Experimental study on height simulation of capillary fringe

Abstract

In this paper, the plexiglass experimental column was used to analyze the capillary fringe thickness of three kinds of lithologies-silty sand, silt and silty clay-providing a basis for defining the interface in the study of hydrodynamics at the water table between vandose water and groundwater. The capillary fringe generally refers to the subsurface layer in which the groundwater seeps up to the air-entry suction value due to capillary action, and is nearly saturated with water. The thickness of the capillary fringe varies with different lithologies. In this experiment, self-made stable water supply devices were used to study the height of capillary rise, capillary water volume and capillary fringe thickness of the three lithologies through capillary experiment and numerical simulation. Experimental results show as follows: (1) Rising height of capillary water is related to time, particle radius, volume, etc., and the relationship between height and time is in line with the Hill model. (2) The smaller the particle radius, the more water the pores contain, and the ratio of the unsaturated portion of capillary water to the total water content gradually rises. Experimental results obtained by numerical simulation, segmentation and actual measurement are consistent. (3) The thickness of the capillary zone is related to the lithology. The larger the particle size, the smaller the thickness of the capillary fringe, and vice versa. In silty sand, the thickness measures about 13 cm. The figure rises to 16 cm in silt, and 37 cm in silty clay. This work studies the law of soil water transport at saturated-unsaturated interface. Experimental results are of great significance to the study of soil water and salt transport and soil salinization control in unsaturated zone.