US 12,467,843 B2
Method for predicting soil hydraulic properties based on upward infiltration experiment of cutting ring soil sample
Donghao Ma, Nanjing (CN); Sicong Wu, Nanjing (CN); Jiabao Zhang, Nanjing (CN); and Lianghong Chen, Nanjing (CN)
Assigned to Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing (CN)
Filed by Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing (CN)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/080,941.
Claims priority of application No. 202111621220.2 (CN), filed on Dec. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0204486 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 15/08 (2006.01); G01N 33/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 15/08 (2013.01) [G01N 33/24 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for predicting soil hydraulic properties based on an upward infiltration experiment of a cutting ring soil sample, comprising the following steps:
step A: during a one-dimensional water upward infiltration experiment of homogeneous dry soil for the cutting ring soil sample under a boundary condition of a constant lower boundary pressure hp, recording a change of a cumulative infiltration amount I of the cutting ring soil sample with infiltration time t, and an infiltration time te for a wetting front in soil to reach an upper surface of the cutting ring soil sample, measuring a saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks of the cutting ring soil sample, and proceeding to step B;
step B: according to the change of the cumulative infiltration amount I of the cutting ring soil sample over the infiltration time t, obtaining a cumulative infiltration amount Ite, and an advancing distance zfte of the wetting front in soil at a time te, as well as a ratio of zfte to Ite, namely, an average soil moisture content increase U in a wetting region of the cutting ring soil sample, and proceeding to step C;
step C: obtaining a shape coefficient a of a soil moisture profile of the cutting ring soil sample based on a saturated soil moisture content θs, an initial soil moisture content θi and a residual soil moisture content θr of the cutting ring soil sample, as well as the average soil moisture content increase U in the wetting region of the cutting ring soil sample, and proceeding to step D; and
step D: according to the shape coefficient a of the soil moisture profile of the cutting ring soil sample, obtaining a soil pore size distribution index n of the cutting ring soil sample;
wherein in step D, according to the shape coefficient a of the soil moisture profile of the cutting ring soil sample, and in combination with the following formula:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
the soil pore size distribution index n of the cutting ring soil sample is obtained using a fixed-point iteration method.