Knowledge of the thermal properties of soil and soil thermal conductivity are fundamental to understanding the heat transfer process in soil, which is critical for many applications such as active geothermal structures. Thermal properties of soils include thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and heat capacity properties. Thermal conductivity is the most frequently used and is affected by several factors, such as moisture content, degree of saturation, dry density, and mineral components.
A thermo-TDR probe can function both as a regular Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) probe, for measuring moisture and density, and a dual-heat probe, for measuring thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and volumetric heat capacity. It is, therefore, of great importance to the study of soil geothermal behavior, which is greatly affected by the soil thermal properties, moisture content, and dry density.
Photo of thermo-TDR probe