International Journal of Integrated Engineering
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Development of Bread Leftovers-Derived Bioplastics and Its Characterisation
Get PDFBioplastics offer a sustainable solution to plastic pollution. This study investigated bioplastics derived from bread leftovers (BLB), characterising their mechanical and chemical properties to assess their potential as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. BLB samples, formulated with varying amounts of bread leftovers (5g, 10g, 15g), were tested for their moisture content, solubility, biodegradability, tensile strength, Young\u27s modulus, elongation at break, shape memory recovery, surface morphology, and elemental composition. Results showed insignificant variations in moisture content (25.3-28.9%) and water solubility (42.6-48.6%). However, increasing bread leftover content improved alcohol resistance, with the 15g BLB sample exhibiting the lowest alcohol solubility (10.6%). Notably, BLB samples demonstrated superior biodegradability, degrading within seven days, unlike conventional plastics. The 15g BLB formulation exhibited the most promising mechanical properties, including a Young\u27s modulus of 2.884 ± 0.127 MPa, a tensile strength of 1.46 ± 0.10 MPa, and an elongation at break of 53.75 ± 6.646%, suggesting its potential to replace low-density polyethene (LDPE). While the low melting point hindered shape memory recovery, elemental analysis revealed a composition of 63% carbon and 36% oxygen, contributing to its biodegradability. Overall, 15 g of BLB shows significant potential as a biodegradable material for plastic production, offering a viable path to reducing non-biodegradable waste
Long-term Continuous Monitoring of Dissolved Oxygen Concentration Based on Multi-Spectral Sensors and Machine Learning
Get PDFDissolved oxygen (DO) is a crucial indicator of water quality and requires continuous monitoring across various applications. Although optical sensors are widely used for DO measurement, their large-scale deployment for long-term monitoring remains challenging due to high costs and the need for periodic replacement of sensing probes. This study presents a novel non-contact DO monitoring system that integrates a low-cost multispectral sensor with an optimized machine learning framework, offering a practical solution for long-term, continuous monitoring. A compact spectroscopic sensing unit was developed to continuously acquire absorbance data from water samples across 18 wavebands ranging from 410 to 940 nm. Multiple machine learning models were trained under different configurations, and several waveband selection algorithms were applied to identify the optimal predictive model. The neural network regression model utilizing four wavebands (460, 585, 680, and 760 nm) achieved the best result with a coefficient of determination and a root mean square error of 0.99 and 0.22 mg/L, respectively. These findings demonstrate the high accuracy and practical potential of the proposed system for long-term DO monitoring in aquaculture and environmental applications
Climate Change Impacts on Future Rainfall in Padas River Basin, Sabah, Malaysia using Statistical Downscaling Method
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to assess the influence of climate change on the rainfall across the Padas River Basin, Sabah, Malaysia. Observed rainfall data (1985-2014) and downscaled climate model outputs (2025-2100) from four of the most suitable Global Climate Models (GCMs) (CMCC-CM2, IPSL-CM6A, MIROC6 and MRI-ESM2) were employed. The projected rainfall trend was analysed based on the 10th (P10), 50th (P50) and 90th (P90) percentiles to assess low, median, and high rainfall scenarios, allowing a more comprehensive understanding of uncertainty and risk in future rainfall patterns. The projection suggest an overal increase in rainfall for all months in the future, attributable to a lengthened wet season during the study period. Compared with the historical baseline, the highest monthly increase is projected in May (+60.3 mm), followed by Nov (+46.8 mm), while Feb shows the smallest increment (+5.5%). The projected increase in monthly rainfall between May and November may elevate future flood risks. Annual rainfall is expected to rise by approximately 5.4% (2025-2050) and 7.4% (2051-2100), with the highest intensity concentrated near coastal areas. Under SSP2–4.5 and SSP5-8.5, the mean annual rainfall is projected less than 3,625 mm and 4,030 mm, respectively. All four (4) models indicate a similar spatial rainfall pattern, with the northeastern part of the basin receiving more rainfall. In the long-term P90 scenario, coastal areas are projected to experience higher rainfall with cumulative rainfall less than 300,000 mm over the 76 years period. Meanwhile, the long-term P50 scenario shows results consistent with historical monthly data. These findings are essential for water management and long-term sustainability of water resources under changing climatic conditions
A Compact and Efficient U Slot Excited Substrate Integrated Waveguide Based Antenna for 5G-NR Millimeter Wave Band
Get PDFIn the article, a cubical dielectric resonator antenna is excited through a U-slot aperture utilizing a Substrate Integrated Waveguide feeding mechanism. This antenna works in three different frequency bands of the millimeter range, 25.8, 27.5, and 30.4 GHz, targeting the 5G-NR bands, N257, and N258. The simulated antenna produces a substantial bandwidth of 6.12 GHz (25-31.12 GHz), a peak elevated gain of 8.9 dBi with 98% efficiency. The radiation patterns indicate the absence of backside radiation, validating the broadside transmission of the proposed antenna. All simulations for antenna design were carried out using Ansys HFSS, confirming the antenna’s suitability for high-performance 5G wireless communication systems, including applications in indoor environments, IoT infrastructure, and smart mobility platforms
Fleece and Felt as Substrates for Patch Antenna at 2.4GHz
Get PDFThis study examines the integration of textile patch antennas with high-gain antennas in apparel, highlighting applications in wearable electronics. One potential application is in patient apparel, where the antenna enables the wireless transmission of cardiac monitoring data. The study investigates key aspects of textile patch antennas, utilizing textile fleece and textile felt as the base substrates. This includes simulation of design parameters, a production method employing copper conductive paint as the metallic material, and measurement protocols for the fabricated antennas. Measurements were conducted using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to determine impedance matching, and within an anechoic chamber to analyze radiation patterns and gain. The outcomes from the design and measurement processes showed a strong correlation, with the exception of the felt-based antenna\u27s gain, which may have been affected by either a fault in the antenna or an error during measurement
The Potential of Gold Nanorods for Larvicidal and Pupicidal Activity Against the Dengue Vector Aedes Aegypti
Get PDFDengue is an endemic disease in tropical areas, and it is an arthropod-borne viral infection mainly transmitted through an Aedes mosquito bite. Due to a rise in dengue transmission in urban and semi-urban regions worldwide, the disease has recently become a significant public health concern, and efficient vector control methods are required. In this study, we proposed the seed-mediated growth method of gold nanorods (GNRs) as a novel and effective tool against the I–IV larval instar and pupae of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. GNRs have an average length of 72.80 ± 0.53 nm and a width of 16.17 ± 0.19 nm. The surface density of GNRs at 20 hours of growth aging period is 76.17± 1.98 % with a 3.94 ± 0.33 aspect ratio. The treatment was conducted on 25 larvae/cup in 100 ml of dechlorinated tap water. The larvae start to die after 48 hours. The mortality rates of larvae after 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours, exposed to GNRs are 10.7±0.6, 24.0±1.0, 34.7±0.6 and 48.0±1.0 % respectively. Meanwhile, for pupae, the observation shows no dead pupae after 120 hours but for a longer period, several pupae die. The survived pupae are transformed into adult mosquitoes. In conclusion, gold nanoparticles with rod shape (GNRs) have great potential as larvae and pupae treatments for the dengue vector Aedes aegypti
Computational Study on the Hemodynamic Analysis of Intracranial Aneurysms using Flow Diverter Stents
Get PDFIntracranial aneurysms represent a critical cerebrovascular pathology with a high risk of rupture-induced subarachnoid haemorrhage, necessitating effective endovascular interventions such as flow diverter (FD) stents to reconstruct the parent vessel and induce curative thrombosis. However, the therapeutic efficacy of these devices varies significantly based on their geometric configuration, requiring precise analysis of the hemodynamic alterations they induce within the aneurysm sac. This study aims to perform a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation to quantify changes in velocity, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT) following the virtual deployment of five distinct FD stent designs. Using ANSYS Fluent 2023, transient simulations were conducted on an idealized saccular aneurysm model under pulsatile physiological conditions, treating blood as an incompressible Newtonian fluid to compare a baseline untreated model against five stented configurations (Models 2–6). The quantitative results demonstrated that stent geometry critically influences flow diversion; specifically, Model 6 exhibited the most superior performance by achieving near-complete flow stagnation with velocity and pressure reductions exceeding 90% compared to the untreated baseline velocity of 0.39 0.04 m/s, and Model 3 achieved a beneficial 5.54% reduction in WSS, whereas Model 5 proved suboptimal with a 2.77% increase in WSS and unfavourable residence time characteristics. In conclusion, the study confirms that optimizing stent design parameters is essential for establishing the low-flow, high-residence-time environment required for successful aneurysm occlusion, thereby validating CFD as a vital predictive tool for enhancing FD treatment strategies.
TiungLap: A Quadcopter Drone for Window Cleaning with an Integrated Pressure Washer Tethering System
Get PDFThe TiungLap drone, developed to address the high risks and inefficiencies associated with traditional high-rise window cleaning, integrates a tethered high-pressure washer system to improve safety and operational time. The drone features advanced GPS navigation, real-time monitoring, and LiDAR-based obstacle avoidance for precise cleaning in complex environments. The objective of this study was to optimize the thrust, power consumption, and control stability of the drone during cleaning operations. Utilizing four X9 motors, the drone achieved a maximum thrust of 21.23 kgf per motor, ensuring sufficient lift to handle its 22 kg payload. Power analysis revealed the motors consumed 4790.2W each, contributing to a total system power consumption of 7421.25W. A key challenge was stabilizing the drone under the influence of external forces from the tethered hose, which was addressed through manual tuning of the PID controller. This tuning reduced roll error by 94.9% and pitch error by 87.8%, significantly improving drone stability. Future research should focus on enhancing flight endurance and further optimizing control algorithms to handle external forces more effectively
Kinetic Study of the Hydrophobic Modified-ZnO Kapok using Pseudo First Order and Pseudo Second Order Model for Cooking Oil Adsorption
Get PDFThis study investigates the kinetic behaviour of hydrophobic modified-ZnO kapok fibers for the adsorption of used cooking oil. The modification of natural kapok fibers with ZnO nanoparticles was achieved using a hydrothermal process, enhancing their hydrophobic and oleophilic properties. The adsorption kinetics were evaluated using pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) models to describe the oil sorption behaviour of raw kapok fibers (RKF) and modified kapok fibers (MKF). The study revealed that MKF (114.7 g/g) exhibited higher oil adsorption capacity than RKF (88.6 g/g) after 30 minutes adsorption period, with the PSO model providing a better fit for the experimental data by showing R2 value close to 1 for both RKF (R2 = 0.9942) and MKF (R2 = 0.9781) sample. The results suggest that the modification of kapok fibers with ZnO significantly improves their oil adsorption capacity, making them a viable and eco-friendly alternative for oil spill remediation
Design And Investigation of Sliding Mode Control Based DC-link Converter of Hybrid Microgrid System
Get PDFHybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) acts as optimal choice for the design of the electrical grid benefiting in social, economic and environmentally. This study interconnects wind, solar and Battery energy to transmit power to the load or grid thereby reducing the dependency on the conventional energy sources. Amidst the available non-conventional energy sources, this paper employs wind, solar and battery as the primary energy source for HRES. The suggested scheme involves wind driven permanent magnet synchronous generator, solar module, battery energy storage and necessary power converters along with suitable controllers. This investigation presents the Sliding Mode Controller (SLC) for maximum power extraction from wind and solar in order to maintain constant DC-link voltage. The generated power feeds the load through three-phase inverter. This paper compares the performance of the system using SMC and Perturb & Observe method (P&O) algorithm in Matlab/Simulink. The observed results prove the effectiveness of the SMC controller over P&O method with fast response during the change in operating condition