Resonant Microwave Cavities for Sensing Properties of Agricultural Products
Principles are presented for using microwave resonant cavities to sense properties of individual seeds, grain kernels, nuts, etc. Results of research are presented illustrating the usefulness of the technique for making size-independent moisture determinations in seeds of uniform shape and in seeds or kernels of arbitrary shape and for simultaneous determination of both mass and moisture content in kernels of uniform shape. For such commodities, resonant cavities offer a means for moisture measurement that is rapid and does not require contact between the materials being measured and the measurement system.