Abstract
A rigid pendulum was constructed with a 2.15 kg head so as to load horizontally mounted cylindrical fruit or vegetable tissue samples at a constant strain rate to a preset maximum strain. Crosshead (hammer) speeds sufficient to cause impulse loading (typically > 1 m s–1) required force measurement at both the anvil and the hammer to account for dynamic effects. Hammer position was measured with a highly sensitive angle displacement transducer (ADT). Sample preparation equipment consisted of a cork borer rotating in a drill press and a pneumatic saw with parallel blades spaced 15 mm apart to trim the samples to a uniform length. Stress-strain results for several materials including potato, apple, starch foam, PVC foam cushioning, and a spring are shown for a range of loading velocities to give examples and demonstrate strain rate effects. Impulse loading was the dominant dynamic phenomenon observed. Force measurement on both ends of the sample allows analysis of the wave caused by impulse loading and measurement of shock wave speed.
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