Experimental feasibility study of using date palm oil as a bitumen Bio-Modifier in HMA pavement

This paper examines the effects of Date palm oil as a bitumen modifier on the compressive strength of bitumen and hot mixed asphalt (HMA) pavement. Date palm oil contains anti-oxidant isomers that have the potential to enhance the performance and durability of bitumen. The compressive strength test of asphalt pavement mixed with Date palm oil was performed in accordance with British Standards BS 1881: Part 116: 1983. The cube specimens of asphalt pavement were manufactured mixing with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% of Date palm oil out of total sample mass. The experimental results suggested that Date palm oil as a bitumen modifier reduced the compressive strength of HMA pavement. The findings of this paper urge for further experiments to understand the effects of Date palm oil on the asphalt pavements under long-term traffic load, environment and surface drainage

Polymer optical waveguide based n wet-chemical fabrication process

The wet-chemical fabrication process of BenzoCyclobutene (BCB 4024-40) polymer waveguides are described. The method of prism coupling is adopted in the characterization process of the polymer film. A cost effective chemical etching technique is used in the waveguide fabrication process to take advantage of the photosensitive nature of the polymer. The waveguide loss is measured using the conventional cut back method which results on an average loss of 3.5 dB/cm

Optical Waveguide Modelling Based On Scalar Finite Difference Scheme

A Numerical Method Based On Scalar Finite Difference Scheme Was Adopted And Programmed On MATLAB® Platform For Optical Waveguide Modeling Purpose. Comparisons With Other Established Methods In Terms Of Normalized Propagation Constant Were Included To Verify Its Applicability. The Comparison Results Obtained Were Proven To Have The Same Qualitative Behaviour. Furthermore, The Performances Were Evaluated In Terms Of Computation Complexity, Mesh Size, And Effect Of Acceleration Factor. Computation Complexity Can Be Reduced By Increasing The Mesh Size Which Will Then Produce More Error. The Problem Can Be Rectified By Introducing The Acceleration Factor, Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) Parameter. It Shows That SOR Range Between 1.3 And 1.7 Can Give Shorter Computation Time, While Producing Constant Value Of Simulation Results

Machine Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks: Algorithms, Strategies, and Applications

Wireless sensor networks monitor dynamic environments that change rapidly over time. This dynamic behavior is either caused by external factors or initiated by the system designers themselves. To adapt to such conditions, sensor networks often adopt machine learning techniques to eliminate the need for unnecessary redesign. Machine learning also inspires many practical solutions that maximize resource utilization and prolong the lifespan of the network. In this paper, we present an extensive literature review over the period 2002-2013 of machine learning methods that were used to address common issues in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The advantages and disadvantages of each proposed algorithm are evaluated against the corresponding problem. We also provide a comparative guide to aid WSN designers in developing suitable machine learning solutions for their specific application challenges.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

The numerical techniques for thermal distribution analysis in optical waveguides

In this paper, the analysis of thermal distribution in planar optical waveguide cross-section when a single heater electrode applied is presented. Starting from the heat equation, the thermal analysis has been done using two proposed numerical methods which are include finite difference method (FDM) and finite element method (FEM). By considering conduction as the only heat transfer mechanism, the obtained results from the mentioned methods are shown to have a good agreemen

Prism coupling measurement of benzocyclobutene (BCB 4024-40) polymer for optical devices application

Prism coupling method is employed in the characterization process of BenzoCyclobutene (BCB 4024-40) polymer slab structure. This method is used to characterize the polymer refractive index, variation of film thickness with spin coating speed and average value of polymer loss. The information obtained is appreciably useful, particularly in the actual design of optical waveguides and devices based on BCB 4024-40 polymer material