A portable sprinkler infiltrometer with precipitation characteristics of drop diameter and kinetic energy of impact, similar to that of natural rainfall, was developed. Testing showed that the developed infiltrometer allowed continuous water application in an area of 0.70 m² and the uniformity of water distribution, expressed by the Christiansen uniformity coefficient was between 82 and 87%. The ratio between the kinetic energy of rainfall simulated by the infiltrometer and the kinetic energy of natural rainfall was more than 90% for precipitation intensities of up to 100 mm h-1.
rainfall simulator; kinetic energy; infiltration rate
