RESUMO
This study aims to develop a finite element (FE) model to determine the mechanical responses of Exotica papayas during puncture loads. The FE model of the puncture-test was developed using the ANSYS 19.1 software. The proposed framework combined the finite element method and statistical procedure to validate the simulation with the experimental results. Assuming the elastic-plastic behaviour of papaya, the mechanical properties were measured through tensile test and compression test for both skin and flesh. The geometrical models include a quarter solid of papaya that was subjected to a puncture test with a 2 mm diameter flat-end stainless-steel probe inserted into the fruit tissues at 0.5 mm/s, 1 mm/s, 1.5 mm/s, 2 mm/s, and 2.5 mm/s. The FE results showed good agreement with the experimental data, indicating that the proposed approach was reliable. The FE model was best predicted the bioyield force with the highest relative error of 14.46%. In conclusion, this study contributes to the usage of FE methods for predicting the puncture responses of any perishable fruit and agricultural products.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Drying is a preservation method that removes or reduces the moisture content of a product. This process can affect the nutritional properties of agricultural crops. Therefore this research sought to investigate the effect of microwave drying power (100-700 W) on the drying rate, effective diffusivity, ß-carotene content (BCC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of sprouted corn, which can be applied as a rich antioxidant source. RESULTS: With increasing microwave drying power from 100 to 700 W, the effective diffusivity was in the range from 1.50 × 10-6 to 1.81 × 10-5 m2 s-1 , while BCC ranged from 614.20 ± 3.10 to 229.90 ± 1.00 µg ß-carotene equivalent g-1 dry weight (DW), decreasing gradually by 62.57%. Meanwhile, TPC and TFC of samples dried at 300 W were the highest, with levels of 315.94 ± 0.69 mg gallic acid equivalent g-1 DW and 190.16 ± 1.33 mg catechin equivalent g-1 DW respectively, which were higher by 8.66 and 98.97% as compared with samples dried at 100 W. Similar development was found in the antioxidant ability of germinated corn. CONCLUSION: Drying at a microwave power of 300 W provided the highest nutritive and antioxidant values. The results of this study are useful in the selection of optimal drying conditions during microwave drying of germinated corn, as a baseline for other agricultural crops. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
