A novel means of sub-surface irrigation, groundwater recharge and aeration using Capiphon pipe.

摘要

#$%^&*AU2014100608A420140911.pdf#####ABSTRACT 2014100608 A means of sub-surface irrigation, groundwater recharge and aeration using Capiphon pipe. Capiphon is a proprietary drainage material made from PVC. This material is in the form of flat sheets approximately 2nmm thick. One side is plane. On the other the surface is made up of many parallel omega shaped grooves approximately 1mm in diameter with the opening of grooves approximately 0.3mm ("Capiphon Material). Water and other liquids are able to move from outside the omega shaped grooves into them and vice versa. The invention consists of a series of Capiphon Pipes connected in series. The length of the Capiphon pipe is not specified but will be chosen according to variables such as soil permeability. The liquid enters the Capiphon Pipe under pressure, as low as 50mm head for sub-surface irrigation, or as high as 90m head in the case of groundwater recharge. It passes out from the inside of one piece of Capiphon Pipe to the outside grooves of the next piece. The liquid will then move along the Capiphon grooves and out into the soil. For irrigation, the water to be delivered is at low head. and the movement of the liquid is slow and is a mixture of capillary and laminar flow depending on the substrate, resulting in little or no turbulence. As a sub-surf ace irrigation system Capiphon Pipes are placed at or near the root zone thus using less water because the surface layers can be left dry. It also uses less water because it avoids losses due to evaporation that occur in surface irrigation such as flood, centre pivot, traveling gun, or surface drip irrigation.