Engineering Headway Vol. 27

Abstract: With growing consumer health awareness, ensuring food safety and quality throughout the supply chain is crucial, particularly for perishable goods. Contamination can occur during production, processing, or distribution, making real-time monitoring essential. This study proposes an affordable Smartphone-based food traceability system (FTS) that utilizes RFID technology and smartphone sensors. A smartphone-based RFID reader tracks products, while integrated sensors monitor temperature, humidity, and location during storage and transport. The system is assessed in the kimchi supply chain in Korea, providing real-time data to both managers and consumers. It offered comprehensive product tracking, including temperature and humidity records, ensuring transparency and safety. Compared to traditional methods, the proposed system demonstrated improved efficiency in handling large volumes of data while maintaining accurate traceability. The results highlight its potential for enhancing food safety and quality across supply chains.

Abstract: Scaling in pipelines has become a major issue, resulting in creating financial losses for geothermal industries and uneven distribution of electricity in Indonesia. An automation system prototype for a mobile gamma scan tomography device has been developed to carry out scaling measurement within geothermal pipelines. This aims to preemptively address potential scaling-related issues, enhance work efficiency, and ensure the safety of workers from radiation exposure without disrupting ongoing production activities. The automation system is designed with Arduino Mega 2560 as microcontroller and radiation counter, stepper motors as actuators, NaI(Tl) scintillation detector for radiation detection, limit switch as the trigger for zero point position setup, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) display as the system interface, and microSD card to store radiation-counting data. The automation system will drive the detector and source collimator together to perform a radiation scan and counting along the pipe diameter. The radiation is scanned in 32 projections, achieved by executing translational and rotational movements. The automation system was examined through three kinds of tests: radiation-counting system test, translational movement test, and rotational movement test. The radiation-counting system test was performed by detecting radiation at 5 random points to test its stability and quality. Meanwhile, the translational and rotational movement tests were conducted by performing radiation scanning five times on each sample of the pipe diameter: 500 mm, 600 mm, and 700 mm. The results from the examination were analyzed using quantitative statistical methods: Chi square for the stability and quality of the radiation-counting system and the detector, as well as RMSE and Standard Deviation for the accuracy and precision value of the actuator. This research has successfully built an automation system prototype for a mobile gamma scan tomography device with the stability and quality of the radiation counting system falls within the acceptable range of 3.325 to 16.919 at 95% confidence level, accuracy value of 95.12% and precision value of 93.58% for its actuators.

Abstract: In this paper, we report the initial study of developing a wide-angle fisheye vision system for security that supports a smart home system. The developed system consists of 1) a customizable end-node, 2) OpenCV as a general infrastructure, 3) and an Android app equipped in a smartphone as a user interface (namely a Smart Security System app) for online monitoring purposes. The Smart Security System app covers two features: user register-login and recent monitoring video. The end-node part includes a PIR sensor, Raspberry Pi, and Fisheye wide-angle camera module, all packed based on the consumer product. Since the limitation of Raspberry Pi webcams or smartphone cameras led to monitoring blind spots, the research using fisheye cameras demonstrated a wider angle and presented a practical solution for minimizing blind spots in smart home security systems. The discussion of this paper focuses on a) the brief description of the proposed system, b) the comparison of the Fisheye wide-angle camera vs. the HQ camera, c) and the usability testing of the developed Android app. In addition, laboratory tests also have been observed. Since the proposed system is an initial study, we conducted a demo of the camera's angle coverage in a lab scale test. We used overall system usefulness, interface quality, and satisfaction for the app test.

Abstract: The development of data acquisition system for operation of the Kartini reactor was carried out by using a programable-logic controller (PLC) and based on the recommendation of an expert team of the International Atomic Energy Agency which justifies that the previous data acquisition system of the reactor operation has been considered obsolete. This research purpose is to follow up the recommendation by using a recent technology of PLC as the basis of the system. The parameter acquisition method was done by acquiring the analogue and digital voltage signals by the PLC and processing them into values accordingly. Analogue parameters: linear power, logarithmic power percent, period, and three control bars, Digital parameters: trigger trip signals. Parameter values are visually displayed using LabVIEW. The test method was comparing the obtained values to the current monitoring subsystem. Test results: linear power error is 0.09%; period error is 0.8%; and error of the three control rods is below 1%. All digital signal test results successfully show appropriate trip conditions when active. The conclusion of this study is successful in making a design of the Kartini Reactor process parameter acquisition system with small relative errors to the existing system.

Abstract: Solar panels are a renewable energy source capable of converting sunlight into electricity. The power output from these panels fluctuates with changes in sunlight intensity, affecting the maximum power they can produce. To maintain a stable maximum power output, an automatic controller is essential, and the Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) serves this purpose. The MPPT controller reads voltage, current, and power values from the solar panel to ensure it operates at the Maximum Power Point (MPP). The Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm is a reliable MPPT method for stable power tracking, although it has a drawback in terms of speed due to its step-by-step measurement process. In contrast, the Fractional Short Circuit Current (FSCC) algorithm is faster in estimating the MPP value but less accurate in tracking actual power output. Combining the P&O and FSCC algorithms aims to create a method that rapidly determines the MPP value while ensuring stable tracking. The design's implementation uses Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to create an independent IP-Core MPPT controller, eliminating the need for aprocessor. Implementation results show that the P&O+FSCC algorithm achieves an MPP search speed of about 18 seconds, compared to approximately 55 s for P&O alone, representing a 32.72% improvement.

Abstract: This paper presents the design and implementation of an object tracking manipulator robot coupled with an infrared sensor array. The robot is intended to demonstrate efficient object tracking within three-dimensional Cartesian space. The robot employs inverse kinematics to convert sensor inputs from Cartesian coordinates into a set of angular values which will drive the actuators based on the real-time location of the object being tracked. A series of experiments intended to assess the robot’s performance in terms of its angle accuracy, coordinate accuracy, and time accuracy in tracking an object was performed. Results indicates high performance tracking accuracy with total average angle accuracy exceeding , average coordinate accuracy above , and time accuracy around . The finding demonstrates the potential integration of an efficient object tracking system with inverse kinematics for more enhanced manipulator robot in wider applications.

Abstract: Research on the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BANN) method continues to depend on generating hardware description language (HDL) directly from the algorithm. Converting the algorithm into a Hardware Description Language (HDL) that can be synthesized and implemented into a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) System-on-Chip (SoC) necessitates a complex and challenging endeavour. This study examines the outcomes of the BANN algorithm's High-Level Synthesis (HLS) on the Zynq7000 series XC7Z010CLG400-1 FPGA SoC family. Utilizing the Vivado HLS program showcases the accurate correlation between C's simulation and synthesis results, validating the consistency between the software and hardware components. The optimal optimization strategy involves utilizing feedforward connections that transmit information directly from the input to the hidden phase. The reverse stage involves adjusting the weights that connect the input unit to the hidden phase. The computational speed of the pipeline is roughly 5,340 nanoseconds (178 multiplied by 30 nanoseconds), which is 2.2 times (398 multiplied by 30 nanoseconds) quicker than the speed it would have without optimization. Approximately 55.28% of the latency, equivalent to 220 clock cycles, is reduced. The average device usage rate is 32.75%.

Abstract: The installed capacity of wind power plants at Indonesia can only generate up to 1.96 MW from 970 MW potential wind energy. The wind energy prospect in Tasikmalaya, which is part of southern java’s beach is assessed using Weibull distribution for a year. The data is compiled from monthly measurement and take frequency of maximum wind speed to define the potential of Tasikmalaya’s wind energy. The data consist of wind speed and wind direction at a 15m hub height for 12 months. Methods Of Moments (MOM) is used since it is the better parameter estimation compare to Graphical Method (GM) and Empirical Method (EM) and produce the smallest relative error. The Weibull parameter (k and c) from each month varies from 1.17 to 2.61, the scale factor ranges between 2.01 m/s to 4.27 m/s. The result of this research is represented on Weibull Probability Density Function (PDF) graph and real frequency of wind speed from observation. we can conclude that the most frequent wind speed that occur in Tasikmalaya’s area is 2 m/s, even though there are some months that has more frequent wind speed of 3 m/s like May and June. And judging from the Weibull distribution graph, February, March, May, August dan September were the most prospective windy months for this area.

Abstract: Integrating solar power systems on canopy rooftops has emerged as a viable renewable energy solution, reducing reliance on conventional electricity sources and lowering operational expenses. This study evaluates the performance and potential of solar power systems installed on canopy roofs, emphasizing their technical, economic, and environmental impacts. The system demonstrates a strong energy conversion efficiency, with a Performance Ratio (PR) of 72.64% and a Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of 15.19%, indicating effective utilization of installed capacity. Although the system contributes significantly to reducing electricity costs, decreasing electricity bills by 37.5%, the payback period of 15 years and a negative Net Present Value (NPV) of-19.93 million rupiahs suggest that investment may not be financially viable without an increase in National Electricity Company (PLN) electricity tariffs. Environmentally, the system reduced CO₂ emissions by approximately 1.45 metric tons over seven months, equivalent to removing 0.32 cars from the road and comparable to the emission reduction achieved by a small wind turbine. Nevertheless, challenges such as fluctuating weather conditions impacting energy generation and high initial costs remain, highlighting the need for advanced technologies and policy support to enhance adoption.

Abstract: The grain drying process in Indonesia is usually done by conventional drying or by using a drying machine with a gas energy source. The conventional grain drying process is very dependent on weather conditions and is relatively long, while using a machine with a gas energy source the drying process only takes 5 hours. However, the energy used by the machine includes non-renewable energy. This research aims to design a grain dryer that combines two energy sources, namely solar heat as the main and renewable energy source and uses an electric heating heat energy source when in conditions of low sunlight intensity or at night with a maximum capacity of 35kg of wet grain. To achieve these goals, the methods used in this research are sequential hysteresis and the greenhouse effect. From the test results that have been carried out, the machine is able to dry wet grain with a moisture content of 26% to 14% during the day by using solar thermal energy takes 3 hours 45 minutes with an average electric power consumption of 0,0506 KWh. While drying grain using electric heaters at night takes 4 hours 15 minutes with an average electric power consumption of 1,0704 KWh.