Electrodeposition and characterization of Cu2S thin films from aqueous solution

An electrodeposition method was used to prepare Cu ₂S thin film deposited on Ti substrate. The effect of deposition potential, concentration and deposition time was studied to determine the optimum condition for the electrodeposition process. Cyclic voltammetry was performed to elucidate the electrodic processes that occur while potentials for electrodeposition were applied to determine the optimum potential for electrodeposition. The thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometry. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to observe the morphology, composition and structure of the deposits. Cu ₂S showed a cubic morphology.     

Segmented Animation,User-Control Strategy and Cognition

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various user-control strategies of segmented animation in learning abstract contents or processes that are not naturally visual on the cognition of students. In particular, the study examined the effects of five different user-control strategies: linear user-control, random user-control, free user-control, program-control, and continuous user-control. The research design was quasi-experimental and the data obtained were statistically analysed using ANCOVA and ANOVA. The instruments involved were pre-test, post-test, and NASA-TLX cognitive load test. The sample size consisted of 265 semester-two students enrolled in the Diploma in Networking System. The results indicated significant differences in the post-test and cognitive load test outcomes. In conclusion, this study suggests that the use of user-control, either linear user-control or random user-control, were sufficient strategies for learning abstract contents in segmented animation form.     

Behaviour of Cold Formed Steel Built-Up Channel Columns Strengthened Using CFRP

International Journal of Steel Structures - This paper presents experimental findings of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthened cold-formed steel built-up channels subjected to axial...     

Energy-Efficient Power Allocation with Hybrid Beamforming for Millimetre-Wave 5G Massive MIMO System

Wireless Personal Communications - Massive multiple-input and multiple-output systems combined with hybrid beamforming technique is a key approach to achieve high data rate and extended cell...     

An overview of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel

As hydrogen fuel cell vehicles move from manifestation to commercialization, the users expect safe, convenient and customer-friendly fuelling. Hydrogen quality affects fuel cell stack performance and lifetime, as well as other factors such as valve operation. In this paper, previous researcher's development on hydrogen as a possible major fuel of the future has been studied thoroughly. Hydrogen is one of the energy carriers which can replace fossil fuel and can be used as fuel in an internal combustion engines and as a fuel cell in vehicles. To use hydrogen as a fuel of internal combustion engine, engine design should be considered for avoiding abnormal combustion. As a result it can improve engine efficiency, power output and reduce NO_x emissions. The emission of fuel cell is low as compared to conventional vehicles but as penalty, fuel cell vehicles need additional space and weight to install the battery and storage tank, thus increases it production cost. The production of hydrogen can be ‘carbon-free’ only if it is generated by employing genuinely carbon-free renewable energy sources. The acceptability of hydrogen technology depends on the knowledge and awareness of the hydrogen benefits towards environment and human life. Recent study shows that people still do not have the sufficient information of hydrogen.     

Microbial community analysis of mixed anaerobic microflora in suspended sludge of ASBR producing hydrogen from palm oil mill effluent

This study investigated the microbial community of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) operating at mesophilic temperature under varying hydraulic retention times (HRTs) for evaluating optimal hydrogen production conditions, using palm oil mill effluent (POME) as substrate. POME sludge enriched by heat treatment with hydrogen-producing bacteria was used as inoculum and acclimated with the POME. The microbial community was determined by first isolating cultivable bacteria at each operating HRT and then using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were sequenced and sequence identification was performed using the BLAST algorithm and Genbank database. The findings revealed that about 50% of the isolates present were members of the genus Streptococcus, about 30% were Lactobacillus species and around 20% were identified as species of genus Clostridium. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis also confirmed the presence of spherical and rod-shaped microbial morphologies in the sludge samples of bioreactor during prolonged cultivation.     

Organic conductor: Influence of preparation temperature

The conducting polypyrrole–polyethylene glycol (PPy–PEG) composite films were produced at various polymerization temperature ranging from 5 °C to 60 °C using 1 × 10^?3 M PEG, 0.20 M pyrrole and 0.10 M p-toluene sulfonate at 1.20 V (vs. SCE). The polymerization temperature of 5 °C appeared as the optimum preparation temperature showing the highest electrical conductivity of 70 S/cm and the thermal diffusivity of 8.76 × 10^?7 m² s^?1. The electrical conductivity and thermal diffusivity exhibited a decreasing trend with the increase in polymerization temperature in the pyrrole solution used to prepare the composite films. The XRD results reveal that low temperature (5 °C) typically results in more crystalline films, which are denser, stronger and have higher conductivity. The optical microscopy of PPy–PEG shows the globular surface morphology. The surface of the of the solution side of PPy–PEG film prepared at low temperatures showed a globular morphology.     

Synthesis and optimization of future hydrogen energy infrastructure planning in Peninsular Malaysia

The potential future use of hydrogen as an energy carrier in the transportation sector necessitates a shift in the current energy supply chain from supplying petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel, to supply hydrogen. This research was carried out to investigate hydrogen demand and determine the optimum hydrogen delivery network employing truck transportation. Peninsular Malaysia was taken as a case study. The hydrogen demand was determined using two method: Firstly, by assuming that the hydrogen demand in Peninsular Malaysia as a function of total vehicle numbers, average total distance traveled and vehicle fuel economy were measured. While the second method investigated based on the current supply of gasoline and diesel from surveys on local petrol stations in Peninsular Malaysia. As a result, the second method was found as more accurate method and adopted as the overall energy demand in Peninsular Malaysia. Objective function for total investment cost for the future hydrogen infrastructure was developed based on the production technologies, type of transport, type of storage, product phase and plant type. The model was solved based on MILP using GAMS. Finally from the result, it can be concluded that liquefied hydrogen produced by natural gas steam reforming and delivered via tanker trucks is the optimum hydrogen supply chain method due to the minimum cost.