Abstract
We introduce a novel technique to measure volumes of any shaped objects based on acoustic components. The focus is on small objects with rough surfaces, such as plant seeds. The method allows measurement of object volumes more than 1000 times smaller than the volume of the sensor chamber with both high precision and high accuracy. The method is fast, noninvasive, and easy to produce and use. The measurement principle is supported by theory, describing the behavior of the measured data for objects of known volumes in a range of 1 to 800 µL. In addition to single-frequency, we present frequency-dependent measurements that provide supplementary information about pores on the surface of a measured object, such as the total volume of pores and, in the case of cylindrical pores, their average radius-to-length ratio. We demonstrate the usefulness of the method for seed phenotyping by measuring the volume of irregularly shaped seeds and showing the ability to “look” under the husk and inside pores, which allows us to assess the true density of seeds.
Highlights
Determining the volume of an object can be a challenging task
To overcome the issue with trapped air, liquids such as toluene [1] or kerosene [2] are sometimes used because of their low surface tension. Some objects, such as plant seeds, should not be exposed to chemicals, which may stick to the surface, potentially causing large errors in volume calculation and problems in their subsequent use
By operating the acoustic volumeter at different frequencies [27], additional surface information can be obtained, such as surface porosity of an object
Summary
Determining the volume of an object can be a challenging task. It can be done according to the Archimedes principle by measuring the amount of fluid being displaced. To overcome the issue with trapped air, liquids such as toluene [1] or kerosene [2] are sometimes used because of their low surface tension Some objects, such as plant seeds, should not be exposed to chemicals, which may stick to the surface, potentially causing large errors in volume calculation and problems in their subsequent use. Depending on both frequency and opening size, turbulent flow and redistribution of pressure in the chambers may occur, reducing sensitivity and impairing reproducibility These volumeters were designed to operate at a narrow frequency range and were used predominantly for the measurements of objects with smooth surfaces and volumes larger than 1 mL, such as mass standards [17,20]. The theory behind the new device will be presented, and possible applications will be discussed
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