Effects of intermittent cycle pulse sprinkler irrigation induced by solar-coupled compressed air energy storage on soil structure and infiltration characteristics

作者：Fuqiang Wei, Zhengwen Tang, Ge Maosheng, Hui Xin, Zhong Xiaoqing, Khudayberdi Nazarov, Wu Pute, Zhang Zichen · 发表于：Agricultural Water Management · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110579 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Geothermal Energy Systems and Applications、Solar Energy Systems and Technologies、Plant Disease Management Techniques

Traditional constant-pressure continuous sprinkler irrigation is characterized by high application intensity and excessive droplet kinetic energy, which can disrupt soil aggregates, promote surface crust formation, reduce infiltration capacity, and even trigger surface runoff. To address these challenges, this study developed an independently designed solar-coupled compressed air energy storage (CAES-SP) intermittent cyclic pulse sprinkler system. Using a 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) and X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), comparative experiments were conducted on loess soil under two irrigation regimes: continuous irrigation (CK: 8 mm/h for 3 h) and intermittent irrigation (T1-T3: 1–4 mm/h over 6–24 h), with a fixed total water volume of 24 mm. The objective was to investigate the effects of average sprinkler intensity (AR) and sprinkler precipitation kinetic energy (SP) on soil structure and infiltration dynamics. Results indicated no significant differences in droplet diameter, velocity or impact angle between irrigation modes. However, intermittent irrigation significantly enhanced soil physical properties: soil aggregate breakdown decreased by 3.97%-12.82%, porosity increased by 27.02%-53.51%, steady infiltration rate improved by 12.50%-67.75%, and cumulative infiltration exceeded that of CK by 45.21%-132.18%. Both steady and cumulative infiltration exhibited negative power-law relationships with AR and SP, whereas crust thickness and strength followed logarithmic...