Microwave moisture meter and sensor
AssigneeTSI Incorporated
InventorAmit Vasant ITAGI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microwave moisture sensor for agricultural materials, such as grains and nuts, is disclosed herein that includes a material sample holder having a substantially cylindrical cavity formed therein. The meter assembly further includes a transmitting antenna on a side of the sample holder and a receiving antenna on a side of sample holder directly opposite the transmitting antenna wherein the sample holder is located between the two antennas, the receiving antenna configured to receive a transmitted microwave through the sample holder.
Claims20
1-18. (canceled)
A method of measuring moisture in a sample material located within a material sample holder assembly by measuring attenuation and phase changes in a signal transmitted through the sample of material being measured, the method comprising:
- providing an inner cylindrical holder member disposed within an outer holder member, the inner cylindrical holder member having a longitudinal axis along a length of the cylindrical holder and configured to be rotated axially about the longitudinal axis within the outer holder member, wherein the outer holder member is configured from a material that approximates a permittivity of the sample material being measured within the sample holder assembly;
- rotating axially the inner cylindrical holder within the outer holder member;
- transmitting from a side of the material sample holder assembly a polarized microwave signal;
- and
- receiving from an opposite side of the material sample holder assembly the polarized microwave signal transmitted through the material sample holder assembly.
A method of measuring moisture in a sample material located within a material sample holder assembly by measuring attenuation and phase changes in a signal transmitted through the sample of material being measured, the method comprising:
- configuring the material sample holder assembly with a holder member having a longitudinal axis along a length of the holder member and an outer holder member disposed outside and about the holder member, wherein the outer holder member is configured from a material that approximates a permittivity of the sample material being measured within the material sample holder assembly;
- transmitting from a side of the material sample holder assembly a polarized microwave signal;
- and
- receiving from an opposite side of the material sample holder assembly the microwave signal transmitted through the material sample holder assembly.
A method of measuring moisture in a sample material located within a material sample holder assembly by measuring attenuation and phase changes in a signal transmitted through the sample of material being measured, the method comprising:
- configuring the material sample holder assembly to approximate a permittivity of the sample material being measured within the material sample holder assembly;
- transmitting from a side of the material sample holder assembly a polarized microwave signal in at least one of a circular, linear and elliptical polarization mode to reduce differences in moisture measurements due to orientation of a particle in the sampled material located in the sample holder assembly;
- and
- receiving from an opposite side of the material sample holder assembly the polarized microwave signal transmitted through the material sample holder assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.