Abstract

CRUZ-BAUTISTA, Fidencio et al. Validation of a Model to Estimate the Wet Bulb Dimensions in Drip Irrigation. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2016, vol.7, n.1, pp.45-55. ISSN 2007-2422.

The ability of an experimental model to simulate the advance of water in the wet bulb was evaluated. The aim was to verify its reliability for use in the design and operations of drip irrigation systems. Models used as a reference included Schwartzman and Zur, Amin and Ekhmaj, Kandelous and Liaghat and Abbasi. Field measurements were taken for evaluation purposes. A statistical comparison was preformed with coefficients of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE). R2 indicates the correlation between the modeled results and the field measurements, and the RMSE shows the capacity of the models to simulate the advance of water in the wet bulb. These statistical comparisons indicate that the experimental model simulates the lateral and vertical advance of water in the wet bulb with a reliability of 91 and 96%, with an estimated standard error of 2.7 and 3%, respectively. The R2 and the RMSE also showed that the experimental model that used clay loam soil with emitter flows of 2 and 4 liters per hour resulted in the modeled data and the field observations having the most similar values in terms of the advance of the wet bulb.

Keywords : Simulation; mathematical model; wetted soil volume; drip irrigation; wetting-pattern.