Designing a new microcontroller-based moisture meter for loose materials using frequency separation

Abstract

Variations in density, temperature, granule size, ionic conduction, etc. cause a measurement error for all indirect methods for measuring loose materials moisture content. Multiparameter method has the potential to decrease or even eliminate the influence of all disturbing parameters on the measurement variable (moisture content) for every measurement method (i.e., capacitive, microwave, etc.), this reduces the measurement error. Application of multi-parameter method of moisture measurement is a result of developing opportunities in instrumentation design using fast computer equipment. A new microcontroller-based moisture meter was developed for loose materials with binary frequency measurement control и temperature compensation. It was estimated that the expected measurement error is within permissible limits.

Idealization of the form and packing of loose material particles to perform mathematical modeling

“…There is a need for an accurate measurement of the moisture content of heterogeneous loose materials regardless of the size of the particles contained. At the initial stage of development of such moisture meters it is expedient to perform mathematical modeling of the behavior of heterogeneous loose materials in the electric field of the sensor [1,2].…”