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JOURNAL OF COMPUTERS, VOL. 8, NO. 6, JUNE 2013 1627<br />

Corn Moisture Measurement us<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

Capacitive Sensor<br />

Hongxia Zhang, Wei Liu*, Boxue Tan, Wenl<strong>in</strong>g Lu<br />

School of Electrical and Electronic Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Ch<strong>in</strong>a, 255049<br />

Abstract—Corn<br />

moisture content is the ma<strong>in</strong> factor of<br />

effect<strong>in</strong>g corn safe transportation and storage, and is also an<br />

<strong>in</strong>dispensable measurement part when it is<br />

used to feed,<br />

food and <strong>in</strong>dustry. Due to large particle size, corn will<br />

produce large gap dur<strong>in</strong>g measur<strong>in</strong>g moisture content.<br />

Because air has much <strong>in</strong>fluence on dielectric constant of the<br />

device, moisture content is not precision. In all k<strong>in</strong>ds of corn<br />

moisture<br />

measurement<br />

methods,<br />

capacitance<br />

method<br />

becomes the ma<strong>in</strong> method with simple structure, low cost<br />

and onl<strong>in</strong>e measurement.<br />

This paper designs a sensor for<br />

measur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

corn moisture<br />

that uses a capacitance<br />

detection circuit based on the relationship between the<br />

capacitance and the dielectric constant of the corn. In<br />

addition, different operat<strong>in</strong>g modes of the detection circuit<br />

are analyzed. The relationship between the moisture content<br />

of corn and the sensor capacitance is obta<strong>in</strong>ed through<br />

experiment and a b<strong>in</strong>ary cubic equation is obta<strong>in</strong>ed by the<br />

least squares fitt<strong>in</strong>g method.<br />

Index Terms—corn<br />

moisture<br />

sensor, detection circuit<br />

measurement,<br />

capacitive<br />

I. INTRODUCTION<br />

The moisture component of a corn cell is essential for<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g its life activities. Furthermore, the moisture<br />

content must not be too high or too low. Higher moisture<br />

contents will cause corn mildew and other biochemical<br />

reactions. Lower moisture contents may destroy organic<br />

material and damage the dry matter. Hence, the<br />

measurement of moisture levels is important for the safe<br />

storage of corn [1,2] .<br />

The traditional method for measur<strong>in</strong>g moisture content<br />

uses an oven which leads to high accuracy but because it<br />

is time-consum<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>volves a complicated procedure,<br />

it is not suitable for field use. Various techniques for<br />

<strong>in</strong>direct test<strong>in</strong>g methods have been studied for replac<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the traditional oven method at home and abroad, e.g. the<br />

use of conductance, capacitance, X-rays, neutrons, and<br />

microwaves. These methods allow quick measurements<br />

and are easily applied under field conditions [3] . The most<br />

common method is the capacitive method which has<br />

advantages of low cost, small volume and fast detection,<br />

although it lacks high precision.<br />

S<strong>in</strong>ce the 1960s, many countries’ researchers attached<br />

great importance to the development of gra<strong>in</strong> moisture<br />

measurement technology. Along with the measurement<br />

methods of gra<strong>in</strong> moisture emerged, advanced gra<strong>in</strong><br />

moisture measurement methods and the <strong>in</strong>struments are<br />

be<strong>in</strong>g promotion at home and abroad. TABLE I and TABLE<br />

II show the company produced the measur<strong>in</strong>g corn gra<strong>in</strong><br />

moisture <strong>in</strong>struments.<br />

TABLE I<br />

MOISTURE METER PRODUCED BY FOREIGN COMPANY<br />

Capacitance<br />

method<br />

Conductance<br />

method<br />

Decompression<br />

Infrared method<br />

Microwave method<br />

Carlfee Hugh<br />

method<br />

Capacitance<br />

method<br />

Conductance<br />

method<br />

F<strong>in</strong>land Humicoy company produced the<br />

WILE100 moisture meter [4]<br />

Japan KETT <strong>in</strong>stitute developed high frequency<br />

capacitive moisture meter<br />

European control company produced the CM - 4<br />

type moisture meter<br />

A Japanese enterprise produced VME type<br />

moisture meter<br />

British <strong>in</strong>frared eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g company produced<br />

the SM4 <strong>in</strong>frared moisture meter<br />

Japan QianYe <strong>in</strong>stitute produced the IR-AM300<br />

<strong>in</strong>frared moisture meter<br />

A Japan company produced the FD - 230, FD -<br />

310 and FD - 600 <strong>in</strong>frared moisture meter<br />

The battery motor manufactur<strong>in</strong>g produced<br />

onl<strong>in</strong>e microwave moisture meter<br />

A Germany company produced cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />

moisture meter<br />

Japan Kyoto electronic company produced the<br />

MKA - 3 type moisture meter<br />

TABLE II<br />

MOISTURE METER PRODUCED BY DOMESTIC COMPANY<br />

Infrared method<br />

East food <strong>in</strong>spection produced the SC – 5F corn<br />

moisture meter<br />

J<strong>in</strong>an detect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>strument company produced ly -<br />

8 capacitive moisture meter and LDS – 1G gra<strong>in</strong><br />

moisture meter<br />

Shanghai Q<strong>in</strong>gpu test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>strument company<br />

produced LDS-IF , LDS-2,LDS – IA and LDS -<br />

ID<br />

Tianj<strong>in</strong> science and technology company produced<br />

SFY-60 corn rapid moisture meter<br />

Beij<strong>in</strong>g technology company produced high<br />

frequency capacitive gra<strong>in</strong> moisture meter<br />

81W1PM-8188 and gra<strong>in</strong> moisture meter BHC1 -<br />

PM818<br />

Beij<strong>in</strong>g huatai <strong>in</strong>strument technology company<br />

produced JCY13 / SFY -60d moisture meter<br />

Wuhan electronic <strong>in</strong>strument produced LSKC - 4<br />

type gra<strong>in</strong> moisture meter<br />

Hunan <strong>in</strong>strument factory balance <strong>in</strong>strument<br />

factory produced <strong>in</strong>serted l<strong>in</strong>k type moisture meter<br />

Hunan <strong>in</strong>strument factory balance <strong>in</strong>strument<br />

factory developed SCT - 3 moisture meter<br />

Xi’an light m<strong>in</strong>istry of light <strong>in</strong>dustry developed 3<br />

YBSIA four beam <strong>in</strong>frared moisture meter<br />

Guangdong test analysis and wuhan comb<strong>in</strong>e<br />

automation <strong>in</strong>strument developed WSHT - 102<br />

type <strong>in</strong>frared moisture meter<br />

Ts<strong>in</strong>ghua university developed near <strong>in</strong>frared<br />

moisture measurement <strong>in</strong>strument has completed<br />

the pr<strong>in</strong>ciple prototype<br />

*Correspond<strong>in</strong>g Author: weikey@sdut.edu.cn<br />

© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER<br />

doi:10.4304/jcp.8.6.1627-1631

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