Experimental determination of physical characteristics of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum)using the Modal Analysis method.

• Grant number: 09/07036-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Walter Ferreira Velloso Júnior
• Grantee: Tabatha Thaiane Pereira dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project we intent to use the modal analysis to determine the physical characteristics of sugar cane samples. Measures of normal modes of a mechanical structure containing a sugar cane sample under test will be compared with the normal modes calculated by numerical methods. The results of this comparison used in an iterative procedure allow to adjusting the physical parameters in the model. The best fitting will determine the best values of physical characteristics. Validation/calibration tests will be performed, applying the method to some Standard materials.