The Journal of Engineering Research [TJER]

INFLUENCE OF BACILLUS PUMILUS ON THE PLASTICITY OF TREATED LATERITIC SOIL

Mr U.E Nwaedozie, Prof K. J Osinubi, Prof A. O Eberemu, Paul Yohanna — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

The effect of Bacillus pumilus (B. pumilus) on the improvement potential of some selected geotechnical properties of lateritic soil was studied. Air-dried soils were cured in paced Bacillus pumilus suspensions between 0 and 2.4 × 109 cells/ml. Cured test samples adopted mix ratios of 50% B. pumilus / 50 % cementation reagent(50 % B – 50 % C) for sample A and 25% B. pumilus / 75 % cementation reagent(25% B – 75% C), for sample B, all conforming to the liquid limit of the soil. The geotechnical properties of the lateritic soil showed different levels of improvement with increasing B. pumilus suspension densities. The specific gravity generally diminished with rise in B. pumilus suspension from 2.55 for the natural soil to 2.33 and 2.26 at 2.4 × 109 cells/ml for samples A and B, respectively. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) decreased from 26.6Cmol/kg for the natural soil to 8.7Cmol/kg at B. pumilus suspension of 1.8 × 109 cells/ml. The Atterberg Limits of lateritic soil specifically, plasticity index (PI) decreased from 19.0% and 29.1% for the natural and control lateritic soil to values of 6.2 and 8.9 % for samples A (50 % B – 50 % C) and B (25% B – 75% C), respectively, at optimal B. pumilus suspension density of 2.4 × 109 cells/ml, Sample B (25 % B – 75% C) recorded a better improvement in terms of the plasticity of the treated soils

Design of Pseudo-LFSR Based Physical Unclonable Function

Jeeru Dinesh Reddy, Ajaykumar Devarapalli, Radha RC — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are primarily used for authenticating hardware devices. The objective of this research is to generate a large set of challenge-response pairs to strengthen the PUF. The Pseudo-LFSR PUF design relies on LFSR but does not contain any shift register; instead, it employs combinational circuits like inverters and XOR gates. The PUF's strength is based on the quantity of challenge-response pairs it possesses, with a larger set indicating better security and authentication. The proposed PUF has significant advantages, such as producing a large-bit response, with n bits of response captured from a single n-bit challenge. Moreover, the mapping of challenge and response pairs can be varied without disrupting the hardware structure. Typically, Physical Unclonable Functions are implemented on FPGAs and ASICs. This study discusses the detailed design of a strong LFSR-based PUF and how the modified design increases the challenge-response pairs.

Tracking Stray Camels Crossing the Roads to Prevent Vehicle Accidents in Oman

Murshid Abdullah Al Alawi , Shaik Mazhar Hussain Shaik — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

The work presented in this paper addresses the problem of vehicle accidents due to stray camels crossing the roads by notifying the drivers about camels’ existence and location. Subsequently, the drivers can take precautionary measures to prevent collisions with camels. This is achieved by developing a system consisting of two parts. The first part is a bracelet tied to the camel's neck, and the second is the mobile application installed on the driver's mobile device. Hence, this proposed work aims to prevent road accidents in Oman due to stray camels moving freely on the roads and achieving safer travel during the day and night.

A comparative study of filtration rate of water-based mud between silica and zinc oxide nanoparticles of different sizes for the deep well application

Almotasim Alkalbani, Girma Chala, Alhaitham Alkalbani — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

In the oil and gas industry, drilling mud plays a vital role in the drilling process. However, during the drilling process, various factors such as the filtration process, the formation of a mud paste, and the pressure variation on the well walls can significantly impact the designs and complications in the well, in addition to changing the characteristics of the reservoir. One of the challenges in the drilling process is the leaching process, which can cause various problems including the rearrangement of pressure in the vicinity of the wellbore, swelling, and a variation in the strength characteristics of the rocks. These problems can lead to the insecurity of the wellbore, cavity formation, and precipitation. Therefore, it is crucial to displace the front reservoir fluid from the well and redistribute the pressure near the well to reduce the outflow risks of the well. To address these challenges, this study aims to analyze the filtration rate of water-based mud with silicon dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles. The water-based mud used in this study was made by combining various chemicals such as Caustic Soda (NaOH), Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Xanthan Gum, Starch, HT Starch, Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), and Barite for usage in a deep well. In addition, different concentrations of HT starch with both silica and zinc oxide nanoparticles were also investigated. The drilling mud's filtration properties were determined using HPHT and API filter presses, which were used under very high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) and low pressure and low temperature (LPLT) conditions, respectively. The study found that nanoparticles provide better filtration rate performance as opposed to conventional mud. Notably, the use of zinc oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles reduced the HPHT filtration rate of conventional water-based mud by 26.2% and 52.3%, respectively.

Performance of Mineral Oil Based Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Nanolubricant in Vapor Compression Refrigeration System: An Experimental Study

Nawaz Ahmad, Mohammad Tariq, Afzal Husain — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

Extensive research has been carried out in order to design a refrigeration system that is efficient and consumes less power. Several researchers have explored various techniques to decrease the power usage of compressors and increase the coefficient of performance (COP) of refrigeration systems by utilizing nanoparticles. The remarkable properties of nanoparticles, including their exceptional thermo-physical and tribological characteristics, have made their usage in a variety of thermal applications. This study investigated the performance of a hydrocarbon blend refrigerant also known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), mixed with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) nanolubricant made from mineral oil (MO) at different concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/L), to replace the conventional working fluid R134a/Polyolester (POE) oil. The overall performance of the system was observed by evaluating different parameters such as; pressure ratio, compressor energy consumption (EC), refrigeration effect (RE) and COP. The results revealed that by using 0.4 g/L nanolubricant with LPG reduced the pressure ratio and compressor’s energy consumption by 54.3% and 25% respectively, and also improved the COP by 25% compared to R134/POE. The ideal concentration for nanolubricant among all the working fluids was found to be 0.4 g/L.

PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF CONDUCTIVE TECHNICAL FABRICS TO SMART TEXTILES

Nsreen Alatrash, Ziad Saffour, Ghazal Tuhmaz — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

Cotton fabrics were used in this study to create electrically conductive pathways through printing with conductive materials. Graphite and a mixture of graphite oxide with manganese oxide were utilized as conductive inks in screen printing. To create the conductive ink, conductive materials were mixed with other substances such as thickener, moisturizer, and water. The viscosity of the ink was 10 mPa.s. After printing on the cotton fabric samples, the effect of conductive concentration on electrical conductivity was examined. It was found that a 5% concentration of graphite achieved the highest conductivity (1.75 × 10-5 S.cm-1). To further improve conductivity, multiple layers of conductive ink were printed on the fabric. Three layers were applied, with the first and third containing graphite and the second containing graphite oxide and manganese oxide (battery core). The conductivity values reached 6.5 × 10-3 S.cm-1. This conductive fabric was used in the creation of electronic smart clothing to measure the human body temperature index. The conductive ink printed on the fabric served as a link between electronic components, transmitting electrical signals. In addition, a smart product using conductive yarns was created as a comparison to the conductive ink. Results showed that the sensor signal was transmitted well and readings were consistent.

Pedal Energy – Photovoltaic (PV) Integration as an Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy

Yusnaini Arifin, Ramang Magga, Agustinus Kali , Andry Gunawan , Saddam Husen — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

Photovoltaic is Renewable Energy (RE) sourced from the sun. Apart from PV, pedal power generation is also a form of RE that can be used as alternative electrical energy because humans generate this energy in the pedalling mechanism. Furthermore, single use of renewable energy has limited continuity in the load supply because it relies heavily on sources that are only available sometimes. As proposed in this research, integrating several renewable energies, such as PV and pedal energy, could be a solution. This pedal generator uses a static bicycle to produce electrical energy by utilizing the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) to convert pedal energy into electrical energy. The electrical energy produced by PV and static bicycle is stored in a battery. A constant DC voltage interfacing in an efficient battery energy storage system is needed. Buck DC-DC converters maintain constant voltage from PV and static bicycles. The results show that the converters can stabilize a voltage of 65-32 volts from the generator permanent magnet and 17.19-18.3 volts from the photovoltaic to a constant voltage of 13.8 Volts. In addition, the proposed system utilized INA219 sensors as a measuring system. The maximum sensor inaccuracy of voltage and current is 2.96% and 0.81%, respectively.

Analysis and Characterization of TIO2 Nanoparticle Effect on Aluminum Matrix Nanocomposites by Stir Casting

Abdulsalam Obaid, Riyadh A. Al-Samarai — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

The objective of this study was to use stir casting to create aluminum matrix nanocomposites with a uniform dispersion of TiO₂ nanoparticles to evaluate their effect on the performance of aluminum-based products. Microstructural analysis significantly reduced the grain size, with an average drop of 18.2%. This suggests that the TiO2 nanoparticles affect the mineral matrix, which improves the mechanical properties. With the incorporation of TiO2 particles, the results showed improvements in stiffness (6.97%), nominal stress (27.92%), actual failure stress (25.6%), and ultimate stress (26.1%). Outperforming commercially pure aluminum, the mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites were significantly improved by adding TiO₂ nanoparticles into the aluminum matrix. Microstructural and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the beneficial effects of the addition of nanoparticles.

Improved ADRC-Based Integral Flux Observer for IPMSM Sensorless Control

RAHMAN SADIQ UR, Mahmood Ul Hassan , Yasir Iqbal , Muhammad Fahad — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

An interior Permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drive employing sensorless control strategies offers to simplify the design of servo systems, reduce costs, and improve reliability, thus attracting significant research attention from both academic and industrial sectors for decades. The straightforward configuration and decreased application prerequisites make model-based sensorless control approaches highly popular. Notably, the conventional first-order integrator flux observer technique exhibits remarkable robustness owing to its minimal reliance on motor parameters. However, the conventional first-order integrator experiences a DC drift and harmonics in the estimated rotor flux as a result of non-ideal factors, such as detection errors, integral initial value, converter nonlinearities, and parameter mismatches. In this paper, an improved ADRC-based integral flux observer capable of eliminating drift is developed to achieve high-accuracy flux estimation. The efficiency of the proposed technique in eliminating the drift from the estimated flux, as evidenced by theoretical analysis, has no detrimental effect on the amplitude or phase angle of the fundamental waveform. The validity of the proposed improved ADRC-based integral flux observer is verified by sensorless vector control of a 7.5 [kW] three-phase IPMSM motor via extensive numerical simulation.

Gated Recurrent Unit for Load Forecasting of Water Pumping Stations in Jebel Akhdar

Razzaqul Ahshan, Md. Shadman Abid , Mohammed Al-Abri — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0400

The relationship between water demand and electrical power consumption is critical as water transmission systems necessitate considerable amounts of energy. Accurate load forecasting for water pumping stations can improve the proper administration of energy, reduce inefficiency, and improve profitability. The application of contemporary deep learning techniques can significantly optimize energy consumption, save expenditures, and promote sustainable development in the context of water pumping stations. Moreover, precise load forecasting is essential for the proper functioning and energy management of water pumping stations, especially in areas with intricate topographical circumstances. Hence, this research utilizes Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) to forecast the load demands of water pumping stations in Jebel Akhdar. The suggested model is specifically intended to capture the temporal dependencies and non-linear patterns that are inherent in the load demand data of the water pumping stations. In this regard, GRUs excel in their ability to dynamically update the hidden state, allowing them to capture complex temporal patterns accurately. Therefore, this study offers specific insights and solutions that may be used to comparable places characterized by intricate time-series variables. The approach provides superior prediction accuracy compared to standard forecasting methods by using historical load data. The findings of this work illustrate valuable insights for utility regulators to optimize energy usage and ensure sustainable water delivery.