Shahruddin Mahzan

Passive Damage Detection of Natural Fibre Reinforced Composites Using Sensor Response Data

This paper presents the detection of impact damage in a natural fibre reinforced composite plate under low velocity impact damage. Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) sensors were placed at ten different positions on each plate in order to record the response signals. The response signals captured from each sensor were collected for impacts performed by a data acquisition system. The impacted plates were examined with optical microscope to examine the damaged areas. It was found that the damaged size grew proportionally with impact force. The results also revealed that PZT sensors can be used to detect the damage extent with the waveform of sensor signals implying the damage initiation and propagation which detected above the damage force of 150N.

Comparison of high temperature oxidation of nanocrystalline FeCr alloy consolidated by spark plasma sintering and hot pressing

The oxidation kinetics and microstructure characteristics of oxide scales thermally grown on the surface of developed FeCr alloy were investigated at 900 °C. The influence of difference sintering technique, i.e. spark plasma sintering and hot pressing, to improve nanostructured alloy performance was studied. The La-implantation was also considered in this study. It was found that the SPS sintered sample showed better performance than the HP sintered sample. Moreover, it also found that a combining of La-implantation and nanostructured alloy was most beneficial. While nanostructured alloy reduced the oxidation rate, the La-implantation increased the Cr2O3 scale conductivity.

Damage size classification of natural fibre reinforced composites using neural network

Damage classification is considered as an important feature in pattern recognition, which led to providing significant information. This research work explores damage size classification for several impact events in natural fibre reinforced composites, which is based on the information provided by the ten piezoceramics (PZT) sensors. An Impact event produced strain waves which several data features were obtained through the response captured. An effective impact damage classification procedure is established using a multilayer perceptron neural network approach. The system was trained to predict the damage size based on the actual experimental data. The data features were mapped into five output class labels, presented as a target confusion matrix. The classification results revealed that the damage sizes were successfully mapped according to its respective class, with the peak to peak feature gives the highest classification rate at 98.4%.

The Effect of Pretreatment Powder Using Ball Mill and Ultrasound on the Properties of Single Cell Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is currently popular due to its capability to convert hydrogen into electricity directly from oxidizing hydrogen fuel. The SOFC is one of the expected renewable energy devices and green technology in the future because of less carbon dioxide production and no pollutant product. Performance of SOFC was influenced by morphology and microstructure of the material, starting particle size and particles distribution. This paper addresses the comparative evaluation of using pretreatment NiO/YSZ powder using ball mill and ultrasound processess on the performance of a single cell SOFC. The performance of solid oxide fuel cell was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and impedance spectroscopy, measured at room temperature. The results indicate that the treatment using ultrasound process is better than ball mill process due the total resistance is smaller and distribution particle is more homogenous.

Energy Absorption Characteristics of Polyurethane Composite Foam-Filled Tubes Subjected to Quasi-Static Axial Loading

Foam-filled enclosures are very common in structural crashworthiness to increase energy absorption. However, very less research has been targeted on potential use of natural/recycled material reinforced foam-filled tubes. Therefore, an experimental investigation was performed to quantify energy absorption capacity of polyurethane (PU) composite foam-filled circular steel tubes under quasi-static axial loading. The thickness of the tubes was varied from 1.9, 2.9 and 3.6 mm. The tubes were filled with PU composite foam. The PU composite foam was processed with addition of kenaf plant fiber and recycled rubber particles that were refined at 80 mesh particulates into PU system. The density of PU resin was varied from 100, 200 and 300 kgm-3. The PU composite foam-filled tubes were crushed axially at constant speed in a universal testing machine and their energy absorption was characterized from the resulting load-deflection data. Results indicate that PU composite foam-filled tubes exhibited better energy absorption capacity than those PU foam-filled tubes and its respective empty tubes. Interaction effect between the tube and the foam and incorporation of filler into PU system led to an increase in mean crushing load compared to that of the unfilled PU foam or tube itself. Relatively, progressively collapse modes were observed for all tested tubes. Findings suggested that composite foam-filled tubes could be used as crashworthy member.

Effect of triggering angles on the crushing mechanisms of hybrid woven kenaf/aluminum hollow cylinders

This paper presents the effect of triggering angles constructed on the top of hybrid woven kenaf/aluminium hollow cylinders on the energy absorption performances. The crushing performances of aluminium tubes can be found widely in open literature. However, lack number of work on the hybridizing the aluminium tubes with woven kenaf fibre is found. Woven kenaf mats are produced and bathed with polymeric resin before they are wrapped around the aluminium tubes twice. Different fibre orientations, +-θ° are used where θ = 0, 15, 30 and 45. Once the hybrid composite hardened, one of their end are chamfered using different angles of 0o, 30o, 45o and 60o. The tubes are quasi-statically compressed in order to obtain their force-displacement responses and crashworthiness parameters are extracted and discussed with the relation of fibre orientations and chamfering angles. It is found that the chamfering angles are only affected the force-displacement curves during the first stage of elastic deformation whereas there is no obvious effect in the second stage. However, varying the fibre orientations are slightly increased the force-displacement curves especially when the fibre is orientated with 30o. Based on the fracture mechanism observations, most of composite experienced large fragmentation indicating that the composites absorbed the crushing energy ineffectively.

Improvement of automatic fish feeder machine design

Nation Plan of action for management of fishing is target to achieve an efficient, equitable and transparent management of fishing capacity in marine capture fisheries by 2018. However, several factors influence the fishery production and efficiency of marine system such as automatic fish feeder machine could be taken in consideration. Two latest fish feeder machines have been chosen as the reference for this study. Based on the observation, it has found that the both machine was made with heavy structure, low water and temperature resistance materials. This researchs objective is to develop the automatic feeder machine to increase the efficiency of fish feeding. The experiment has conducted to testing the new design of machine. The new machine with maximum storage of 5 kg and functioning with two DC motors. This machine able to distribute 500 grams of pellets within 90 seconds and longest distance of 4.7 meter. The higher speed could reduce time needed and increase the distance as well. The minimum speed range for both motor is 110 and 120 with same full speed range of 255.

Assessment and Evaluation for Programme Learning Outcomes in Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) is the 15th of the 20 public universities established in Malaysia. UTHM consists of eight faculties. One of them is the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (FKMP). The programme offered – Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Honours (BDD), undergoes continuous auditing and accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC). To fulfill the requirement for accreditation, EAC requires the faculty to assess and evaluate the programme learning outcomes’ (PLOs) attainment of the graduates, such that all graduates are targeted to achieve the performance indicator (PI) upon graduation. This paper discusses the methods developed by the FKMP for PLOs’ measurement and evaluation. Two approaches are utilized in this regards, (i) the direct assessment based on students’ performance in courses, and (ii) the indirect assessment based the industrial and graduates’ perception. The PLOs’ attainment for graduates of cohort 2010-2012 are analysed in this study. Consolidation data shows that the PI for majority of the PLOs are achieved, indicating that the programme offered complies with the standard expected by different stakeholders.

Programme Learning Outcomes Assessment and Continuous Quality Improvement in Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing, UTHM

This paper describes the assessment and continuous quality improvement of Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs) in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing. PLO is known as an elementary requirement in Outcome Based Education (OBE) system. All PLOs have been mapped with graduate attributes by EAC Manual 2012. Conceptual process for establishing and reviewing PLOs has been explained in the Plan-Check-Do-Act cycle. PLO assessment has been shown in different types which classified as direct and indirect methods. Continuous Quality Improvement has been extracted from a variety of assessment and has been discussed. Seven (7) CQIs are identified using different assessment methods of PLO during years 2013 to 2016 and subsequent improvement actions have been taken by the faculty within three years.

Wave velocity characteristic for Kenaf natural fibre under impact damage

This paper aims to determining the wave velocity characteristics for kenaf fibre reinforced composite (KFC) and it includes both experimental and simulation results. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensor were proposed to be positioned to corresponding locations on the panel. In order to demonstrate the wave velocity, an impacts was introduced onto the panel. It is based on a classical sensor triangulation methodology, combines with experimental strain wave velocity analysis. Then the simulation was designed to replicate panel used in the experimental impacts test. This simulation was carried out using ABAQUS. It was shown that the wave velocity propagates faster in the finite element simulation. Although the experimental strain wave velocity and finite element simulation results do not match exactly, the shape of both waves is similar.