Engineering Commons^™

Time-Resolved Structural Study Of Low-Index Surfaces Of Germanium Near Its Bulk Melting Temperature, Xinglin Zeng, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The structure of the low-index surfaces of germanium near its bulk melting temperature is investigated using 100-ps time-resolved reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The surface is heated by 100-ps laser pulses while a synchronized electron beam probes the structure. Ge(111)was observed to remain in its incomplete melting structure up to at least T_m + 134 ± 40 K when heated by a 100-ps laser pulse. Both the Ge(100) and Ge(110) surfaces are observed to melt near the bulk melting temperature when heated with 100-ps laser pulses. Because of the low-diffraction intensity-to-background ratio at high temperatures and because of the temperature …

Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating In Spherical Plasmas: O-X-Ebw Mode Conversion In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, M. A. Irzak, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Using a full wave solution, the O-X-EBW mode conversion is examined for density and magnetic profiles in MAST. The effects of magnetic shear and the sharp density pedestal for H-mode operation are considered with an eye to understanding both electron cyclotron emission (ECE) and electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH).

Sulphide Based Materials As Potential Anodes In Lithium Ion Cells, Azlin Sanusi

Student Works (2000-2009)

Sulphides based compounds PbS and SnS have been studied as possible anode material in lithium ion cell. PbS was prepared by the chemical bath deposition technique and SnS by the double decomposition method. Both samples were characterized by the powder X-ray diffraction technique and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX). The room temperature electrical conductivity of PbS is 2.6 x 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and SnS is 5.3 x 10⁻⁷ S cm⁻¹ while at 90°C the electrical conductivity of PbS is 3.3 x 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and SnS is 2.90 x 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ Cyclic voltammetry determined the potential anode ability …

Isolation, Screening And Characterisation Of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Local Food Sources, Ahmad Faris Mohd. Adnan

Student Works (2000-2009)

126 bacterial isolates were isolated from several local food sources. Out of these, 55 isolates were subsequently identified as lactic acid bacteria i.e. they were gram-positive and catalase negative. These 55 isolates were put through gel plug test to distinguish between homofermentative and heterofermentative isolates. 16 of the 55 lactic acid bacteria isolates were found to be homofermentative. From the 16 homofermentative isolates, seven were chosen on the basis of origin and sugars used in the enrichment process for preliminary physiological characterisation. Several conditions were chosen such as variable temperature, lactic acid tolerance, NaCl concentration and initial pH These serve …

Fixed Bed Biosorption Of Cu(Ii) By Immobilized Biomass Of Sargassum Baccularia, Kong Fei Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the immobilized biomass of Sargassum buccularia. a brown marine macro algae. to remove and recover copper ions in a fixed bed reactor by passive adsorption. This is commonly referred to as biosorpliun. Inactivated biomass of S. baccularia were chemically modified b) immobilizing it onto polyvinyl alcohol (PVA} as a support matrix. Spherical gel beads that were produced in this manner were subjected to mass transfer and equilibrium studies. The biosorption of copper is a bi-phasic process. with an initial fast phase for the first 2 hours followed …

Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation Using Neural-Fuzzy In Atm Network, Yan Sing Chua

Student Works (2000-2009)

Dynamic bandwidth allocation is becoming one of the crucial issues in the design and research in the computer network. This is due to the continuous increasing demand of intensive applications that require more bandwidth while retaining higher quality. Dynamic bandwidth allocation utilises the current network state information to optimise the bandwidth distribution. The state information can be gathered through prediction using past data and measurement on current state. Agility and flexibility of dynamic bandwidth allocation using Neural-Fuzzy has the advantage that it can adapt to the state changes of the network. ATM network carries heterogeneous traffic and this causes the …

Diamondlike Carbon Thin Film Deposition Using A Rf Planar Coil Inductively Coupled Plasma System, Wai Soon Liew

Student Works (2000-2009)

A RF planar coil inductively coupled plasma system (ICPs) is setup for this project. The system is powered by a 13.56MHz, 550W, 500 RF generator. The RF power is transferred to the plasma via a planar induction coil. The impedance matching circuit consists of an air-core step-down transformer and a tunable vacuum capacitor. The typical E-H mode transition which is distinctive to the ICP has been observed in argon plasma, hydrogen plasma and hydrogen-methane admixture plasma. The studies carried out include the observation of intensity of light emission from the plasma, the power transferred at different pressures, the concentration of …

Assessing Methodologies For Identification Of Significant Impacts In The Iso 14001 Ems (Environmental Management Systems), Ann Wye-Wye Wang

Student Works (2000-2009)

ISO 14001 is a voluntary environmental management system specification standard in the ISO 14000 series. It contains those elements that must be satisfied by an organisation seeking registration or certification to the standard. Identification of significant environmental impacts is one of the requirements as stated in clause 4.3.1 of MS ISO 14001 EMS - specification with guidance for use, and is an important step in the implementation of ISO 14001 standard. A study on the methodologies for identification of significant environmental impacts in the ISO 14001 EMS (Environmental Management Systems) was carried out. Three methods that have been developed are …

Network Simulation And Performance Evalution Of Ip Multicast Using Pim-Dm In Umjanetsim, Jui Hiangh Teoh

Student Works (2000-2009)

The demand for multicast capabilities in IP networks is growing very rapidly. New applications that take advantage of IP Multicast are being introduced constantly. Therefore, IP Multicast is regarded as one of the most important technologies in IP networks today. This dissertation focuses on the simulation and performance evaluation of IP Multicast using Protocol Independent Multicast- Dense Mode (PIM-OM) as the multicast routing protocol. The simulation is executed in a network simulator named UMJaNetSim, where custom components are built in order to simulate IP Multicast. First, the advantages and applications of IP Multicast, multicast addressing, Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), …

Mpls Vpn Simulation Using Mp-Ibgp, Tan Fong Ang

Student Works (2000-2009)

As Internet traffic continues to increase, companies are demanding greater speeds and better services to disseminate information to their customers, partners and employees. In order to provide reliable services and to support a variety of secure communications among a wide range of locations, Multiprotocol Label Switching Virtual Private Network (MPLS VPN) has been introduced. MPLS is an emerging technology that aims to address many of the existing issues associated with packet forwarding in today's internetworking environment. Whereas, VPN provides secure private connections through public infrastructure amongst multiple locations. MPLS­ based VPN provides isolation. security, simplified routing, easier provisioning as well …

Studies On The Pollution Parameters Of Leachate From Ampang Landfill, Syed Fatimah Kamal Batcha

Student Works (2000-2009)

ln the first part of the study, the characteristics of the leachate from Ampang landfill, collected before and after the landfill closure was analysed. In general, the characteristics of the Ampang landfill leachate was found to be typical of other landfill leachates in the Klang Valley. The analysis reveals that the Ampang landfill leachate during its active life had high contents of sodium, potassium, chloride and ferum, with concentrations of 687 ppm, 785 ppm, 2500 ppm and 45 ppm respectively. Generally and as expected, the leachate collected before the landfiII closure was found to be more concentrated and contains more …

Auditing And Biological Treatment Of Oleochemical Industry Waste, Fauziah Shahul Hamid

Student Works (2000-2009)

The utilization of renewable resources particularly from plant-based industries, such as, in the oleochemical sector makes it possible for further expansion of down-stream process products. However, to remain competitive the pollution generated from this industry should not be taken lightly. Implementation of cleaner technology into the oleochemical process will increase the efficiency of resource utilization of the industry, concurrently reducing quantity of waste generated. Waste audit conducted at Cognis Oleochemical (M) (COM) Sdn. Bhd. indicated that the major process-wastes generated by the facility were glycerol residue (GR) from Cognis Rika (M) Sdn. Bhd. (CRM) and wastewater sludge (WWS) from COM …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Lithiated Mixed Metal Oxides For Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries, Seng Gee Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Lilhiated mixed metal oxides for lithium ion rechargeable batteries were prepared by the sol gel technique. Samples consisting of lithium acetate, nickel nitrate, cobalt nitrate, manganese acetate and aluminium fluoride were characterised using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIRS). Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) w1d Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). Thermal characterization shows that the acetates, nitrates and fluorides of precursors material deform at temperature between 50° to 100°C and the products begin to form at a temperature between 264°C to 271°C. FTIR studies show that the materials must be heated for a longer time …

Development Of A Physico-Chemical Wastewater Treatment Strategy For A Chemical Plant, T. Alagarajah K. Thavarajah

Student Works (2000-2009)

A study was carried out to determine the physico-chemical treatment of the wastewater collected from a soap and detergent factory in Selangor, Malaysia. The study was initiated by determining the characteristics of the wastewater. Treatability studies involving coagulation and flocculation were determined by the jar test method. The parameters of interest were coagulant dosage, pH, mixing intensity, mixing time and settling time. The coagulants were restricted to alum and ferric sulfate and coagulant aids utilized were polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate and polycthylcninimine. An extended evaluation to determine the effect of double chemical treatment was also carried out with the most …

Effect Of Electron-Attracting Groups On The Thermal Stability Of Subtituted Copper (Ii) Benzoate, Fauziah Kamaruddin

Student Works (2000-2009)

Copper(II) benzoate, copper(II) 4-fluorobenzoate, copper(II) 4-chlorobenzoate, copper(II) 4-bromobenzoate, copper(II) 4-iodobenzoate, copper(II) pentafluoro benzoate, copper(II) 4-nitrobenzoate and copper(II) 3,5-dinitrobenzoate are potential low dimensional thermally stable molecular electronics. The them1al properties of these samples are investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). TGA reveals that copper(II) benzoate (CB) slowly decomposed at 243.5°C, losing 67.7% of its weight at 515°C. The DSC shows two endotherms separated by an exotherm. The first endotherm at 224°C may due to the breaking of bridging bond to give benzoyloxy radicals. The exotherm at 231°C may due to the formation of volatiles from the decomposition …

The Effects Of Incorporation Of Polyethylene Glycol On Properties Of Silica-Carbon Black-Filled Rubber Compound, Yoke Cheng Tang

Student Works (2000-2009)

The use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to modify the surface of precipitated silica by means of physical adsorption was investigated. The effects of adding PEG on processing, cure and physical properties of a silica-carbon black-filled natural rubber truck tread compound were examined. For each series of investigation, two sets of experiments were conducted. Set I was to check the effects of both physical adsorption due to PEG and chemical modification due to a silane coupling agent, Si-69 on the surface of silica. Set 2 was to check the effects of physical adsorption due to PEG alone on the surface of …

Effects Of Argon Dilution Of Silane On The Optical Properties And Surface Morphology Of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon, Choon Kheam Lim

Student Works (2000-2009)

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a.Si:H) was prepared using the d.c plasma grow discharge system. Two sets of samples were prepared and studied. The first set of samples referred to as the high argon dilution films were prepared from the discharge of pure silane at flow-rate of 5sccm and silane at the same flow-rate diluted in argon at flow-rates of 5, 10 and 15sccm. Similarly, the second set of sample referred to as the low argon dilution films were prepared from the discharge of pure silane at flow-rate of20sccm and silane at the same flow-rate diluted in argon at the flow-rates mentioned …

Characterization Of Lithium Intercalation Oxides Based On Manganese And Copper, Vengidason Seguprakash

Student Works (2000-2009)

In this study, several lithium intercalation compounds have been synthesized and characterized. Lithium manganese copper oxide cathode materials were prepared by sol gel method using tartaric acid as the gelating agent. Five types of cathode materials were synthesized. The sol gel technique has permitted the synthesis of manganese oxides that are capable of reversibly intercalating large amounts of lithium ions. To see the effect of adding copper to lithium manganese oxide several experiments were carried out. These include X-Ray diffraction to see whether the LiMn₂O₄ lattice has widened or collapsed. It was seen that LiMn₂O₄ and LiCu₂O₂ XRD patterns were …

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Using Sequencing Batch Reactor (Sbr) Under Tropical Conditions, Maria Violetta Thomas

Student Works (2000-2009)

In this research project a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) plant was tested for performance in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Suspended Solids (SS), under different temporal conditions. In addition, the removal of biological nutrients, namely ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and phosphorous in the form of phosphate, from the sewage, with anaerobic and aerobic operations using SBR was studied. The performance of the SBR plant was observed under two operating conditions whereby the variable studied was the total cycle time of the SBR process; i.e. 8-hour cycle mode and 6-hour cycle mode. The effluent quality …

Fabrication And Application Of Fiber Bragg Grating, Wadi Harun Sulaiman

Student Works (2000-2009)

This dissertation presents the fabrication, characterization and application of short period fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The FBG is inscribed on high germania boron co-doped optical fiber by phase mask method with a 244nm continuous wave frequency doubled Argon ion laser as a laser source. The FBGs with reflectivity ranging from 98 -99.9%, bandwidth of 0.3 ~ 0.9nm and center wavelength of 1552.5 - 1553.5nm have been fabricated successfully with this method. The time taken for these inscriptions are within 10 to 30 minutes depending on alignment. The fabricated FBGs are characterized using both fiber amplifier (broadband source) and tunable laser …

Municipal Waste Characteristics And Management In Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, Ratanam Andythaven

Student Works (2000-2009)

The primary purpose of this research was to study comprehensively the municipal waste generation (rate, quantity), waste characterization including (physical, chemical and biological parameters), heavy metal content, waste recovery and recycling, and socio economic aspects of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and management in Taman Bukit Angkasa, Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas. The waste characterization and management was determined with actual field observations coupled with questionnaire survey from a random sample of 250 households (200 flats houses, 25 long houses and 25 squatter residences). The quantification and other parameters (heavy metals, water extractable nutrients, nitrogen, pH, acidity, …

Dynamic Performance Of Isolated Power Converters, David Badia

Theses

Isolated power converters are primarily used in applications where electrical galvanic isolation is required for safety purposes. They are also used in applications, which require various output voltages level. They have been studied from many different aspects, but in this thesis the fundamental circuits of the flyback, the forward and the half-bridge converters are studied and compared extensively, with regard to their dynamic performance.

This analysis will lead us to a better understanding of their behaviour, that is a crucial point in the selection of each topology for a particular application. Moreover, the dynamic response of each converter is different; …

Meeting Research & Publication Requirements In An Undergraduate E T Program Through Senior Design Projects, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Success in an Engineering Technology programs has been traditionally evaluated based upon three factors namely, Teaching, Research and Service. While the relative ranking of these factors is arguable 1,5, it is the research (and the associated requirement of publication) which causes great anxiety for faculty in ET programs. This is specially true, in view of increasing emphasis placed on the research and publication by the ET programs in the nation. A number of articles have been written on the promotion and tenure requirements 2,3,4. Most of these publications discuss the general requirements of promotion and tenure and the …

Dres: Internet Resource Management Using Deferred Reservations, Samphel Norden

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

In this proposal, we consider the problem of resource reservation for Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (DiffServ) networks. Current approaches for resource reservation in INtegrated Service Networks adopt an all-or-nothing approach, where partially acquired resources must be released if resources are not available at all routers on the chosen path. Furthermore, under high load, end-systems must retry requests repeatedly leading to inefficient allocation and increased traffic. We propose a new approach called Deferred REServation (DERS) that substantially improves performance (reduces the overall cell rejection probability and increases link utilization) over the all-or-nothing reservation approach. Call admissibility is increased by …

Layered Protocol Wrappers For Internet Packet Processing In Reconfigurable Hardware, Florian Braun, John Lockwood, Marcel Waldvogel

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

The ongoing increases of line speed in the Internet backbone combined with the need for increased functionality of network devices presents a major challenge. These demands call for the use of reprogrammable hardware to provide the required flexible, high-speed functionality, at all network layers. The Field Programmable Port Extender (FPX) provides such an environment for development of networking components in reprogrammable hardware. We present a framework to streamline and simplify networking applications that process ATM cells, AAL5 frames, Internet Protocol (IP) packets and UDP datagrams directly in hardware.

Scalable Ip Lookup For Programmable Routers, David E. Taylor, John W. Lockwood, Todd Sproull, David B. Parlour

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Continuing growth in optical link speeds places increasing demands on the performance of Internet routers, while deployment of embedded and distributed network services imposes new demands for flexibility and programmability. IP adress lookup has become a significant performance bottleneck for the highest performance routers. New commercial products utilize dedicated Content Addressable Memory (CAM) devides to achieve high lookup speeds. This paper describes an efficient, scalable lookup engine design, able to achieve high-performance with the use of a small portion of a reconfigurable logic device and a commodity Random Access Memory (RAM) device. Based on Eatherton's Tree Bitmap algorithm [1] the …

Synthesizable Design Of A Multi-Module Memory Controller, Sarang Dharmapurikar, John W. Lockwood

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Random Access Memory (RAM) is a common resources needed by networking hardware modules. Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) provides a cost effective solution for such data storage. As the packet processing speeds in the hardware increase memory throughput can be a bottleneck to achieve overall high performance. Typically there are multiple hardware modules which perform different operations on the packet payload and hence all try to access the common packet buffer simultaneously. This gives rise to a need for a memory controller which arbitrates between the memory requests made by different modules and maximizes the memory throughput. This paper discusses the …

Obiwan - An Internet Protocol Router In Reconfigurable Hardware, Florian Braun, Marcel Waldvogel, John Lockwood

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

The ongoing exponential increase of line speed in the Internet and combined with the uncountable requests for increased functionality of network devices presents a major challenge. These demands call for the use of reprogrammable hardware to provide the required flexible high-speed functionaltiy. The Field Programmable Port Extender (FPX) provides such an environment for development of networking components in reprogrammable hardware. We present the high-speed IP routing components in reprogrammable hardware. We present the high-speed IP routing module "OBIWAN" (Optimal Binary search IP lookup for Wide Area Networks) built on top of an IP processing framework.

Network Abstractions For Context-Aware Mobile Computing, Gruia-Catalin Roman, Christine Julien, Qingfeng Huang

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Context-Aware computing is characterized by the ability of a software system to continuously adapt its behavior to a changing environment over which it has little or no control. Previous work along these lines presumed a rather narrow definition of context, one that was centered on resources immediately available to the component in question, e.g., communication bandwidth, physical location, etc. This paper explores context-aware computing in the setting of ad hoc networks consisting of numerous mobile hosts that interact with each other opportunistically via transient wireless interconnections. We extend the context to encompass awareness of an entire neighborhood within the ad …

Implementation Of An Open Multi-Service Router, Fred Kuhns, John Dehart, Ralph Keller, John Lockwood, Prashanth Papu, Jyoti Parwatikar, Ed Spitznagel, David Richard, David Taylor, Jon Turner, Ken Wong

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

This paper describes the design, implementation, and performance of an open, high-performance, dynamically reconfigurable Multi-Service Router (MSR) being developed at Washington University in St. Louis. This router provides an experimentation platform for research on protocols, router software, and hardware design, network management, quality of service and advanced applications. The MSR has been designed to be flexible, without sacrificing performance. It support gigabit links and uses a scalable architecture suitable for supporting hundreds or even thousands of links. The MSR's flexibility makes it an ideal platform for experimental research on dynamically extensible networks that implement higher level functions in direct support …