Method and apparatus for determining properties of hygroscopic material in real-time during modification

A modification apparatus for determining properties of hygroscopic material in real-time during modification wherein pieces of the hydroscopic material to be modified are stacked and a batch of the hygroscopic material being thereby formed is placed in a modification chamber, and in addition to the modification chamber, the modification apparatus comprises a compressing device having compressing members which are compressible in a moving direction against each other and between which the batch of the hygroscopic material to be modified is placeable, and the compressing members are moveable against the opposite ends of the batch of the hygroscopic material such that the batch of the hygroscopic material is compressed by the compressing device and that the volume of the batch of the hygroscopic material is determined during and/or after the compression of the batch of the hygroscopic material,

• characterized in that the modification apparatus further comprises one or more sensors for measuring the weight of the batch of the hygroscopic material before the modification and/or at least once during and/or after the modification;
• and
• the following set of meters to be used before the modification and/or during and/or after the modification:
• a first meter for determining the volume of the batch of the hygroscopic material by determining the volume of the batch of the hygroscopic material;
• a second meter for determining the weight of the batch of corresponding dry hygroscopic material by multiplying the determined volume of the batch of the hygroscopic material by the density of the corresponding dry hygroscopic material;
• a third meter for determining the amount of water in the batch of the hygroscopic material by subtracting the calculated weight of the batch of the corresponding dry hygroscopic material from the measured weight of the batch of the hygroscopic material;
• a fourth meter for determining average moisture content of the batch of the hygroscopic material from the determined amount of water in the batch of the hygroscopic material.