Mathematical model of electrical conductivity as a function of water flow in soils using Flow Net

Abstract

This article studies and discusses the physical-mathematical relationships that govern electrical conductivity and hydrodynamics in porous soils, involved in agricultural irrigation systems and also in grounding systems. For purposes of optimizing irrigation, use of water resources, determination of suitable land for grounding systems and its inherent precision, the parameters of water content in the soil, energy potential of the water, electrical conductivity and, consequently, the general characteristics of the sensors are a fundamental part of this study, since they represent the basic “raw material” for the development of complex irrigation forecasting systems and grounding systems design, to which as the technique advances, more and more variables and methodologies of monitors and control. Initially, the study will analyze the mathematical models that govern both the water content in the soil, and those related to resistivity; then the link between both fields and the different types of sensors for each case are studied. The main motivation of this study is to lay the foundations to initiate more complex description models through computer-assisted numerical methods, additionally with heuristic techniques, thus taking advantage of the computational power available at this time. At the end of the study, a more technical view is obtained about the hydrodynamic processes involved in agriculture and other technologies, due to the low availability of an increasingly scarce and expensive resource such as water.