The Use of an Inductive Coil System for the Description of Damages in Apple Tissue with Electrical Parameters

Abstract

The main objective of this work was to determine if it is possible to distinguish between intact and destroyed apple tissue with an inductively working coil system. With conductive measurement, it is possible to measure the amount of destroyed cell in plant tissues. Destroyed cells in plant tissue can mean bad quality for the particular product. The advantage of the inductive measuring technique is the possibility to measure the complete product contactless and nondestructively during the production process. Hence, an inline measurement system could be developed.In order to destroy cells in apples, a freeze-thaw cycle was subjected to three different apples varieties (Braeburn, Jonagold and Idared). The changes of the electrical parameters were observed before and after the thermal treatment.It could be demonstrated that the inductive measuring leads to similar statements as conductive measuring methods. The electrical parameters showed mass dependent. Hence, the electrical parameters had to be normalized to the sample mass. The mass normalized voltage U B,normalized is well suited to describe the cell destruction. It could be shown that the cell destruction provides higher U B,normalized -values.

Magnetic induction spectroscopy: non-contact measurement of the electrical conductivity spectra of biological samples

“…The sensors could be isolated from physically-extreme or biologically-active environments, resulting in more robust measurement systems. Lastly, measurements should be much simpler to automate and indeed, Euring et al [38] have recently described an inductive system (operating at a single frequency, 197 kHz) for detecting damage in apples on a conveyor-belt. There is much scope for further technical development and optimization for specific biomedical and industrial applications and MIS must be considered a technique with considerable future potential.…”