Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Friction, Collision and Compression of Tiger Nut Tubers

Abstract

The mechanical properties of agricultural materials can provide the basis for the design and optimisation of agricultural machinery. There are currently very few studies on the mechanical properties of tiger nut tubers, which is not conducive to the design and development of machinery for their harvesting and processing. To obtain the mechanical parameters of tiger nut tubers, this study investigated the effects of variety (Zhong Yousha 1 and Zhong Yousha 2), moisture content (8%, 16%, 24%, 32% and 40%), contact material (steel, aluminium, plexiglass and polyurethane), release height (170 mm, 220 mm, 270 mm and 320 mm), loading speed (5 mm/min, 10 mm/min, 15 mm/min and 20 mm/min), compression direction (vertical and horizontal) on the friction, collision and compression mechanical properties of the tubers. The results were as follows: Both moisture content and contact material had a significant effect (p p p p p < 0.01) on the apparent elastic modulus (12.17–120.88 MPa) of the tubers. The results of this study can provide a reference for the design and optimisation of machinery for the harvesting and processing of tiger nut tubers.

Keywords

• tiger nut
• sliding friction coefficient
• angle of repose
• collision recovery coefficient
• compression mechanical properties