Design, Development and Static Evaluation of Soil Moisture Capacitance Sensor Mountable on Multiple-tip Horizontal Penetrometer

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduated MSc. Student, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

Abstract

In this study, a two-ring capacitive sensor mountable on multiple-tip horizontal penetrometers has been developed. The size and shape of the electric field around the sensor was estimated to ensure that the sensor fields are not interfered with the adjacent probes of the multiple-tip penetrometer using finite element. The sensor function was then evaluated at different levels of volumetric moisture. The maximum radius of the soil located in the sensor’s electric field is 30 mm in the wetted soil. So the usage of the sensor in combination with the penetrometers at distance of 10 cm from each other would not cause the interference of the electric fields of the sensors. Increasing volumetric moisture reduces the output voltage of sensor (R2=0.91). The developed capacitive sensor is a suitable devise for measuring soil moisture in the range of 0-PL which can be used to measure simultaneously resistance and soil moisture in several depths independently in combination with multiple-tip horizontal penetrometers.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering
Volume 49, Issue 3
November 2018
Pages 447-458

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History

  • Receive Date: 04 November 2017
  • Revise Date: 31 December 2017
  • Accept Date: 18 February 2018

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