ANALYSIS OF A TOMATO YIELD MONITOR

A continuous mass flow type tomato yield monitor was analyzed to determine its frequency response characteristics and to get some insight into the design requirements. A continuous beam theory was employed to model a taut conveyor. The impulse response of this device was evaluated and verified experimentally. The analysis clearly showed the effect of misalignment of idler rollers with respect to the weigh roller on the load cell readings and a method of overcoming this problem. Moreover, it also showed the effect of weigh span length in relation to the adjacent span lengths on the accuracy of the system. The model identified design parameters critical to the development of a continuous mass flow type yield monitor that has desired frequency response and spatial resolution.