Apparatus and method to detect moisture

A method for detecting moisture, comprising:

• propagating a first oscillatory electrical signal S1 into a body at an electrical conductor disposed entirely within the body and then along a linear path from the electrical conductor through an electrically insulative material disposed entirely within the body such that a signal due to S1 emerges from the path and from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S2;
• receiving S2 by an electrically conductive sensing surface of a probe, wherein the sensing surface is in contact with the body, and wherein the electrically insulative material is disposed between the sensing surface and the electrical conductor so as to form a parallel plate capacitor across which S1 and S2 differ in phase by Δφ such that Δφ is indicative of moisture along the entire path traversed by S1 within the electrically insulative material;
• and
• transmitting S2 from the probe to a moisture detecting device that determines Δφ from S1 and S2 and a measure M of the moisture, based on M being proportional to Δφ.

An apparatus for detecting moisture, comprising:

• an oscillator for generating a first oscillatory electrical signal S1;
• means for propagating S1 into a body such at an electrical conductor disposed entirely within the body and then along a linear path from the electrical conductor through an electrically insulative material disposed entirely within the body such that a signal due to S1 emerges from the path and from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S2;
• a sensing part having an electrically conductive sensing surface adapted to be in physical contact with the body and to receive S2, wherein the electrically insulative material is disposed between the sensing surface and the electrical conductor so as to form a parallel plate capacitor that is in electrical parallel with an electrically resistive path characterized by a conductance σ, and wherein σ is indicative of moisture along the entire path traversed by S1 within the electrically insulative material;
• and
• a moisture detecting device adapted to determine from S1 and S2 a function of σ, wherein said function of σ is a measure M of the moisture.

An apparatus for detecting moisture, comprising:

• an oscillator for generating first oscillatory electrical signal S1;
• means for propagating S1 into a body such that a signal due to S1 emerge from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S2, wherein the body includes an electrically insulative material having a conductance σ, and wherein σ is indicative of moisture along a path traversed by S1 within the insulative material;
• a sensing part having an electrically conductive sensing surface adapted to be in physical contact with the body and to receive S2;
• and
• a moisture detecting device adapted to determine from S1 and S2 a measure M of the moisture, said measure M being a function of σ, wherein the moisture detecting device comprises a first synchronous demodulator for determining the in-phase component VIN of S2 relative to S1, wherein M is a function of VIN, and wherein VIN increases as σ increases.

A method for detecting moisture, comprising:

• propagating a first oscillatory electrical signal S1 into a body at an electrical conductor disposed entirely within the body and then along a linear path from the electrical conductor through an electrically insulative material disposed entirely within the body such that a signal due to S1 emerges from the path and from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S2;
• receiving S2 by a sensing surface of a sensing part, wherein the sensing surface is in physical contact with the body, and wherein the electrically insulative material is disposed between the sensing surface and the electrical conductor so as to form a parallel plate capacitor that is in electrical parallel with an electrical resistive path characterized by a conductance σ, and wherein σ is indicative of moisture along the entire path traversed by S1 within the electrically insulative material;
• and
• transmitting S2 from the sensing surface to a moisture detecting device that determines from S1 and S2 a function of σ, wherein said function of a σ is a measure M of the moisture.

A method for detecting moisture, comprising;

• propagating a first oscillator electrical signal S1 into a body such that a signal due to S1 emerges from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S2 wherein the body includes an electrically insulative material having a conductance σ, and wherein σ indicative of moisture along a path traversed by S1 within the insulative material;
• receiving S2 by a sensing surface of a sensing part wherein the sensing surface is in physical contact with the body;
• and
• transmitting from S2 the sensing surface to a moisture detecting device that determines S1 and S2 a measure M of the moisture, said measure M being a function of σ, wherein the moisture detecting device comprises a first synchronous demodulator, wherein the method further comprises determining by the first synchronous demodulator the in-phase component VIN of S2 relative to S1, wherein M is a function of VIN, and wherein VIN increases as σ increases.