IoT System to Monitor and Remotely Control the Top-quality Tobacco Curing Process

Abstract

Curing the tobacco leaves is a drying process under controlled conditions to make the tobacco plant leaves keep its biological activity as long as possible in order to obtain a top-quality product. The controlled curing consists in the use of an automated system allowing the operators to establish a steady environment inside the tobacco barn regarding the three weather factors which have a greater impact on the curing process: temperature, relative humidity and air flow inside the tobacco barn. The quality of the final product ultimately depends on monitoring and control procedures on these factors. Most of the existing curing-oriented tobacco barns require presence of a full-time operator in situ. Information on the factors included in the process can be gathered in real time by using measurement instruments, but not remotely. A system using IoT technologies is proposed for monitoring and controlling environmental parameters across the curing-oriented tobacco barns. By using IoT, it is possible to equip the curing-oriented tobacco barns with enough intelligence to keep the drying cycle at their optimum parameters, study the volume distribution of the above-mentioned parameters and notify operators of any variation to facilitate early preventive or corrective action taking as may be needed.