clay pipe for subsurface irrigation. Irrig Sci 27, 201–208 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-008-0129-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-008-0129-9

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