Electrical capacitance tomography for detecting rice moisture content in a container
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15282/isse.1.1.2026.14277Keywords:
Electrical capacitance tomography , Rice moisture content , Non-invasive measurement, Agriculture , Sensor systemAbstract
Rice moisture content is an important consideration in agriculture, influencing storage stability, food safety, and economic value. The feasibility of traditional measurement techniques for real-time monitoring in bulk storage is limited since they are frequently intrusive, costly, or time-consuming. In this study, a non-invasive Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) device for determining the moisture content of rice in a vertical rectangular container is developed. An Arduino Nano microcontroller, a signal generator, a four-channel ECT sensor, and high-speed operational amplifiers (LT1360 and LT1364) for signal conditioning are all used in the suggested system. By monitoring changes in permittivity brought on by moisture levels, the technique enables cross-sectional mapping without coming into direct touch with the grain. The testing results show that the system can differentiate between different moisture conditions, and that the voltage values for rice with moisture are significantly higher than those for dry rice. In particular, phantom size and spatial arrangement led to different voltage swings, with some installations reaching peak levels of 8.8V. The outcomes highlight ECT's promise as a cost-effective and dependable substitute for real-time agricultural applications. Future work includes optimization of circuit performance, tomogram image reconstruction and machine learning calibration for industrial scale grain storage.
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