Food security sensing system using a waveguide antenna microwave imaging through an example of an egg

Abstract

In this paper, we present a form of food security sensing using a waveguide antenna microwave imaging system through an example of an egg. A waveguide antenna system with a frequency range of 7–13 GHz and a maximum gain of 17.37 dBi was proposed. The maximum scanning area of the waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system is 30 × 30 cm2. In order to study the resolution and sensitivity of the waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system, the circular and triangular high-k materials (with the same thickness but with different dielectric constants of the materials) were used as the testing sample for observing the microwave images. By using the proposed waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system, the high-k materials with different dielectric constants and shapes could be easily sensed. Therefore, the waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system could be potentially used for applications in rapid, non-destructive food security sensing. Regarding the example of an egg, the proposed waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system could effectively identify the health status of many eggs very quickly. The proposed waveguide antenna microwave imaging sensing system provides a simple, non-destructive, effective, and rapid method for food security applications.