GPR System for Monitoring Paddy Moisture Content in a Drying Process

High-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used in this study to monitor the moisture content of paddy in a drying process. The reflected radar pulses were used to calculate the dielectric constant of paddy. Owing to the temperature increase, Nelson and Noh's quadratic model was extended by introducing a temperature correction factor adapted to predict the dielectric constants at different temperatures. The calculated paddy moisture content was in good agreement with the values measured by the conventional oven method. Our results demonstrate the potential use of GPR systems as an online tool for monitoring the paddy moisture content in the drying process.