bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Structural Analysis of a Mini Hydroelectric System
Authors: Mat Jusoh Mohammad Azzeim , Othman Muhamad Fauzi , Zubli Zubli Quzairov , Mohd Noh Mohd Hafiz , Abdul Hamid Ahmad Hussein , Abdullah Sukarnur Che
Published: November 2014

In recent decades, renewable energy has been one of the major theme for researchers around the globe. In this research, one of the main objective is to verify on the structural reliability of the Mini Hydroelectric device. At first, the Engineering Design Process has been utilised in order to run the overall project efficiently, beginning from the conceptual stage until data analysis. As a result, the preliminary design has been accomplished within one year duration; with the support of 3D CAD design tool (Catia). Based from the simulation result, majority of the stress concentrates around the area between shaft and insert hole portion. The product (especially the inner parts) also able to withstand until 2 bar of water pressure, achieving minimum design safety factor of 1.3. Overall, the simulation result is always severe compared to theoretical calculation. This highlights the importance of using FEA simulation software such as ANSYS Workbench in validating the structural analysis result. In near future, by focusing on improving the performance of critical parts and areas; more opportunities especially in terms of design optimization is positively viewed.
Landfill Gas Detection in Leachate Pipe: A Consideration for Design Improvement of Leachate Piping and Gas Venting Systems
Authors: bin Ghazali Mohd Amir Zaid , bin Sapari Nasiman , Olisa Emmanuel , Jusoh Hisyam
Published: November 2014

Landfill provides simple and economic means of solid waste disposal. However, it causes negative effects to the environment due to leachate generation and greenhouse gas emissions. Current trends in landfill design allow aerobic or semi aerobic processes to take place inside the landfill to speed up degradation process and reduce odour. In Malaysia, the semi aerobic system of landfill design is adopted. This paper presents the study of the gas venting system and leachate quality of the semi aerobic landfill. The gas samples were collected from the end of the leachate pipe and the gas vent of a sanitary landfill by the water displacement method. Raw leachate samples from the landfill leachate ponds were collected and the COD of the samples were measured. The concentration of methane gas escaping from the leachate pipe was found to be around 13%. The COD content of the raw leachate was found to be more than 15000 mg/l. The improvement of landfill gas collection in Malaysia is recommended.
Optimization of In Situ Methanolysis of Jatropha curcas Seeds
Authors: Prabaningrum Nunung , Ismail Lukman , Subbarao Duvvuri
Published: November 2014

The response surface methodology based on central composite design was applied to optimize three reaction variables including the ratio of methanol volume to seed weight, catalyst concentration, and reaction temperature for conducting in-situ methanolysis of Jatropha curcas seeds. Using RSM, second-order polynomial equations were attained to predict the yield of fatty acid methyl ester. The optimum parameters had been determined which included 8.08 ratio of methanol volume to seed weight, 1.94 wt.% sodium hydroxide concentration, and 56°C reaction temperature. At this optimum condition, the highest biodiesel yield of (90.45 ± 0.25)% was achieved. The yield was similar to the predicted biodiesel yield of 90.98%. The properties of fatty acid methyl ester produced were in agreement with the standards of EN 14214 and ASTM D6751
New Design of a Low Cost Small Engine Dynamometer for Engine Testing
Authors: Alfaiz M.A. Ammar , Musthafah M. Tahir , Rosli Abu Bakar , Ali M. Shahir , Muhaimin Abdul
Published: November 2014

This paper discusses the design and development of a low cost small engine dynamometer for engine testing to measure engine performance i.e. power, torque and specific fuel consumption. The data and result were achieved by using a small hydraulic engine dynamometer with specific considerations and standard followed in order to have good engine dynamometer. Small engine was used by coupling it with the hydraulic pump that come with the control valve and pressure gauge. Control valve was set to build back pressure inside the pumping area. When the engine starts, the pressure gauge will give a reading which can be used to calculate the engine torque. By using the engine torque, engine power can be obtained by multiplying the angular speed with engine torque. Specific fuel consumption can be defined, by dividing the brake engine power with the fuel rate. From the experiment data, the brake power of the single cylinder engine showed that it is almost similar to the specification given by the manufacturer. The low cost hydraulic engine dynamometer, which is less than RM 15,000 can be used to measure an engine performance. The engine power, torque, engine speed and air fuel ratio data can be achieved from our developed engine dynamometer.
Effect of H2 and CO Content in Syngas on the Performance and Emission of Syngas-Diesel Dual Fuel Engine - A Review
Authors: Mahgoub Bahaaddein K.M. , Hassan Suhaimi , Sulaiman Shaharin Anwar
Published: November 2014

In this review, a series of research papers on the effects of hydrogen and carbon monoxide content in syngas composition on the performance and exhaust emission of compression ignition diesel engines, were compiled. Generally, the use of syngas in compression ignition (CI) diesel engine leads to reduce power output due to lower heating value when compared to pure liquid diesel mode. Therefore, variation in syngas composition, especially hydrogen and carbon monoxide (Combustible gases), is suggested to know the appropriate syngas composition. Furthermore, the simulated model of syngas will help to further explore the detailed effects of engine parameters on the combustion process including the ignition delay, combustion duration, heat release rate and combustion phasing. This will also contribute towards the efforts of improvement in performance and reduction in pollutants’ emissions from CI diesel engines running on syngas at dual fuel mode. Generally, the database of syngas composition is not fully developed and there is still room to find the optimum H2 and CO ratio for performance, emission and diesel displacement of CI diesel engines.
Minimum Air Fluidization Velocity Study of Specific 2-D Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor
Authors: Fadhil M. , Aris M.S. , Abbas A.H. , Ibrahim A.B.A. , Aniza N.
Published: November 2014

Research on the thermodynamic behavior of sand beds was carried out using a commercial computational dynamic package. The work involved simulating, with the use of the Ergun equation, the air flow through a two-dimensional bubbling bed reactor to predict the bed character whilst considering the major effective function (particle size, particle density, bed height and reactor width). The Minimum Fluidization Velocity (Umf) values were then calculated before the optimum value of Umf needed to ensure a workable Bubbling Fluidize Bed Combustor (BFBC) system. The effects of using different Umf values on the flow behavior were also investigated using the numerical approach at different times. The results from these investigations indicate that the bubbling region in the fluidized bed combustion can be correlated to the sand bed expansion with minimum errors and assist in enhancing the combustion efficiency by supplying the required volume of oxygen into the system.
Analysis Opacity and Size of Soot Particles in Fuel of Diesel Engine
Authors: Hanafi Mohd Hafidzal , Ibrahim Mohd Ramadan , Abdullah Mohd Azman , Mohd Nor Nur Fathiah , Shamsudin Shamsul Anuar , Yusuf Ahmad Anas , Saadun Mohd Noor Asril
Published: November 2014

In a diesel engine the soot was produced due to the result of incomplete fuel combustion in the combustion chamber. Some of this soot moves down slowly to piston where the lubricant oil is located. This soot causes the lubricant oil to become contaminated thus increases its viscosity. As a result, frequent changing of lubricant oil is required in order to keep up the engine performance. This soot also has solid particles (Particulate Matter: PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) that are very harmful to the environment. The purpose of this study is to compare the opacity value of B20 (Jatropha) oil, Palm oil and diesel oil by using diesel engine. Besides that, this project also aims to compare the average of soot agglomeration size produces by using Jatropha oil, Palm oil and diesel oil in diesel engine. In this experiment, Jatropha and Palm oil was mixed with Diesel oil before being tested to diesel engine. A smoke tester was used to collect soot that came out from the exhaust of the diesel engine. The soot was observed by inverted microscope in order to investigate the soot agglomeration size. Result from this studies show that the value of opacity value of biodiesel Jatropha and Palm oil is lower compared to Diesel oil. Besides that, Diesel oil has the biggest soot agglomeration size compared to biodiesel.
The Influence of Orifice Insertion for Low Noxious Emissions from Combustion System
Authors: Ishak Mohamad Shaiful Ashrul , Mohd Jaafar Mohammad Nazri , Arizal Mohd. Amirul Amin , Abdul Rahim Norwazan , Rahim Mohammad Roslan , Azmi Ismail
Published: November 2014

This paper presents the effect of inserting swirler outlet orifice plate of different sizes at the exit plane of the radial air swirler in liquid fuel burner system. Tests were carried out with three different orifice plates with area ratios (orifice area to swirler exit area ratio) between 0.7 and 1.0 using 280 mm inside diameter combustor of 1000 mm length. Several tests were conducted using the commercial diesel as fuel. The fuel was injected at the back plate of the 45o vane angle swirler outlet using a central fuel injector with a single fuel nozzle pointing axially outwards. The aim of the insertion of orifice plates is to create the swirler pressure loss at the swirler outlet phase in order to maximise the swirler outlet shear layer turbulence to assist the fuel/air mixing. In the present work, the orifice plate with smaller area ratios exhibited very low NOX emissions for the whole operating equivalence ratios. The NOX reduction of more than 20 percent is achieved for orifice with 0.7 area ratio compared to 1.0 area ratio. Other emission such as carbon monoxide is increased with the decrease in the orifice area ratios. The results from this experiment show that good combustion is achieved by using smallest area ratios of orifice plate.
Preparation of Polymer Composite Bipolar Plate with Different Multi-Filler for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC)
Authors: Selamat Mohd Zulkefli , Ahmad Mohd Shakir , Mohd Daud Mohd Ahadlin , Tahir Musthafa Mohd , Herawan Safaruddin Gazali
Published: November 2014

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is an alternative energy system that has been verified with great potential for high power density, durability and cost effectiveness. Since the bipolar plate is the key component in PEMFC, the component must operate with multifunction and have a balance of properties, essentially well in both electrical and mechanical properties. At present, many different materials have been tested to be applied for bipolar plate in order to fulfill the balance in each property. In this work, the different material is tested and observed. Polypropylene (PP) is used as a binder material, Graphite (Gr) is used as a main filler and Carbon Black (CB), Iron (Fe) and Nickel (Ni) as the second filler. This composite is produced through compression molding and the effect of different filler material loading on the properties such as electrical conductivity, flexural strength, bulk density and shore hardness are observed. The result showed the increasing of electrical conductivity as the increased the CB and Fe loading. But for Ni, the result showed the decreasing of electrical conductivity as the loading of Ni has been increased. The targeted value also achieved for some certain degree of filler loading.
Experimental Study on Laminar Flame Speeds and Markstein Length of Methane-Air Mixtures at Atmospheric Conditions
Authors: Yousif Alaeldeen Altag , Sulaiman Shaharin Anwar
Published: November 2014

Accurate value of laminar flame speed is an important parameter of combustible mixtures. In this respect, experimental data are very useful for modeling improvement and validating chemical kinetic mechanisms. To achieve this, an experimental characterization on spherically expanding flames propagation of methane-air mixtures were carried out. Tests were conducted in constant volume cylindrical combustion chamber to measure stretched, unstretched laminar flame speed, laminar burning velocity, and flame stretch effect as quantified by the associated Markstein lengths. The mixtures of methane-air were ignited at extensive ranges of lean-to-rich equivalence ratios, under ambient pressure and temperature. This is achieved by high speed schlieren cine-photography for flames observation in the vessel. The results showed that the unstretched laminar burning velocity increased and the peak value of the unstretched laminar burning velocity shifted to the richer mixture side with the increase of equivalence ratio. The flame propagation speed showed different trends at different equivalence ratio for tested mixtures. It was found that the Markstein length was increased with the increase of equivalence ratio.
Time Delay Measurement Compensation in Harmonic State Estimation
Authors: Alhaj Hussam M.M. , Mohd Nor Nursyarizal , Asirvadam Vijanth S. , Abdullah M.F. , Ibrahim T.
Published: November 2014

The proliferation of power electronics equipments generates harmonics distortion problem. Harmonics have many effects to the power system grid and the main limitation of harmonics is heating of power system devices. To monitor and mitigate the harmonics, the source location and the level of harmonics should be known. However, harmonic measurements are costly and is not practical to put harmonic measurement in each location in the grid. Hence, harmonic state estimation is needed. The most common method in harmonic state estimation is singular value decomposition (SVD). A time delay of the measurements can affect the SVD performance, therfore,this paper presents a prediction method based on ARX model and modified normalized least mean square to compensate the time delay measurements. The result shows better performance of the proposed method as compared to least mean square.
Effectiveness of the Adaptive PID Controller for Traction Motor in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Rahmat Mohd Sabirin , Ahmad Fauzi , Mat Yamin Ahmad Kamal , Tamaldin Noreffendy , Aparow Vimal Rau
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a detailed derivation of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), which can be used as the prime mover for simulation of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). A torque tracking control for the motor is developed based on the adaptive proportional-integral-derivative (APID) controller .The effectiveness of the controller has been mathematically compared with the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller using various input functions such as step, saw tooth, sine wave and square wave. The results show that the APID-based control is effective in tracking the desired torque with good response and is able to adapt with the desired input as compared to the PID controller. This finding supports the selection of the APID for the toque tracking control of hybrid electric vehicles.
Optimal Capacitor Allocation in Distribution System Using Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Hasan Ihsan Jabbar , Gan Chin Kim , Shamshiri Meysam , Ab Ghani Mohd Ruddin , bin Bugis Ismadi
Published: November 2014

Capacitor installation is one of the most commonly used methods for reactive power compensation in the distribution networks. In this paper, the optimum capacitor placement and its sizing has been applied in the distribution network in terms of power losses minimization and voltage profile improvement. The maximum and minimum bus voltage and the maximum possible capacitor size are the constraints of optimum capacitor placement and sizing problem. There are considered as the penalty factor in the objective function. In order to evaluate the obtained objective function, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is utilized to find the best possible capacitor placement and capacity. The OpenDSS software has then been utilized to solve the power flow through Matlab coding interface. To validate the functionality of the proposed method, the IEEE 13-bus test system is implemented and the obtained results have been compared with the IEEE standard case without capacitor compensation. The results show that the proposed algorithm is more cost effective and has lower power losses as compared to the IEEE standard case. In addition, the voltage profile has been improved, accordingly.
A Low Cost Wireless Data Acquisition System for Distribution Automation System
Authors: Ab Ghani Mohd Ruddin , Raman Siti Hajar , Wan Jusoh Wan Nor Shela Ezwane , Mat Hanafiah Mohd Ariff , Zanariah Jano
Published: November 2014

This paper analyzed the design and development of a 16F877A microcontroller-based wireless data acquisition system. Besides, it also discussed the possibility of different existing methodologies to be linked to field data acquisition from distribution automation systems. Various existing data transmission techniques were studied, especially for wireless systems such as satellite, radio, GSM and paging. The hardware and software implementations were included. The system was used for reading, storing and analyzing data which were obtained from DAS. The wireless communications were based on the GSM network. The laboratory results were compared with the simulation results to determine final conclusion.
Electric Vehicle Development and Prediction of Battery Consumption Based on a Journey Profile
Authors: Abdul Karim Kasrul , Othman Md Nazri , Redhauddin Wan Ahmas , Bugis Mohd Ismadi , Ramli Zulkifli , Abdullah Abdul Rahim , Jidin Auzani
Published: November 2014

The lack of internal combustion engine (ICE) for electric vehicle (EV) makes it solely dependable on battery supply. Due to this, the prediction of battery consumption becomes crucial to determine the accurate driving range before the car needs to be re-charged. The developed prediction model can also be applied as simulation tool and help in reducing the length and the cost of the EV design process. This paper presents the prediction of battery power requirement for a small re-engineered EV converted from a commercial ICE car by using vehicle dynamic mathematical equations. The prediction is performed based on multiple journey profile that gathered before the actual test. The development of re-engineered EV is also presented, along with the experimental result of an actual drive test on a racing circuit to validate the prediction model.
Power Distribution Network Reconfiguration by Using EPSO for Loss Minimizing
Authors: Sulaima Mohamad Fani , Jali Mohd Hafiz , Bukhari Wan Mohd , Nasir M.N.M. , Jaafar Hazriq Izzuan
Published: November 2014

Due to the complexity of modern power distribution network, a hybridization of heuristic method which is called as Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (EPSO) is introduced to identify the open and closed switching operation plans for network reconfiguration. The objectives of this work are to reduce the power losses and improve the voltage profile in the overall system meanwhile minimizing the computational time. The proposed combination of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Evolutionary Programming (EP) is introduced to make it faster in order to find the optimal solution. The proposed method is applied and it impacts to the network reconfiguration for real power loss and voltage profiles is investigated respectively. The proposed method is tested on a IEEE 33-bus system and it is compared to the traditional PSO and EP method accordingly. The results of this study is hoped to help the power engineer to configure the smart and less lossed network in the future.
Real-Time Monitoring System for Sustainable Domestic Electric Power Consumption
Authors: Md Nawawi Mohamad Riduwan , Mohamat Gani Johar Akbar , Hashim Mohd Ruzaini , Letchimenan Mohanraj , Ramahlingam Sundram
Published: November 2014

Utility monitoring system plays a vital role for consumers in domestic areas to identify their electric power usage, thus creates awareness, motivates and educates consumers about saving power consumption. This paper develops a monitoring system for electric power usage, designed consisting of a digital meter, display unit, microcontroller, auto-generated data-based logging and communication device. The system is in real-time structure which measures the power usage by hourly basis and displays the results in kWh every time in convenient and organized manner. The data-based logging feature enables utility usage information to be recorded in timely basis. An additional feature provided in this system is a notification module that send charges information corresponding to consumer’s utility usage. Consumers are able to be aware of the utility usage with the corresponding charges at real-time basis as well as capable to predict, control and manage their utility usage on daily manner. Eventually this system is beneficial for both parties which are the consumers and the utility provider.
Energy Efficient Scheduling Algorithm for Soft Real Time System with High Deadline Meeting Rate on Overload
Authors: Abdul Khalib Zahereel Ishwar , Ahmad R. Badlishah , Lynn Ong Bi
Published: November 2014

The fact that earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduling algorithm behaves unpredictably during overload is an old and existing issue in the field of real time system. In this paper, a new software process scheduling algorithm for soft real time applications is presented. The algorithm is formulated by means of logical reasoning and excessive simulation method. This method is adopted due to the fact that the problem of scheduling a set of periodic task on single processor using non-preemptive scheme is NP-hard in the strong sense. The new algorithm, with inherently less computational complexity is found to improve in power consumption by almost 50 percent at the peak of practical overload which is at 150 percent of system load. At the same system load, the new algorithm also gives a minimum of 16 percent improvement in deadline meeting rate (DMTR) as compared to EDF. Design and formulation of the new algorithm along with graphical results of the power consumption level and the level of the deadline meeting rate of both algorithms will be presented and discuss in detail.
Variability in Embodied Energy and Carbon Intensities of Building Materials Using Hybrid LCA: Malaysian Experience
Authors: Wan Omar Wan Mohd Sabki , Doh Jeung Hwan , Panuwatwanich Kriengsak
Published: November 2014

This paper empirically investigates the variations of embodied energy (EE) and carbon (EC) intensities of materials and identifies their parameter variations in hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA). These parameters include energy tariff, primary energy factor, disaggregation constant, emission factor, and price fluctuation. Hybrid LCA has been conducted to expand the system boundary by filling the gaps in traditional LCA data inventories. The Malaysian Input-Output (I-O) tables are used to derive indirect energy and carbon intensities which are then combined to take advantages of detailed process LCA. The results revealed that maximum increase in energy tariffs and material price fluctuations were the key parameters and issues leading to higher variations in EE and EC intensity values. Other parameters – such as maximum increase in primary energy factor, emission factor and excluding disaggregation constant – have a slight impact upon EE and EC intensity variations. Building materials with high indirect energy in the upstream boundary of materials production have high influence on hybrid LCA variation. Therefore, any decision relating to these materials should be considered carefully.
Demand Side Management Technique for Domestic Level by Using Fuzzy Logic Controller
Authors: Md Nor Hafizah , Gan Chin Kim , Ahmad Khiar Mohd Shahril
Published: November 2014

Electrical energy is critical resources for all nation building activities in order to keep prosper economy side for the nation. Therefore, demand for electricity is on the ever increasing side in both industrial and domestic levels. This paper presents a basic technique using a fuzzy logic technique for managing the power consumption at residence level by focusing on water heater (WH) load control. It aims to increase the utilization of electricity supply system. The proposed algorithm in this paper is shown to design a model for load management during peak hours and off peak hours at domestic level by developing the preference setting. Then, simulation results are expected to show the effectiveness of the fuzzy logic controller in demand side management (DSM) strategy.
Evaluation of Energy Efficiency for Residential New Construction (RNC) Single Storey Terrace House
Authors: Kassim A.M. , Jamri M.S. , Othman M. Nazri , Jaafar Hazriq Izzuan , Ismail S.J.S.
Published: November 2014

The impermanence changing of the climates that cause many natural disasters these days has raised the attention of us about the importance of greening towards our planet. The building sector has been verified as the major part of the global solutions. Hence, Green Rating Tools are recommended internationally to guide the developers and public in designing and developing green buildings in order to reduce the negative impact towards human health and environment due to increasing use of natural resources. The research on energy efficiency of Residential New Construction (RNC) was successfully done and analyzed by using the DIALux software and light illumination calculations.
Automated Detections of Carcinogenic Compounds in Estuaries: A Short Review
Authors: Abd Manan Teh Sabariah , Malakahmad Amirhossein
Published: November 2014

Cancer accounted around 13% of all deaths in 2008. About 70% of all cancer deaths occurred in low and middle income countries. Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue to rise to over 13.1 million in 2030. Previous reports indicated that reservoir such as rivers and lakes contain various carcinogenic compounds. The carcinogens are being transported from the release points to the intake points. To avoid this phenomenon happen, the fast and accurate detection of carcinogens concentrations in water is crucial. This review presents automated detection methods of carcinogenic compounds in watercourses. Automated detections, particularly the application of sensors, have a relatively higher speed and sensitivity compared to chemical and biological approaches. However, sensors application limits on its functions. This review gives a description on the history of automated detections and various types of sensors such as automated optical sensor, submersible ultraviolet fluorometer sensor, photoelectrochemical sensor with the detection of DNA damage and trihalomethanes (THMs) sensor for detection of carcinogenic compounds. Sensors are varied according to specific types of carcinogens.
Oil and Gas Offshore Pipeline Leak Detection System: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Sulaima Mohamad Fani , Abdullah F. , Bukhari Wan Mohd , Ali Fara Ashikin , Nasir M.N.M. , Yahya Abu Bakar
Published: November 2014

Pipelines leaks normally begin at poor joints, corrosions and cracks, and slowly progress to a major leakage. Accidents, terror, sabotage, or theft are some of human factor of pipeline leak. The primary purpose of Pipeline leak detection systems (PLDS) is to assist pipeline operators in detecting and locating leaks earlier. PLDS systems provide an alarm and display other related data to the pipeline operators for their decision-making. It is also beneficial because PLDS can enhance their productivity by reduced downtime and inspection time. PLDS can be divided into internally based or computational modeling PLDS Systems and external hardware based PLDS. The purpose of this paper is to study the various types of leak detection systems based on internally systemtodefine a set of key criteria for evaluating the characteristics of this system and provide an evaluation method of leak detection technology as a guideline of choosing the appropriate system.
Analytical Hierarchy Process for Design Selection of Micro Hot-Marking Tool
Authors: Sivarao Sivarao , Dimin Mohd Fairuz , Faris N.M.F. , Ariff Arep , Dhar Malingam Sivakumar , Sapuan S.M.
Published: November 2014

Veracious concept selection process is crucial in design engineering where, a concept with concise description will fulfill customers’ requirements. Failure in concept selection can lead to inaccurate design which will result in unnecessary process repetition of the initial stage. One of the best tools that can be used in determining the best design concept is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Micro Hot-Marking Tool (HMT) is a super-finished tool with micro tip which is to be used for alphabetical marking process using CNC milling machine. In this research, AHP was successfully employed in selecting design concept for HMT. Four significant and robust concepts were analyzed, namely C1, C2, C3 & C4. Concept 2 (C2) has been chosen as the best concept with the highest score of 27% among all the evaluated concepts which will be taken into next design stage.
Investigation of Compact Tree-Shaped Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) Antenna for RF Energy Harvesting
Authors: Zakaria Zahriladha , Zainuddin Nur Aishah , Husain Mohd Nor , Abd Aziz Mohamad Zoinol Abidin , Mutalib Mohamad Ariffin
Published: November 2014

This paper studies a compact wideband tree-shaped coplanar antenna which has the potential to be used for RF energy harvesting. The antenna is fabricated on a double-sided FR-4 printed circuit board using an etching technique. The effect of semi-circle patch embedded to a triangular patch has been studied. The comparison between simulation and measurement results for the return loss and radiation patterns are observed and are in good agreement. The measured return loss is in line with the simulation response where both manage to achieve lower than-10dB. A bandwidth of 3.64 GHz and 3.94 GHz were obtained in simulation and measurement process respectively. This study is an early investigation in designing the antenna for RF energy harvesting system to support green technology and sustainable development particularly for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN).
Analysis of Matching Circuit to Improve the Efficiency of RF to DC Conversion for Ambiet RF Energy Harvesting
Authors: Zakaria Zahriladha , Razak Nurul Nadia , Zainuddin Nur Aishah , Husain Mohd Nor , Dasril Yosza
Published: November 2014

This paper presents an analysis of matching circuit with rectifier for RF energy harvesting. The matching circuit has a significant influence to improve the efficiency of RF-DC conversion. In this paper, comparative analysis of rectifier efficiency is performed, particularly the rectifier with-and without-matching circuit. The analysis is conducted using ADS simulation version 2011, to determine the output power as well as the efficiency of the rectifier. The results show the rectifier with-matching circuit produced higher efficiency about 72%, compared to the rectifier without-matching circuit which is only achieved 20% of the efficiency. The effects of tuning the matching circuit upon the rectifier efficiency had been studied. In this paper, the parametric studies of the effect of short circuit and open circuit stubs tuning are performed to determine the efficiency of the rectifier. The results show matching circuit after tuning produced higher efficiency compared to matching circuit before tuning. This study is useful to provide an insight on the optimum technique to design RF energy harvesting.
Alleviation Interference Scheme Analysis Using Flexible Cross Correlation (FCC) Code for SAC-OCDMA Systems
Authors: Mohd Rashidi Che Beson , Aljunid S.A. , Ghani F. , Fadhil H.A. , Anuar M.S.
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a new Alleviation Interference Scheme (AIS) for Spectral Amplitude Coding (SAC) - Optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA) coding approaches. The AIS SAC-OCDMA systems is demonstrated by utilizing the Flexible Cross Correlation (FCC) code. The FCC code has advantages, such as flexible cross-correlation property at any given number of users and weights, as well as effectively reduces the impacts of phase induced intensity noise (PIIN) and multiple-access interference (MAI). The results indicated good performance whereas the FCC code offers 100%, 207% and 471% percentage larger number of active users compared to MDW W=4, Hadamard and MFH W=8 codes, respectively. Finally, the FCC code has low receive power Psr = -18 dBm which is expected to be more significant for future SAC-OCDMA coding systems.
Improving OCDMA System via Combination of OFDM/OCDMA Techniques
Authors: Aldhaibani A.O. , Aljunid S.A. , Fadhil Hilal A. , Anuar M.S.
Published: November 2014

This paper proposes a single sideband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SSB-OFDM) incorporated with spectral amplitude coding (SAC) optical code division multiple accesses (SAC-OCDMA). This scheme is a new technique designed to enhance overall OCDMA system performance. The system indicates good result in terms of higher transmission data rates and long distance according to conventional OCDMA system. Moreover, the results show that the presented system gives good performance based on constellation diagram distance and BER. The transceiver bit error rate (BER) for SSB improved by 10-10 compared to double side band for distances up to 50 km at 10 Gbps.
Resin and Film of LDPE Extractable from Local and Imported Food Packages for US and China Compliance
Authors: Yacob Abdul Rahim , Kamaludin Norlailawati , Said Nazirah
Published: November 2014

Low molecular weight materials from low density polyethylene (LDPE) were detected and the results were compared with the legal regulations imposed by China and the United States of America. Four types of films were tested using ASTM D 5227 imposed by USA while two resin samples underwent a test according to the standard method GB/T 5009.58-2003 of China Regulation. Applicable legal compliance used was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and China Food Hygiene Law. All LDPE grades from local manufacturers comply with US FDA CFR 177.152 Specification 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 except for D2 grade which failed to meet the specification 2.2. For China Food Hygiene Law, C1, D1 and D2 samples failed to meet the specified standard. This study also highlighted the result obtain testing the resin and film for both compliance tests.
Zinc Accumulation in Leafy Vegetable Irrigated with Secondary Treated Wastewater under Soil and Soilless Culture
Authors: Shakrani Shahrul Azwan , Ali Mohd Fozi
Published: November 2014

A field experiment was conducted to identify the risk associated with Zinc (Zn) accumulation in leafy vegetable irrigated with final (FSTW) and biological (BSTW) secondary treated wastewater under soil and soilless culture. For purposes of analysis, the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentrations of Zn in wastewater, soil and plant samples followed by risk assessment. The results revealed that Zn concentrations of secondary treated wastewater were significantly higher in BSTW as compared to FSTW. Meanwhile, the Zn concentrations were found higher in plants grown under soilless culture as compared to soil culture. Besides, the daily intake metals for Zn were found to be higher in soilless culture as compared to soil culture. In addition, children were exposed to higher health risks than adults since the daily intake metals of Zn via consumption of plants was found to be significantly higher for children as compared to adults. However, the health risk index values were found to be less than 1. Thus, the risk associated with Zn contamination through consumption of plants irrigated with secondary treated wastewater by adults and children was no consequences and assumed to be safe in general. Yet, continuous monitoring is required in order to access possible detrimental effects to the human and environmental associated with secondary treated wastewater.
Lignin Modified Urea Fertilizer's Biodegradation and Nitrogen Release under Reduced Soil Condition
Authors: Majeed Zahid , Ramli Nur Kamila , Mansor Nurlidia , Man Zakaria
Published: November 2014

Lignin is a natural biopolymer easily available in industrial waste and currently being used in slow release matrix improvements. Research work objective is to study the effect of 5% to 20% alkaline kraft lignin (AL) loadings on the biodegradation and nitrogen release in urea modified tapioca starch, acting as biodegradable slow release fertilizer (SRF) under reduced soil condition. Weight loss (%) of SRFs reduced from 76% to 35% with increasing %AL until day 28. Biodegradability (%) of SRFs affectively reduced at low 5-10%AL compared to high 15-20%AL. Nitrogen release was reduced with increasing the %AL in SRFs. Nitrogen release mechanism showed fickian diffusion mechanism (n<0.5) except for 10%AL (0.5<n<1). The lowest diffusion coefficient, 1.71 x 10-8cm2/s was observed in 10%AL. Fourier transformed infrared analysis of the biodegraded SRFs showed anhydroglucose ring asymmetric stretching vibration due to COC and COH (904-1140cm-1), lignin's aromatic ring stretching (1451-1500cm-1) and deformation of C-H in lignin's guaicyl ring or starch glucose ring (1162 cm-1). Lignin can effectively be used to improve nitrogen slow release and reduce biodegradability of SRFs under reduced soil.
Magnetic Nanoparticles as Drug Carriers: Review
Authors: Rajeswari R. , Jothilakshmi R.
Published: November 2014

Magnetic nanoparticles are made up of magnetic elements such as iron, nickel, cobalt and their oxides. Their unique physical and chemical properties, biocompatibility and their ability to be manipulated by external magnetic fields have made them as popular drug carriers in recent years. They offer various advantages such as ability to carry drugs to the desired areas in the body, and the ability to release the drugs in a controlled manner which in turn help in reducing side effects to other organs and in providing correct dosage of drugs. However, the complexity of the drug delivery system is a challenge in further improving the efficiency of magnetic nanoparticle drug delivery. In order to overcome this challenge, computational tools help in understanding the complexity of the drug delivery process and to design magnetic nanoparticles which are more efficient in drug delivery. In this chapter we propose to review various properties of magnetic nanoparticles, applications of magnetic nanoparticles as drug carriers, challenges in using them for drug delivery, various computational tools which aid in modeling magnetic nanoparticle drug delivery and in designing magnetic nanoparticles for efficient targeted drug delivery.
Synthesis of Zn Doped CdSe Quantum Dots via Inverse Micelle Technique
Authors: Aplop Fatihah , bin Johan Mohd Rafie
Published: November 2014

Zinc doped Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots (CdSe/Zn QDs) were synthesized via inverse micelle technique. The absorption spectra exhibit a strong blue-shift characteristic due to quantum confinement effect. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern showed the zinc-blende phase of Zn doped CdSe QDs. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images suggested that the sizes of QDs were falls in range between 2 – 8 nm, with narrow size distribution. The TEM images also revealed that the Zn doped CdSe QDs were spherical, having a compact and dense structure. The optical bandgap of Zn-doped CdSe QDs are smaller than the undoped CdSe QDs as shown in Tauc’s plot. The fourier transform infrared spectra proves the complexion of CdSe-Zn QDs.
A Review on PEO Based Solid Polymer Electrolytes (SPEs) Complexed with LiX (X=Tf, BOB) for Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Karuppasamy K. , Antony R. , Alwin S. , Balakumar S. , Sahaya Shajan X.
Published: November 2014

Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (NCPEs) have been playing a considerable role in the development of alternative clean and sustainable energy technologies. This review article summarizes the recent research progress on the synthesis and characterization of NCPEs and its application in lithium ion battery based energy storage devices. First, an introduction on the properties, synthesis strategies and use of NCPEs is briefly given, followed by a state-of-the-art review on the preparation of NCPEs and their electrochemical properties in lithium ion battery (LIB) applications. Finally, the prospects and future challenges of NCPEs for energy storage are discussed
The Influence of Strain Conditions in Steel Samples on the Fatigue Crack Growth and Delay after Overload
Authors: Werner Krzysztof
Published: November 2014

The work presents the results of the analysis of fatigue crack growth in flat steel samples for different strain conditions on crack tip in the sample. Growth of fatigue crack in the samples was studied in conditions of a plane strain state, plane stress state and in the transitory zone between those states. Test results showed a clear influence of these conditions on the fatigue crack growth rate. The paper also includes the test results of effectiveness of retardation of fatigue crack growth after single overload cycles used in different strain conditions.
The Influence of the Out-of-Plane Constraint on Fracture Toughness of High Strength Steel at Low Temperatures
Authors: Neimitz Andrzej , Dzioba Ihor , Pała Robert , Janus Urszula
Published: November 2014

The values of JIC measured in laboratories, when used in practical applications, may lead to conservative results in assessing the critical state of a structural element. When the thickness of the structural element is less than required by standards the fracture toughness can be much higher than measured in the laboratory. In this paper the fracture toughness of brittle or semi-brittle materials is discussed. The out-of-plane constraint is characterized in this paper by other quantity then the specimen thickness. This quantity can be related to the thickness if the thickness is uniquely defined.
The Effect of the Detonation Velocity in Explosively Welded Steel-Zirconium Bimetal on the Residual Stresses Determined by the Hole-Drilling Method
Authors: Karolczuk Aleksander , Kluger Krzysztof , Kowalski Mateusz , Prazmowski Mariusz
Published: November 2014

As a result of the explosion welding, residual stresses are generated in the cladded material which can affect the properties of the bimetallic composite. This paper analyses the value of residual stresses in the steel-zirconium bimetal sheets, for which the detonation velocities were 1,0V0 (where V0 = 2200m/s); 1,3V0 and 1,6V0 with constant others welding parameters.
Performance of Bone Modelling Techniques in the Assessment of Bone Fragility
Authors: Topoliński Tomasz , Cichański Artur , Mazurkiewicz Adam , Nowicki Krzysztof
Published: November 2014

This paper describes the effect of different radiation-reducing methods of bone modelling on the volume of bone models and structural differences between individual models. Careful analysis of data has enabled to determine which of these methods are the best from a structural point of view. The next step is to compare different methods of bone modelling with regard to potential similarities in strength behaviours of bone models.
Investigation of Material Properties of Layered Al-Ti Material with the Use of Microspecimens
Authors: Kotyk Maciej , Boroński Dariusz
Published: November 2014

The article presents a monotonic tensile test of two materials: aluminum alloy AA2519 and titanium alloy Ti6A14V joined by means of explosive welding. The specimens were cut out in such a way that some consisted of only titanium alloy some were made of only aluminum alloy, whereas the third series were specimens consisting of both material alloys together with the bonding layer. The main goal of the research was to compare changes in the materials fatigue properties caused by explosion welding of these two alloys.
Temperature Changes Induced by the Portevin-Le Châtelier (PLC) Effect during Tensile Test Based on the Example of CuZn37 Brass
Authors: Lipski Adam , Lis Zbigniew
Published: November 2014

This paper presents results of research on PLC effect in CuZn37 brass. A thermographic camera was applied in the tests for determining surface temperature distributions of the tested specimens during tension. Spatial-temporal diagrams were prepared on the basis of those distributions. The tests were performed at two strain rates. No significant difference in the tension curve course depending on the above rate was found. Significant difference was observedas regards the course of specimen temperature changes. Increased frequency of the permanent strain wave propagating along the specimen centerline was observed together with the increase of the wave propagation speed for the higher strain rate. Simultaneous initiation of two propagating waves in opposite directions was observed in case of the higher strain rate.
Influence of Stresses below the Fatigue Limit on Fatigue Life
Authors: Szala Grzegorz
Published: November 2014

According to the performed analysis of fatigue phenomena occurring in metals, the effects of fatigue appear in the form of lines and slip bands under loading conditions producing variable stresses with values below the fatigue limit of these metals.
It is commonly accepted that variable stresses with constant amplitude of values below 0.4 of the fatigue limit do not cause plastic strain in grains (lines and slip bands), thus they do not affect the fatigue life.
This study is an attempt of quantitative assessment of the influence of stresses with values below the fatigue limit on fatigue life by using tests with programed two-step loading (variable-amplitude). Tests were performed with the use of C45 steel specimens.
Applicability of Empirical Formulae for the Fatigue Notch Factor to Estimate Riveted Lap Joint Fatigue Strength
Authors: Machniewicz Tomasz , Skorupa Małgorzata , Skorupa Andrzej , Korbel Adam
Published: November 2014

A semi-empirical fatigue life prediction model under development by the present authors for riveted lap joints used in aircraft structures is outlined. In contrast to existing models, it will account for the influence of the rivet squeeze force on the fatigue life of riveted joints. To determine the effect of rivet-hole interference on the fatigue behaviour of a riveted joint, a series of fatigue tests on filled hole coupons with different amounts of interference will be carried out under loading conditions representing the bypass load, transfer load and secondary bending. These experiments will allow evaluating of the dependency of the fatigue notch factors on rivet hole expansion. Preliminary results obtained so far are presented in this paper.
Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue of Thick-Walled Components of Power Devices
Authors: Okrajni Jerzy , Twardawa Mariusz
Published: November 2014

The main purpose of this work is to determine the mechanical behaviour of power plant components operating under mechanical and thermal loading. Computer FEM modelling of temperature strain and stress fields along with temperature measurements have been applied as the methods of research. The stress-strain diagrams for the selected points of plant components have been determined. It is readily apparent from the stress-strain characteristics that under unsteady operating conditions, components analysed in this paper, especially in the case of boiler restarts, may operate with transient thermal stresses which sometimes reach values higher than the yield point. Consequently, a thermo-mechanical fatigue process takes place in the materials of the components in question. This paper seeks to justify the necessity of the application of design methods which take into consideration the influence of TMF processes on the durability of highly reliable pressure vessels.