Now showing 1 - 10 of 57
  • Publication
    Tensile characterizations of oil palm empty fruit bunch (Opefb) fibres reinforced composites in various epoxy/fibre fractions
    Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) single fibers and reinforced composites were comprehensively characterized through tensile tests to assess their performance as potential reinforcing materials in polymer composites. The performances of OPEFB single fibers and reinforced composites with untreated and treated fibers conditions were compared. The fibers were variously treated with 3% sodium hydroxide, 2% silane, 3% sodium hydroxide mixed with 2% silane, and 3% sodium hydroxide prior to 2% silane for 2 hours soaking time. The highest toughness of the single fibers test was then selected to proceed with composites fabrication. The OPEFB composites were fabricated in 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 epoxy-fibre fractions. The result shows that the selected treated fiber composite exhibits better performance. The selected treated fiber composite increased the highest ultimate tensile strength by 145.3% for the 90:10 fraction. The highest Young’s Modulus was increased by about 166.7% for 70:30 fraction. Next, the highest toughness was increased by 389.5% for the 30:70 fraction. The treated fibers provided a better interlocking mechanism between the matrix and fibers in reinforced composites, thus improving their interfacial bonding.
  • Publication
    Surface characterization of laser-induced molten area in micro-grooving of silicon by ultraviolet (UV) laser
    ( 2021-10-25)
    Raman N.S.A.
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    Nordin I.H.W.
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    ; ;
    Abdullah S.S.C.
    The objective of this research is to understand the fundamental mechanisms that govern the formation of laser-induced molten area during the micro-grooved fabrication on silicon material. In this research work, micro grooves were fabricated on silicon wafer by using ultraviolet (UV) laser of 248nm wavelength. Influence of lasing parameters such as pulse duration, laser pulse energy and scanning speed on the surface of micro-grooved was characterized. It is found that, the width of the micro grooves become wider with increasing laser pulse energy when ultraviolet laser was irradiated on silicon material. On the other hand, heat affected zone (HAZ) can be found at the surface of micro groove line at high pulse energy, high pulse repetition rate and lower scanning speed irradiation condition. This is considered due to the excessive heat input of the laser irradiation condition. It is concluded that proper selection of laser processing parameters of pulse energy, E, pulse repetition rate, Rp, and scanning speed is necessary to achieve high quality micro-grooves.
  • Publication
    Development of Driving Simulation Experiment Protocol for the Study of Drivers’ Emotions by using EEG Signal
    The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a field of research that studies the EEG signal in order to elevate our understanding of the human brain. The applications of BCI are not limited to the study of the brain wave but also include its applications. The studies of human emotions specific to the vehicle driver are limited and not vastly explored. The EEG signal is used in this study to classify the emotions of drivers. This research aims to study the emotion classifications (surprise, relax/neutral, focus, fear, and nervousness) while driving the simulated vehicle by analyse the EEG signals. The experiments were conducted in 2 conditions, autonomous and manual drive in the simulated environment. In autonomous driving, vehicle control is disabled. While in manual drive, the subjects are able to control the steering angle, acceleration, and brake pedal. During the experiments, the EEG data of the subjects is recorded and then analyzed.
  • Publication
    Validation of Electrical Noise of a DC Motor through Controlled Varistor Cracking: An Experimental Study
    The varistor is an electronic component that protects the DC motor's circuitry from electrical noise or transients that can cause damage. It works as a voltage-dependent resistor that can change its resistance according to the applied voltage. Once the voltage surpasses a specific threshold, the varistor conducts and directs the excess voltage away from the motor's circuitry. In small DC motor manufacturing, ring varistors are vital for reducing electrical noise, minimizing spark-induced damage to the commutator and brush, and extending the motor's lifespan. Additionally, they prevent damage to electronic parts in the customer's mechanism set. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of varistor cracks or chips that may occur during the soldering process of varistors to the commutator. To confirm the occurrence of cracks or chips, intentional damage will be inflicted on the varistors. The study aims to determine how the presence of cracked or chipped varistors affects the electrical noise produced by a DC motor during its operation. The resulting spark was observed through an oscilloscope, and it was found that the effect could be substantial, up to 5 to 10 times the rated voltage supplied to the motor. In the next phase of this study, further tests will be conducted on motors without varistors to provide a comparison.
  • Publication
    Study of eddy current density distribution in a contactless breast cancer detection mechanism using magnetic induction spectroscopy
    Breast cancer is a throbbing disease that no longer needs an introduction. This is especially true among women due to their unique breast structure that naturally has more breast tissues compared to that of man’s. It is been forecasted that in 2015, a minimum of 60290 new cases of breast cancer will be reported. The goal of this study is to analytically evaluate the changes in the induced Eddy current densities as a function of di-electrical properties of the breast tissue with respect to tumor positioning as well as its size. This is achieved by running numerical simulations on the proposed mechanism of magnetic induction to detect tumors among healthy breast tissue via a 2D breast model configuration. The analytical results presented in this article, proved that the multi frequency magnetic induction principle is viable in detecting the breast lesions as small as 0.2 cm non-invasively through the distributions of the induced Eddy current density. While important pattern of the induced current were reflected when the tumors are located at the far ends of the breast diameter. The minimum results computational time with the proposed system is 10 s.
  • Publication
    Heat transfer improvement in simulated small battery compartment using metal oxide (CuO)/deionized water nanofluid
    Improving the heat transfer coefficient of working fluids is essential for achieving the best performance of manufacturing systems. As a replacement of conventional working fluids, nanofluids have a high potential for improving this heat transfer coefficient. However, nanofluids are seldom implemented in actual systems, and several factors should be considered before actual application. Accordingly, this study investigated the thermophysical properties and heat transfer rate of CuO/deionized water nanofluid with and without sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants. Three different volumetric concentrations of the nanofluid were prepared using a two-step preparation method. The experimental steps were divided into two phases: static and dynamic. In these experiments, the thermophysical properties of the prepared nanofluids and the heat transfer coefficient were measured using an apparatus designed based on an actual heat exchanger for a lithium ion polymer battery compartment. The effects of flow rate and surfactants on the heat transfer rate of the nanofluids with varying volumetric concentrations of 0.08%, 0.16%, and 0.40% were analyzed. The results indicate that the heat transfer rate increases considerably as the flow rate increases from 0.5 L/min to 1.2 L/min and with the presence of surfactants. The highest heat transfer rate was obtained at a 0.40% volumetric concentration of CuO/deionized water nanofluid with SDS surfactant.
  • Publication
    Approach to enhance the heat transfer of valve seats through thermal analysis
    The valve seat insert is a component of the engine cylinder head, whose primary function is to seal the combustion chamber and absorb the valve's heat, releasing it to the engine cylinder head. The valves experience high temperatures owing to high thermal loading and low heat absorption in the valve seat, which can potentially damage the engine. Therefore, the thermal characteristics of the valve seat must be optimised to increase the heat transmission between the valve and its seat. Here, three copper alloy valve seats, brass, beryllium copper, and bronze copper, were tested against the existing sintered iron valve seat, and their temperature maps were determined using actual engine operation conditions. The instantaneous heat transfer coefficients of the valves, seats, and engine cylinder head during the four-stroke cycle were evaluated using a one-dimensional thermal simulation analysis. The values obtained were used to assess the finite-element model using a three-dimensional thermal simulation in the Ansys software. The results show that the brass, beryllium-, and bronze-copper valve seats increased the overall heat flux by 4.46%, 4.16%, and 2.06%, respectively, compared to those for sintered iron. Thus, the results are essential to improve the thermal characteristics of the copper alloy valve seat imposed on the cylinder head. For validation, an experimental engine thermal survey and uncertainty magnification factors were used to validate the model. The results indicate that the maximum difference between the simulation and experimental values is 8.42%. Therefore, this approach offers a direct and comprehensible application for evaluating the temperature distribution, heat gradient, and heat flux of the cylinder head of air-cooled spark-ignition moped motorcycle engines using copper alloy valve seat materials at intermediate engine speeds. Furthermore, this method is applicable as a platform for the automotive industry to improve the heat transfer of the structural parts of internal combustion engines.
  • Publication
    Effect of roadways plantation on signal propagation analysis in connected autonomous vehicle communication
    ( 2019)
    J S C Turner
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    ; ; ; ; ;
    Zunaidi Ibrahim
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    ;
    M A Fadzilla
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    K A A Kassim
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    M S A Khalid
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    Z Jawi
    ;
    M H M Isa
    ;
    S A Z Murad
    ;
    At present, the development of autonomous vehicle has altered the outlook of modern transportation worldwide. The state-of-the-art vehicular communication for transportation system is advancing, especially in vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication. An effective communication between vehicle and infrastructure has become a significant part of autonomous transportation criteria. The necessity for high quality of service communication inspire for good planning and preparation in communication process. Per se, this paper proposes vegetation attenuation models for advance planning of communication process between vehicle to infrastructure, defined mainly by plants, trees and vegetation along the roadways in Malaysia. The channel measurement performed in Universiti Malaysia Perlis test-bed having large tall trees and low shrubs along the routes resulted in several interesting results which would shape the planning of CAV communication. It is observed that communication close to low plantation or shrub requires high power consumption as the range is significantly reduced. It is also learned that certain types of plantations allows for different level of signal attenuation depending on the antenna heights. The research also found out that the attenuation profile follows strictly the log normal distribution and as such certain planning could be made to reshape the communication process to cater for this.
  • Publication
    Thermal behaviour of graphene nanoplatelets and multiwalled carbon nanotubes filled-glass fibre-reinforced epoxy composites
    The effects of thermal behaviour on graphene nanoplatelets (GP) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (CN) nanofillers of glass fibre (GL)-reinforced epoxy composites were investigated. The paper aims at evaluating, through a single and hybrid carbon-based nanofiller on the thermal stability, mechanical properties, electromechanical properties at elevated temperature, and morphologies of the composites. The nanofillers were dispersed using a mechanical stirrer, Thinky mixer, and ultrasonic probe. Hand lay-up and vacuum bagging techniques were used in the manufacturing of composites. Real-time self-monitoring of the structural damage to the specimens under tensile and flexural tests was performed through electromechanical measurements. Using the GP–CN hybrid in the composite improved the adhesion between the hybrid nanofillers and matrix. The thermal properties of GP–GL, CN–GL, and GP–CN–GL hybrid composites increased with the hybrid nanofiller addition. Mechanical testing at elevated temperatures revealed a higher rate of strength degradation for the 1.5-mass% GP–CN–GL hybrid composite than for a single nanofiller composite. The GP–CN–GL hybrid composites exhibited a more pronounced nonlinear behaviour and lower resistance.
  • Publication
    Drill Bit Design and Its Effect on Temperature Distribution and Osteonecrosis During Implant Site Preparation: An Experimental Approach
    In this study, the drilling parameters will be evaluated to obtain optimal parameters in minimizing the impact of drilling damage on synthetic bone blocks. The effect of damage observed in the study is osteonecrosis that occurs in the drill hole for implant site preparation, where a smaller value is desired. The drilling parameters are optimized using the Taguchi method with two control factors: the feed rate and spindle speed; each parameter is designed in five levels. This experiment was then carried out on four different designs of drill bits, i.e., Twist (118°and 135°), spherical, and conical drill bits. While experimental planning uses L25 orthogonal arrays, the "smaller is better" approach is used as a standard analysis. The main findings of this research are 118° point angle twist drill bit is the ideal type of drill bit for bone drilling, as it produces less heat than other types of drill bits. The optimal range of feed rate and drilling speed for bone drilling is 40-60 mm/rev and 1000-1400 RPM, respectively. Combining these parameters helps to minimize heat generation during implant site preparation drilling.