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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

In Search Of Standards For The Operation Of Small Satellites, Jeremy Straub Jan 2015

In Search Of Standards For The Operation Of Small Satellites, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

This paper considers the need for standards for the operations of small spacecraft. First, it considers a definition for what a small spacecraft is and discusses the elusiveness of this definition. Then, the paper turns to the ‘large space’ community and it examines their fears about small spacecraft as well as the operating paradigms that they are used to and how these drive their expectations for the operations of small spacecraft. Next, a prospective composition for a preliminary set of operating standards is discussed. Finally, a discussion of the benefits of standardization and what the different communities could expect to …


A Novel Scheduling Algorithm Based On Game Theory And Multicriteria Decision Making In Lte Network Jan 2015

A Novel Scheduling Algorithm Based On Game Theory And Multicriteria Decision Making In Lte Network

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Fourth generation wireless networks provide mobile users with high data rate and quality of services, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), which has been developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). However, 3GPP is not a standardized scheduling algorithm to utilize LTE properties in smart grid applications. This paper proposes a two-level scheduling scheme composed of cooperative game theory (bankruptcy and shapely) and Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The proposed algorithm improves resource allocation for three smart grid applications, namely, voice, video surveillance, and metering data. On the first level, bankruptcy and shapely value …


Catalyst-Dependent Morphological Evolution By Interfacial Stress In Crystalline-Amorphous Core-Shell Germanium Nanowires Jan 2015

Catalyst-Dependent Morphological Evolution By Interfacial Stress In Crystalline-Amorphous Core-Shell Germanium Nanowires

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Directing the morphological evolution of one-dimensional materials in order to tune their properties for a variety of practical applications in optical sensing and solar cells is an ongoing effort. Here, we establish a systematic method for exerting control over the morphology of nanowires (NWs) grown via a vapour-solid-solid (VSS) process from different metal catalysts. We use germanium, a technologically important material, to demonstrate how catalysts influence the axial growth rate of a crystalline core against the lateral vapour deposition of an amorphous shell which in turn deforms the NWs into straight, tapered or spiral geometries due to interfacial stress. Finite …


An Efficient Iterative Scheme Using Family Of Chebyshev's Operations Jan 2015

An Efficient Iterative Scheme Using Family Of Chebyshev's Operations

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents an efficient iterative method originated from the family of Chebyshev's operations for the solution of nonlinear problems. For this aim, the product operation matrix of integration is presented, and therefore the operation of derivative is developed by using Chebyshev wavelet functions of the first and second kind, initially. Later, Chebyshev's iterative method is improved by approximation of the first and second derivatives. The analysis of convergence demonstrates that the method is at least fourth-order convergent. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is numerically and practically evaluated. It is concluded that it requires the less number of iterations …


A Comparative Study On Optimal Structural Dynamics Using Wavelet Functions Jan 2015

A Comparative Study On Optimal Structural Dynamics Using Wavelet Functions

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Wavelet solution techniques have become the focus of interest among researchers in different disciplines of science and technology. In this paper, implementation of two different wavelet basis functions has been comparatively considered for dynamic analysis of structures. For this aim, computational technique is developed by using free scale of simple Haar wavelet, initially. Later, complex and continuous Chebyshev wavelet basis functions are presented to improve the time history analysis of structures. Free-scaled Chebyshev coefficient matrix and operation of integration are derived to directly approximate displacements of the corresponding system. In addition, stability of responses has been investigated for the proposed …


Guided Routing On Spinning Microfluidic Platforms Jan 2015

Guided Routing On Spinning Microfluidic Platforms

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Flow directionality, valving and liquid routing in centrifugal microfluidics (Lab-on-CD) are typically controlled by applying centrifugal and Coriolis forces and have been the subject of active research interest in recent years. Determining and switching the flow direction at a T-junction is a common fluidic operation important for implementing several chemical and clinical assays for Lab-on-CDs. The present work describes a novel approach to route samples and control flow direction on a spinning disc that employs a guiding microstructure that relies on a two-stage valve comprised of an auxiliary inlet, which is a recess embedded at a T-junction, and a bent …


Biogasoline: An Out-Of-The-Box Solution To The Food-For-Fuel And Land-Use Competitions Jan 2015

Biogasoline: An Out-Of-The-Box Solution To The Food-For-Fuel And Land-Use Competitions

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Societal developments are hinged on the energy supplied by fossil fuels. However, the supply of these fuels is finite in the foreseeable future. This is aside the associated environmental degradation and economic sustainability of these fuels. These negative consequences and challenges spurred the search for sustainable energy sources such as biofuels. However, affordable feedstocks and efficient synthesis for renewable fuels remain indispensable and yet challenging line of research. Therefore, breakthroughs in plant biotechnology and mass production are essential prerequisites for ensuring the sustainability of biofuels as alternatives to petroleum-based energy. Conversely, public outcry concerning the food-for-fuel conflicts and land-use change …


Automated Serviceability Prediction Of Nsm Strengthened Structure Using A Fuzzy Logic Expert System Jan 2015

Automated Serviceability Prediction Of Nsm Strengthened Structure Using A Fuzzy Logic Expert System

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents a simplified model using a fuzzy logic approach for predicting the serviceability of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with near surface mounted (NSM) reinforcement. Existing analytical models lack proper formulations for the prediction of deflection and crack width in NSM strengthened beams. These existing models are based on the externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) technique with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates, which presents certain limitations for application in predicting the behavior of NSM strengthened beams. In this study seven NSM strengthened RC beams were statically tested under four point bending load. The test variables were strengthening material (steel …


Characterization And Prediction Of Blend Properties And Evaluation Of Engine Performance And Emission Parameters Of A Ci Engine Operated With Various Biodiesel Blends Jan 2015

Characterization And Prediction Of Blend Properties And Evaluation Of Engine Performance And Emission Parameters Of A Ci Engine Operated With Various Biodiesel Blends

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The present research is aimed to investigate the feasibility of using palm (PB), mustard (MB) and Calophyllum biodiesel (CB) as renewable and alternative fuels. Biodiesels were produced from the respective crude vegetable oils and physicochemical properties of the biodiesel-diesel blends were graphically compared for all possible biodiesel blends at every 10% composition interval. By applying the curve-fitting method, equations were developed for predicting important properties, which show very close fit to the experimental data. This will help future research such as the optimization of blending percentage, engine combustion and performance and emission analysis. As up to 20% blends of biodiesels …


Application Of Fano Resonance Effects In Optical Antennas Formed By Regular Clusters Of Nanospheres Jan 2015

Application Of Fano Resonance Effects In Optical Antennas Formed By Regular Clusters Of Nanospheres

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper describes an analytical model developed to study the Fano resonance effect in clusters of spherical plasmonic nanoparticles under local excitation. The model depicted the case of a parallel single dipole emitter that was near-field coupled to a pentamer or heptamer cluster of nanospheres. Spatial polarization and field distributions of the optical states and resonance spectra for these cluster configurations were calculated. It was discovered that polarization interference between the nanoparticles triggered the formation of a second peak in the directivity spectra at 690 nm, and this in turn provided a mechanism for the occurrence of subradiant mode effects. …


Microwave Photonic Filter Using Multiwavelength Brillouin-Erbium Fiber Laser Jan 2015

Microwave Photonic Filter Using Multiwavelength Brillouin-Erbium Fiber Laser

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A microwave photonic filter based on multiwavelength Brillouin-erbium fiber laser (BEFL) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By precisely controlling the output channels of the BEFL, the 3-dB bandwidth of the filter spectrum can be adjusted at a resolution of similar to 24 MHz. The free spectral range of the filter can be tuned by changing the Brillouin gain fiber of the BEFL in addition to changing the length of the dispersion fiber, which adds flexibility to the filter system. Link to Full-Text Articles : http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=6918403&tag=1


Determination Of The Significant Anthropometry Dimensions For User-Friendly Designs Of Domestic Furniture And Appliances - Experience From A Study In Malaysia Jan 2015

Determination Of The Significant Anthropometry Dimensions For User-Friendly Designs Of Domestic Furniture And Appliances - Experience From A Study In Malaysia

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Future design for the elderly is undoubtedly important for their survival to live independently in this challenging world. Therefore to realize the mentioned design, an anthropometric database for Malaysian elderly population need to be developed. A total of 107 participants took part in the study which involved 61 females and 46 males with ages ranging between 55 and 70 years. An earlier anthropometric database for Malaysian elderly population has been developed. Sixty body dimensions were measured in the study. It is hoped that from this study, the database can be used as a guideline in designing household facilities for the …


Comparative Swot Analysis For Water Solutions In Asia And Africa Jan 2015

Comparative Swot Analysis For Water Solutions In Asia And Africa

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Various scientific and technological based solutions such as virtual water trading, desalination, groundwater extraction and wastewater reuse have been proposed and implemented in many parts of Asia and Africa to relieve water scarcity. This paper applies SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to examine the suitability of these alternative water solutions to alleviate water scarcity. SWOT analysis proves to be a useful decision making tool as it provides a qualitative approach to simplify multilayer and interdisciplinary problems. The main input for the SWOT analysis consists of knowledge gathered from seven experts in the field of water and environmental sciences. …


Design And Biomechanical Performance Analysis Of A User-Friendly Orthotic Device Jan 2015

Design And Biomechanical Performance Analysis Of A User-Friendly Orthotic Device

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Material selection and proper design are essential for developing a new product, especially biomedical devices. Stance-control-orthosis (SCO) are walking assistive device for the patients with weak quadriceps. This manuscript presents the development of a prefabricated SCO with suitable material and design. It is 45% lighter than commercially available prefabricated device. It contains some adjustable features to make it competent for wide range of patients in terms of height (153-183 cm) and weight. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used for selecting the best material and optimizing weight of different components of this device. Basic structures the device were made of aluminum …


Decision Support System For The Glaucoma Using Gabor Transformation Jan 2015

Decision Support System For The Glaucoma Using Gabor Transformation

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) is one of the causes of glaucoma which can lead to blindness if not detected and treated at an early stage. Glaucoma symptoms are not always obvious; hence patients seek treatment only when the condition progressed significantly. Early detection and treatment will decrease the chances of vision loss due to glaucoma. This paper proposes a novel automated glaucoma diagnosis method using various features extracted from Gabor transform applied on digital fundus images. In this work, we have used 510 images to classify into normal and glaucoma classes. Various features namely mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, energy, …


Electrical Conductivity And Transport Properties Of Gold Decorated Amorphous Carbon Nanotubes/Epoxy Composites Jan 2015

Electrical Conductivity And Transport Properties Of Gold Decorated Amorphous Carbon Nanotubes/Epoxy Composites

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

In this work, chemically synthesized, carboxyl groups functionalized, gold particles hybrid amorphous carbon nanotubes (a-CNT) were characterized. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that Au/a-CNT hybrid possesses smaller diameter of 10.2 nm than as-synthesized a-CNTs (40 nm). Moreover, even, well-ordered fringes formed on Au/a-CNT hybrid justified successful attachment of Au particles on a-CNT. Impedance plots shows lower resistivity on high Au content's Au/a-CNT hybrid. At the same time, Au/a-CNT hybrids possesses low electrical transference numbers as compared with as-synthesized a-CNTs. Au nanoparticles contribute conducting electrons to Au/a-CNT hybrids and tend to overcome the dominating ionic conduction of a-CNT as Au content …


Effect Of Alcohol-Gasoline Blends Optimization On Fuel Properties, Performance And Emissions Of A Si Engine Jan 2015

Effect Of Alcohol-Gasoline Blends Optimization On Fuel Properties, Performance And Emissions Of A Si Engine

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This study, as an observation, put its utmost effort to emphasize on the development of various physicochemical properties using multiple alcohols (C-2 to C-6) at different ratios compared to that of the conventional ethanol gasoline blend. To optimize the properties of multiple alcohol-gasoline blends, properties of each fuel were measured first. An optimization tool of Microsoft Excel "Solver" was used for obtaining the optimum blend. Using optimizing tool, three optimum blend ratios were selected which possessed maximum heating value (MaxH), maximum research octane number (MaxR) and maximum petroleum displacement (MaxD). These blends were used for testing in a four cylinder …


Enhancement Of The Mechanical Properties Of Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Using Rice Husk Ash And Manufactured Sand Jan 2015

Enhancement Of The Mechanical Properties Of Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Using Rice Husk Ash And Manufactured Sand

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This study explores the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and manufactured sand (M-sand) as replacements for cement and fine aggregate, respectively, in lightweight oil palm shell concrete (OPSC). In the first stage of this study, the effect of various cement replacement levels, with RHA (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and 100% sand replacement with M-sand and quarry dust (QD), on the compressive strength of OPSC was investigated. The results showed that the highest compressive strength of OPSC of about 51.49 MPa was achieved with the use of 15% RHA and M-sand. In the second stage of the work, the …


Dumbbell Shaped Inline Mach-Zehnder Interferometer For Glucose Detection Jan 2015

Dumbbell Shaped Inline Mach-Zehnder Interferometer For Glucose Detection

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A simple inline Mach Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) with a dumbbell-shaped structure is developed for measuring glucose concentration in distilled water. The MZI is fabricated using an arcing function of a fusion splicer. The sensor consists of two bulges separated by a tapered waist. The MZI generates a good reflected interference spectrum where the dip wavelength is red-shifted with the increase of glucose concentration. This is due to the increase of the surrounding refractive index, which reduces the phase difference between the core and cladding modes. As the glucose concentration increases from 0% to 12%, the dip wavelength increases from 1554.419 …


Eulerian-Lagrangian Analysis Of Solid Particle Distribution In An Internally Heated And Cooled Air-Filled Cavity Jan 2015

Eulerian-Lagrangian Analysis Of Solid Particle Distribution In An Internally Heated And Cooled Air-Filled Cavity

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A parametric study has been conducted to investigate particle deposition on solid surfaces during free convection flow in an internally heated and cooled square cavity filled with air. The cavity walls are insulated while several pairs of heaters and coolers (HACs) inside the cavity lead to free convection flow. The HACs are assumed to be isothermal heat source and sinks with temperatures T-h and T-c (T-h > T-c). The problem is numerically investigated using the Eulerian-Lagrangian method. Two-dimensional Navier-Stokes and energy equations are solved using finite volume discretization method. Applying the Lagrangian approach, 5000 particles, distributed randomly in the enclosure, were …


Evaluation Of N-Butanol As An Oxygenated Additive To Improve Combustion-Emission-Performance Characteristics Of A Diesel Engine Fuelled With A Diesel-Calophyllum Inophyllum Biodiesel Blend Jan 2015

Evaluation Of N-Butanol As An Oxygenated Additive To Improve Combustion-Emission-Performance Characteristics Of A Diesel Engine Fuelled With A Diesel-Calophyllum Inophyllum Biodiesel Blend

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Alexandrian laurel or Calophyllum inophyllum oil is considered as one of the most forthcoming non-edible biodiesel sources in recent years. In the present study, the relative improvement of an Alexandrian laurel biodiesel-diesel blend (AL20) was attempted with the addition of 5-10% n-butanol (by vol), which is often used as an oxygenated cold starting additive. Constant 80 Nm torque at variable engine speed, ranging from 1000 to 3000 rpm was chosen as the operating condition on a 4-cylinder turbocharged, water cooled diesel engine. Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake specific energy consumption (BSEC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was measured to …


Functionalization Of Amorphous Carbon Nanotubes For Au Nanoparticles Hybridization Jan 2015

Functionalization Of Amorphous Carbon Nanotubes For Au Nanoparticles Hybridization

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Our study focuses on selection of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, citric acid, and hydrochloric acid as the most suitable oxidation agent for a-CNT. Nitric acid functionalized a-CNT has the highest value of zeta potential -142.9 mV, followed by H2SO4, citric acids, and HCl functionalized samples of -60.3 mV, -15.9 mV, and -3.2 mV, respectively. High values of zeta potential represents surface charges, which refers to carboxyl groups present on tubes' bodies. At the same time, auric chloride (AuCl3) solution treatment was applied on citric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid treated a-CNT at the same condition. Nitric acid …


Four-Wave-Mixing-Assisted Brillouin Fiber Laser With Double-Brillouin-Frequency Spacing Jan 2015

Four-Wave-Mixing-Assisted Brillouin Fiber Laser With Double-Brillouin-Frequency Spacing

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The generation of multiwavelength Brillouin fiber laser assisted by four wave mixing has been demonstrated. A maximum of 18 channels of laser Stokes lines are generated at a Brillouin Pump (BP) of 190 mW (similar to 22.5 dBm). The multiple peaks have a wavelength spacing of 0.176 nm (similar to 20 GHz). A tunable optical bandpass filter is incorporated to the design to suppress up to 6 dB of the noise floor hump exhibited at the multiwavelength laser spectrum while limiting the laser peaks attenuation thereby providing a much cleaner and better OSNR. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. …


Impact Analysis On Distance Variation Between Patch Antenna And Metamaterial Jan 2015

Impact Analysis On Distance Variation Between Patch Antenna And Metamaterial

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Metamaterials are artificially engineered material having negative permittivity and permeability. Due to their negative constitutive parameters, metamaterials are capable of focusing incident electromagnetic energy called as beam focusing property. We have made use of beam focusing property of metamaterial to enhance antenna far-field gain. We have also conducted experimental study by varying the distance between patch antenna and metamaterial array to determine optimum distance. The distance is varied in seven steps of 35 mm. The far-field gain of antenna is increased by 4 dB when metamaterial is placed at 95 mm. The beamwidth of antenna reduces when loaded with metamaterial …


Improved Friction And Wear Performance Of Micro Dimpled Ceramic-On-Ceramic Interface For Hip Joint Arthroplasty Jan 2015

Improved Friction And Wear Performance Of Micro Dimpled Ceramic-On-Ceramic Interface For Hip Joint Arthroplasty

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The purpose of this study is to investigate the tribological effect of micro-dimpled surface textures for application in ceramic-on-ceramic hip prostheses. A rectangular array of circular dimples was selected as the texture pattern. A CNC micro drilling machine was used to fabricate these dimples on a flat ceramic substrate. Tribology tests were performed by using a pin-on-disk method with selected hertzian contact pressures and speeds based on normal gait of a hip joint, and results compared with non-dimpled surface. A dimpled surface with large dimple diameters and a high dimple density (phi 400 mu m and density 15%) showed significant …


Interface Stress In Socket/Residual Limb With Transtibial Prosthetic Suspension Systems During Locomotion On Slopes And Stairs Jan 2015

Interface Stress In Socket/Residual Limb With Transtibial Prosthetic Suspension Systems During Locomotion On Slopes And Stairs

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effects of different suspension methods on the interface stress inside the prosthetic sockets of transtibial amputees when negotiating ramps and stairs. DESIGN: Three transtibial prostheses, with a pin/lock system, a Seal-In system, and a magnetic suspension system, were created for the participants in a prospective study. Interface stress was measured as the peak pressure by using the F-socket transducers during stairs and ramp negotiation. RESULTS: Twelve individuals with transtibial amputation managed to complete the experiments. During the stair ascent and descent, the greatest peak pressure was observed in the prosthesis with the Seal-In …


An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Based Maximum Power Point Tracking Strategy With Variable Sampling Time Jan 2015

An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Based Maximum Power Point Tracking Strategy With Variable Sampling Time

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents an improved maximum power point tracking (MPPT) strategy for photovoltaic (PV) systems based on particle swarm optimization (PSO). The capability of the PSO algorithm to cope with partially shaded conditions (PSCs) is the primary motivation of this research. Unlike conventional PSO-based MPPT systems, a variable sampling time strategy (VSTS) based on the investigation of the dynamic behavior of converter current is deployed to increase system tracking time. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated using MATLAB simulation and experimentation, in which a digital signal controller is used to implement the proposed algorithm on a real boost …


Investigating The Surface Tribology Of Roller-Burnished Polymer Using The Fuzzy Rule-Based Approach Jan 2015

Investigating The Surface Tribology Of Roller-Burnished Polymer Using The Fuzzy Rule-Based Approach

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Burnishing is specified as the plastic deformation cold working process applied as surface treatment and smoothing following machining to obtain a superior surface roughness finish. The present experimental study was carried out on roller-burnished polyurethane using a roller burnishing tool. An analysis was done to investigate the effect of burnishing depth, speed, feed rate, and roller width on the surface roughness of the polymer workpiece. Roughness (R-a) prediction was achieved with a fuzzy rule-based system. The results indicate 95% accuracy between the fuzzy predicted roughness values and experimental results. Link to Full-Text Articles : www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10402004.2014.962205


Mode-Locked Thulium Ytterbium Co-Doped Fiber Laser With Graphene Oxide Paper Saturable Absorber Jan 2015

Mode-Locked Thulium Ytterbium Co-Doped Fiber Laser With Graphene Oxide Paper Saturable Absorber

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A mode-locked thulium ytterbium co-doped fiber laser (TYDFL) is proposed and demonstrated by using a commercial graphene oxide (GO) paper as saturable absorber (SA). The GO paper is sandwiched between two fiber ferrules and incorporates a ring laser cavity to generate soliton pulse train operating at 1942.0 nm at a threshold multimode pump power as low as 1.8 W. The mode-locked TYDFL has a repetition rate of 22.32 MHz and the calculated pulse width of 1.1 ns. Even though the SA has a low damage threshold, the easy fabrication of GO paper should promote its potential application in ultrafast photonics. …


Mechanistic Analysis Of Cavitation Assisted Transesterification On Biodiesel Characteristics Jan 2015

Mechanistic Analysis Of Cavitation Assisted Transesterification On Biodiesel Characteristics

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The influence of sonoluminescence transesterification on biodiesel physicochemical properties was investigated and the results were compared to those of traditional mechanical stirring. This study was conducted to identify the mechanistic features of ultra sonication by coupling statistical analysis of the experiments into the simulation of cavitation bubble. Different combinations of operational variables were employed for alkali-catalysis transesterification of palm oil. The experimental results showed that transesterification with ultrasound irradiation could change the biodiesel density by about 0.3 kg/m(3); the viscosity by 0.12 mm(2)/s; the pour point by about 1-2 degrees C and the flash point by 5 degrees C compared …