Kasetsart Engineering Journal

Economic Engineering of biodegradable mulch film process and nanocellulose crystal from the empty fruit bunch

2023-07-15T21:29:23+07:00

Thailand has many palm plantations for oil production, producing the Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) wastes of 8,281 tons per year. This study used secondary data to extract EFB to cellulose and lignin. Then cellulose was converted to nanocellulose crystalline (NCC). At the same time, lignins were produced into biodegradable mulch film. This research aimed to simulate the process model of NCC and Biodegradable mulch film from EFB using Aspen Plus and to perform an economic analysis to estimate the net profit and payback period. The manufacturing process contained 3 procedures: 1 using sodium hydroxide to extract lignin out of EFB to get cellulose in the solid and lignin in the liquid portions, 2 separations of lignin from liquid and manufacturing biodegradable mulch film using lignin mixed Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 3 purifying cellulose and producing NCC using sulfuric acid. The simulation result showed that using an EFB of 2 tons per day makes an NCC of 22 kilograms and a biodegradable mulch film of 41 kilograms per day. Furthermore, the economic assessment results revealed that the internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), and payback period methods were 352%, 363,412,341 Baht, and 3.41 months, respectively.

Computer - Aided Design of Safety Instrumented System

2023-12-08T12:10:58+07:00

The objective of this article is to develop a computer program for calculating Safety Instrumented Systems
bared on the IEC 61508/61511 standards. This program help in performing hazard analysis in industrial processes
by risk values, assessing the safety integrity level of devices, and determining device error rates, thereby assisting
in the design and evaluation of Safety Instrumented Systems. The results revealed that calculation time of Safety Instrumented Systems were reduced, mistakes from calculation were decreased and Safety Instrumented Systems design problems were defined proper solutions.

Enhancing the Performance of Fiber Cement Composites through the Incorporation of Aluminum-Zinc Compounds

2023-12-16T00:19:05+07:00

Fiber cement composite is a popular building material produced using advanced manufacturing processes such as the Hatschek process, autoclave, and air curing. Fiber cement products find application in various scenarios, making it necessary to develop their mechanical and physical properties. However, the movement of moisture within the product leads to a reduction in its lifespan. This research aims to create a water-repellent fiber cement product with consistent properties throughout the material by incorporating inorganic compounds such as zinc and aluminum. The specimens underwent mechanical property testing using a universal testing machine. The results showed that the modulus of rupture and the modulus of elasticity of the specimens exceeded industry standards at 9.5 and 8161 MPa, respectively. Physical attributes were evaluated, including bulk density, water absorption, and a contact angle test. It was found that the density of the resulting product increased, and water absorption decreased. The resulting product demonstrates water-repellent properties across its entirety, with a maximum contact angle test measurement of 133.5 degrees. Elemental composition was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) techniques to determine the presence of the newly formed phases, namely Calcium zinc hydroxide dehydrate and Friedel's salt.

Comparison of Heat Transfer of Battery Lithium Phosphate Between Air Cooling, Indirect Cooling and Immersion Cooling System

2023-06-02T16:17:45+07:00

This research studied and compared the heat transfer enhancement using air cooling, indirect cooling and immersion cooling system using Novec 7100 fluid. The results showed that the immersion cooling system had the potential to decrease the temperature of the surface battery, having a value from 34.61 to 26.95 degrees Celsius. It was also found that the immersion cooling system enhances the heat transfer capability from the surface of the battery to Novec 7100 fluid and the air inside the test section, leading to a maximum increase in the Nusselt number by 3.45 times compared to the air cooling system. Additionally, the results showed that the indirect cooling system provides the lowest Nusselt number when compared to other cooling methods in this research. The comparison of the heat transfer enhancement on the lithium-ion battery surface of the various cooling systems contribute to the development of effective battery thermal management and also apply in engineering research or industries related to batteries in the future.

An automatic phoenix mushroom cabinet

2024-06-10T10:10:39+07:00

This thesis aims to development of an automatic phoenix mushroom cabinet use a microcontroller for control the operating system. The researchers studied and analyzed the ESP32 microcontroller's instruction programs to control devices inside the fairy seed container. Then, they tested a series of instructions used to control devices that consist of the first part of the micro-coordinate instruction set. The controller used to control temperature and humidity sensors to order mist pumps and fans and light bulbs to operate, the second part was alerted through the Blynk application. The researchers then designed and built a structured of a phoenix mushroom container measuring 80 centimeters in width, 55 centimeters in length and 100 centimeters in height to test the microcontroller instruction set. The research found that microcontrollers can control fog pumps, temperature ranges of 24-28 °C and humidity ranges of 80-89%; fans and light bulbs can operate at 26-32 °C and humidity ranges of 73-83%. They can also be alerted via Blynk application.

Application of CAD and CAE Integrations for Designing an Ocular Surface Irrigating Device

2024-03-13T13:31:26+07:00

The research is to design an ocular surface irrigating device which used to assist in patients with ocular trauma by chemicals or other hazardous substances. The device is designed to have a maximal capacity of 65 ml and the top of this can be connected to the IV fluid line. The normal saline (0.9% NaCl solution) is then allowed to flow to the device and then drained out at the bottom hole. The device is separately designed for left and right eyes. The use of a silicone pad at the bottom of the device is necessary to prevent leakage and reduce the pressure that might cause any uncomfort to the patients while in use. Flow simulation within the device was analyzed by using Solidworks at flowrates of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 2.74 cm³/s, respectively. The analytical results were found that the flowrate of 2.74 cm³/s (free flow) was the most proper flow rate for effective eye irrigation in these patients. The device was printed from Phrozen Aqua Clay 3D printing technology and clinically tested by an ophthalmologist. The experimental results showed good agreement with analytical results and greatly facilitated the ophthalmologist.