A new analytical approach to predicting moisture contents of corn kernels through microwave permittivity data

  Hariniwas Singh,  Ashutosh Prasad

In the present work two models namely, quadratic and cubic, for the variation of relative permittivity and dielectric loss factor of shelled yellow-dent field corn, Zea mays L. with decimal moisture content at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz have been proposed by the authors. In an attempt to reduce the randomness in moisture- dependent variation of intrinsic dielectric properties of grains and cereals ,attributable to bulk density variation, a new term called moisture specific volume{ratio of kg water per kg of total mass to bulk density of the test material} is introduced in the present work. The data of results for relative permittivity and loss factor have been derived from the works of S.O. Nelson and the models chosen for comparison with the present models are also due to S.O. Nelson. The evaluation of constants for the models has been done using the method of Least-Squares-Fit for nonlinear regression analysis. With the values of coefficients of determination (r2) too close to unity (≈ 0.99), except for cubic model for loss factor (r2 ≈ 0.89), and lower average percentage errors, excepting the cubic model for loss factor having average errors ≈ 19.49 %, both the present models and both dielectric parameters compare the present models favorably with the established models.

Keywords- Relative Permittivity, Dielectric loss factor, Nonlinear regression, Microwave frequency. moisture specific volume ,Corn.

Unique Identification Number - IJEDR1902103
Page Number(s) - 546-553
Pubished in - Volume 7 | Issue 2 | June 2019
DOI (Digital Object Identifier) -   
Publisher - IJEDR (ISSN - 2321-9939)

  Hariniwas Singh,  Ashutosh Prasad,   "A new analytical approach to predicting moisture contents of corn kernels through microwave permittivity data", International Journal of Engineering Development and Research (IJEDR), ISSN:2321-9939, Volume.7, Issue 2, pp.546-553, June 2019, Available at :http://www.ijedr.org/papers/IJEDR1902103.pdf