Engineering Commons^™

A Review Of Latest Developments, Progress, And Applications Of Heat Pipe Solar Collectors, Abdellah Sharifian, Mehdi Khiadani, Ataollah Nosrati

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Among all the available solutions to the current high energy demand and consequent economic and environmental problems, solar energy, without any doubt, is one of the most promising and widespread solutions. However, conventional solar systems face some intractable challenges affecting their technical performance and economic feasibility. To overcome these challenges, increasing attention has been drawn towards the utilization of heat pipes, as an efficient heat transfer technology, in conventional solar systems. To the authors’ knowledge, despite many valuable studies on heat pipe solar collectors (mainly during the last decade), a comprehensive review which surveys and summarizes those studies and identifies …

A Simplified Simulation Model To Estimate The Storage Length Of The Right-Turn Lane In Left-Hand Traffic At Signalised Intersections For Different Signal Phases And Cycle Timings, Noura Ishak-Thomas, Steven J. Richardson, Sanjay K. Shukla

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

A large number of the current guidelines and models are used to estimate the right-turn lane (RTL) length in left-hand traffic at signalised intersections under split phase, in which the movement of traffic in the right-turn lane and through lane happen concurrently. There is a need to examine other phase types and timings as a part of the RTL design. This is particularly significant in the case of established intersections that cannot be modified due to physical constraints.

Methods:

A MATLAB based simulation programme was developed to provide an estimate of the right-turn lane storage length for different traffic …

Semi-Transparent Energy-Harvesting Solar Concentrator Windows Employing Infrared Transmission-Enhanced Glass And Large-Area Microstructured Diffractive Elements, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh, Mohsin Badshah, Seok-Min Kim, Mohammad Alam

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We report on the study of energy-harvesting performance in medium-size (400 cm²) glass-based semitransparent solar concentrators employing edge-mounted photovoltaic modules. Systems using several different types of glazing system architecture and containing embedded diffractive structures are prepared and characterized. The technological approaches to the rapid manufacture of large-area diffractive elements suitable for use in solar window-type concentrators are described. These elements enable the internal deflection and partial trapping of light inside glass-based concentrator windows. We focus on uncovering the potential of pattern-transfer polymer-based soft lithography for enabling both the improved photon collection probability at solar cell surfaces, and the …

A Comprehensive Review Of Fruit And Vegetable Classification Techniques, Khurram Hameed, Douglas Chai, Alexander Rassau

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent advancements in computer vision have enabled wide-ranging applications in every field of life. One such application area is fresh produce classification, but the classification of fruit and vegetable has proven to be a complex problem and needs to be further developed. Fruit and vegetable classification presents significant challenges due to interclass similarities and irregular intraclass characteristics. Selection of appropriate data acquisition sensors and feature representation approach is also crucial due to the huge diversity of the field. Fruit and vegetable classification methods have been developed for quality assessment and robotic harvesting but the current state-of-the-art has been developed for …

Homogenization And Growth Behavior Of Second-Phase Particles In A Deformed Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe-Cu-Si-O Alloy, Liang-Yu Chen, Peng Sang, Lina Zhang, Dongpo Song, Yanqiu Chu, Linjiang Chai, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Homogeneous distribution of fine second-phase particles (SPPs) fabricated by cycles of deformation and annealing in zirconium alloys is a critical consideration for the corrosion resistance of fuel claddings. Different deformation degrees of zirconium alloys would result in distinctive microstructures, leading to a distinct growth of SPPs during subsequent annealing. Unfortunately, the homogenization and growth behavior of SPPs in deformed zirconium alloys have not been well studied. In this work, a β-quenched Zr–Sn–Nb–Fe–Cu–Si–O alloy was rolled and annealed at 580◦C or 680◦C. The morphologies, distributions, and sizes of SPPs resulting from the different processing procedures were investigated. A linear distribution of …

Copper Removal From Acid Mine Drainage-Polluted Water Using Glutaraldehyde-Polyethyleneimine Modified Diatomaceous Earth Particles, Mikael Larsson, Ataollah Nosratia, Simarpreet Kaur, Jochen Wagner, Ulf Baus, Magnus Nydén

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mine waters and tailings generated from mining and mineral processing activities often have detrimental impact on the local environment. One example is acid mine drainage, in which sulphides in the mining waste react with water and oxygen to produce an acidic environment that subsequently dissolves host rock minerals from the waste containing toxic metals and trace elements. Copper is one such metal of significance, as it is mined at large volumes in sulphide containing ores. It has strong biocidal activity that greatly affects ecosystems. We have previously reported that glutaraldehyde (GA)-crosslinked polyethyleneimine (PEI) has strong affinity and selectivity for copper …

Grey Wolf Optimization-Based Optimum Energy-Management And Battery-Sizing Method For Grid-Connected Microgrids, Kutaiba Sabah Nimma, Monaaf D. A. Al-Falahi, Hung Duc Nguyen, S. D. G. Jayasinghe, Thair Mahmoud, Michael Negnevitsky

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In the revolution of green energy development, microgrids with renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and fuel cells are becoming a popular and effective way of controlling and managing these sources. On the other hand, owing to the intermittency and wide range of dynamic responses of renewable energy sources, battery energy-storage systems have become an integral feature of microgrids. Intelligent energy management and battery sizing are essential requirements in the microgrids to ensure the optimal use of the renewable sources and reduce conventional fuel utilization in such complex systems. This paper presents a novel approach to meet these requirements …

Spectrally-Selective Energy-Harvesting Solar Windows For Public Infrastructure Applications, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh, Mohammad Alam

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A study of photovoltaic solar window technologies is reported and it focuses on their structural features, functional materials, system development, and suitability for use in practical field applications including public infrastructures and agricultural installations. Energy generation performance characteristics are summarized and compared to theory-limit predictions. Working examples of pilot-trial solar window-based installations are described. We also report on achieving electric power outputs of about 25 Wp/m2 from clear and transparent large-area glass-based solar windows.

Ucs And Cbr Behaviour Of Perth Sandy Soil Reinforced With Waste Tyre Fibres And Cement, Seyed M. A. Bazazorde

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Weak and unsuitable soil conditions have always caused problems for civil engineers during the construction of structures. To avoid problems in a cost-effective manner, proper and reliable solutions need to be developed. Fibre reinforcement and cement stabilisation are the most efficient and common methods in geotechnical engineering applications when engineers have problematic soil conditions. These methods can be used in different applications, such as pavement layers, retaining walls and slopes.

Over the past three decades, many studies have been done to investigate the effects of adding synthetic and natural fibres to soil as the reinforcing material alone or with cement. …

Development, Manufacture And Application Of A Solid-State Ph Sensor Using Ruthenium Oxide, Wade Lonsdale

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The measurement of pH is undertaken frequently in numerous settings for many applications. The common glass pH probe is almost ideal for measuring pH, and as such, it is used almost ubiquitously. However, glass is not ideal for all applications due to its relatively large size, fragility, need for recalibration and wet-storage. Therefore, much research has been undertaken on the use of metal oxides as an alternative for the measurement of pH.

Here, a solid-state potentiometric pH sensor is developed using ruthenium metal oxide (RuO2). Initially, pH sensitive RuO2 electrodes were prepared by deposition with radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) …

Using Agricultural Wastes To Treat Lead-Contaminated Water In Western Australia, Hanie Hashtroudi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aqueous solutions are becoming increasingly contaminated in all parts of the world (2015). Heavy metals are toxic contaminants that are mainly distributed in urban stormwater run-off and industrial wastewaters as a result of some mining operations, electronic assembly planting, battery manufacturing, and etching operations (Kadirvelu et al. 2001). Pb (II) is a heavy metal that causes significant damage in the human body. Drinking lead-contaminated water even at low concentrations may cause lifethreatening conditions such as cancer, kidney damage, brain damage, and liver problems (El-Said 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to remove lead from aqueous solutions.

Several conventional physical, chemical, and …

Automated Optical Mark Recognition Scoring System For Multiple-Choice Questions, Murtadha Alomran

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Multiple-choice questions are one of the questions commonly used in assessments. It is widely used because this type of examination can be an effective and reliable way to examine the level of student’s knowledge. So far, this type of examination can either be marked by hand or with specialised answer sheets and scanning equipment. There are specialised answer sheets and scanning equipment to mark multiple-choice questions automatically. However, these are expensive, specialised and restrictive answer sheets and optical mark recognition scanners.

This research aims to design and implement a multiple-choice answer sheet and a reliable image processing-based scoring system that …

Liner Characterisation And Leak Detection Using Electrical Resistivity Techniques, Lopa M S Pandey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The resistivity of soil ranges from 7-15 Ωm for Leachate #1 to 20-50 Ωm for Leachate #2. The resistivity decreases with an increase in the proximity to the leak point. Furthermore, the resistivity values obtained with water were nearly 10 times the values observed with landfill leachate as the leaching liquid. Based on the resistivity profiles of soil as observed at different time intervals, the method is found to be effective in determining leakages in the liner.

The test results have also been presented for the leakage of Bayer liquor obtained from aluminium manufacturing company in Western Australia. The resistivity …

The Interaction Between Encapsulated Gd2o3 Particles And Polymeric Matrix: The Mechanism Of Fracture And X-Ray Attenuation Properties, Ly B. T. La, Christopher Leatherday, Peng Qin, Yee-Kwong Leong, Kevin Hayward, Bin Jiang, Lai-Chang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This work sheds light on the relationship between the quantities of synthesized core shell Gd₂O₃ added to epoxy matrix and the mechanical and X-ray attenuation properties of particulate epoxy composite. Then, an optimal geometric design of non-lead based X-ray protective material with light weight per volume unit is prepared. A plateau with 28–30 % increments in the value of fracture toughness (K_IC ) is observed with a specific addition of 0.08 – 0.1 volume fraction (φ_S) of Gd₂O₃ particles in pure epoxy. The same quantity of particles also optimally raises …

Universal Signal Conditioning Technique For Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors In Plc And Scada Applications, Gary Allwood, Graham Wild, Steven Hinkley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Optical fibre sensors, such as Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs), are growing in their utilisation, although very niche in their applications. To enable a more diverse range of end users, expensive application-specific optical fibre interrogation hardware needs to be made compatible with and, ideally, easily incorporated into existing instrumentation and measurement hardware. The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an ideal example of hardware used for data acquisition in many industries. As such, a module that can be connected into an existing PLC slot to collect data from electrically-neutral, EMI-immune and versatile FBG sensors is of significant advantage to the growing optical …

Synthesis Of Magnetic Carbon Supported Manganese Catalysts For Phenol Oxidation By Activation Of Peroxymonosulfate, Yuxian Wang, Yongbing Xie, Chunmao Chen, Xiaoguang Duan, Hongqi Sun, Shaobin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Magnetic core/shell nanospheres (MCS) were synthesized by a novel and facile one-step hydrothermal method. Supported manganese oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/C/Mn) were obtained from various methods (including redox, hydrothermal and impregnation) using MCS as the support material and potassium permanganate as the precursor of manganese oxide. The Mn/MCS catalysts were characterized by a variety of characterization techniques and the catalytic performances of Fe₃O₄/C/Mn nanoparticles were tested in activation of peroxymonosulfate to produce reactive radicals for phenol degradation in aqueous solutions. It was found that Fe₃O₄/C/Mn catalysts can be well dispersed …

Additive Manufacturing Techniques And Their Biomedical Applications, Yujing Liu, Wei Wang, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, is gaining increasing attention in medical fields, especially in dental and implant areas. Because AM technologies have many advantages in comparison with traditional technologies, such as the ability to manufacture patient-specific complex components, high material utilization, support of tissue growth, and a unique customized service for individual patients, AM is considered to have a large potential market in medical fields. This brief review presents the recent progress of 3D-printed ­biomedical materials for bone applications, mainly for metallic materials, including multifunctional alloys with high strength and low Young’s modulus, shape memory alloys, …

A Novel Privacy Preserving User Identification Approach For Network Traffic, Nathan Clarke, Fudong Li, Steven Furnell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The prevalence of the Internet and cloud-based applications, alongside the technological evolution of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, has resulted in users relying upon network connectivity more than ever before. This results in an increasingly voluminous footprint with respect to the network traffic that is created as a consequence. For network forensic examiners, this traffic represents a vital source of independent evidence in an environment where anti-forensics is increasingly challenging the validity of computer-based forensics. Performing network forensics today largely focuses upon an analysis based upon the Internet Protocol (IP) address – as this is the only characteristic available. More typically, …

A Feature-Based Structural Measure: An Image Similarity Measure For Face Recognition, Noor A. Shnain, Zahir Hussain, Song F. Lu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Facial recognition is one of the most challenging and interesting problems within the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. During the last few years, it has gained special attention due to its importance in relation to current issues such as security, surveillance systems and forensics analysis. Despite this high level of attention to facial recognition, the success is still limited by certain conditions; there is no method which gives reliable results in all situations. In this paper, we propose an efficient similarity index that resolves the shortcomings of the existing measures of feature and structural similarity. This measure, called …

Excellent Performance Of Fe78si9b13 Metallic Glass For Activating Peroxymonosulfate In Degradation Of Naphthol Green B, Xue-Fen Li, Shun-Xing Liang, Xiao-Wang Xi, Zhe Jia, Shi-Kun Xie, He-Chun Lin, Jun-Ping Hu, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The functional application of metallic glasses in the catalytic field has widely attracted research attention due to its unique atomic structure compared to crystalline materials. It has been reported that metallic glasses can effectively activate H₂O₂ and persulfate, yet the activation of peroxymonosulfate by metallic glasses is not studied well. In this work, the metallic glass with atomic composition of Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃ was applied for investigating the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation on degradation of naphthol green B (NGB) dye. The change of surface morphology indicated the important role of oxide films during the dye …

Corrosion Behaviour Of Selective Laser Melted Ti-Tib Biocomposite In Simulated Body Fluid, Yang Chen, Junxi Zhang, Nianwei Dai, Peng Qin, Hooyar Attar, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The corrosion behaviour of CP-Ti and Ti-TiB composite produced by selective laser melting (SLM) in the artificial simulated body fluid (Hank's solution) at body temperature was investigated systematically by using electrochemical measurements (potentiodynamic polarisation curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), together with some detailed structural characterisations. The results demonstrate that SLM-produced Ti-TiB composite samples possess better corrosion resistance than SLM-produced CP-Ti samples in Hank's solution. Due to these tiny TiB and TiB₂ particles acting as the micro-cathode uniformly distributing in titanium matrix, anodic dissolution of titanium matrix in the corrosion process is prominently facilitated in early stages, followed by rapid …

A Post-Accident Analysis Of Civil Remotely-Piloted Aircraft System Accidents And Incidents, Graham Wild, Kellie Gavin, John Murray, Jose Silva, Glenn Baxter

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A sample of 152 accidents and incidents involving Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, more commonly referred to as "drones", have been analysed. The data was collected from a 10-year period, 2006 to 2015, conveniently sourced from a limited population owing to the scarcity of reports. Results indicate that safety occurrences involving Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have a significantly different distribution of contributing factors when sorted into distinct categories. This provides a thorough and up-to-date characterization of the safety deficiencies specific to RPAS. In turn, this contributes to the development of adequate safety management systems applicable to the RPAS sector. The …

Three-Dimensional Bioi/Biox (X = Cl Or Br) Nanohybrids For Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity, Yazi Liu, Jian Xu, Liqiong Wang, Huayang Zhang, Ping Xu, Xiaoguang Duan, Hongqi Sun, Shaobin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Three-dimensional flower-like BiOI/BiOX (X = Br or Cl) hybrids were synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal approach. With systematic characterizations by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)specific surface area, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), the BiOI/BiOCl composites showed a fluffy and porous 3-D architecture with a large specific surface area (SSA) and high capability for light absorption. Among all the BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) and BiOI/BiOX (X = Cl or Br) composites, BiOI/BiOCl stands out as the most efficient photocatalyst under both visible and …

High-Performance Rf-Sputtered Bi-Substituted Iron Garnet Thin Films With Almost In-Plane Magnetization, Mohammad Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Bismuth-substituted iron garnet thin films of high quality are prepared by using RF magnetron sputtering technique in pure argon (Ar) plasma. All the developed garnet films show high magneto-optic (MO) response after being optimally annealed across the visible range wavelengths. The garnet films display almost in-plane magnetization component with adequate Faraday rotation and relatively low optical absorption over a wide spectral range of frequencies from visible to the infrared. These garnet-type thin films demonstrate excellent MO properties together with very low coercive field of about 30 Oe, and can be used in a wide range of magneto optical applications, especially …

2d Transition Metal Dichalcogenides And Graphene-Based Ternary Composites For Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution And Pollutants Degradation, Ying Chen, Hongqi Sun, Wenchao Peng

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Photocatalysis have attracted great attention due to their useful applications for sustainable hydrogen evolution and pollutants degradation. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS₂ and WS₂ have exhibited great potential as cocatalysts to increase the photo-activity of some semiconductors. By combination with graphene (GR), enhanced cocatalysts of TMD/GR hybrids could be synthesized. GR here can act as a conductive electron channel for the transport of the photogenerated electrons, while the TMDs nanosheets in the hybrids can collect electrons and act as active sites for photocatalytic reactions. This mini review will focus on the application of TMD/GR hybrids as …

Gradient In Microstructure And Mechanical Property Of Selective Laser Melted Alsi10mg, Yujing Liu, Zeng Qian Liu, Y Jiang, G.W Wang, Yang Yang, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It is known that metal parts can be made stronger, tougher and better wear resistance by introducing gradient microstructure. This work reports the cooling rate of melt pool induced discrepancy in microstructural gradient and element distribution during selective laser melting (SLM), thereby resulting in decrease in microhardness and wear resistance from surface to inside with a range of ∼100 μm of SLM- manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy. The cooling rate in the top surface of melt pool reaches ∼ 1.44 × 10⁶ K/s, which is much higher than that at the bottom ( ≤ 1 × 10³ K/s). Such a …

Fretting Wear Behaviors Of Aluminum Cable Steel Reinforced (Acsr) Conductors In High-Voltage Transmission Line, Xingchi Ma, Lei Gao, Junxi Zhang, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This work reports the fretting wear behavior of aluminum cable steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors for use in high-voltage transmission line. Fretting wear tests of Al wires were conducted on a servo-controlled fatigue testing machine with self-made assistant apparatus, and their fretting process characteristics, friction force, wear damage, and wear surface morphology were detailed analyzed. The results show that the running regime of Al wires changes from a gross slip regime to a mixed regime more quickly as increasing contact load. With increasing amplitudes, gross slip regimes are more dominant under contact loads of lower than 30 N. The maximum friction …

An Investigation Into Spike-Based Neuromorphic Approaches For Artificial Olfactory Systems, Anup Vanarse, Adam Osseiran, Alexander Rassau

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The implementation of neuromorphic methods has delivered promising results for vision and auditory sensors. These methods focus on mimicking the neuro-biological architecture to generate and process spike-based information with minimal power consumption. With increasing interest in developing low-power and robust chemical sensors, the application of neuromorphic engineering concepts for electronic noses has provided an impetus for research focusing on improving these instruments. While conventional e-noses apply computationally expensive and power-consuming data-processing strategies, neuromorphic olfactory sensors implement the biological olfaction principles found in humans and insects to simplify the handling of multivariate sensory data by generating and processing spike-based information. Over …

Enhanced Corrosion And Wear Resistance Properties Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Ni-Based Composite Coating By Laser Cladding, Jianbo Lei, Chuan Shi, Shenfeng Zhou, Zhenjie Gu, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To enhance the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of Ni-based coatings, carbon fibers reinforced nickel-based composite coatings (CFs/Ni) were fabricated on the surface of 1Cr13 stainless steel by laser cladding (LC). The microstructure characteristics, microhardness, wear and corrosion performances of the composite coatings were investigated. The results show that CFs can effectively improve the corrosion and wear resistances of Ni-based coatings. With increasing laser scanning speed, the morphology of CFs in composite coatings is more integral and the corrosion and wear resistances of the composite coatings are improved. Especially, when laser scanning speed is increased to 8 mm/s, the average …

Drilling Reconfigurable Machine Tool Selection And Process Parameters Optimization As A Function Of Product Demand, Ana Vafadar, Kevin Hayward, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Special purpose machines (SPMs) are customized machine tools that perform specific machining operations in a variety of production contexts, including drilling-related operations. This research investigates the effect of optimal process parameters and SPM configuration on the machine tool selection problem versus product demand changes. A review of previous studies suggests that the application of optimization in the feasibility analysis stage of machine tool selection has received less attention by researchers. In this study, a simulated model using genetic algorithm is proposed to find the optimal process parameters and machine tool configuration. During the decision-making phase of machine tool selection, unit …