Experiment and Simulation on Impact Damage Mechanism of <i>Aronia melanocarpa</i>: Based on Drop Test and Finite Element Method

ABSTRACT Aronia melanocarpa is valued for its high nutrient content and market potential, but it is susceptible to mechanical damage during processing, leading to economic losses. In this study, the damage mechanism caused by impact during machining was investigated through drop tests and finite element simulations. High‐speed cameras recorded the fruit rebound process, and deformation energy was used to assess damage severity. The effects of drop height, contact angle, contact material, and fruit moisture content on damage levels were analyzed. Results show that with pearl cotton as the contact material, energy loss increased from 0.842 to 2.765 mJ as the drop height rose from 200 to 1000 mm. When moisture content increased to 81%, energy loss rose from 7.564 to 9.103 mJ. A contact angle of 22.5° reduced energy losses on steel plates and corrugated cardboard by 2.485 and 1.960 mJ, respectively. FEM analysis revealed that higher drop heights led to increased stress and strain. When the contact angle was 22.5°, stress and strain reached a minimum of 0.129 MPa and 0.181, corresponding to an energy loss of 3.207 mJ. Pearl cotton provided better protection, reducing stress and strain to 0.104 MPa and 0.145, with an energy loss of 1.643 mJ. These findings deepen the understanding of mechanical damage in Aronia melanocarpa and provide key parameters for optimizing processing equipment with practical applications for reducing fruit damage.