Journal of Applied Engineering Design and Simulation

Experimental Investigation of Hydrogel-Based Passive Cooling for Battery Thermal Management in EV Applications

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has necessitated the efficient and energy-saving battery thermal management systems (BTMS) in the market. The operation of lithium-ion batteries creates a lot of heat, and prolonged exposure leads to performance degradation and raises a safety risk. Although active cooling techniques work, they take additional energy and decrease driving distance. This work investigates the performance of a passive cooling technique based on hydrogel layers for 12V prismatic LiFePO₄ batteries. A test rig was built to simulate and measure two scenarios: air-cooled and hydrogels to air-cooled. The hydrogel-based system was shown to bring down the maximum temperature of the battery to 30.0°C versus a temperature of 35.8°C observed in the absence of hydrogel, suggesting a better thermal regulation without any additional power consumption.

Prototype of an Internet of Things Based Durian Tree Smart Switch Water and Soil Monitoring System

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This paper presents an IoT-based monitoring system designed to address the challenges durian farmers face when managing remote orchards. The prototype integrates soil nutrient sensors that measure critical parameters (pH, NPK, humidity, temperature) with water level monitoring and automated irrigation control. Using ESP32 microcontrollers, modbus protocols, and solar power, the researchers created a sustainable system that transmits real-time data to a Node-RED dashboard via MQTT, storing historical information in MySQL databases. The system was validated through comparative testing against laboratory soil analysis, achieving acceptable error margins (6.25% for pH, 13.33% for Nitrogen). The smart water management component successfully automated irrigation based on predetermined thresholds, with both automatic and manual control options available through the user-friendly interface. Beyond the technical implementation, cost analysis revealed significant economic advantages compared to traditional monitoring methods, with one-time installation costs of approximately RM700 plus minimal annual subscription fees replacing monthly labor expenses of RM700-1500. This system represents a practical advancement in precision agriculture for durian cultivation, enabling farmers to make informed decisions about fertilization and irrigation while reducing the burden of managing remote orchards.

Development of an Internet of Things System for Lubrication Oil Level Monitoring

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Lubricant demand is predicted to keep growing in global markets. As a result, the lubrication industry should periodically measure the quantity of lubricant stock to guarantee its safety. Both software and hardware make up the constructed lab model of the Internet of Things system. Among the specialized parts of the system are a LiDAR sensor, an Arduino Esp32 microcontroller, and a network architecture. The sensor, which is mounted on top of the tank, collects data, which is subsequently transmitted to the microcontroller for processing. The sensor's primary function is to determine the level of lubricant in the tank. The data processing and link establishment for the network infrastructure are both handled by the microcontroller. Blynk Apps, a communication platform, is integral to the development of the system that is being created. In the event of an emergency, the system may either be automated or manually operated. The software has been programmed in such a way that it is able to send commands to the sensor using Blynk Apps from any place, provided that both connections are stable. The system provides the benefits of having a low cost as well as portability. The system is able to offer reliable data on the amount of the lubricant, which makes it possible to do maintenance and restock at appropriate time.

Improvement of Aerodynamic Analysis on Helicopter Rotor Blade by Applying Passive Flow Control

Mohd Hafiz Mohd Noh, Ahmad Hussein Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Shahrul Azryn Hanif — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Rotor blades are essential for helicopter flight as they provide lift similar to an airplane’s wings, allowing the aircraft to take off, hover, and maneuver. However, they also generate aerodynamic drag, which can reduce maximum speed, stability, maneuverability, and fuel efficiency. The enhancement on the blade is usually done at the trailing edge area; however, this time it was done at the leading edge location. This study explored the use of passive flow control to enhance rotor blade performance by minimizing surface turbulence. Through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, key parameters such as velocity and lift-to-drag ratios coefficient are examined at a Reynolds number (Re) of 3×10⁶. The research utilized the SST k-ω turbulence model and an unstructured mesh to simulate airflow around a NACA 0012 airfoil at a 15° angle of attack. Passive flow control was applied using slots of 5%, 10%, and 15% of the chord length, placed in turbulent flow regions and extending downstream. The findings indicate that positioning passive flow control further downstream increases the lift-to-drag ratio with 5% slot sizes delaying turbulence, improving velocity reattachment to the blade surface and improving the lift-to-drag ratio by approximately 77% compared with non slot blade. This highlights the effectiveness of passive flow control in improving the aerodynamic efficiency of rotor blades.

Modelling and Simulation Analysis of a PEM Water Electrolyser for Hydrogen Production

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Hydrogen energy is a renewable energy that can substitute fossil fuels in a wide application range. One of the efforts is producing hydrogen gas using a system called a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Electrolyser. Several efforts have been made in designing and improving a PEM electrolyser system to achieve optimum efficiency. This paper aims to develop a computational model for analysing the performance of a PEM water electrolyser, focusing on voltage losses, hydrogen production efficiency, and system optimization. This performance can be improved by analysing the effect of electrode potential on polarisation based on electrochemical and thermodynamics concepts. A MATLAB coding simulation was used in this paper to analyse the performance using combinations of Fick's Law and Darcy's Law. The first model, Model A, specifies the number of voltage losses in a PEM electrolyser with an open-circuit voltage and the three overpotentials of activation, ohmic and diffusion. Meanwhile, the second model, Model B, is known as the number of voltage and hydrogen losses due to convection and diffusion. The performance of the PEM electrolyser can be influenced by a variety of factors. This performance assessment focuses on the following relative humidity on the anode side, pressure and temperature. The results showed that Model B has a lower operating voltage than Model A, which only considered reversible voltage and voltage losses. The findings highlight the crucial role of anode relative humidity, where higher humidity lowers the operating voltage. Meanwhile, higher cathode pressure increases hydrogen crossover, raising the operating voltage but improving voltage efficiency. Model B accurately predicted output across various current densities, proving its reliability. This study underscores the importance of modelling in PEM electrolyser performance analysis. Future work should explore mass transport effects on hydrogen production using these models.

Formability Analysis of Dissimilar Aluminium Tailor Welded Blanks by Low-Powered Fibre Laser for Lightweight Automotive Application

Mohd Fadzil Jamaludin, Ahmad Baharuddin Abdullah, Zahurin Samad, Farazila Yusof — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The automotive industry is increasingly adopting lightweight materials to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, with aluminium alloys emerging as a promising option for vehicle weight reduction. This study investigates the formability challenges of dissimilar AA5052-H32 and AA6061-T6 aluminium tailor welded blanks (TWBs) fabricated using low-powered fibre laser welding for potential lightweight automotive applications. Welding parameters included laser powers of 270 W, 290 W and 310 W, paired with welding speeds of 10 mm/s, 15 mm/s and 20 mm/s, to join the dissimilar alloy pair in a butt-weld configuration via successive double-sided welding. Limiting dome height (LDH) tests revealed that the TWBs achieved only 35-40% of base metal formability, with fracture strains below 0.1 for both major and minor deformations. The presence of porosity in the weld zone, including a softening region identified by microhardness testing, contributed to premature failure during formability testing. These findings highlight the challenges associated with forming operations involving low-power laser welded aluminium TWBs and necessitate further research to improve formability and address manufacturing constraints.

Design Explorations on the Brake Force Distributions of a Motorbike

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The braking system is crucial for motorbike safety, as effective braking ensures both deceleration and stability. This study investigates the influence of the deceleration rate and the combined biker and pillion load on the optimal distribution of the braking force of a motorbike. A full factorial experimental design was employed using Altair HyperStudy to evaluate the influence of key parameters on braking-force distribution. The study considered three design factors: deceleration (0.1 g, 0.55 g, and 1.0 g), biker mass (50 kg, 75 kg, and 100 kg), and pillion mass (0 kg, 50 kg, and 100 kg). Results indicated a significant positive linear relationship between these parameters and brake forces, with deceleration as the most influential factor. An increase in deceleration resulted in a substantial rise in front brake force, up to 1753.22 N, while biker and pillion masses increased front brake force by 241.22 N and 350.69 N, respectively. Interaction effects revealed that the deceleration, in combination with the pillion load, produced a front brake force of 2226.64 N at 1g deceleration, while biker interaction resulted in 2091.47 N. For rear brake force, deceleration and pillion interaction yielded 64.28 N, highlighting its sensitivity to pillion at higher decelerations. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed the statistical significance of all parameters, emphasizing deceleration as critical. Optimal brake force distribution relies on deceleration, necessitating balanced braking to enhance efficiency and safety, achievable through synchronized braking mechanisms like the Concurrent Brake Actuator (CBA).

Energy Performance Analysis of Variable Refrigerant Flow System Retrofit: A Building Consumption Comparison Study

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study investigates the energy-saving potential of retrofitting an academic building at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) by replacing a conventional water-cooled chiller system with a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. The research focuses on the College of Built Environment's academic building, which has a total area of 251.68 m², comprising 3,441.76 m² of conditioned space. Using Option C of the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), the study compared pre-retrofit (2019) and post-retrofit (2023) energy consumption data. The analysis revealed that the VRF system implementation resulted in a 15.13% reduction in total building energy consumption, from 32,233 kWh to 27,356 kWh. With air conditioning accounting for 66% of the building's energy usage, the retrofit achieves a significant decrease in the ACMV system's energy consumption from 21,273.78 kWh to 16,396.78 kWh. The economic analysis, based on TNB Tariff C1 (Medium Voltage General Commercial), demonstrates monthly cost savings of RM 5,411, equivalent to an annual reduction of RM 64,935. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of VRF systems in achieving substantial energy and cost savings of academic building applications within Malaysia's tropical climate.