International Journal of Integrated Engineering
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A Study on Continuous and Divided Flows for Optimal and Sustainable Dam Discharge Considering Dead Storage
Full text linkThis study focuses on discharge optimisation for the Gredek reservoir in Gresik. East Java, Indonesia, with a specific focus on the discharge at dead storage. The primary goal was to design and analyse a suitable model for optimising the final discharge. The methodology employed simple linear equations using general variables, namely inflow (Qin) and outflow (Qout), within a discharge balance equation, supplemented by the discharge at dead storage (QDS). This approach aimed to achieve an optimal and sustainable remaining monthly discharge (Qdiff). Based on the analysis, it was concluded that for determining Qdiff by considering inflow, outflow, and QDS, optimisation models using Continuous Flow (CF) and Divided Average (DA) approaches were successfully developed. In simulations using a 5 cm level (QDS5) at Dead Storage, the CF model yielded Qdiff values ranging from 767 m3 to 66,649 m3 at the end of each month, while the DA model yielded Qdiff values ranging from 2,568 m3 to 46,242 m3 throughout the 2021-2035 period. A comparative analysis of the CF and DA models reveals that both have distinct advantages. While the CF model achieved the highest Qdiff at 66,649 m3, the DA model\u27s highest Qdiff was 46,242 m3. However, for comprehensive reservoir equilibrium management, a combination of both models is highly effective. The CF model is well-suited for long-term planning. While the DA model is ideal for day-to-day or monthly reservoir operational management, the CF model, in essence, estimates the potential magnitude of available water, whereas the DA model details how that water interacts with other operational components. These two models are complementary; their applicability depends entirely on the required level of detail and the scale of planning or operations
Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on Control Delay & Safety: A Case Study of Signalized Tight Diamond Interchange at Executive Towers Business Bay, Dubai
Full text linkAutonomous Vehicles (AVs) promise to transform urban mobility by improving traffic flow and safety, but their actual impact under varied traffic and geometric conditions remains uncertain, warranting further study. This study evaluates the impacts of AVs on the operational and safety performance of a signalized tight diamond interchange at Executive Towers Business Bay, Dubai, under mixed traffic conditions. Three AV driving logics: aggressive, normal and cautious, were gradually introduced, replacing conventional cars while maintaining a constant mix of 2% heavy vehicles and 1% buses. A calibrated and validated traffic model was developed in PTV VISSIM using site-specific geometric and operational data, with maximum queue length used as the measure of effectiveness (MOE). Thirteen scenarios were simulated to evaluate varying AV penetration levels. Delay outputs were extracted from VISSIM, while vehicle trajectory files were analyzed in the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) using TTC thresholds of 1.5 and 1.0 seconds. Calibration yielded optimal values for VISSIM’s car-following parameters: average standstill distance (1.35 m), additive part of safety (0.75 m), and multiplicative part of safety (1.50 m). Results showed that at a demand level exceeding 5,000 veh/hr, AV-Aggressive at 100% penetration reduced average delay by 7.5% and total conflicts by 48.6% compared to conventional vehicles. In contrast, AV-Cautious increased delay by 90.6% and conflicts by 69.2%. AV-Normal caused a modest 3.5% increase in delay but reduced conflicts by 26.7%. Overall, Scenario 13, 100% AV-Aggressive—demonstrated the best operational and safety performance. These results highlight the critical role of AV driving logic in shaping interchange performance, with aggressive AV behavior at full penetration offering the most substantial improvements in delay reduction and conflict mitigation. This suggests that future AV integration strategies should consider behavior modeling as a key factor in optimizing traffic operations and safety in complex urban environments
ANN Based Approach For Simultaneous Detection of Groundwater Pollution Origin and Release Characteristics
Full text linkPresent study aims at simultaneously identifying the three essential features of groundwater pollution source identification (GPSI) problem viz. the pollutant source location i.e. the distance between origin and observation point (x), duration of the pollutant release (T0) and its concentration strength i.e. the pollutant release flux history (C0). Four Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were developed, the three models, viz. ANN1, ANN2, ANN3 identified the three source parameters individually; while the fourth model ANN4 aimed at identifying the source parameters x, C0 and T0 simultaneously. The model input comprised multiple sets of concentration breakthrough curves (BTCs) at 50 discrete ‘x’ for 10 different T0 and 10 varying C0 values. Employing the governing partial differential equation of pollutant transport in groundwater, 383130 patterns of BTCs were generated for training and testing of ANN models. Model performance was evaluated using standard statistical measures to recognize the optimal ANN architecture. A network with architecture 14-15-3 was found to be optimum for ANN4 and resulted in a average absolute relative error (AARE) of 9.17, 19.96, 16.75 for identifying x, C0 and T0 respectively. Single output ANN models performed better than the multiple output ANN model. While comparing for individual source parameters as target variables, both the models (single and multiple outputs) could efficiently identify the source location. Whereas, the release concentration and duration of pollutant release estimation by single output model performed better than the multiple output model. The proposed ANN based solution of the GPSI problem illustrated here, has a practical application in formulating strategies for regulating and penalizing the agencies accountable for the groundwater pollution
Optimal PID Control System for Room Temperature Regulation with Classical and Hybrid Gain Scheduling Tuning Methods
Full text linkIndoor thermal comfort is a crucial factor for ensuring the well-being of occupants at a facility. In Malaysia\u27s tropical climate, room temperature varies from 27°C to 37°C. Devices such as fans and air conditioning systems are frequently employed to ensure optimal thermal comfort. This study employs Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) technology to achieve optimal air conditioning control for maintaining a suitable room temperature. The PID is calibrated utilising three conventional tuning methods: manual tuning (MT), Ziegler-Nichols (ZN), and Cohen-Coon (CC), together with a hybrid gain scheduling approach (HGSPID). The control parameters are modified dynamically according to fluctuating environmental conditions and occupancy patterns. Three ideal room 17°C, 20°C, and 22°C are used to test the controllers. The results show that HDSPID has the best performance than the PID controller tuned using classical methods when both settling time and overshoots are considered. The CC tuning provides 0% overshoot for all tested temperatures, but the settling time is longer, while ZN has the same settling time as HGSPID but a high overshoot. MT has the worst performance in both overshoot and settling time
Flexural Behaviour of CFS Gapped Built-up Channel Beam with Web and Flange Stiffeners
Full text linkThis study investigates the structural performance of cold-formed steel (CFS) gapped built-up beams with flange and web stiffeners, focusing on load-carrying capacity and deflection characteristics. Experimental tests and finite element (FE) analysis were conducted to evaluate the influence of varying stiffener configurations and gap sizes on beam behavior under four point bending. Results indicate that beams with flange stiffeners exhibit higher load-carrying capacity and greater resistance to deflection compared to those with web stiffeners, due to improved stability against bending stresses. Increasing gap between the back to back channel from 25 to 100 mm was found to affect load distribution and deflection, with moderate gaps (50 mm) yielding optimal performance. The FE model showed good correlation with experimental results, though deflection under ultimate loads was slightly underpredicted, highlighting the impact of real-world imperfections. These findings provide valuable insights for designing optimized CFS gapped beams with enhanced structural efficiency by providing flange and web stiffeners for practical applications
Rutting Performance Evaluation Using Waste Cooking Oil and Ground Tire Rubber in Asphalt Mixture
Full text linkThe quality of road pavement is a critical factor in establishing an efficient transportation system. To address issues like fatigue cracking and rutting, significant efforts have been devoted to enhancing pavement quality and adopting innovative design approaches. Recent years have seen a growing interest among traffic engineers in improving asphalt performance by incorporating various additives and substituting traditional asphalt binder materials with recyclable alternatives. This study involves blending bitumen grade 80/100 with varying percentages (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) of waste cooking oil (WCO) and 20% ground tyre rubber (GTR), relative to the weight of the bitumen. The physical and rheological properties of both the base bitumen and the modified binder were assessed through penetration, softening point, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. As a result of this modification, the specifications of the modified binder are expected to align with those of bitumen grade 40/50, rendering bitumen 80/100 obsolete due to its subpar performance. The research findings indicate that the optimal content for the modified binder is 1% WCO and 20% GTR. Furthermore, the Resilient Modulus (RM) test demonstrates that asphalt mixtures featuring GTR/WCO-modified binders exhibit a reduced susceptibility to rutting compared to conventional bitumen-based asphalt mixtures. This suggests the potential for more durable and rut-resistant road surfaces, aligning with the broader goal of improving transportation infrastructure
Simulation of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency of NH3/CH4 Co-firing Flames in Swirl Combustors
Full text linkAmmonia has emerged as a promising candidate due to its carbon-free and renewable nature. As a green energy carrier, ammonia can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but its utilization as a fuel faces challenges, including lower laminar flame speed, lower adiabatic flame temperature, higher ignition energy, narrower flammability limits, and increased nitrogen oxide emissions. To investigate their sustainability and energy efficiency, the study aims to simulate NH3/CH4 co-firing flames in a swirl combustor. The research focuses on premixed NH3/CH4/air reactants with varying methane fractions (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) at standard atmospheric pressure. The study simulates the steady flow field using ANSYS Fluent and the RNG k-ε model and uses the results for unsteady simulations. Through the simulation, it indicates a trade-off between CO2 and NOx emissions. High CO2 emissions correspond to the complete combustion of methane, while low CO2 emissions indicate incomplete combustion, resulting in unburned methane. From the simulation results, 25% of methane fraction, with its highest energy efficiency and temperature, emerges as the most sustainable despite producing unwanted NOx emissions. Overall, 25% of methane fraction results are identified as the optimal mixture for energy production, highlighting the need for balancing efficiency and emission controls in sustainable combustion processes
Investigation on the Deposition of Conductive Ink on Multiple Substrates with Different Substrate Surface Energy and Ink Surface Tension Properties
Full text linkConductive ink is a transformative material that enables the printing of electronic circuits on a variety of substrates, revolutionizing the field of printed electronics. This study addresses the limitation of existing mathematical models for conductive ink deposition, which primarily assume ink deposition solely on generic substrates and printing on the fly, thus lacking adaptability for diverse applications. The objective is to integrate substrate surface energy and ink surface tension into mathematical model thus improve the precision of ink track width estimation. Employing a syringe deposition system, data analysis was conducted to develop an improved mathematical model that predicts ink deposition on various substrates while establishing optimal printing parameters. Experimental results indicated significant discrepancies in line widths, with initial measurements exceeding 2 mm and percentage errors surpassing 150%. By incorporating SSE, the improved model achieved line widths between 0.72 mm and 0.92 mm, significantly reducing the maximum error to 15.82%. The findings emphasize the crucial influence of substrate surface energy and ink surface tension on ink spreading and adhesion, particularly on substrates with varying porosity and absorbency.
Effectiveness of Solar Distillation System in Treating Direct Discharge of Car Wash Wastewater
Full text linkCar wash facilities offer simple alternatives for automobile owners, but by discharging highly contaminated wastewater into rivers, they contribute to environmental degradation. For this study, three different solar still distillation models were developed to treat car wash wastewater, including a standard solar still (Model 1), a painted solar still (Model 2), and a painted solar still combined with sand (Model 3). The objectives of this study included designing and evaluating the effectiveness of these models in producing treated carwash wastewater, as well as assessing the quality of both treated and untreated water in terms of pH, turbidity, COD, BOD, nitrites, nitrates, and zinc. The volume of treated water collected was measured hourly from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the temperature of both the water and the surroundings was also recorded. The findings indicate that Model 3, which was painted with black paint and sand, performed better in terms of producing effectiveness and water purification. In addition, Model 3 outperformed the other models in terms of effectiveness by producing the highest volume of water and exhibiting the greatest % removal rates for a variety of pollutants, is turbidity (96.0 5%), COD (96.42%), BOD (97.65%), nitrate (60.75%), nitrite (83.33 %) and zinc (93.78 %). The improved thermal mass and heat absorption capabilities of Model 3 were responsible for its higher evaporation rates and overall effectiveness in eliminating contaminants. Car wash wastewater is effectively treated by solar still distillation systems, especially the more efficient ones, such as the painted still with sand. The processed water quality meets the accepted standard, demonstrating the effectiveness and ecological responsibility of solar distillation technology in wastewater treatment.
Salinity Reduction of Sarawak Brackish Peat Water Sources by Utilizing Electrocoagulation Treatment System with Enhanced Faradaic Efficiency
Full text linkBrackish peat water in Sarawak’s rural coastal areas poses a serious treatment challenge due to changing salinity and high organic matter. Although electrocoagulation shows potential as a treatment method, its performance and reliability for this specific water source have yet to be thoroughly investigated. As such, this study aims to investigate the Faradaic efficiency of electrocoagulation treatment system in reducing salinity levels of Sarawak brackish peat water. Correspondingly, the objectives of this study include brackish peat water salinity characterization, Tafel analysis of aluminium corrosion, evaluating the effects of seawater percentages and applied voltages on Faradaic efficiency, and water quality analysis. Additionally, this study examines the salinity levels of Sarawak brackish peat water and its effect on aluminium corrosion using Tafel analysis followed by electrocoagulation treatment. The treatment efficiency was assessed through Faradaic efficiency and water quality tests with results compared to the Malaysia National Water Quality Standard. Subsequent, this study has found a linear correlation between salinity and seawater percentage, with salinity peaking at 19,300 mg/l at 100% seawater percentage. Tafel analysis also demonstrated that high seawater percentages could increase aluminium electrode corrosion owing to corrosion potential (Ecorr) reaching -1,256.82 mV and corrosion current density (Icorr) rising to 308.607 µA at 100% seawater. This study has also reported an optimal Faradaic efficiency of 95.63% was achieved at 10 V and 30% of seawater percentage. Moreover, the electrocoagulation system effectively reduced salinity levels which deemed suitable for domestic consumption under Class I of Malaysia National Water Quality Standards (NWQS). Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of electrocoagulation system as a sustainable system for salinity reduction in Sarawak brackish peat water at an optimum Faradaic efficiency.