SIMILARITY AND FIRST-INTEGRAL SOLUTIONS FOR AIR AND WATER DIFFUSION IN SOILS AND COMPARISON WITH OPTIMAL RESULTS

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Abstract
In the absence of gravity, first integral techniques can be used to predict, exactly, water intake in soils when air movement is included, for special forms of the soil-water properties and for specific boundary conditions without the need for extensive numerical iteration. Optimization can also be used to predict, approximately but under more general conditions, water intake in the soil, providing a basis for comparison with the first integral results. The present analysis shows that for the same water pressure at the surface, water intake decreases when air is taken into account, though for the same water content at the surface, water intake is actually greater. © Williams & Wilkins 1984. All Rights Reserved.