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A gauge to measure the mass flow rate of water in trees
Author(s) -
CHANDRA S.,
LINDSEY P. A.,
BASSUK N. L.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.1994.tb00182.x
Subject(s) - gauge (firearms) , timer , mechanics , volumetric flow rate , mass flow rate , mass flow , flow (mathematics) , mass flow meter , water flow , flow measurement , environmental science , materials science , physics , electrical engineering , engineering , soil science , metallurgy , microcontroller
A gauge that measures the mass flow rate of water in a growing tree is described. The gauge consists of an electric band heater wrapped around a section of the stem, a temperature controller that switches the current to the heater on and off so as to maintain a constant temperature rise across the heated section, and a timer to record the total time for which the heater is switched on. An energy balance shows the mass flow of water to be proportional to the time of operation of the heater. The magnitude of measurement errors is estimated using dimensional analysis and a numerical model. Experimental measurements of the flow rate of water in a tree using the gauge agree well with its recorded loss of weight.