Improving cracking characteristics and kernel percentage of walnut by optimal position of cutting on shell

Abstract: In view of the difficulty of balancing the cracking shell rate and the whole kernel ratio existing in the traditional single mechanical cracking shell method, this paper conducted the static pressure test of cutting treatment of Xinjiang Xinfeng walnut shell before broken from the pretreatment perspective. In order to more fully reflect the main characteristics of walnuts, the physical properties of walnuts were analyzed. The three-dimensional model of walnuts was built as a thin sphere shell, and three-dimensional modeling was performed with a three-dimensional scanner to make it more similar to real walnut shape. And cutting pretreatment of the model of walnut shell was implemented. Through the finite element static analysis of non-pretreated model of walnuts, the effects of the position of the walnuts shell pretreatment, the magnitude of the loading force and the position of the loading force on the strain, stress and deformation were studied. Through the static pressure test study, it is known that shell breaking force for the untreated Xinfeng walnut when loading force is along the transverse diameter is 93 N larger than that along the edge diameter of walnut. The deformation required to break the shell along the transverse diameter is 0.46 mm greater than that required along the edge loading force. Untreated Xinfeng walnuts had a whole kernel rate of 86% when loading force was applied along the transverse diameter, and a whole kernel rate of 78% along the edge diameter. When the loading force was applied for the untreated Xinfeng walnuts along the transverse diameter, the whole kernel rate is 8 percentage point higher than that along the edge diameter. After the belly cut pretreatment, the breaking force and broken shell deformation of Xinfeng walnut were significantly reduced. When the loading position was coincident with the cutting position, the shell breaking force was reduced by 139 N, a decrease of 38.4%, and the breaking shell deformation was reduced by 0.37 mm, a decrease of 18.2%. When the direction of the loading force was perpendicular to the cut direction, the breaking force was decreased by 18 N, a decrease of 6.6%. The shell deformation was reduced by 0.11 mm, a reduction of 7%. When the loading position coincided with the cut position, the whole kernel rate for Xinfeng walnut pretreated was 12 percentage point higher than that for the untreated Xinfeng walnut. When the direction of the loading force was perpendicular to the direction of the cutting, the whole kernel rate of Xinfeng walnut pretreated with cutting belly was 8% higher than that of the untreated Xinfeng walnut. After the suture line cutting pretreatment, the breaking force of the walnut was obviously lower than that of the walnut without pretreatment. When the loading position coincided with the cut position, the breaking force was decreased by 32 N, and the reduction was 11.9%. The shell deformation was decreased by 0.21 mm, a decrease of 13.4%. When the loading force direction was perpendicular to the cut direction, the shell breaking force was reduced by 82 N, a reduction of 22.7%. The broken shell deformation was reduced by 0.16 mm with a reduction of 7.9%. When the direction of the loading force was perpendicular to the cutting direction, the percentage of the entire Xinfeng walnut after the pretreatment of the suture line cutting was 2 percentage point higher than that of the untreated Xinfeng walnut. When the loading position coincided with the cut position, the whole kernel rate of Xinfeng walnuts with the suture line cut pretreatment was 6% higher than that of untreated Xinfeng walnuts. The finite element static analysis was performed using the related parameters of static pressure test. The results showed that when the same force was applied, the cut pretreated walnuts produced larger strain, stress and deformation on the shell surface of the walnut model than the untreated. The large strain, stress and deformation of the shell surface of the walnut model generally occurred at the loading position or at the cut position. And the maximum strain, stress and deformation were generated on the surface of the walnut shell when the walnut cut position and the position of loading force were both at the walnut belly. It is noted that the shells of the walnuts pretreated are easier to be broken, and the broken position is generally at the loading position or the cut position; when the loading position and the cutting position are at the walnut belly, it is most conducive to cracking. Analysis showed that when the walnut shell is cracked from the belly, it is more conducive to cracking the walnut along the large gap, so as to ensure the walnut whole kernel rate. The results of finite element static analysis basically agree with that of the static pressure test. The study can provide effective technical support for the development of walnut cutting machine and walnut cracking machine.