ZSHF Soil Heat Flux Sensor

ZSHF-2 soil heat flux sensor (also known as “soil heat flux plate” and “heat flow meter”) is mainly used to measure the energy balance of soil and the heat conductivity of soil layer.

The soil heat flux sensor uses a thermopile, which is composed of two different metal materials, to measure the temperature gradient. Thermopile detectors receive thermal radiation, which can generate thermoelectric potential between nodes of two different materials.

The heat flux sensor outputs in the form of voltage, which is proportional to the heat flux. Its output voltage is a millivolt signal, which is read by the data acquisition system.

Soil Heat Flux Sensor ZSHF

In the process of use, pay attention to the front and back of the heat flux sensor. The correct placement is to face up, because after the soil surface absorbs the net solar radiation, the energy is transferred to the deep layer of the soil in the form of molecular conduction to increase the temperature of the lower layer of the soil, that is, the heat is transmitted from the ground down, and the soil heat flux is positive at this time; Conversely, when the soil surface temperature is lower than the deep temperature, the heat will be output from the deep soil, and the soil heat flux is negative at this time. This process is called heat exchange in soil.

Monitoring Parameters	Soil Heat Flux
Monitoring Principle	Thermopile
Power-In	No Power in
Interface	-5-5mV / RS485

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Technical Parameter

Item	Parameters
Working Temperature	-40℃～+55℃
Sensitivity	15 ~ 60W/(m2*mV)
Measurement Range	± 100 W/m2
Signal Range	± 5mv
Accuracy	± 5% (of reading)
Principle	Thermopile

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Soil Heat Flux Sensors FAQs

What is soil heat flux plate?

Soil heat flux is the amount of thermal energy that moves by conduction across an area of soil in a unit of time and usually expressed in Watts per square meter. This data product represents the soil heat flux at the locations of the heat flux plates below the soil surface.

Why is soil heat flux important?

Soil heat flux, the rate of thermal energy transfer through a unit area of soil over time, is an important parameter because it effectively cou- ples energy transfer processes at the surface, the surface energy balance, with energy transfer processes in the soil, the soil thermal regime.

What does a negative soil heat flux mean?

Definition. The soil heat flux is the energy receive by the soil to heat it per unit of surface and time. The Soil heat flux is positive when the soil receives energy (warms) and negative when the soil loses energy (cools).