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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342453
Research Project: Enhancing the Profitability and Sustainability of Upland Cotton, Cottonseed, and Agricultural Byproducts through Improvements in Pre- and Post-Harvest Processing

Location: Cotton Production and Processing Research

Title: Microwave bale moisture sensing: Field trial

Author
item Pelletier, Mathew

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2004
Publication Date: 1/5/2004
Citation: 2004. Microwave bale moisture sensing: Field trial. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. pp. 3014 - 3016.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A microwave moisture measurement technique was developed for moisture sensing of cotton bales after the bale press. The technique measures the propagation delay of a microwave signal that is transmitted through the cotton bale. This research conducted a field trial to test the sensor in a commercial cotton gin that is utilizing moisture restoration systems. The field-trial test’s cross-validation accuracy was found to be 0.25% with a repeatability of 0.15% moisture content. These results indicate the sensor has the potential to provide a low cost reliable non-contact measurement of the moisture content of cotton bales.