Self-adjusting gravity table using imaging analysis for quality control (SAGT)
Research Project, 2013 – 2016

Research around technologies for efficient processing and reliable quality assessment of seeds and grains is motivated by its large commercial potential, and by the needs felt by European farmers in differentiating their products against the pressure imposed by competitors outside Europe.SAGT aims at developing a new generation of gravity separators, which are real-time self-adjustable, according to the type of crop, where market quality requirements are combined with a set of best available technologies in the field of near-infrared spectroscopy and multispectral imaging. Technical objectives include optimization of process parameters control such as airflow and vibration dynamics, to make it independent of the operators experience.Progress in this area is currently hampered by inter-disciplinary and intersectoral barriers posed by a current fragmentation of scientific knowledge which, in this project, are addressed through a transfer of knowledge (ToK) programme. Aligned with IAPPs objectives, SAGT proposes the intersectoral secondment of 7 researchers over a total of 34 fellow months, the recruitment of one experienced researcher for 24 months and a set of networking activities, which leverage ToK even beyond the projects team.The project is a collaborative effort between a company specialized in the development of processing equipment for seeds and grains a research-intensive SME provider of high-performance optical systems and an research institute with recognized excellence in the fields of mechanical design, vibration and flow dynamics.In addition to addressing EUs agriculture challenges and socio-economic goals, the project will strengthen the research capacity of the participants, following ERA objectives, and will have a positive impact beyond the consortium, through ToK activities integrated in a wider community network and through the exploitation of the new applications of the technology platform developed for the novel gravity separators.

Participants

Lars Davidson (contact)

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Valery Chernoray

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Collaborations

Videometer A/S

Horsholm, Denmark

Westrup AS

Slagelse, Denmark

Funding

European Commission (EC)

Project ID: EC/FP7/324433
Funding Chalmers participation during 2013–2016

More information

Latest update

2020-09-02