The lysimeter is a device used to study the dynamics of water in the soil. This tool is designed for direct measurement of evapotranspiration.
The basic unit consists of a 2 metre high metal (or plastic or other material) cylinder, containing a representative soil sample and buried in the ground in an underground chamber that allows access for inspection, device detection and service operations.
The cylinder rests on a weighing system. The bottom has a drain that collects the percolating water. Around the cylinder is a device used to recover water from surface ponding or flow (runoff).
A load cell is a transducer that is used to convert a force into an electrical signal. The electrical output signal is a few millivolts and must be amplified by an instrumentation amplifier before it can be used. The output of the transducer is interpreted by the corresponding algorithm to calculate the force applied to the lateral transducer.
