A Real-time Cracked Grain Monitor For

Phase I research will demonstrate the feasibility of a new cracked grain monitor that can mount directlyonto a combine to detect breakage in a variety of clean grains while they are being harvested. Whenintegrated into a closed-loop threshing control system, this sensor will greatly improve the quality ofgrain by providing real-time monitoring and control of cracked grain percentages, will reduce thenumber of combine accidents by eliminating dangerous and time-consuming manual adjustmentspresently required to assure grain quality, and will support automated and autonomous farming methodscurrently being developed. The effort will include lab experiments to determine specific reactions ingrain samples and the performance of sensor components under a variety of operating parameters.Limited field tests will also be conducted using a functional prototype based on the results of the labexperiments.