1370 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 12–16, 2011

Cylindrical Slot Antennas for Monitoring the Quality of Milled Rice

K. Y. You1 , J. Salleh1 , Z. Abbas2 , and L. L. You3
1
Radio Communication Engineering Department, University Teknologi Malaysia
UTM Skudai 81310, Malaysia
2
Department of Physics, University Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Malaysia
3
Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences
International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia

Abstract— This paper presents the use of a cylindrical slot antenna sensor to determine the
quality of rice based on the percentage of moisture content and percentage of broken rice. The
reflection coefficient of rice were measured using both single and parallel slot sensors of infinite
ground plane in the frequency range from DC to 6 GHz using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA).
Five varieties of rice with moisture content between 13% and 16% were tested in this work.
Calibration equations were established to relate the measured reflection coefficient to moisture
content which in turn allows prediction of the percentages of broken rice. From the measurement
results, the parallel two slot sensor showed the high sensitivity of reflection coefficient to the
moisture content in the rice grain, as well as the percentage of cracked rice in the samples.

1. INTRODUCTION
There are many brands and grades of rice in the market. Thus, these give raise on the need to
determine and characterize the quality of rice properly to ensure that all types of rice can be
priced accordingly. One of the important physical quality is the moisture content, m.c inside the
rice grain [1–5]. In manufacturing, the rice grain is dried to below 14% moisture content, m.c to
prevent storage deterioration. Nevertheless, when grains are over dried to lower moisture content,
m.c the producers also will lose their money from excessive weight loss [1]. Besides moisture content,
the grade and price of the rice grain are also depending on the percentage of broken grain. The
broken rice grain has a length less than three quarters but more than one quarter of the average
normal grain length. In this paper, microwave techniques were proposed to monitor the moisture
content, m.c in rice grain as well as the fraction of broken rice grain.

2. PRINCIPLE OF RICE GRAINS MEASUREMENT USING SLOT ANTENNAS

The slot antennas concept was implemented in rice quality processing by instead the free space
with thousand of rice grain samples. The rice sample is composed of a mixture of air and rice
grains. The radiated waves from slot antenna spread around the mixed sample, thus the long
wavelength radiated waves (low frequency) is required to reduce the sensitivity of wave to the air
gap between the rice grains. In addition, the low frequency fields can also conduct electric currents
in the rice grains. Different moisture in the rice grain will give a change of reflected signal when
it is measured using Vector Network Analyzer. In contrast, the short wavelength signal (high
frequency) is required to enhance the air gap sensitivity for broken rice measurement and reduces
the penetration of energy into the rice grains. The air gap between the broken grains is smaller as
compared to the normal rice gains. Thus, the density of rice grains in the mixed sample is high.
In measurements, the measured reflection coefficient will vary with changes in the density of rice
grains in the sample.

3. METHODOLOGY
A single and coupling slots sensor with one input signal were fabricated. The slot sensors were
constructed using commercial SMA stub panel with radius of slot, a = 0.65 mm and length of slot,
h = 16 mm. The slots were driven from aluminum ground and covered by acrylic as shown in
Figure 1. For coupling slots sensor, the separate distance between the coupling slots is 9 mm and
one of the slot was terminated. The density of sensing field was strengthened using coupling slots
sensor.
The reflection coefficient, Γ of the mixed rice gain-air filled in acrylic casing was measured using
the E5071C Network Analyzer at frequency 1 GHz and 13.5 GHz as shown in Figure 2. Before
taking the measurements, the one-port calibration at the both ends of coaxial cable was carried out
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 12–16, 2011 1371

Top view Bottom view

(a)

Top view Bottom view

(b)

Figure 1: (a) Configuration of single slot sensor. (b) Configuration of coupling slots sensor.

Figure 2: Experimental setup.

using calibration kits (open, short and load). The rice samples were placed over the acrylic holder
sensor with a height of 30 mm.
The relative moisture content, m.c(%) in rice gain was obtained by drying the rice gain for 6
hours at 130◦ C and following by wet basic calculation [1]
mBefore Dry − mAfter Dry
m.c = × 100% (1)
mBefore Dry
where mBefore Dry and mAfter Dry are the weighs of mixed rice-air sample before and after drying,
respectively.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The moisture measurement for rice grain samples is challenging because all types of rice has a
distinctive dimension and the differential moisture is normally only in the range of ∼ 8% to ∼ 16%.
Dimensions and moisture content, m.c for 5 kinds of rice under test were listed in Table 1. To avoid
the moisture measurement is influenced by the air gap between the rice grains, the measurements
were done at low frequency (1 GHz) in order to reduce air gap sensitivity. Figure 3 shows the
1372 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 12–16, 2011

measured reflection coefficient, |Γ| of the rice grain vary with the moisture content, m.c. From the
measurement, both sensors show that moisture content, m.c had directly proportional relationship
with reflection coefficient, Γ. In this study, the relationship between the magnitude reflection
coefficient, |Γ| and moisture content, m.c (in unit %) at 1 GHz were represented in linear equations
as

|Γ| = 0.012937m.c + 0.72464 ± 0.0062258 for single slot sensor

|Γ| = 0.032956m.c + 0.44156 ± 0.028114 for coupling slots sensor

Figure 4 shows the measured reflection coefficient, |Γ| of the rice grain vary with the percentage
of broken rice in the samples at 13.5 GHz. Similarly, the correlation between magnitude reflection
coefficient, |Γ| and percentage of broken rice (in unit %) in grain sample at 13.5 GHz were also

Table 1: Moisture content, m.c (%) and average dimensions for various rice gain.

Rice Sample m.c (%) Rice length, L (mm) Rice width, W (mm) L/W
Sakura Super Basmathi Pakistan Rice 15.99 7.52 1.76 4.27
Bird of Paradise Thai Fragrant Rice 15.14 7.18 1.86 3.86
Jasmine Nutri Rice 14.79 7.29 2.04 3.57
Floral Glutinous Rice 14.42 7.06 1.95 3.62
Maharaja Basmathi Rice 13.38 6.79 1.52 4.47

1
0.935
0.98
0.93 Coupling slots sensor
0.925 Single slot sensor
0.96
0.92
|Γ|

|Γ|

0.94
0.915
0.91 0.92
0.905 Measured Data
Measured Data 0.9 Linear Fitting
0.9
Linear Fitting
0.895 0.88
13 13.5 14 14.5 15 15.5 16 13 13.5 14 14.5 15 15.5 16
Moisture Content (%) Moisture Content (%)

Figure 3: Variation in magnitude reflection coefficient, |Γ| with percentage of moisture content, m.c in the
rice grain at 1 GHz at room temperature 25◦ C.

0.22 0.24
Measured Data Measured Data
0.2 Linear Fitting 0.22 Linear Fitting

0.2
0.18
0.18
|Γ|
|Γ|

0.16
0.16
0.14
Single slot sensor 0.14 Coupling slots sensor

0.12
0.12
Parallel Slot Sensor (13.5 GHz)
0.1 0.1
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of broken rice (%) Percentage of broken rice (%)

Figure 4: Variation in magnitude reflection coefficient, |Γ| with percentage of broken grain in the rice sample
at 13.5 GHz at room temperature 25◦ C.
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 12–16, 2011 1373

represented in linear equations as

|Γ| = −0.0010221 (Broken Rice) + 0.20550 ± 0.013630 for single slot sensor
|Γ| = −0.0010926 (Broken Rice) + 0.22703 ± 0.010239 for coupling slots sensor

5. CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the single and coupling slots sensors have been developed for moisture and broken rice
grain measurement. This work provides a simple and sensitive of microwave sensors for testing and
monitoring of packaging in rice industry in order to minimize the human effort in manufacturing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was supported by the Ministry of Science, and Environment of Malaysia under project
number 03-01-06-SF0599.
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