Decagon DualHead Infiltrometer Operator's Manual
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Decagon DualHead Infiltrometer Operator's Manual

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DualHead Infiltrometer
Operator's Manual
Decagon Devices, Inc.
Version: February 11, 2016 — 13:47:36

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  • Page 1 DualHead Infiltrometer Operator’s Manual Decagon Devices, Inc. Version: February 11, 2016 — 13:47:36...
  • Page 2 DualHead Infiltrometer Decagon Devices, Inc. 2365 NE Hopkins Court Pullman WA 99163 Phone: 509-332-5600 Fax: 509-332-5158 Website: www.decagon.com Email: support@decagon.com or sales@decagon.com Trademarks c 2014 Decagon Devices, Inc. All Rights Reserved...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    DualHead Infiltrometer CONTENTS Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Shipping Contents ....1.2 Customer Support ....1.3 Warranty .

  • Page 4: Introduction

    DualHead Infiltrometer 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Decagon Devices DualHead Infiltrome- ter. The DualHead Infiltrometer measures Field Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (K ) in soil. This manual should help you understand the functions of your DualHead Infiltrometer, make high-quality K measurements, and get the most out of your instrument.

  • Page 5: Warranty

    1 INTRODUCTION DualHead Infiltrometer If contacting us by email or fax, please include as part of your mes- sage your instrument type, serial number, your name, address, phone, and fax number. Warranty The DualHead Infiltrometer has a one year warranty on parts and labor.

  • Page 6: About The Dualhead Infiltrometer

    DualHead Infiltrometer 2 ABOUT THE DUAL... About the DualHead Infiltrometer Specifications Infiltration Rate Range: 0.0038 cm/hr to 115 cm/hr Infiltration Rate Resolution: 0.0038 cm/hr Infiltration Rate Accuracy: 5 % of reading K : *(see explanation below) Water Level: Maintained at 5 cm Pressure Head Ranges: 0 to 40 cm Operating Temperature: 0 to 50 C Charging Adapter: 18 V 2.2 Amps;...
  • Page 7 2 ABOUT THE DUAL... DualHead Infiltrometer Figure 1: Components The DualHead Infiltrometer Control Unit has seven buttons that al- low you to navigate through screens and configure different settings. Power / Menu The left side button below the display is the Power/Menu button that navigates between different screen tabs.

  • Page 8: Optional Accessories

    DualHead Infiltrometer 2 ABOUT THE DUAL... in a list pages through items and holding down a directional button speeds up scrolling. Enter The middle button on the directional pad is the Enter button. Press the Enter button while highlighting an item to go to a sub menu or save the highlighted setting to memory.
  • Page 9 2 ABOUT THE DUAL... DualHead Infiltrometer Figure 3: Image of 10 cm insertion ring Collapsible 5 gallon water tank with Y-connector Some sights with higher infiltration rates will use more than 5 gal- lons of water in the time necessary to complete a measurement. The secondary water tank w/ Y-connector will allow you to connect up to 2 water tanks to the DualHead doubling the water supply to the DualHead for a measurement.

  • Page 10: Taking A Reading

    DualHead Infiltrometer 3 TAKING A READING Taking a Reading Installation Before installation, verify all of the contents shipped and appear in good condition. (See shipping contents list) Make sure to charge the Control Unit initially before taking your first measurements and re- new the charge each day after returning from the field.
  • Page 11 3 TAKING A READING DualHead Infiltrometer Fit the Driving Plate on the Insertion Ring and drive it 5 cm into the soil surface or flush using a three pound plastic mallet or metal hammer (not included). Hammer straight on the mark in the center of the driving plate to ensure the ring goes straight down during insertion to avoid creating gaps around the edge of the ring.
  • Page 12 DualHead Infiltrometer 3 TAKING A READING Next, set up the Infiltrometer Head. The Infiltrometer Head houses the capacitance sensor (to control the water level), water connection, and air connection with push-to-connect fittings. Figure 8: Upper and Insertion Rings Clamp the Infiltrometer Head onto the Insertion Ring to form a seal. Do not clamp too tightly, as this can lead to warping of the Insertion Ring.

  • Page 13: Configuration

    3 TAKING A READING DualHead Infiltrometer Then, set your filled flexible water tank beside the controller, while ensuring the spout is oriented at the bottom of the tank for proper flow. Use the remaining tube to connect the water tank to the water input port on the Control Unit.
  • Page 14 DualHead Infiltrometer 3 TAKING A READING Once you have entered a test name and pressed Done, you can select the settings you would like to use for the test. Go to the Settings option to setup test parameters for Hydrostatic Pressure, Soak Time, Pressure Cycles, and Hold Time.
  • Page 15 3 TAKING A READING DualHead Infiltrometer Table 1: Soak Time and Pressure Head Configurations Note: The values in Table 1 are a rough starting point only. Soil conditions dictate the optimal settings for your test. You may also set the number of pressure cycles. The Infiltrometer can be set to run through multiple pressure cycles, but the Control Unit only uses the last cycle for computation.
  • Page 16 DualHead Infiltrometer 3 TAKING A READING You can adjust the hold time in the Test Settings as well. The hold time determines how long the pressure is held at each pressure head. This setting applies to both pressure cycles, i.e. if you set the hold time at 20, both the low and high pressure holds for 20 minutes.

  • Page 17: Menus

    4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer Menus The DualHead Infiltrometer features three main menus designed for ease of use, the Reading Menu, Configuration Menu, and Data Menu. Reading Menu The Reading Menu appears when you power on the unit. Use it to set up tests and review screens related to the current tests.
  • Page 18 DualHead Infiltrometer 4 MENUS Pressure Screen After the soak time elapses, the Pressure Screen shows the hydro- static pressure (combined air and water pressure) throughout the measurement. This screen allows you to monitor the current pres- sure by flashing the current point and updates every minute. Press up and down to change graphs from the Status screen.

  • Page 19: Test Functions

    4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer Results Screen After a reading is complete, the Results menu shows the resulting of your test. The results appear in place of the Test Status in- formation on the Results screen once the test is complete. Press Up and Down to change Reading screens or press Menu at any time to navigate to the Configuration menu.
  • Page 20 DualHead Infiltrometer 4 MENUS Setting up a Test On the Test Setup screen, you can name your test and configure test parameters. To begin the test, select Start Test and press En- ter. Pressing Back at any time returns you to the Reading screens. The Name screen is also accessible when a test is running by pressing Enter on any of the Reading screens.
  • Page 21 4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer Configuring the test Different soil types may require different parameters for an optimum infiltration test. Adjust the Test Settings to change pressure, soak time, cycles and hold time for your test. Press Enter to modify the highlighted item.

  • Page 22: Configuration Menu

    DualHead Infiltrometer 4 MENUS Configuration Menu To navigate to the Configuration Menu, press Menu until Configura- tion is highlighted. The Configuration menu is where you can view or set global preferences for the DualHead Infiltrometer. To scroll through the available options, use the up and down arrows. Date and Time Sub Menus To set the date/time on the instrument follow the instructions: 1.
  • Page 23 4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer left arrow to return to the previous value. (Hold down the up/down arrows to scroll quickly.) 3. Press Enter to save your changes or Back to cancel without saving. Units Sub Menu This menu allows you to alter the preferred units on all device screens. This also alters the units that are used when downloading tests to the computer.

  • Page 24: Data Menu

    DualHead Infiltrometer 4 MENUS Scroll to the contrast position in the Configuration menu and press Enter. Use the up and down arrows to change the contrast. Press Enter to save the new contrast setting or press Back to exit without saving changes.
  • Page 25 4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer Viewing Data This menu allows you to view and delete previous tests. To view a test, highlight the View option and press Enter. Viewing Previous Tests After selecting the View option in the Data menu, a list of tests that have been run on the instrument appears.
  • Page 26 To download data from your DualHead Infiltrometer connect the USB cable to a USB port on your computer and to the USB port on the DualHead Infiltrometer. Open the DHI Downloader. Select the proper Com Port, it should say “Decagon UCA,” and press the Download button.
  • Page 27 4 MENUS DualHead Infiltrometer Figure 11: Downloader Home After the download is complete you should receive a prompt that asks if you would like to erase the data stored on the device. Select “Yes” or “No.” Figure 12: Erase Data Prompt You can download your data as .xlsx or .csv file.
  • Page 28 DualHead Infiltrometer 4 MENUS Figure 13: Change File Type Prompt...

  • Page 29: Theory

    5 THEORY DualHead Infiltrometer Theory Field saturated hydraulic conductivity, ) is a fundamen- tal soil hydraulic property that describes the ease with which a fluid (usually water) can move through pore spaces or fractures under field saturated conditions. One of the oldest and simplest methods for in situ determination of has involved the measurement of ponded infiltration from within a single ring pushed a small distance into...
  • Page 30 DualHead Infiltrometer 5 THEORY ring infiltrometer technique was shown to be ineffective at prevent- ing lateral flow from the inner ring (Swartzendruber and Olson, 1961 a,b). More recent research has come up with new methods for correcting for lateral flow. Reynolds & Elrick (1990), presented a new anal- ysis method of steady ponded infiltration into a single-ring which accounts for soil capillarity, depth of ponding, ring radius, depth of ring insertion and provides a means for calculating...
  • Page 31 5 THEORY DualHead Infiltrometer from: where (cm/s) is the steady (final) infiltration rate (volume divided by area) and is a function that corrects for sorptivity and geomet- rical effects. Nimmo et al. gives = 1 + ∆ where is the ponding depth (cm), is the insertion depth of the Infiltrometer (cm), is the Infiltrometer radius (cm), ∆...

  • Page 32: Maintenance

    DualHead Infiltrometer 6 MAINTENANCE Maintenance and Troubleshooting Maintenance Water Pump Calibration Typically the water pump and tubing can wear, causing a change in the volume of water flowing through the pump. We advise that you calibrate your pump every 6 months to a year to ensure accurate measurements.
  • Page 33 6 MAINTENANCE DualHead Infiltrometer Both methods require that you first purge the water line of any air before running the calibration. The screen reminds you to purge the tube, highlight purge, press Enter. Keep running water through until water runs clear with no bubbles. For the mass method, tare the scale with your water reservoir after you finish purging the line of all air.
  • Page 34 DualHead Infiltrometer 6 MAINTENANCE Volume from the Configuration screen, rather than mass. Grab a graduated cylinder with a max volume of at least 25 ml and follow the instructions to purge the air from the water line. Once you remove the air from the line, run the calibration sequence to fill the graduated cylinder.

  • Page 35: Routine Maintenance

    6 MAINTENANCE DualHead Infiltrometer Operators may run the calibration sequence as frequently as neces- sary to ensure and verify they are taking accurate readings. Once the calibration is complete the new value stores in the Infiltrometer Firmware and does not erase until you set a new calibration setting. Routine Maintenance Daily Cleaning When you have finished a measurement in the field it is important...
  • Page 36 To replace the cartridge you can order replacement parts from Decagon. You also have the option to send the DualHead infiltrometer for maintenance and we will replace any parts that need to be replaced as a part of the maintenance program.

  • Page 37: Troubleshooting

    When doing this you will want to be carefully not to damage any of the connectors on the motherboard. You can purchase replace- ment batteries from Decagon or a local electronics supplier. Make sure the battery you select is a 12 V 7 Ah Sealed Lead Acid battery.
  • Page 38 Message on the screen displays the error “Firmware is corrupted.” SOLUTION: The firmware on the instrument is corrupted and needs to be reloaded. To download new firmware, go to http://www.decagon.com/products /hydrology/hydraulic-conductivity/dualhead-infiltrometer/. Connect your Infiltrometer to your computer and follow the instructions in the updater.
  • Page 39 The crystal that runs the firmware is having trouble starting. Oc- casionally cycling the power solves the problem. If this message continues to appear, Decagon needs to service the instrument. 4. PROBLEM: The test failed to reach the target water level.
  • Page 40 DualHead Infiltrometer 6 MAINTENANCE 2. Check to make sure there are no leaks around the seal of the Infiltrometer Head and driving. 3. If there are no apparent leaks then it is possible that the spot you are trying to measure has an infiltration rate that exceeds the capacity of the DHI.
  • Page 41 6 MAINTENANCE DualHead Infiltrometer the Infiltrometer and erase the stored data on the Infiltrometer be- fore performing a new test. 7. PROBLEM: Water leaking between seal of Infiltrometer Head and Insertion ring. SOLUTION: Remove the Infiltrometer Head and check for debris (grass leaves, loose soil, etc) where the o-ring seals with the Insertion ring.
  • Page 42 Reports “No Depth Sensor!” SOLUTION: 1. Check sensor connection to case. 2. If sensor is connected and not working contact Decagon Support. ERRORS Displayed when a test has finished and when looking at saved tests saved tests stopped by an error.
  • Page 43 6 MAINTENANCE DualHead Infiltrometer Make sure the water reservoir has sufficient water. Note: Soils with extremely high infiltration rates could cause the wa- ter inside the chamber to remain below 4.3 cm, if the water pump can’t fill the chamber at a rate greater than the soil’s infiltration rate. 12.
  • Page 44 DualHead Infiltrometer 6 MAINTENANCE Move the system into a cooler environment. Make sure it is out of direct sunlight. 15. PROBLEM: Temperature too low! SOLUTION: Occurs when the air temperature is below the minimum operating temperature (0 C) while a test is running. Water frozen in the sys- tem could cause damage.
  • Page 45 6 MAINTENANCE DualHead Infiltrometer Occurs when the water level in the chamber is below the minimum depth the water level sensor can read (4.3 cm). Make sure the water reservoir has sufficient water. The test will stop after ten minutes if the water level is not above 4.3 cm. Note: Soils with extremely high infiltration rates could cause the wa- ter inside the chamber to remain below 4.3 cm, if the water pump can’t fill the chamber at a rate greater than the soil infiltration rate.

  • Page 46: References

    DualHead Infiltrometer 7 REFERENCES References Bouwer, H. 1986. “Intake Rate: Cylinder infiltrometer” A. Klute (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 1 2nd ed. Agron. Monogr. 9. ASA and SSSA (Madison WI. 1986), 825-844. Dane, Jacob H. and Topp, G. Clarke eds.. Methods of Soil Anal- ysis: Part 4 Physical Methods Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America Inc., 2002.

  • Page 47: Declaration Of Conformity

    2015 This is to certify that the DualHead Infiltrometer, manufactured by Decagon Devices, Inc., a corporation based in Pullman, Washington, USA meets or exceeds the standards for CE compliance as per the Council Directives noted above. All instruments are built at the factory at Decagon and pertinent testing documentation is freely available for verification.
  • Page 48 Index CE Compliance, 45 Specifications, 3 Control Unit Steady State, 12 Charging, 7 Test Installation, 7 Annotation, 17 Customer Support, 1 Begin, 16 Data Configuration, 18 Deleting, 23 Set Up, 17 Downloading, 23 Stop, 18 Menu, 21 Test Settings, 11 Viewing, 22 Hold Time, 13 Viewing Previous Results, 22...

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