I.

TITLE: Development of a Pre-harvest Coconut Husk Moisture Content

Analyzer

II. TITLE PROPONENTS: Febrer, Shairelle Anne N.

Posadas, Felize Lovelle Kelly V.

III. RATIONALE:

Philippines as a tropical country is abundant of coconut trees. The coconut

industry is a dominant sector of the Philippine agriculture. According to the Philippine

Coconut Authority of the Department of Agriculture, in 12 million hectare of farmlands,

3.1M hectare is devoted to coconut. There are 68 out of 79 provinces are coconut

areas. 25M Filipinos are directly or indirectly dependent on the coconut industry.

Coconut is the most economically important of the palm family and is grown as both a

food crop as well as an ornamental. Coconuts are cultivated for their meat, or copra,

coir for fiber, oil and coconut water (Grant, 2018).

Coconuts are a versatile superfood providing nutrition, health benefits, and

amazing medicinal properties all wrapped in one delicious package. Coconuts are

totally natural, easily available and affordable; and every part of the fruit is useful.

Farmers wait for the perfect timing of their harvest. At differing stages in their maturity,

it can be utilized to produce the desired product. It varies its uses and flavour

depending how old it is. At the first stage, sometimes called the drinkers or ‘malauhog’,

coconut is full of water. In the second stage, the spoon meat or rubber meat coconut

or ‘malakanin’, this meat can be great for thickening smoothies, coconut noodles or

coconut yogurt. The third stage, called shakers or ‘malakatad’, coconut is utilizes as

coconut milk, oil and cream.

Along with the timing, color is also an indicator of ripeness. Mature coconuts

are brown, while immature coconuts have bright green. The changing of color indicates

the gradual drying of the husk. Not knowing the different stages, it will be hard to

distinguish when each of these is best harvested.

of the coconut husk relating to its maturity to increase the accuracy of checking how

old a coconut without opening it. The device measure the ability of the husk to conduct

a current relative to its moisture content through electrical conductivity.

Pin-style meters use electrical resistance to make their measure content

readings. After the two probes, or “pins”, are inserted, a small electrical current is

passed between the points, and the amount of resistance is correlated into a moisture

content reading. Because moisture is a good electrical conductor, the “wetter” it is, the

less resistance there would be to the current, and vice versa. Because of the type of

technology used, pin meter accuracy is affected by variances in the naturally-occurring

chemical composition of wood species, but not as impacted by density variability from

one piece of wood to the other.

IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of the study is to design and development of

coconut meat maturity level identifier through moisture content.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. design and construct the circuit for coconut meat maturity level

identifier;

2. design and fabricate the coconut meat maturity level identifier device;

3. develop an algorithm for program of the system using microcontroller

unit;

4. test and evaluate the system; and

5. conduct cost computation.

Materials

1. Power Supply

2. Microcontroller Unit

3. Probes or Needle point type electrodes

4. Resistance Meter

5. Liquid Crystal Display

Methodology

1. Design and construct the circuit for the Coconut Maturity Detector

through moisture content analysis of coconut husk.

2. Design and fabricate the Coconut Maturity Detector.

3. develop an algorithm for program of the system using

microcontroller unit;

4. test and evaluate the system; and

5. Conduct cost computation.

VI. EXPECTED OUTPUT

Figure 1. Top view

Figure 1 and 2 shows the expected output of the system. The device comprises of

pins operate as electrodes: one generates an electrical current, and the other records

how much resistance there is to the electrical current, which is measured in ohms, and

a resistance meter. The output identified will be displayed on the LCD display.

VII. SYSTEM DIAGRAM

Figure 3 shows the system diagram of the scheme. A built-in source will supply

the system. The microcontroller controls the generated voltage to Pin1. a small

electrical current is passed between the points of Pin1 and Pin2. Pin2 records the

resistance and the Resistance meter measures how much resistance there is to the

electrical current and will be identified by the microcontroller unit. The results will be

displayed to the LCD display: the moisture content and if Malauhog, if Mala kanin,

and if Malakatad.
Power Supply

Pin 1
(generates current)

Microcontroller
Unit LCD Display

Pin 2
(records resistance)

Resistance meter

Figure 3. System Diagram

Table 1 shows the list of estimated amounts that will be used in study.

Quantity Description Unit Cost (php) Total Cost (php)

Microcontroller 300.00 300.00

LCD Display 120.00 120.00

Customized 500.00 500.00

Box

Probes or Needle 200.00 200.00

electrodes

Power Supply 120.00 120.00

Components

Miscellaneous 1000.00 1000.00

Resistance Meter 3,000.00 3,000.00

5,132.00
TOTAL COST

The estimated cost for the construction of the equipment is approximately five

thousand one hundred thirty two pesos and is possible to increase due to the

additional unexpected expenses.