Patent ID: 8001990

Claim:
A method for determining the moisture content of a medium, in which a temperature change is produced by heating up a measurement probe, wherein the probe includes a temperature sensor and a heater that are embedded essentially completely and hermetically into an electrically insulating mass which can store heat, the probe being located in the medium, wherein a temporal change in the temperature is effected by way of the leading-away of the thermal energy through moisture in the environment of the measurement probe, and the temporal change is used for determining the moisture content of the medium, wherein between the measurement probe and the surrounding medium an intermediate layer is arranged, which is absorbent and mechanically deformable and which thickness and thermal conductivity is selected in a manner, such that the measurement probe is mechanically coupled to the surrounding medium and thermally decoupled from the surrounding medium, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a felt manufactured of natural or synthetic fibers, and when in use the intermediate layer is in direct contact with the surrounding medium.