Preliminary design and test of a microwave inline moisture sensor for the Carasau bread industry

Within the framework of the recent agri-food technological advancement, the design and validation of a methodology for the water content estimation in the Carasau bread manufacturing process is herein presented. Following a thorough evaluation of the dough dielectric properties, a suitable antenna layout has been selected, pointing out the advantages in the choice of a contactless narrow-band antenna in comparison to wide-band and dual-band ones. The presented simulated results are then validated using a prototype sensor and an ad hoc measurement system to confirm the antenna ability to discriminate among doughs with different water content. In addition, an accurate analysis of possible sources of misinterpretation of the results is presented.