Near infrared spectrometer used in combination with a combine for real time grain analysis
US5751421A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/8592
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for combining NIR spectography with a combine for measuring major constituents of harvested grain in real time includes a monochromator having no moving optical parts. The monochromator includes a fixed diffraction grating and a photodiode collector comprised of a plurality of photodiodes. A radiation source irradiates a grain sample while a bundle of fiber optic strands transmits the reflected radiation to the diffraction grating. By analyzing the intensities and wavelengths of the reflected radiation at the photodiode collector, the presence and amount of major constituents of the harvested grain can be determined. The present invention may be used on a research combine along with the conventional instrumentation which measures the weight, moisture, and volume of grain harvested in a test plot.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.