FDTD techniques applied to acoustic propagation in vegetable tissue: the elastodynamic behavior of the orange fruit

Abstract

The plant tissues, in particular the orange’s skin, are essentially aqueous-filled structures of varying density and elasticity composed by fat and acids substances, as well as areas of intercellular air. In recent years many techniques have been developed for ultrasonic characterization of fruit and vegetables in postharvest processes. All have found common macroscopic acoustic parameters: a slow propagation speed and a large absorption. It is intended therefore to obtain a prediction model of ultrasounds propagation in this viscoelastic heterogeneous media by FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) techniques. Thus, this paper presents a time domain numerical model for simulating acoustic propagation in plant tissue. This model correctly describes the special characteristics of wave propagation experimentally detected in these biological tissues, emphasizing the need for elastic frequency dependent characteristics: a frequency dependent elasticity modulus. These simulation results will be compared with measures obtained from an experimental device to validate the numerical model. Thus, the validation of a model of mechanical wave propagation in heterogeneous media has a great interest because it will deepen the understanding and development of new techniques for characterization of complex materials, providing tools for predicting propagation processes in this kind of media.

@inproceedings{Jimenez2010a,
 author = {Noé Jiménez and Rubén Picó and Javier Redondo and Francisco Camarena and Bernardino Roig},
 booktitle = {ICA 2010: 20th International Congress on Acoustics. Sydney, Australia. 23-27 August},
 doi = {https://www.acoustics.asn.au/conference_proceedings/ICA2010/cdrom-ICA2010/papers/p616.pdf},
 editor = {Proceedings of 20th International Congress on Acoustics},
 month = {7},
 organization = {International Commission for Acoustics},
 pages = {616-1-6},
 publisher = {Australian Acoustical Society},
 series = {Oral},
 title = {FDTD techniques applied to acoustic propagation in vegetable tissue: the elastodynamic behavior of the orange fruit},
 url = {https://www.acoustics.asn.au/conference_proceedings/ICA2010/cdrom-ICA2010/},
 year = {2010}
}