Method of and apparatus for measuring the moisture content of fibrous materials

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a commodity, comprising a source of oscillating electrical energy having at least one characteristic which is influenced by moisture, said source having means for exposing the commodity to electrical energy so that the energy penetrates into the commodity and the extent of oscillations is influenced by moisture in the commodity and is indicative of moisture content of the commodity;

• means for monitoring the energy that has penetrated the commodity including means for generating first signals denoting the extent of damping of the monitored energy;
• a source of electromagnetic waves including means for exposing the commodity to electromagnetic waves so that the waves are reflected by the commodity and their oscillations are damped by moisture in the commodity;
• means for monitoring the reflected waves including means for generating second signals denoting the extent of damping of reflected waves;
• and means for processing said first and second signals including measn for averaging each first signal with a second signal and utilizing the thus obtained averaged signals for the generation of moisture signals.

A method of measuring the moisture content of a commodity, comprising the steps of exposing the commodity to oscillating electrical energy the oscillations of which are influenced by moisture so that the influencing of the oscillations of energy that penetrates the commodity is indicative of the moisture content of the commodity;

• monitoring the energy that has penetrated the commodity and generating first signals denoting the extent of oscillations of monitored energy, said first signals being indicative of the extent of damping of oscillations of the energy as a result of penetration into the commodity;
• exposing the commodity to electromagnetic waves which are reflected by the commodity and the oscillations of which are damped by moisture in the commodity;
• monitoring the reflected waves;
• generating second signals denoting the extent of damping of the reflected waves;
• generating third signals denoting the phase shift of electrical energy;
• generating fourth signals denoting the phase shift of the reflected electromagnetic waves;
• converting said first signals and said third signals into first quotient signals;
• converting said second signals and said fourth signals into second quotient signals;
• and converting said first and second quotient signals into moisture signals.

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a commodity, comprising a source of oscillating electrical energy having at lest one characteristic which is influenced by moisture, said source having means for exposing the commodity to electrical energy so that the energy penetrates into the commodity and the extent of oscillations is influenced by moisture in the commodity and is indicative of moisture content of the commodity;

• means for monitoring the energy that has penetrated the commodity including means for generating first signals denoting the extent of damping of oscillations of the monitored energy;
• a source of electromagnetic waves including means for exposing the commodity to electromagnetic waves so that the waves are reflected by the commodity and their oscillations are damped by moisture in the commodity;
• means for monitoring the reflected waves including means for generating second signals denoting the extent of damping of reflected waves;
• and processing means including means for generating third signals denoting the phase shift of the electrical energy, means for generating fourth signals denoting the phase shift of the reflected electromagnetic waves, means for converting said first and third signals into first quotient signals, means for converting said second and fourth signals into second quotient signals, and means for processing said first and second quotient signals into moisture signals.