Gravity-flow lysimeter

Description

Gravity-flow lysimeter (GFL) — CAD design files and assembly videos Editable CAD files and assembly videos for a modular, low-cost field lysimeter built from standard construction materials (DN200 PVC drainage pipe and fittings) rather than specialized scientific equipment. Each unit comprises a corpus pipe holding a removable soil column inside a PVC pond liner inlay, a leachate collection reservoir with tubing for vacuum-assisted extraction, and a detachable gas measurement chamber for closed-chamber flux measurements — enabling nutrient leaching and greenhouse gas emissions to be quantified from the same soil column. The documented unit has a 20 cm nominal (18.8 cm effective) diameter and a 30 cm effective corpus length, giving approximately 8.3 L of soil volume; both length and diameter can be scaled. Material cost is approximately EUR 50.09 per unit, excluding labor. The CAD files cover the corpus pipe and leachate reservoir assembly, the gas measurement chamber, and the hole pattern for the PVC pond liner inlay and plant pot tray. The accompanying videos document the construction sequence, including the epoxy drainage slope, pressing of the pipe cap into the coupler, and fabrication of the PVC pond liner inlay. Component designators (a–r) correspond to the bill of materials and figures in the associated HardwareX article.

Institutions

• Hochschule Geisenheim University

  Hesse, Geisenheim

Categories

Licence