Biomechanical Analysis of Camellia oleifera Branches for Optimized Vibratory Harvesting

Rui Pan, Ziping Wan (), Mingliang Wu, Shikui Lu and Lewei Tang ()
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Rui Pan: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Ziping Wan: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Mingliang Wu: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Shikui Lu: Hunan Large-Fruited Camellia oleifera Varieties Research Institute Co., Changsha 410203, China
Lewei Tang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-26

Abstract: To investigate the biomechanical properties of Camellia oleifera branches under two loading speeds within a specific diameter range, three-point bending tests were conducted using a universal material–testing machine. The tests were performed at loading speeds of 10 mm/min and 20 mm/min on branches with diameters ranging from 5 mm to 40 mm. This study aims to provide insights into the design of a manipulator gripper used in a vibrating harvester for Camellia oleifera fruit. Four main varieties of Camellia oleifera were tested to determine their elastic modulus. The nonlinear least squares method, based on the hyperbolic tangent function, was employed to fit the bending load–deflection curves of the branches. This process constructed multi-parameter transcendental equations involving elastic modulus, diameter, and loading speed. Results indicated that the branches of four Camellia oleifera varieties exhibited significant differences in their biomechanical properties, with their modulus of elasticity ranging from 459.01 MPa to 983.33 MPa. This suggests variability in the bending performance among different varieties. For instance, Huaxin branches demonstrated the highest rigidity, while Huashuo branches were softer in general. For the proposed empirical fitting equations, when the fitting parameter k is 168 ± 20 and the parameter c is 3.102 ± 0.421, the bending load–deflection relationship of the branches can be predicted more accurately. This study provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the efficiency of mechanized vibratory picking of Camellia oleifera and optimising the design of the gripper.

Keywords: Camellia oleifera; three-point bending test; load–deflection curve; least squares method; empirical load–deflection equation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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