Modal properties of coffee plants via numerical simulation

Abstract

Mechanized coffee harvesting is performed by machines that use the principle of mechanical vibration to detach the fruit. In this type of harvest, the machines transmit kinetic energy to the plant. Numerical simulations attached to representative models have been shown to be a viable tool for understanding the coffee harvesting process. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the dynamic behavior of coffee plants. For this purpose, a previously developed coffee plant model was used in numerical simulations to extract the modal properties and thus enable a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of coffee plants. The frequencies extracted from the simulations were validated with frequencies observed in laboratory tests. The frequencies found in the laboratory tests were concentrated between 10 Hz and 30 Hz. The validation of the model indicated that there is a correlation between the studied variables.