Patent · US Expired

Method and device for determining the moisture content and conductivity in the ground and in bulk materials

US7126352B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
9References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 24, 2005
Grant dateOct 24, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 24, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N33/246
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a method and device for determining the moisture content and conductivity in the ground and in bulk materials, a capacitive sensor is disposed in the ground or the bulk material, the sensor is charged from a constant external voltage supply with a given initial current from a given first voltage threshold value to a given second voltage threshold value and either a voltage/time diagram is determined or a first charging time required for charging the sensor from the first to the second voltage threshold values by the constant external voltage supply is determined and a second charging time is determined wherein either the initial current and/or at least one of the two voltage threshold values are altered and the water content and the conductivity are determined by verification of the two charging times or of the voltage/time diagram.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.