Assessing the Impact Forces between Hard Bodies with Plain Contact Surfaces and Potato Tubers Using a Computer Controlled Pendulum

Abstract

This paper is focused on using a computer controlled pendulum to asses different types of impacts that potatoes experience in harvesting and handling operations. The computer controlled pendulum method is adequate in studying the relations between the impact energy and the forces developed during impact. This paper presents the method of impact studying as well as the impact forces curves for different impact energies.