Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 465-466

Abstract: Digital computers that automate manufacturing process are an important aspect for any manufacturing engineers in the modern world. Selection of the programming paradigm (PP), as well as the programming language (PL) that supports it, is crucial to ensure the correct ideas are being used to automate the solution of the problem. In current Malaysian Higher institution practices, various PPs and PLs courses are offered to current undergraduate manufacturing majors. An online survey was deployed to experienced manufacturing engineers from various manufacturing specializations in the industry. Graduates from one of Malaysias public universities, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have been chosen for this particular study. From the survey, it has been found that almost 80% of the participants agreed that PPs are important for manufacturing graduates. It was found out that 90% of the participants were from intermediate (scale of 3) until poor (scale of 1) to express their ability to explain PPs if asked. Only about 10% are able to explain on PPs (scale of 4 and 5). The study concluded that majority of the manufacturing graduates from IIUM agreed that PP is an important subject to be taught in university. However, it was found the majority of the manufacturing graduates lack the knowledge and understanding of PPs and general PLs.

Abstract: Engineering education in Malaysia has moving fast in creating high quality environment for all higher educational institution graduates through several innovative and creative teaching and learning tools and methods. Stress on the quality of delivery method in higher education was also increased in order to assure that the graduates are really fulfilling the needs of the stakeholders. In this work, we have developed a Course Monitoring and Management System (CMMS) to ease the lecturers in managing and monitoring the class. User survey was conducted to identify the actual requirements and data from the survey was used to construct the CMMS. By reducing the lecturers loads in the managing and monitoring activities, lecturers can be more focus in delivering innovative and effective teaching techniques that really notable for the production of high quality graduates.

Abstract: The objective of design optimization of pressure vessels is cost reduction by reducing weight with adequate strength and stiffness. Optimization is the act of obtaining the best result under given circumstances. Conventional design aims at finding acceptability design which merely satisfies the functional and other requirements of the problem. In general, there will be more than one acceptable designs and the purpose of design optimization is to choose the best. In the present work parameters such as thickness of the shell, and dish end, length and radius of the pressure vessel are optimized by making use of ACO has been shown for a Pressure vessel problem with four variables and four design constraints. It is found that the results obtained from ACO are better as its search is for global optimum as against the local optimum in traditional search methods. The results of the ACO have been checked using ANSYS, and it is found to perform satisfactorily.

Abstract: In the process of producing an optimized air intake system design, detailed understanding of the airflow motion is required. To reach such understanding, this paper aims to investigate the flow rate and swirl motion of an engines inlet system at different pressures and different conditions. Using a commercial steady flow bench and a swirl meter, the different parameters, the flow rate and swirl coefficient, is obtained at different valve lifts. The inlet system will then be tested in different pressures and at different engine configurations. Since the tested inlet system has two valves in its intake port, both valves are tested separately as well as tested together. It is found that the flow rate pattern mirrors the swirl pattern where the value increases as the valve lift increases but decreases and levels after a certain valve lift. Increase in pressure from 5kPa to 10kPa exhibits a 43% increase in flow rate and 90% increase in swirl coefficient and by removing the manifold, the flow rate only increase by 4% but the swirl coefficient changes by 30%. Theses findings show the main factors that affects the intake process and the results will be used as a baseline to improve the intake system.

Abstract: Waste cooking oil (WCO) is one of the economical and easiest sources for biodiesel production. The use of WCO in diesel engine is sustainable if they can perform similarly to diesel fuel. Therefore, this paper presents the performance and combustion characteristics of a single cylinder diesel engine fueled with biodiesel from WCO and compared with diesel fuel. In this study, the WCO was blended with diesel fuel at 5% and 10% blending ratio and named as B5 and B10 respectively. The experiment has been conducted at variable engine speed, constant load and at compression ratios of 17.7. The performance parameters that have been analyzed in this experiment were engine power, torque and in-cylinder pressure. In the end, results show that the engine performance of B5 and B10 was slightly similar to diesel fuel and can be used as a diesels substitute.

Abstract: Nowadays, many researches are conducted to produce alternative fuel. In order to overcome increasing price of fossil fuel and environmental issues, fuel from natural sources such as palm, rapeseed and jathropa are increasingly being utilized to produce bio-fuel. Similar as natural source, waste product such as plastics and tires also can be processed to produce alternative fuel. In this paper, engine performance of diesel engine operating with 100% waste plastic disposal fuel (WPDF) is analyzed and compared to diesel fuel. The experiment is conducted using single cylinder YANMAR TF120M diesel engine which is operating at variable speed and constant load. The performance parameters that analyzed in the experiment are engine power, torque, combustion pressure and exhaust gas temperature. Results of the experiment shows that waste plastic disposal fuel (WPDF) potentially can be use as alternative fuel in diesel engine. However, based on the data obtained, performance of diesel engine operating with WPDF is lower compared to diesel fuel.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine popularity has been won commercially by the four-stroke type engine surpassing the two-stroke and rotary wankel engines in the world market places. Commercial engines both gasoline and diesel fuels are mostly using the four-stroke principle and even the hybrid cars still rely on this type of engine as their backup source of power. Current research in this areas are optimizing the effectiveness of the four-stroke combustion engine related to fuel consumption, fuel-air mixture, reuse of exhaust energy to feed air inflow, fuel control system to feed exact volume of fuel, exact firing time using intelligent control unit and lower hydrocarbon emissions. However, the development in the engine power output generation is limited due to nearly satisfied expectation of the automotive users caused by limited road development; meanwhile, the short range aerospace engine technology has limited attention in the advanced countries but certainly not in the archipelago country such as Indonesia. This paper is classified to initiates first publication from series of research log book on a new engine design that promotes double power output principle called Double Power Ecological Engine (DPE) for power drive vehicles. The design of DPE engine is located in the firing order, which has direct influence to the new design configuration of crank shaft, air inlet, exhaust and the piston head geometry. The ultimate design of this combustion engine is secured under the firing orders, which are made to secure power output twice as much as it is in the four-stroke engine so that double potential power engine is promoted under ecological fuel ethanol. The design of DPE engine of this research is expected to generate 280 kW power output based on the 1.4 liter engine, which commercially generate around 141 kW. Further research will show the effectiveness of the DPE engine design leading to commercial application.

Abstract: One of the major pollutants emitted by diesel engine is particulate matter (PM). The main concerns about PM are their adverse effects in the urban area. Therefore researchers are now constantly working on alternative fuels which are clean and efficient in combustion. One of the most promising alternatives fuel is vegetable oils and their derivatives. Based on this study, the characteristics of indirect injection diesel engine in term of the PM have been investigated experimentally. The experiments were conducted experimentally using four cylinder diesel engine. This paper presents an experimental study of PM using mineral diesel and palm-diesel (B100) as a fuel. The result shows highest percentage count for both mineral-diesel and palm-diesel at PM diameter range of 121-160 nm. In addition, the result also indicates that at 2500 rpm the PM for palm-diesel is lower than mineral-diesel for all size range. Thus, at 2500 rpm, it is the optimum speed in order to have a minimum PM for palm-diesel.

Abstract: The performance of a commercially available Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) system for controlling mist, vapor and fume exposures during two-piece slim retractable aluminium can production line was assessed. This study focused on monitoring of LEV system performance in different phases of production which are drawing and wall ironing. Data such as static pressure, velocity pressure, transport velocity and flow rate values was obtained as a specific requirement to analyze the performance of the system. The first LEV system used to control mist exposure from drawing activities and the second system was implemented to control fume and vapor during ironing wall process. The performance of the system was investigated and compared with standard as required by USECHH Regulation 2000. The results of LEV system monitoring were discussed and several recommendations were proposed to improve the performance of the system and to reduce the mist, fume and vapor exposure for occupational safety and health purposes.

Abstract: Considering the enhancement device for air intake systems have been widely available in the market for automotive engines, in this paper, the effect of Supercharged Air Filter (SAF) system on a Spark Ignition (SI) engine were experimentally investigated. Three different types of air filter; standard, conical shape air filter and SAF were tested on a four-stroke single-cylinder engine. The engine was coupled to a 20kW generator dynamometer to measure engine performance parameters; engine torque, engine power (B.P), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) at various engine speeds with maximum engine load. The results show that the forced induction system can affect the engine performance but it will make the engines fuel consumption higher than standard system.