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ABSTRACT. Potential use of the complex permittivity measured at microwave frequencies for indirect nondestructive
determination of physical properties of grain is discussed. Examples of extraction of bulk density and moisture content
from permittivity measurements are shown for wheat and corn over wide ranges of frequency and temperature.
Calibration equations for both entities are given along with their standard errors of performance (SEP). The bulk density
of wheat and corn, ranging from 720 to 880 kg/m3 and 695 to 830 kg/m3, respectively, can be determined without prior
knowledge of the sample moisture content or its temperature with, on average, SEP of 7.8 kg/m3 and 12.9 kg/m3,
respectively. The moisture content of wheat and corn, ranging from 10.6 to 19.2% and 9.0 to 19.2%, wet basis,
respectively, can be determined at a given temperature independent of density with SEP of less then 0.27% and 0.46%,
respectively. One of the attractive features of permittivity-based methods is that they can be applied regardless of the
measurement technique. One identified function of the complex permittivity provides moisture content for both wheat and
corn with the same calibration.
Keywords. Microwave permittivity, Dielectric properties, Grain, Moisture content, Bulk density.
P
hysical properties of grain such as bulk density, on the frequency range, some other components might have
moisture content, temperature, and composition are a non-negligible effect and thus should be integrated into a
important parameters often used to determine the mixture model. There is no physical analytical model that
quality and the optimum conditions for processing adequately correlates the effective permittivity and the
and safe storage. These properties can be determined physical properties of such a medium.
indirectly, instantly, and nondestructively by measurements However, a better understanding of such media can be
of the complex permittivity. With the growing demand for attained through the experimental approach. At microwave
on-line monitoring and control in highly automated frequencies, the effective complex permittivity is
industries, application of this concept would provide an determined from measurements of entities such as the
adequate solution. Q-factor (cavity techniques), the complex reflection
The complex permittivity, ε = ε′ – jε′′, represents the coefficient, and/or the complex transmission coefficient
wave-matter interaction and can be considered as the (transmission line and free-space techniques). Pioneering
electrical signature of a given material. The real part, ε′, the work and measurements on grain (Nelson et al., 1953,
dielectric constant, indicates the ability of a material to 1998; Nelson, 1973, 1981, 1983, 1992; Nelson and Stetson,
store energy from the electric field of the electromagnetic 1976) provided a unique data base on which work toward
wave and the imaginary part, ε′′, the dielectric loss factor, the achievement of such a goal can be founded and has
indicates the ability of a material to dissipate energy. Both been widely used by different industries.
entities are dependent on frequency, bulk density, moisture With this perspective, other investigations showed
content, temperature, and composition. possibilities of prediction of one or more physical
Most food and agricultural products are heterogenous properties from permittivity measurements (Jacobsen et al.,
media consisting of components with different dielectric 1980; Meyer and Schilz, 1981; Kent and Kress-Rogers,
behaviors, and therefore their complex permittivity is the 1986; Trabelsi et al., 1997a, 1998). In general, the
effective complex permittivity of the mixture. For instance, operating frequency is known, and therefore three unknown
cereal grains are random dense media, usually modeled as physical properties, i.e., bulk density, moisture content and
a two-component mixture (air and kernels) or a three- temperature, are to be determined. Jacobsen et al. (1980)
component mixture (air, dry matter, and water). Depending and Meyer and Schilz (1981) used experimental
observations by Kraszewski et al. (1977) to define a
permittivity-based function for moisture determination
Article was submitted for publication in July 1998; reviewed and
approved for publication by the Information & Electrical Technologies
independent of bulk density at a given frequency and
Division of ASAE in January 1999. Presented as ASAE Paper No. 98- temperature.
3066. More recently, a method was proposed for simultaneous
The authors are Samir Trabelsi, Visiting Scientist, Andrzej W. independent determination of bulk density and moisture
Kraszewski, Research Electronics Engineer, and Stuart O. Nelson, content from microwave permittivity measurement
ASAE Fellow Engineer, Research Agricultural Engineer, USDA-ARS,
Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, Athens, Ga. (Trabelsi et al., 1997b). Both bulk density and moisture
Corresponding author: Stuart O. Nelson, USDA-ARS, Russell Research content were expressed in terms of ε′ and ε′′. At a given
Center, PO Box 5677, Athens, GA 30604-5677; voice: (706) 546-3101; frequency, the bulk density is determined without need for
fax: (706) 546-3609; e-mail: sonelson@qaru.ars.usda.gov. knowledge of the moisture content and temperature, and
φ = ϕ – 2πn (5)
ε″ = a ε′ – k
f (6)
ρ ρ
ψ 1,2 – b 1,2
M= (13)
a 1,2