Compensation of dielectric losses of a capacitive moisture sensor in F-meter circuits

Abstract

In resonant methods of moisture measurement, a capacitive sensor with the material under study is in some cases included in the oscillatory circuit of a self-excited oscillator. A change in the moisture content W of the material being monitored leads to a readjustment of the resonant circuit in the anode-grid circuit of the oscillator, which causes a certain increment in the generated frequency. The frequency increment of the self-excited oscillator is converted by frequency discriminators into a direct voltage, which is fed to a measuring instrument. A disadvantage of the considered method of moisture control is the dependence of the operating frequency of the self-excited oscillator on the magnitude of dielectric losses in the material being monitored. At large dielectric losses, the error in moisture measurement can reach significant values. This disadvantage also limits the use of highly sensitive resonant methods.

Read more

None