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Dynamic modeling and design evaluation of interactions of fish and a head-removal machine

University of British Columbia

Commercial salmon processing is a five-hundred million dollar industry in British Columbia. This research is part of the work undertaken at the Industrial Automation Laboratory of the University of British Columbia to address the need to increase the raw product recovery rate during the processing of salmon, in view of dwindling stocks and increasing production costs. The scope of this research is limited to the analysis of positioning the salmon for head removal on a conventional machine (Iron Butcher). A better understanding of the dynamic interactions in this stage of processing will lead to establishing design improvements that will increase the raw product recovery rate of the Iron Butcher. Finite element models are developed to simulate the static and dynamic interaction of a salmon with the Iron Butcher. The finite element models are verified by comparing experimental results to simulation results obtained from the models. Verification ensures the simulation results are accurate and also provides an estimate of the error in the finite element models. The finite element model is first used to analyze the fish—machine interaction during the conveying process. Simulations provide information on how to better configure the machine so that reliable conveying of fish in different situations is achieved. The finite element model is also used to analyze the operation of the Iron Butcher in its present configuration to determine the causes of positioning error, termed overfeed and underfeed. Once the mechanisms which cause these errors are identified, the model of the processing machine is modified so that the effectiveness of these modifications can be determined prior to the building of a prototype machine.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4922

Mechanical Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace