MMMDT

Multi-scale Modelling of Mechanical Damage to Tomatoes

Coordinatore	THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM    more  Organization address address: Edgbaston city: BIRMINGHAM postcode: B15 2TT contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Rodde Cognome: Xavier Email: send email Telefono: 441214000000 Fax: 441214000000
Nazionalità Coordinatore	United Kingdom [UK]
Totale costo	231˙283 €
EC contributo	231˙283 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF
Funding Scheme	MC-IIF
Anno di inizio	2014
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2014-09-01   -   2016-08-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM  Organization address address: Edgbaston city: BIRMINGHAM postcode: B15 2TT contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Rodde Cognome: Xavier Email: send email Telefono: 441214000000 Fax: 441214000000	UK (BIRMINGHAM)	coordinator	231˙283.20

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The quality of fruit such as tomatoes can be reduced substantially by mechanical damage e.g. by poor handling during and post-harvesting. Damage manifested at the whole fruit or macro-scale is caused by failure of cells at the micro-scale, although cells in different tissues (meso-scale) react differently to external forces. Not much is known about how the mechanics of tomatoes across the scales can be correlated and how external forces cause damage to single cells internally. Therefore, the scientific aim of this Fellowship is to model the multi-scale mechanics of tomatoes to provide a tool for investigating internal damage to tomatoes caused by external forces during handling and processing. The first step will be to investigate the multi-scale anatomy of tomatoes. The multi-scale mechanical behavior of tomatoes, their component tissues, and the cells within those tissues will then be characterized. Such anatomical and mechanical data have never been determined fully for one fruit at one time and therefore existing data cannot be used to develop multi-scale mechanical models. The third step will be to develop and validate a multi-scale finite element model using a novel, user-defined 3D cell element type that will allowing all scales to be represented in a single model. Finally, internal mechanical damage to tomatoes caused by externally applied forces in compression tests of whole fruit will be simulated. This Fellowship will provide a valuable tool for investigating mechanical damage to tomatoes caused by external forces during handling and processing. Besides its scientific value, this project will have an impact of the economic efficiency of the European Union. It will be the basis for long-term collaborations between the University of Birmingham, UK and Henan Polytechnic University, China. The Fellow will undertake a broad range of outreach activities, including to schools and industrial and academic colleagues.'