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Electronic Timer/Velocimeter for High Speed Agricultural Objects

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 2(1): 6-9. (doi: 10.13031/2013.26696) @1986
Authors:   S. E. Prussia, E. W. Tollner
Keywords:   Projectile, Timing, Velocimetry

AN electronic digital timer was developed for measuring the velocity of a high speed (30 m/s) projectile used in a recently invented edible nut cracker. Tests showed that two retroflective type PIN photodiode sensors located 7.62 cm apart could consistantly start and stop the timer at velocities up to 45.9 m/s (102.7 mph). Sufficient details are given for others to build similar systems. An oscilloscope was attached to both diodes to enable evaluation of the timer accuracy. Thirty replications of thirteen combinations of projectile mass and nominal velocity showed there were no differences between velocities calculated from time data obtained from: diodes 1 and 2, timer display and oscilliscope, or diodes and timer display. Agreement between diodes 1 and 2 indicated the projectile did not change velocity in the 7.62 cm distance between diodes.

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