How Heterogeneous Pore Scale Distributions of Wettability Affect Infiltration into Porous Media

Bentz J, Patel R, Benard P, Lieu A, Haupenthal A, Kröner E (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Water MDPI

Book Volume: 14

Pages Range: 1110

Issue: 7

DOI: 10.3390/w14071110

Abstract

Wettability is an important parameter that significantly determines hydrology in porous media, and it especially controls the flow of water across the rhizosphere—the soil-plant interface. However, the influence of spatially heterogeneous distributions on the soil particles surfaces is scarcely known. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of spatially heterogeneous wettability distributions on infiltration into porous media. For this purpose, we utilize a two-phase flow model based on Lattice-Boltzmann to numerically simulate the infiltration in porous media with a simplified geometry and for various selected heterogeneous wettability coatings. Additionally, we simulated the rewetting of the dry rhizosphere of a sandy soil where dry hydrophobic mucilage depositions on the particle surface are represented via a locally increased contact angle. In particular, we can show that hydraulic dynamics and water repellency are determined by the specific location of wettability patterns within the pore space. When present at certain locations, tiny hydrophobic depositions can cause water repellency in an otherwise well-wettable soil. In this case, averaged, effective contact angle parameterizations such as the Cassie equation are unsuitable. At critical conditions, when the rhizosphere limits root water uptake, consideration of the specific microscale locations of exudate depositions may improve models of root water uptake.

Authors with CRIS profile

Alice Lieu Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Mathematik (Modellierung und Numerik)

Related research project(s)

Multiscale modeling with evolving microstructure: An approach to emergence in the rhizosphere via effective soil functions DFG Schwerpunktprogramm 2089 “Rhizosphere Spatiotemporal Organisation – a Key to Rhizosphere Functions” Feb. 1, 2019 - Jan. 31, 2022

Involved external institutions

Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) DE Germany (DE) Universität Koblenz-Landau DE Germany (DE) Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich CH Switzerland (CH) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Bentz, J., Patel, R., Benard, P., Lieu, A., Haupenthal, A., & Kröner, E. (2022). How Heterogeneous Pore Scale Distributions of Wettability Affect Infiltration into Porous Media. Water, 14, 1110. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14071110

MLA:

Bentz, Jonas, et al. "How Heterogeneous Pore Scale Distributions of Wettability Affect Infiltration into Porous Media." Water 14 (2022): 1110.

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