Patent ID: 7187299

Claim:
A method of measuring a parameter of a landfill including a cap, without passing wires through the cap, the method comprising: burying at least two sensor apparatuses in the landfill, wherein at least one sensor apparatus is below the cap and at least one sensor apparatus is above the cap; providing a reader capable of communicating with the sensor apparatuses via radio frequency; placing an antenna above the barrier, spaced apart from the sensor apparatuses; coupling the antenna to the reader either before or after placing the antenna above the barrier; providing power to the sensor apparatuses via the antenna, by generating a field using the reader; accumulating and storing power in the sensor apparatuses; sensing parameters of the landfill using the sensor apparatuses while using power; transmitting the sensed parameters to the reader via a wireless response signal; and determining water flux through the cap using the sensed parameters.