The robustness of a model predicting bruising in impacted multilayered apple packs

An energy model for predicting bruising in multilayered apple packs is described. The model is based on the correlation between bruise volume and energy absorbed and calculates the bruise volume at each interface in a multi-layered arrangement and is shown to apply to commercial packages. The robustness of the model is tested over a range of drop heights for 2 impact conditions, for columns of 1-10 apples and for 2 levels of bruise resistance. There is fairly good agreement between experimental and predicted results for both total bruise volume and bruise volume distribution between interfaces. The energy absorbing characteristics of the container used in the tests explain the greater part of any discrepancies. It is concluded that the energy method is robust