Portable rainfall micro-simulator for hydrological studies

Abstract

This work presents a portable rainfall micro-simulator entirely designed, constructed and calibrated in the Hydraulics Laboratory (UTN Facultad Regional Córdoba). This equipment has been specially designed for the acquisition of in-situ experimental information for the estimation of hydrological parameters, i.e.: infiltration capacity, plant interception, soil erosion, etc. Drop formation is done through a tray with 289 drop formers, which works under pressures between 0,98 and 2,45 kPa, producing rainfall intensities from 65 to 120 mm/h. Calibration was made over 350 experimental observations, and resulted in a head-intensity potential regression curve, with an estimated error of 3 mm/h. First in-situ experimental observations were successful, compared with double-ring infiltrometer technique widely used in this Laboratory.