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Title: Estimation of the Modulus of Elasticity of Mango for Fruit Sorting
Author(s): Chiebuka T. Nnodim, Ahmed M. R. Fath El Bab, Bernard W. Ikua, Daniel N. Sila
Pages: 1-10 Paper ID: 191702-5858-IJMME-IJENS Published: April, 2019
Abstract: In this paper, compression tests were carried out on two varieties of mangoes namely Totapuri and Tommy Atkins using a universal testing machine (UTM) in order to determine their modulus of elasticity. A detailed design procedure for developing a tactile sensor to differentiate between different ripeness levels of mango within the sensor range is presented. Each variety of the mango tested had 5 samples of different ripeness levels to test their elastic modulus. The mangoes were loaded radially and the elastic modulus obtained, was seen to be between 0.5MPa and 3.5MPa. The tactile sensor developed is based on two springs, each of which has different stiffness. This design ensures high sensitivity as well as linearity of the output. The measuring range of the sensor was selected based on the modulus of elasticity of mango fruit chosen from the compression tests carried out. The performance of the tactile sensor was studied from the simulation results obtained from a finite element model, which was developed using ANSYS Mechanical APDL software. The simulation results show that- the sensor can differentiate between different mango fruits based on their elastic modulus within the specified range of the sensor.
Keywords: Elastic modulus, Mango fruit, Tactile Sensor, Finite element.
Full Text (.pdf)  International Journals Of Engineering and Science | 1,263 KB
Title: Coconut Fiber Panel towards Acoustical Performance
Author(s): M. Y. Yuhazri, B. Paramananthan, M. H. Amirhafizan, H. Sihombing
Pages: 11-24 Paper ID: 192002-7676-IJMME-IJENS Published: April, 2019
Abstract: In this research, the natural material fiber was intended to replace the synthetic fiber to reduce its dependency on synthetic materials. Basically, the use of natural material can minimize the cost in terms of materials and processing as well as to conserve the environment by reducing the waste of natural material. An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the sound absorption properties of coconut fiber with and without holes reinforced polyurethane (PU) for acoustic applications. The materials used in this study were coconut fiber as a reinforcement and PU as a matrix. The absorption coefficient of the acoustic panel was measured by using impedance tube and reverberation room testing. The results reveal that S3 shows good agreement in absorption coefficient value which is 0.75 between the frequencies of 3500 to 4000 Hz. The findings of this study also suggest that the absorption coefficient of CSM coconut fiber filled with PU without holes shows better perfomance compared to CSM coconut fiber filled with PU with holes 3 mm or 6 mm. Implications of the results and future research directions are also presented.
Keywords: Natural fiber, acoustical, coconut fiber, polyurethane.
Full Text (.pdf)  International Journals Of Engineering and Science | 607 KB
Title: Reinforcement of Chitosan Based Composite Film Using Chitin Nano-Whiskers and The Effects of Heat Treatment For The Wing Membrane of Biomimetic Micro Air Vehicle (BMAV)
Author(s): Rubentheren Viyapuri, Thomas A. Ward, C. K. L. Jeffrey, Sivaraos
Pages: 25-32 Paper ID: 192102-5858-IJMME-IJENS Published: April, 2019
Abstract: This work investigates the effects of heat treatment on chitosan films reinforced with chitin nano-whiskers and tannic acid as a crosslinker. These films will be used as a wing membrane for the state of the art biomimetic micro air vehicle (BMAV). Films were created using casting-evaporation technique. Samples of non-heat treated nanocomposites films were used as a control and compared with samples that were heat treated. Films mechanical properties were significantly changed when compared to non- heat treated samples. Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to investigate molecular interaction of the film. X-ray diffraction ((XRD) studies revealed crystallinity changes on the film (both with and without heat treatment). Moisture and wettability studies were conducted to investigate the effects of heat treatment on hydrophobicity of the film.
Keywords: Chitosan film; Heat treatment; Chitin Nano-whisker; Tannic acid; Nanocomposite
Full Text (.pdf)  International Journals Of Engineering and Science | 761 KB