bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exergy Analysis on Performance of Groundnut Solar Dryer with Forced Convection
Authors: Subramaniyan C , Prakash KB , Kalidasan B , Bhuvanesh N , Amarkarthik A
Published: February 2021

The moisture present in the farming yields and in seeds is one of the greatest affecting factors which are playing a major role in storing it for longer days. The quality of products can be increased by preventing the formation of bacteria, yeast, etc. The moisture content present in the groundnut must be between 10 to 15% (weight basis). In this study a numerical analysis was investigated on a solar dryer, which is used to diminish the moisture content present in the groundnut to preserve it for longer days. The performance analyses of forced convection solar dryer with dryer compartment were analysed based on local ambient conditions at sathyamangalam for various required design and operating parameters such as moisture removal rate, air mass flow rate, air inlet, and outlet temperature. The proposed basic solar collector aperture area is about 2 m2 which is made of the copper plate as an absorber plate coated with black powder coating for better absorption. The moisture content present in the freshly harvested groundnut varies from 25-30 % (weight basis). The analysis was done for drying groundnut to remove the moisture content to the required moisture level of 10% by utilizing solar energy. The results from the study illustrate that the Efficiency of dryer is a maximum of 39.2% for the optimized mass flow rate of 0.022 kg/s and also it was found that the dryer overall efficiency and average collector temperature is gradually decreasing for increasing the mass flow rate.
DFMA analysis of front axle assembly of an excavator
Authors: Venkatean Govindarajalu , Palaniswamy Sadagopan
Published: February 2021

The front axle assembly of a hydraulic excavator consists of front axle, stub axle and thrust bearing. The front axle carries the weight of the front part of the vehicle, as well as to facilitate steering and to absorb shocks due to road surface conditions. In addition, it absorbs torque applied on it due to the braking of vehicle. It is constructed with I-section in center and the ends are made either circular or elliptical. Stub axles are connected to the front axle by king pins. Front wheels are mounted on stub axle’s arrangement for steering. A nominal assembly gap in the front axle assembly has to be maintained for better performance and for easy maneuvering of the vehicle during operation. The gap depends on the model and the assembly dimensions of the front axle, stub axle and thrust bearing. A typical value ranging from 0.1 and 0.5mm is required for one particular model being manufactured by the local industry. It is reported that there are more number of assembly rejections in maintaining the said gap which lead to higher cost and downtime due to rework or interchange of parts. To reduce this, DFMA analysis was carried out using the concept of stack up tolerance to reduce the rejections and improve the performance of front axle assembly, without affecting the manufacturing.
Progression in Fire Retardant Properties of Polymer Composites – A Review
Authors: Nithiyapathi C , Thirunavukkarasu K , Daniel Das A , Tamilvendan D
Published: February 2021

Emerging new composite materials from existing materials is the actual challenge for the greater part of the material engineers. In this way, there are enormous inspections, attempts rising in the field of composites to compose new materials with the updated mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. The available articles dependent on the thermo-mechanical investigation of epoxy polymers and other polymer matrix composites with various fibre reinforcement methods are deficient and are less useful. Therefore, this survey focuses on the use of thermal investigation tests and parameters to contemplate thermal properties of (Glass Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Composites) GREP composites. This survey additionally refreshes the exploration that has been acted in the ongoing years on the frontage of thermal behaviour of advanced materials for various applications.
Single-step electrochemical synthesis of zinc oxide nanoflowers and multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanoconjugates
Authors: Singhal Ishu , Balaji B. S.
Published: February 2021

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are investigated for use in various biomedical applications such as in the treatment of cancer because of their high targeting potential. Zinc oxide nanomaterials when conjugated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) show enhanced properties. In our present work, nano-conjugation between zinc oxide nanoflowers (ZnO NFs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes has been successfully achieved. Here, we have used a two-electrode electrochemical setup for preparation as well as conjugation between ZnO nanoflowers and MWNT. The x-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and transmission electron microscopy imaging for the ZnO NFs/MWNT nano-conjugate shows the successful synthesis of the nano-conjugate. The electrochemical method used here is a single step, economical, and without the use of any additional surfactant or capping agents. The only use of pure zinc electrodes as a precursor material favors high purity, easy and a less time-consuming purification process.
Technological Advancement of Solar Thermal System Desalination Process – A Review
Authors: Kalidasan B , Divyabharathi R , Pandey AK , Subramaniyan C , Mohankumar S
Published: February 2021

Increase in demand for drinking water due to growth in world population and industrialization has lead route for innovating new technologies for purifying sea water. Desalination by conventional energy source increases the emission of greenhouse gases and leads to global warming. As a solution for pollution and water scarcity, solar desalination techniques are incorporated worldwide for converting brackish water into portable water using solar power. Solar power helps water purification via solar thermal systems and also using solar photovoltaic panels which provide electric supply. This review article consolidate the solar thermal energy based small, medium and large scale solar desalination plants for extracting pure water. The environmental benefits and the futuristic challenges of utilizing solar thermal system for purification of water is also highlighted.
Design Of Hvac System For Beverage Industry
Authors: Pradeep A D , Vivekanandhan R , Rameshkumar T , Sangaravadivel P
Published: February 2021

The objective of this project is to design HVAC system for beverage industry. Firstly, the requirements and Design Basic Report (DBR) of the HVAC system are defined. DBR gives a clear picture of filtration level, required conditions, Cost-effectiveness, Energy conservation, Fire safety, Indoor air quality (IAQ) and Ease of maintenance. Air Flow diagram makes you understand the Air Handling Unit (AHU) zoning for the HVAC system. Beverage industry zoning areas include pulp cutting, blending and homogenizer, filler, anteroom, CIP room and pasteurization. Design calculation provides the data for recirculation and 100% fresh air supply and return system. Processing line is having sequence process rooms and each room have its own individual cooling load calculations. Design calculation gives the value of Tonnage of refrigerant, CFM and Dehumidification capacity of the system. Ducting layout issue the best routing for the site installation to distribute the air from the supply and return system. It includes the details of Damper, Ducting, Duct Insulation and Instrumentation to use in the facility. Supply and return system placement are also covered in this layout drawing and the Bill of Quantity is prepared.
Investigation on Boiler Grade Tubes and Tube Plate Using FWTPET Process assisted with PCA
Authors: Daniel Das A , Thirunavukkarasu K
Published: February 2021

Friction Welding of Tube to Tube Plate using an External Tool (FWTPET) is also used to fuse materials from steel in this study. This inquiry involves the existence and absence of a backrest of the SA 213 boiler-grading tube to the SA 387 tube base in FWTPET. Taguchi L9 orthogonal array and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) are used to determine the best tensile strength and hardness from the input parameter. The Optimization Part has been performed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in the welding process parameter. Moreover, both the welds' interface that can create defect-free welds was found in surface morphological studies. The tensile and hardness properties were evaluated, and the values were tabled so that optimum parameters could be calculated.
Minimization of Performance Error for A Planar Robot By Tolerance Optimization using an Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Velmurugan S , Sivakumar K
Published: February 2021

This paper is approached in a different way to consider mixed type of tolerance combinations from the fine (F), medium (M) and coarse (C) type tolerance class applied on the links length of a three-link planar parallel manipulator. The optimal links length and optimal mixed tolerance combination are obtained through Genetic Algorithm (GA) with the minimization of three objectives such as positional error, assembly cost and joint torque. Positional and angular deviations of optimum links length are plotted for the target curve. Finally the variations due to the optimal links length from the true links length is illustrated for a defined trajectory through inverse kinematics.
Thermal Analysis on Regenerative Cooled Liquid Propellant Rocket Thrust Chamber Using ANSYS
Authors: Maheskumar Pon. , Girimurugan R. , Sivaraman G. , Purushothaman S. , Vairavel M.
Published: February 2021

In this research work, thermal analysis has done on a rocket engine’s thrust chamber with four different shapes like, circular, rectangular with greater breath (b>d), rectangular with greater depth (d>b) and rectangular with greater depth with edges filleted coolant channel models to establish perfect suitable shape for the coolant channels in order to maintain the entire thrust chamber within the melting point of its materials. Finite Element Method (FEM) has adopted to establish the thermal behaviour of the coolant channel’s materials such as Nickel, Copper and Zirconium under the specific boundary conditions. Temperature distribution with respect to the nodal distances at thrust chamber’s inlet, throat and outlet portions with four different shapes of coolant channel models under Nickel, Copper and Zirconium materials were attained and compared with each other. Finite element results reveals that the successful configuration for generatively cooled rocket thrust chamber must have the coolant passage shape of rectangular cross section with greater depth (b>d).
Performance Assessment of Concrete Incorporating Recycled Coarse Aggregates and Graphene Oxide
Authors: Balasubramaniam T. , Karthick M , Arun M
Published: February 2021

The recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) can be utilized in concrete, which leads to produce a sustainable development in construction industry. On the utilization of recycled coarse aggregate minimize the amount of construction waste deposition towards environment. Also contemporary knowledge is agreed chance to progress the recycling material usage. The current research work has to access the effect of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) containing 30% quantities of RCA with different quantities of reduced graphene oxide and to find the optimal percentage of reduced graphene oxide for RAC. The concrete mixtures formed by replacing the natural coarse aggregates(NCA) with 30% RCA and cement having 0%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% of reduced graphene oxide. The mechanical properties present in the study include compressive strength and split tensile strength each evaluate after 28 days of curing all concrete mixes will be investigated. It provides a vibrant understanding on in what way it can be applied to progress the usage of 30% RCA with reduced graphene oxide content in concrete.
Frequency Domain Decomposition Method: A Comparative Study on Signal Processing for Unbiased Damping Ratio Estimates
Authors: Hasan M Danial A , Leong M Salman , Hee L M , Ahmad Z. A. B.
Published: February 2021

Frequency domain decomposition (FDD) is one of OMA methods in the frequency domain and this method has become well-known among engineering community engaged in the system modal identification due to its capability as a user-friendly and fast processing algorithm. Though, this method has problems in offering an accurate estimation of modal damping ratios, even though natural frequencies and mode shapes can be accurately estimated. The accurate estimation of modal damping is still an open problem and often leads to biased estimates since the errors are stemming from each step in FDD procedures and primarily caused by signal processing. Therefore, the identification of modal damping ratio turns out to be immensely essential in structural dynamics since damping is one of the crucial parameters of resonance. This study is to determine the appropriate signal processing for FDD because signal processing such as the time window, correlation function (CF) and the spectral density (SD) are the main contributors to the bias estimate. The goal of this paper is to provide necessary information on modal damping for reliable estimation.
Modal Analysis of Keropok Keping Drying Machine
Authors: Suffian M S Z Mohamad , Mohamaddan S , Mohtar A M A Abang Mohamad , Leman M N
Published: February 2021

This project is about analyzing the effect of vibration towards the keropok keping drying machine. The structure frame of the drying machine has been analyzed by conducting modal analysis using ANSYS software. The results of this project consist of the mode shape (pattern of vibration) with the respective natural frequency and the total deformation that occur at the component. The structure of the component is being analyzed whether they are going to resonate or not by comparing the natural frequency obtained from the analysis results and the operating speed of the drying machine. This study will benefit the small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs), whom the machine was originally developed for, by giving a better performance and low maintenance cost thus minimize the production cost of keropok keping.
Study of nozzle distance and oil flow rate effects on the droplets size of minimum quantity lubrication
Authors: Kiat K L J , Ismail N I K , Rosli N , Alias E A
Published: February 2021

Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining process has been widely applied to replace the traditional lubrication and cooling method that brings various drawbacks involving environment, human’s health and manufacturing cost. Although the amount of oil being used in the MQL machining process is extremely little, oil mist formed in the cutting zone still can successfully prolong the cutting tool life and improve the surface quality of workpiece. However, the size of lubricant oil droplets must be fundamentally investigated to clarify the lubricating mechanism in the cutting zone. This paper is aimed to study the droplets size of lubricant oil delivered by a commercial MQL generator. Experiments were conducted to study the effects of vertical nozzle distance and lubricant oil flow rate to the droplets count and size. As a result, the smallest diameter of droplets were found to range in between 10 μm - 22 μm. With increasing vertical nozzle distance, the diameter became larger due to the increasing dominancy of air flow that influences the movement of droplets. With increasing oil flow rate, the droplets tend to merge together, forming multiple larger size of droplets. The size of lubricant oil droplets did not significantly change when varying the vertical nozzle distance starting from 35 mm and oil flow rate starting from 18 mL/h. Finally, the control dial to adjust oil flow rate when using an MQL generator with internal feeding system application must be handled properly to ensure precise amount of oil mist successfully being delivered to the cutting zone.
Vertical Vibrations Effect on Forced convection heat transfer from a Longitudinal Finned Tube
Authors: Kadhim Saleem Khalefa , Ali Sinan Abdulghafar , Razak N F D , Sani M S M
Published: February 2021

Thermal systems more efficient by emanating from industrial applications and space program galvanized interest in ways by increasing heat transfer is the system. The main aim of this paper is to investigate experimentally the effects of the vertical vibration and force convection on the average Nusselt number in a longitudinal finned tube. The finned tube was located inclined or horizontally in different angles of 0°, 30° and 45°. The effect of the excitation frequency covers below 16 Hz with various heat fluxes ranged from 500-1500 W/m2. It was noticed that the good agreement between the experimental measurement and the previous experimental studies with deviation of 5%. The results showed that average Nusselt number values at angle 45° from longitudinal finned tube were higher by up to 14%, 16% compared with the angles 30°, and 0°, respectively. Furthermore, it can be summarized that the vertical vibration significantly affects to the average Nusselt number from longitudinal finned tube cylinder and the influence on the heat transfer coefficient for this system should be considered.
Study of modal properties and crashworthiness performance of crash box numerical model with different joining modelling strategies
Authors: Abdullah N.A.Z. , Sani M.S.M. , Salwani M.S.
Published: February 2021

It is important to understand the natural frequencies and the mode shapes for automotive structure such as crash box as it will be subjected to the dynamic loading in its real application. In addition, it is also important to study other dynamic behaviour such as crash and buckling as crash box is one of energy absorbing member that is intended for car safety during collision. In this study, modal properties of three different crash box models joint by three different joint modelling strategies and also their crash and buckling behaviour was analysed and investigated. Computational frequency analysis, dynamic crash analysis and nonlinear buckling analysis was performed on all of crash box models. the crash box modelled with node equivalent method to represent the welded joint shows higher stiffness at the joining area and therefore shows higher value of natural frequencies that the model with CBEAM and CBAR elements as their joining elements. In term of crash behaviour, the model with CBEAM element shows higher reaction force compared to the CBEAM. This proves that different type of joint modelling strategies behaves differently.
Monitoring and Optimizing Solar Power Generation of Flat-Fixed and Auto-Tracking Solar Panels with IoT System
Authors: Husin Ku Azmie Ku , Adenam Norfatihah Mohd , Mat Yunin Muhamad Yuzaini Azrai , Wong Khairul Nizar Syazwan Wan Salihin , Hashim Siti Zaiton Mohd , Adli Hasyiya Karimah
Published: February 2021

In this work, the integration of recent digital technology of Internet of Things (IoT) with solar energy management was made to monitor real-time data of panel voltage (Vpv) and current (Ipv) of the solar panel. The solar panels were installed in Kelantan, Malaysia and this integrated solar power plant with IoT was developed with hardware setup and virtually tested to enhance the tracking behaviour of the proposed system. The comparison of different tilt angle of solar PV shows that solar PV facing the sun perpendicularly (45°) generated higher power generation compared to flat-fixed (0°). Whilst, by comparing fixed angle (45°) and auto tracking solar panel, the power generation recorded can reach up to double performance value (230 W) compared to 170 W generated from 45° fixed angle of solar PV. The IoT-based control of solar power significantly improves the performance of monitoring and maintenance of the power plant parameters with ease monitoring, cost-effectiveness and 24/7 remotely controlled.
Effects of Various Alcohol Blends on Performance and Emissions of Small Compression Ignition Engine Fuelled with Diesel-20% Palm Oil Methyl Ester
Authors: Jalaludin Helmisyah Ahmad , Abdullah Nik Rosli , Roslee Muhammad Syafiq
Published: February 2021

As a promising option of in improving alternative fuels, alcohol such as butanol, methanol, and ethanol can be used in diesel engine. However, there is lack of detailed investigation of the effects of variation addition of butanol, methanol, and ethanol with diesel-palm oil methyl ester (B20) on engine performance and emissions release. This study represents to fully evaluate the potential impact of addition butanol, methanol, and ethanol blended with B20 on engine performance and emissions released by single cylinder compression ignition (CI) engine at engine speeds of 2700, 3100, and 3500 rpm under load of 50%. The results of engine performance and emissions of 10ml ethanol, methanol and, butanol each blended with B20 are compared. Experimental results showed that the B20 + 10ml methanol has an advantage over diesel-biodiesel blend in Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) which reduces about 10.42% at every different engine speed. Besides, the B20 + 10ml methanol has reduced the emission of Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrocarbon by 27.84%, 14.28%, 5.19%, and 56.25%. In overall, the addition of 10ml methanol on B20 blend shows the most significance result for the engine performance and emissions at all test condition.
Experimental Determination of Water, Water/Ethylene Glycol and TiO2-SiO2 Nanofluids mixture with Water/Ethylene Glycol to Three Square Multilayer Absorber Collector on Solar Water Heating System: A Comparative Investigation
Authors: Fikri M A , Faizal W M , Adli H K , Bo Z , Jiang X X , Ramadhan A I
Published: February 2021

This paper investigates three square multilayer absorber solar collector in Solar Water Heating System (SWHS) experimentally. The main aim was to study the output temperature of the solar absorber collector based on distilled water (DW), water/ethylene glycol (W/EG) and TiO2-SiO2 nanofluids. An experimental apparatus for testing absorber solar collector was designed and built at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (Jeli Campus). By using the two-step method, TiO2-SiO2 nanofluids with ratio 30:70 and volume concentration at 1.0%. For W/EG the ratio is 60:40. The effect working fluid was studied experimentally on the output temperature of three square multilayer absorber solar collector in SWHS with Angle of Sunlight (AoS) at 45°, volume flow rate at 3 litres per minute (LPM) and varies Intensity of Light (IoL) at 300, 500 and 700 W/m2. The output temperature is determined through the experimental results by using this apparatus. The result reveals that the output temperature of the solar absorber collector is TiO2- SiO2 nanofluids with 1.0% of volume concentration as a best working fluid at each intensity of light.
Optimization of Performance and Exhaust Emissions of a Spark-Ignition (SI) Engine Fueled with Bioethanol-Gasoline Blends using TOPSIS Methodology
Authors: Baratian I , Yasar Muhammad , Najafi G , Ghobadian B , Zhang Bo , Jiang X X
Published: February 2021

Energy crises and environment impact forced governments and countries to develop utilizing renewable energy in different forms. One of the first forms of alternative energy which was in use is bioethanol which is using in SI (spark ignition) engines as pure fuel or after blending with gasoline. The selection of proper blending of bioethanol plays an important role in the production of alternative energy. In this investigation, the use of TOPSIS (Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution) to select the optimal value of the engine performance and exhaust pollutants which run at various bio-ethanol-gasoline fuel blends, namely E5, E10, E15 and E20. Obtained results indicate that performance parameters (i.e. torque, power) for different bioethanol-gasoline blends improved. It is evident from results that there is an increase in NOX as well Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission while UBHC and CO decreased. TOPSIS methods indicate that a mixture ratio equal to 20% (E20) and an engine speed equal to 3000 rpm were chosen to be optimal working condition.
Slowloris DoS Attack Based Simulation
Authors: Sabri Shima , Ismail Noraini , Hazzim Amir
Published: February 2021

Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a type of cybercrime when an internet site is unavailable to be accessed by the user. The DoS attack is one of the popular attacks which can be launched by using a single machine and could take down many web servers by sending a lot of request to the server until it is disconnected. The objective of this paper is to simulate the launch and prevention against the DoS attack towards the website. The simulation of DoS attack is implemented by using ActivePerl Language and tested by using Slowloris DoS Attack. Both software shows a good combination of simulation program because it supports each other to exhaust the available connections on the servers. The result shows that the website connection is successfully unavailable to be accessed by legitimate user. In addition, the website still could not be served even clearing the cache of the browser. Finally, this paper discusses about future solution of DoS attack and recommendation for secure environment architecture.
Adhesion Strength of Hydroxyapatite Coating on Titanium Alloy (Ti-6Al-4V ELI) for Biomedical Application
Authors: Gunawarman  , Affi Jon , Sutanto Agus , Putri Dian Mustika , Juliadmi Dian , Nuswantoro Nuzul Ficky , Fajri Hidayatul , Tjong Djong Hon , Manjas Menkher
Published: February 2021

Implantation using titanium Ti-6Al-4V ELI still has disadvantages, in particular, low osseointegration cause of less bioactive of the material. Hydroxyapatite was then applied as a coating material to increase the bioactivity and the osseonintegration as well. The Ti-6AL-4V ELI samples were coated with the hydroxyapatite using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method, with voltage variations of 5, 8 and 11 volts for 5 minutes and variations in deposition time for 5,8 and 11 minutes with voltage of 8 volt. Surface properties (coarseness, coating mass, thickness, and surface coverage) were then determined by using related equipments. Adhesion strength the HA layer was tested a cross-cut test method. The results showed that the EPD could be used properly to coat the Ti-6Al-4V ELI material with hydroxyapatite. Voltage and deposition time influence coating layer properties that is related to adhesion bonding of the layer on the metal surface. Applying the voltage of 8 volt for 5 minutes resulted in optimal surface properties with coating roughness of hydroxyapatite layer (Ra) as much as 0.88. The removed area after the cross-cut tape test is 2.25%, which means adhesion strength between the coating layer and the subtrate is high enough. A relatively high hydroxyapatite mass (0.3 mg), is covering the material surface with a surface coverage of 82.1%, and the average coating thickness is 73.3 μm. Such kind of coating layer characteristics could improve bioactivity, biocompatibility and thus enhancing osseonintegration capacity of prosthetic medical implants.
Simulation Modeling The Performance of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Power Cycle
Authors: Samsuri N , Sazali N , Jamaludin A S , Razali M N M
Published: February 2021

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a foundation for an appealing renewable energy technology with regards to its vast and inexhaustible resources of energy, renewability, stability, and sustainable output. The principle of an OTEC power plant is to exploit the energy stored in between the upper layer of warm surface seawater (heat source), and the cold layer of deep seawater (heat sink). The plant operates based on a Rankine cycle to produce electricity between the source and the sink at the minimum temperature difference of approximately 20 K. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the proposed OTEC closed Rankine cycle using ammonia as the working fluid, to be paralleled with basic OTEC Rankine cycle. Preliminary simulation was performed at the initial stage of the study to validate the simulation model by referring to previous OTEC studies. The same developed model was deployed to test the efficiency of the proposed modified OTEC Rankine cycle, resulting in an enhancement in terms of thermal cycle performance from 3.43% to 7.98%. This study has revealed that the proposed OTEC closed Rankine cycle which introduced an interstage superheating as well as an improved condenser cooling system, augmented the system competence of an OTEC power cycle.
Vulnerability Assessment of Tsunami-Affected Inundated Area Using Geospatial Analysis Based Tsunami Run-Up Simulation
Authors: Febrina Rina , Afriani Lusmelia , Susilorini Rr M I Retno , Prastio Tri
Published: February 2021

A tsunami can cause considerable loss of life, extreme property damage and infrastructure destruction. A tsunami run-up simulation can be used to forecast wave generation caused by an earthquake. This study aims to assess the tsunami-affected inundated area on the west coast of Lampung province using geospatial analysis-based tsunami run-up simulation. The parameters used in the assessment were applied elevation and slope computed from Aster GDEM, coastline distance determined from a vector map and tsunami inundation obtained by Hills and Mader equation and vegetation density calculated from ALOS ANVIR-2 image. The AHP process was applied for weighing the parameter through a pair-wise comparison using four iterations of the normalised matrix. Five classes of vulnerability were defined and analysed for the tsunami inundation mapping. Weighted overlay through spatial analyst in GIS was used to draw the final map of tsunami vulnerability. The assessment result indicates that 11.26 square kilometre of the study area falls under the high tsunami vulnerability zone and 6.6 square kilometres of the building area comes under the inundation area. The results presented in this study may facilitate improvements in basic data for city planning related to evacuation processes and management strategies during disasters.
Implementing Student Attendance System Using Fingerprint Biometrics for Kolej Universiti Poly-Tech Mara
Authors: Lamin N Zakiah , Jusoh W N Asnida Wan , Zainudin Juanita , Samad Hafiza
Published: February 2021

Recording students’ attendance has been a major concern at Kolej Universiti Poly-Tech Mara. However, monitoring the attendance manually is a cumbersome issue to lecturers as students tend to manipulate the attendance by signing each other’s attendance. It has been found that fingerprint biometrics is capable to monitor the attendance systematically and efficiently. The aim of this study is to verify the students’ attendance using fingerprint biometrics. Evolutionary prototyping model were used to develop the students’ attendance system. Students are required to thumbprint using the fingerprint device installed in the classroom to record the students’ attendance. Their fingerprint images were captured by the fingerprint device and the images were then registered to the server for attendance process. The implementation of fingerprint biometric has helped lecturers to monitor the attendance of the students more systematic, efficient and ethically. By using the system embedded with biometrics, reporting on absenteeism is genuine and easy. Lecturers just need to print out and do necessary action. Therefore, fingerprint biometrics is useful and helpful in keeping track and managing the attendance of the students.
Performance of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Closed Rankine Cycle Using Different Working Fluids
Authors: Samsuri N , Sazali N , Jamaludin A S , Razali M N M
Published: February 2021

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a foundation for an appealing renewable energy technology regarding its vast and inexhaustible resources of energy, renewability, stability, and sustainable output. The principle of an OTEC power plant is to exploit the energy accumulated in between the top layer of warm surface seawater (heat source), and the cold layer of deep seawater (heat sink). The plant operates based on a Rankine cycle to produce electricity between the source and the sink at the smallest temperature difference of approximately 20 K. In an OTEC power plant, a commonly utilized working fluid is ammonia since its qualities are suitable for the OTEC cycle. Nevertheless, ammonia poses certain potentially lethal health risks and hazardous fluid. Hence, the effect of the working fluid types, and the subsequent operation conditions may be critical and therefore become the subject of this study. The analysed working fluids, including that of ammonia, are ammonia-water mixture (0.9), propane, and refrigerants (R22, R32, R134a, R143a, and R410a). The results revealed that ammonia-water mixture showed the highest network performance and reliability. Even so, it is essential to continue seeking the suitable working fluids which are safe and economically effective to replace ammonia.
The Implementation of Electronic Voting System for Student Representation Council using reCAPTCHA
Authors: Salleh Amirul Asyraf Khairul , Kadir Harlinawati Abdul , Ahmad Aslimariah , Yusof Mohd Azahari Mohd
Published: February 2021

The electronic voting system (E-voting System) is a web-based application that enables voters to record safe and confidential votes electronically. This research aims to develop an E-Voting System by exploiting the ‘reCAPTCHA’ security component for a private international college. The Waterfall Model is deemed the most suitable to be used after data was gathered prior to developing the system and it is also considered simple to be employed. The functional testing was conducted with thirty students and results revealed that 63% of the respondents are in agreement that the traditional voting system should be supplanted with electronic voting system, especially to cut down the time in the voting process. Ultimately, the system developed demonstrated that it efficient, reliable and displayed transparency in the E-voting System.
Cutting Forces and Flank Wears Analysis for End Mill Processes Using HSS Tools Cryogenic Treatment When Cutting PFRP Material
Authors: Ridwan F , Noerhamzah D
Published: February 2021

This study aims to characterize the wear and cutting forces of cryogenically treated and non-treated high-speed steel (HSS) tools when milling PFPR work piece. Pineapple fibre mixed with unsaturated polyester resin was prepared for the work piece. While three levels of cryogenic treatment were applied to the HSS tools with time immersion parameters in liquid nitrogen and time duration. The end mill process using the tools was applied to examine wear and cutting forces. Significant improvement of flank wear ensued on the first tool variation with average flank wear of 90 μm where the tool was treated cryogenically with the immersion of 48 hours and raising the heat up to 150o then normalized and repeating twice. Severe flank wears arisen on a non-treated cryogenic tool with 115 μm. The axial force, cutting force, and thrust force the tool variation varied in the range of 0.4 N to 2.5 N, 40 N to 210 N, 5 N to 28 N, respectively. It can be concluded that cryogenic treatment on HSS employing cryogenic treatment on the first variation of the tool is recommended to be applied in workshops.
Design of indenter rig for measuring seat cushion dynamic stiffness
Authors: Hassan AM , Rezali KAM , Abdul Jalil NA , As’arry A , Azizan MA
Published: February 2021

Vibration induced on the car floor is transmitted to human body through seat structure, affecting both comfort and health. Seat structure components are mainly comprised of rigid frame and seat cushion. Previous studies have shown and suggested that the indenter is preferable option for replacing human subject in seat vibration experimental work when assessing the seat cushion dynamic characteristics. Indenter method offers more control, cheaper and less time intensive compare to other methods such as passive dummies, sandbag, and rigid mass. This paper proposes a design of indenter testing rig to measure the dynamic stiffness of seat cushion material. The rig was designed to operate at frequencies between 2 to 100 Hz and applied load of maximum 50 kg. The size of bed is proposed to be able to fit the size of standard sedan car seat. Modal analysis was conducted on indenter rig structure design to ensure the suitability of the design. Structural frame was designed to fit the mounting of the shaker used in this study. Six modes shapes were extracted from the modal analysis and its corresponding frequencies ranging from (121.63Hz – 507.3Hz). The lowest natural frequency for the proposed design of indenter testing rig occurs in the first mode of vibration with peak displacement of 174.04mm. From this result, it can be concluded that the proposed design met the criteria set and produces a fundamental frequency of greater than the operating range of the rig.
Nanovoids in fracture surface of unsaturated polyester/vinyl ester blends resulting from disruption of the cross-linking of the polymer chain networks
Authors: Abral Hairul , Fajrul Rahmat , Mahardika Melbi , Handayani Dian , Sugiarti Eni , Muslimin Ahmad Novi , Rosanti Santi Dewi
Published: February 2021

A weakness of unsaturated polyester is brittle due to the cross-linking of the UP chain network. Improving the toughness may be carried out by blending with appropriate additives. This work aims to characterize the fracture surface of unsaturated polyester (UP)/vinyl ester (VE) blends with a ratio of 70% and 30% respectively. Addition of VE in UP increases the toughness of the blends resulting from disruption of the cross-linking of the UP chain network. The disrupted network was characterized by the FESEM morphology from fracture surface of the blend which exhibits three different regions i.e., the smooth zone corresponding to the slow crack growth rate (1); a transition zone, where the surface roughness steadily increases (2); a final failure zone with much rougher marks (3). The presence of more nanovoids in region 2 and 3 confirmed the bigger disruption of the crosslinking in UP networks increasing UP chain mobility and toughness of the blends. The nanovoids result in a dimpled appearance of the fracture surface and become points of high-stress concentration from which cracks can initiate. When subjected to a sudden load, many cracks can grow simultaneously forming beach marks where the cleavage from several cracks meets.
Mechanical Properties and Machinability of Magnesium Alloy AZ31 and AZ91 – A Comparative Review
Authors: Catherine Louis Denis Kevin , Hamid Darulihsan Abdul
Published: February 2021

Throughout the last decade magnesium alloys have slowly overtaken aluminium alloys, especially in the automotive and aerospace industry. Due to its attractive weight-resistance and weight-hardness characteristics, the global production of Magnesium alloys has grown from 360,000 tons in 1999 to 850,000 tons in 2013. Magnesium alloys AZ91 and AZ31 are the most widely used grades. AZ 91 exhibits a Knoop’s hardness (HK) of 76.2 that is higher to the AZ31 with a 51.1 HK. The manufacturing of AZ 91 is through a casting process whereas AZ31 is manufactured by using an extrusion process. The microstructure of AZ31 and AZ91 are highly influenced by the heat generated during the machining process that also affects the surface hardness due to the high thermal conductivity of the material that range from 62 W/m.k to 96W/m.k. Both materials have a very good machinability where milling, drilling, and turning are commonly used. However, extreme care should be taken in terms of machining conditions as Magnesium alloy is highly flammable. However, a safe machining process can be performed by avoiding very fine chips, magnesium dust and also the usage of water-based coolants that react with the raw material. This paper has widely reviewed the studies that have been conducted since the evolution of magnesium alloys in terms of machining parameters, machining consumables and their effect on the mechanical properties, surface conditions and limitations of the various machining processes.
Movement Parameters for Evaluating the Two-legged Humanoid Robot
Authors: Ilham Dirja Nur , Candra Rudi Arif , Hardisal  , Sipahutar Erwinsyah , Abdullah Abdullah , Suherman Suherman , Othman S
Published: February 2021

Many robot prototypes have been made and control algorithms have been proposed. The performances are measured through experiments. This paper presents a two-legged robot prototype with and without Kalman filter in processing sensor data and proposes some movement evaluation parameters to measure the robot performances. Experiments show that the evaluated performances are able to differentiate method achievements. Movement parameters: movement angle, distance travelled, and failed frequency have been successfully identified robot performances.
Temperature and pH effect on reaction mechanism and particle size of nanostructured Co3O4 thin films obtained by sol-gel/dip-coating
Authors: Andrade-Sanchez M E , Hernandez-Perez M A , García-Pacheco G , Ortega-Avilés M
Published: February 2021

This article reports the preparation of Co3O4 phase films by sol-gel. Initially, the precursor solution was prepared by the reaction of cobalt acetate tetrahydrate with methanol. Clean glass substrates were dipped into the solution for 4 times with a speed of dipping of 2 cm per minute. Afterwards, the films deposited were thermally treated at 500 °C to produce the Co3O4 phase. FTIR, UV-Vis and XRD techniques were used to analyze the effects of temperature and pH on reaction carried out on the precursor solution. While the microstructural characterization of thermally treated films was performed through XRD and SEM techniques. In parallel, were studied the thermal decompositions of both Co(CH3COO)2 phase as precursor solution S2 powders using TGA-DTA techniques. The results show that Co3(CH3COO)5OH phase was identified as the precursor to the Co3O4 phase. It was observed that the synthesis temperature promotes the formation reaction of Co(CH3COO)5OH. While the decrease in pH by addition of citric acid had 2 effects. The first was to delay the formation reaction, and the second was to decrease the particle size of phase Co3O4 < 10 nm.
A tactile resonance sensor for prostate cancer detection – evaluation on human prostate tissue
Authors: Lindahl Olof A , Bäcklund Tomas , Ramser Kerstin , Liv Per , Ljungberg Börje , Bergh Anders
Published: February 2021

Prostate cancer surgery risks erectile problems and incontinence for the patient. An instrument for guiding surgeons to avoid nerve bundle damage and ensure complete cancer removal is desirable. We present a tactile resonance sensor made of PZT ceramics, mounted in a 3D motorized translation stage for scanning and measuring tissue stiffness for detecting cancer in human prostate. The sensor may be used during surgery for guidance, scanning the prostate surface for the presence of cancer, indicating migration of cancer cells into surrounding tissue. Ten fresh prostates, obtained from patients undergoing prostate cancer surgery, were cut into 0.5 cm thick slices. Each slice was measured for tissue stiffness at about 25 different sites and compared to histology for validation cancer prediction by stiffness. The statistical analysis was based on a total of 148 sites with non-cancer and 40 sites with cancer. Using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the stiffness data predicted cancer with an area under the curve of 0.74, after correcting for overfitting using bootstrap validation. Mean prostate stiffness on the logarithmic scale (p = 0.015) and standardized Z-scores (p = 0.025) were both significant predictors of cancer. This study concludes that stiffness measured by the tactile resonance sensor is a significant predictor of prostate cancer with potential for future development towards a clinical instrument for surgical guidance.
Challenges estimating patient organs doses undergoing enhanced chest CT examination: exploratory study
Authors: Zawam Dalah Entesar , Dhou Salam , Mudalige Thilini , Amin Fatima , Obaideen Abdulmunhem
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Estimate organs doses (ODs) of patients subjected to unenhanced (S1) and enhanced (S2) chest CT studies relying on image parameters such as Hounsfield Units (HUs). Materials and Methods: CT scans and images of a total of 16 patients who underwent two series of chest CT studies were obtained and retrospectively examined. OD increments of liver and pancreas for both series (S1 & S2) were estimated using two different independent methods, namely simulation approach using CT-EXPO and Amato’s phantom-based fitting model (APFM). HUs were quantified for each organ by manually drawing fixed area-sized regions of interest (ROIs). The mean HUs were collected to obtain the ODs increments following APFM. Regression analysis was applied to find and assess the relationship between the HUs and the OD increments estimated using APFM and that using CT-EXPO. Spearman Coefficient and Wilcoxon Matched Paired t-test were conducted to show statistical correlation and difference between ODs increments using the two methods. Results: A strong significant difference was depicted between S1 and S2 scan series of liver and pancreas using CT-EXPO simulation. Mean HU values for S1 were lower than S2, resulting in statistically significant (p < 0.0001) HU changes. CT-EXPO simulation yielded significantly higher difference in ODs compared to the APFM for liver (p = 0.0455) and pancreas (p = 0.0031). Regression analysis revealed a strong relationship between HU of S1 and S2 and ODs increments using APFM in both organs (R

2
 = 0.99), dissimilar to CT-EXPO (R

2 = 0.39 in liver and R

2 = 0.05 in pancreas). Conclusions: Although CT-EXPO allows for estimating ODs accounting for major acquisition scan parameters, it is not a reliable tool to evaluate the impact of contrast enhancement on ODs. On the other hand, the APFM accounts for contrast enhancement accumulation yet only provides relative OD increments, an information of limited clinical use.
Programmable a-InGaZnO gate array with laser-induced forward transfer
Authors: Jo Youngmin , Kwon Jimin , van der Steen Jan-Laurens , Kronemeijer Auke Jisk , Jung Sungjune
Published: February 2021

Here, we present a pseudo-CMOS NOR gate array based on dual-gate amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) on plastic. We fabricated a 14

×

12 array of NOR gates which was programmed using laser-induced forward transfer printing technology to realize a negative-edge-triggered D flip-flop. Two drive transistors in a conventional NOR gate configuration were replaced by a single independently gate-controlled dual-gate transistor, which enabled us to design and fabricate a gate array with much reduced number of transistors and interconnects. We anticipate that programmable gate arrays based on dual-gate oxide TFTs can be a new route to design and fabrication of digital circuitry that will be essential for emerging applications Internet-of-Things and wearable electronics.