Design and performance of a capacitor sensor and impedance analyzer for nondestructive moisture content determination |
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| Authors: | C V K Kandala C L Butts |
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| Affiliation: | (1) Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 509, Dawson, GA 39842, USA |
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| Abstract: | In this work, the design and performance of a low-cost impedance analyzer, called the CI Meter, that was assembled and calibrated
to measure impedance and phase angles at 1, 5 and 9 MHz is given. A cylindrical sample holder with a single set of parallel-plate
electrodes embedded inside along its length that can hold samples (100–150 g) of peanut pods (in-shell peanuts) was built
and used with this instrument. The measured values of impedance and phase angle with this experimental setup were used in
an empirical equation to obtain the average moisture content values of peanut samples with moisture contents in the range
of 6–23%. The moisture content values determined by this system and a commercial impedance meter were compared with those
obtained by a standard method. For over 90% of the samples tested in the moisture range between 6 and 23% the moisture content
values were found to be within 1% of the standard values for both systems. Ability to determine the average moisture content
of in-shell peanuts without shelling and cleaning them, with a low-cost instrument, will be of considerable use in the peanut
industry. This method could be extended to other types of in-shell nuts.
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| Keywords: | Impedance analyzer Parallel-plate electrodes Capacitance Phase angle Moisture content Peanuts |
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