Capillary Hysteresis Model in Unsaturated Flow : State of the Art

The Purpose of this study is to classify existing hysteresis models and to discuss a possibility of a new type of the hysteresis model. The existing hysteresis models are classified into three types: the interpolation model, the scaling model and the domain model, of which only domain model is to simulate hysteresis curves based on the theoretical approach, It is useful to develop a hysteresis model that requires only one branch of hysteresis curves for the model calibration because obtaining hysteresis curves by experiments is expensive and time-concept by many investigators, however their models are not successful to accurately simulate real data of Rubicon Sandy Loam and Dune Sand. There is a possibility that a new model is based on the dependent domain concept considering the weighting factor, $P_a$($\theta$), which accounts for the pore blockage effect against air entry. Conclusively, a new model where the weighting factor $P_a$($\theta$) in Model III-1 (Mualem, 1984) reduces to a known variable through an appropriate method is an alternative model which required only one branch of main curves for the model calibration.