POROUS MEDIUM TENSIOMETER

摘要

A porous medium tensiometer has a filling mechanism which allows to fill a fluid chamber and simultaneously withdraw gas contained in the flu id chamber. A self-priming tensiometer includes a porous material tip having a first section surrounded by a fluid-impermeable membrane, a second section, a threshold suction range and pores, the pores auto-filling with liquid when i n fluid communication with a porous medium having a liquid potential being at least equal, in absolute value, to the threshold suction range, the liquid contain ed in the pores having a liquid pressure representative of the liquid potential; a one--way fluid control device in fluid communication with the porous materia l tip and allowing fluid contained in pores of the porous material to exit therethroug h when the porous material tip auto-fills with liquid; and a pressure transduc er in liquid communication with the porous material tip.