Mechanical Properties of Quince Fruit (Cydonia oblonga) under Quasi-static Loading using Finite Element Method

Packaging, transportation, and separation of agricultural products are among the processes that cause potential damage, losses, and increased waste, depending on the type of product. Therefore, determining the mechanical strength properties is one of the most important approaches to prevent mechanical damage. Using mechanical tests, such as compression tests, is a common approach to obtain information, but simulation methods can help determine a wider range of information, such as stress and strain distribution patterns in the fruit, at lower cost and higher speed. Quince (Cydonia oblonga), which like other fruits is susceptible to mechanical damage, is rich in various compounds such as flavonoids and phenolic acid, which contribute to anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and antimicrobial properties. In this study, to determine the mechanical properties of quince, compression tests were performed on fruit specimens at a rate of 10 mm/min using a materials testing machine and supplemented by simulation using ANSYS software FEM. The results of the experiments and simulations showed that a viscoelastic model adequately describes the behavior of the fruit under quasi-static loading. The simulation results for loading rates of 5 and 20 mm/min showed that the specimen is subjected to higher shear and normal stresses at a rate of 20 mm/min. The minimum of shear and normal stresses is associated with the rate of 5 mm/min. According to the evaluation results, it is better to perform harvesting and post-harvesting of quinces in such a way that lower loading rates (5 mm/min) are applied to avoid losses as much as possible.