Condensation Irrigation Field Test : Measurements of Soil Moisture

Abstract

Due to the growing population and scarcity of fresh water it is increasingly important to produce potable water by desalination of saline water. However, desalination requires energy and in a sustainable world it has to be based on renewable energy. Condensation irrigation (CI) is a method that combines desalination and irrigation. In such systems solar energy could be used to provide needed energy. By letting air flow over the water surface in a solar still with saline or polluted water, the air is humidified. The vapor-saturated airflow is then lead into buried pipes, where the air gradually cools and the water precipitates along the pipe surface. In current field study perforated PVC pipes were used i.e. the condensed water left the pipe through its walls and irrigated the surrounding soil. In PVC pipes without perforations the produced water was collected at the pipe outlet. A fan was used to force the air through the 25 m pipes of the CI system. The resulting amount of produced water per 8 hours for drinking water and irrigation was 4.0 and 6.0 l, respectively.Upprättat; 2016; 20160401 (bon)</p