Method and device for non-invasively determining moisture content and uniformity of solid plant matter during on-line drying or cooling forced-air treatment

A method for non-invasively determining moisture content and uniformity of solid plant matter during on-line drying or cooling forced-air treatment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) sensing and measuring at least one set of inlet forced-air operating parameters and at least one set of outlet forced-air operating parameters, while forced-air enters and exits the solid plant matter, each said set of said forced-air operating parameters includes temperature, humidity, and flow rate;
• (b) processing each said set of inlet forced-air operating parameters and each set of outlet forced-air operating parameters, for forming at least one set of inlet forced-air parametric values and at least one set of outlet forced-air parametric values;
• (c) calculating a moisture content value of the solid plant matter from each said set of inlet forced-air parametric values and each said set of outlet forced-air parametric values;
• and
• (d) calculating a uniformity value of the solid plant matter from at least two said moisture content values of the solid plant matter.

A method for non-invasively determining moisture content and uniformity of solid plant matter during on-line drying or cooling forced-air treatment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) sensing and measuring forced-air operating parameters while forced-air enters and exits the solid plant matter, said forced-air operating parameters include temperature, humidity, and flow rate;
• (b) generating raw forced-air parametric values from said sensed and measured forced-air operating parameters, said raw forced-air parametric values include raw forced-air temperature values, raw forced-air humidity values, and raw forced-air flow rate values;
• (c) process correcting said generated forced-air parametric values for forming process corrected forced-air parametric values, said process corrected forced-air parametric values include process corrected forced-air temperature values, process corrected forced-air humidity values, and process corrected forced-air flow rate values, said process correcting accounts for affects of at least one secondary operating parameter on the step of said sensing and measuring said forced-air operating parameters of temperature, humidity, and flow rate;
• (d) calculating a moisture content value of the solid plant matter from said process corrected forced-air parametric values;
• and
• (e) calculating a uniformity value of the solid plant matter from at least two said moisture content values of the solid plant matter.

A device for non-invasively determining moisture content and uniformity of solid plant matter during on-line drying or cooling forced-air treatment, comprising:

• (a) a solid plant matter inlet, a solid plant matter outlet, and a solid plant matter transport mechanism, for transporting the solid pant matter into and out of the device;
• (b) a forced-air inlet unit, a forced-air outlet unit, and a forced-air supply mechanism, for forcing an air supply into ant out of the device;
• (c) a plurality of forced-air parametric sensors for sensing and measuring forced-air operating parameters of said forced-air entering and exiting the solid plant matter, said forced-air operating parameters include temperature, humidity, and flow rate;
• and
• (d) a central processing unit for processing said sensed and measured forced-air operating parameters, calculating a moisture content value of the solid plant matter from said sensed and measured forced-air operating parameters, and calculating a uniformity value of the solid plant matter from at least two said moisture content values of the solid plant matter.