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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #102075
Title: A UNIFIED CALIBRATION METHOD FOR MOISTURE SENSING IN PARTICULATE MATERIALS

Author
item TRABELSI, SAMIR - OICD
item Kraszewski, Andrzej
item Nelson, Stuart

Submitted to: Electromagnetic Wave Interaction with Water and Moist Substances Proceeding
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Moisture content is the most important quality characteristic of cereal grains and many other agricultural products that determines suitability for storage without spoilage. Grain moisture contents are determined by sampling grain lots and testing samples in batch type electronic moisture meters that sense the electrical properties of the grain. The ability for on-line moisture monitoring of grain and other particulate materials as they flow into storage or are moved for loading or processing would provide better moisture content information for improved management and quality control. Microwave measurements provide a technique for such on-line monitoring of moisture content that is reliable even though the bulk density of the material fluctuates as it is moving. However, separate calibrations for different types of grain and other materials are required. Research has identified a new function of the dielectric properties of wheat and corn that can be used for moisture determination from microwave measurements from the same calibration. A unified calibration that can be used for many different grain types would provide a cost-saving advantage in the development and use of moisture monitoring instrumentation, thus improving the opportunities for application of such equipment in the industry. Application of the technique would provide advantages in delivering high quality products and maintaining competitive advantages for American agriculture in the global market.

Technical Abstract: A unified calibration method for nondestructive determination of moisture content in granular materials by microwave sensors is presented. Results are shown for wheat and corn with a permittivity-based calibration function that is bulk-density and material independent.