Experimental and numerical analysis of two-phase infiltration in a partially saturated soil

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the soil air flow on the process of water infiltration in a 93.5 cm deep vertical column for varied boundary conditions at the surface - positive time constant head; time constant fluxes smaller and greater than saturated soil hydraulic conductivity.Several experiments conducted on a sandy soil column with and without a possible air flow through the wall are presented. Continuous and simultaneous measurements of water content and air and water pressure heads at different depths allow the analysis of the air and water movements within the soil and the determination of the capillary pressure and relative permeability for each phase as functions of the volumetric water content.A numerical solution of the equations describing the simultaneous flow of air and water is compared with the experimental data and with the traditional one-phase flow modeling. The results show that the air movement may significantly affect water flow variables such as infiltration rates, water content profiles, and ponding times.Furthermore, some basic assumptions used in two-phase flow modeling, such as the hydrodynamic stability of the wetting fronts and the pertinence of the relative permeability concept, are discussed in the light of the experimental data.