OPERATIONAL MODAL ANALYSIS AND DAMAGE DETECTION IN FRUIT QUALITY ASSESSMENT USING DIFFERENT METHODS OF PACKAGING

Eissa, Amer; F. R, Gomaa

doi:10.21608/erjm.2009.69387

OPERATIONAL MODAL ANALYSIS AND DAMAGE DETECTION IN FRUIT QUALITY ASSESSMENT USING DIFFERENT METHODS OF PACKAGING

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Amer Eissa ¹
Gomaa F. R ²

¹ Department of Agriculture Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Minoufiya University, Shibin El-Kom, EGYPT

² Department of Production Eng. & Meek Design, Faculty of Engineering, Minoufiya University, Shibin El-Korm, EGYPT

10.21608/erjm.2009.69387

Abstract

An experimental research work in relation to fruit quality assessment is represented in this paper.
The demands for high quality fruits require for grower and distributors to set up an integrated
quality control system for monitoring the quality ofthe fruits during transporting.
Vibration simulation carried out to measure the dynamic behaviour of a pear during transporting.
The experimental program included the dynamic study on-line. Operational modal parameter
estimation was made based on acquired data for three types of packaging methods (Random
distribution, Line distributed and Absorber sheet). To asses the dynamic behavior of package and
the damage to pear due to transient vibration during transporting and the possible effect du~ to the
position of pear inside the package, utilized the absorber sheet along the floor oftransport.
Five identified modes were identified in the frequency range (0-200 Hz) using two techniques of
estimation. Peak picldng method (P-P) and robust technique enhanced frequency domain
decomposition (EFDD) are applied to avoid harmonic components in application.
A damage identification technique using damage index method has been applied to determine the
integrity of the structure (fruit). The results obtained in range (0-50 Hz) shows that increasing
damage volume compared to (100-200 Hz), may be due to closing harmonic frequency of
mechanical element with natural frequency of pear and this need much attention in design the
suspension system for fruit transport trucks in attempt to keep the resonance• frequencies of fruit
away from exciting frequency of rotating system. A comparison of experimental results of three
types of packaging shows that absorber sheet is more suitable for packaging. The use of absorber
sheets reduced the percentage of damage fruit by (46-59%). The results obtained in the present
research suggest the protective treatment of the fruit with absorber sheet as cushioning package
and to design cushioning package to protect an item (fruits) of known strength from known shock
and vibration.

Keywords