This paper presents a thermal analysis method based on inverse heat transfer to estimate moisture content. The inverse method is based on numerical and experimental studies. A sand multilayer at different moisture contents is thermally excited. Thermocouple probes are placed at different depths within the sand and at the extremities of the multilayer where temperature variations were recorded during the experiment. Prior test results are model inputs and provide empirical relationships between the thermophysical properties and the moisture content. A numerical heat transfer model based on finite difference approach associated with a Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm allows layers’ moisture contents estimation.

moisture content, inverse heat transfer, thermal characterization, thermophysical properties.