​UTP WON 8 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze and 5 SPECIAL AWARDS in the INNOVA Brussels Exposition 2011

1)      INTEGRATED STEAM CATALYTIC ADSORPTION (ICA) GASIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ENRICHED HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM OIL PALM WASTES

Inventor/s

:

Dr Murni Melati Ahmad & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suzana Yusup       

Achievement

:

Gold medal with mention

Special Awards

:

i) 

Special Award Sustainable Development INNOVA 2011

ii)

Special Award by World intellectual property organization for the best invention presented by a woman-inventor.

Product Description

:

Renewable energy has become increasingly popular as one of the major source of fuel worldwide to fulfil energy demand, which currently is sustained by the depleting fossil-based fuels. Carbon dioxide emissions that aggravate greenhouse effects also motivate the community to search for new types of fuel for energy. Biomass in particular, contributes 11% of the total world energy supply.

Malaysia has more than 3 million hectares of oil palm plantations and each year, about 90 million metric tons of palm wastes was produced. In 2006, it was estimated that about 6.67 million metric tons per year of EFB was produced in Malaysia. Hydrogen, other than the fact that it is widely used in the industry with demand increases significantly throughout the years, has the potential to become the future clean energy carrier. In 2013, the total world hydrogen demand is projected to be 42.7 million tons. Based on published data on the conversion of biomass to hydrogen, 7 million tons of hydrogen is predicted to be produced per year from the biomass available in Malaysia, which makes up 16% of the annual hydrogen demand.

Thus far, a number of studies have reported the conversion of various types of biomass into hydrogen using different gasifying agents and/or catalysts and/or sorbents. A research team in UTP has developed a system called Integrated Catalytic Adsorption (ICA) Steam Gasification System that is able to convert oil palm wastes into enriched hydrogen gas with minimal carbon dioxide emission using pure steam, catalyst and calcium oxide. A preliminary study on the economic potential has been carried out and a reduction in production cost was obtained. Heat integration and cost minimization studies were performed for the system to investigate its potential efficiency enhancement.

2)      BOS – GAS FLOW MEASURE

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Abdul Rashid A Aziz

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Product Description

:

A quantitative Schlieren method to measure compressible flow velocity vector fields is presented. The existing quantitative Schlieren techniques are mainly used for scalar parameters. The density information is obtained using background oriented Schlieren technique. The density field information is used to calculate the velocity field.  The radial and axial velocity components of the flow are then converted to Lagrangian specification of the flow field for better visualization of the fluid flow.

3)      BOS – FLAME TEMP MEASURE  

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Abdul Rashid A Aziz

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Product Description

:

Background-Oriented Schlieren (BOS) technique is employed to measure the temperature field of a methane flame. High speed camera and a wavelet noise background are used to achieve strong spatial and temporal resolution. The basic optical flow algorithm is modified to account for the intensity variation. This is because the flame flow creates a considerable intensity variation between the pair of images under correlation. Principles of geometric optics are used in order to get the index of refraction. The density information is recovered by slotting the Gladstone-Dale equation in filtered back projection. The computed temperature field measurements are shown as a function of time. Finally, the measured temperature is compared with probe measurements.

4)      ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK FOR BOILER TRIPS

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Hussain Al-Kayeim

Special Award

:

Prize of the Association of Polish Inventors & Rationalizers

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Product Description

:

Steam Boilers are high pressure high temperature systems and they represent complicated part of the power plants, and many other industries. Many boiler trips may lead to entire shutdown of the plant, causing high cost of downtime reaches millions of dollars.  Sometimes, if the boiler trip is not processed properly and in reasonable time period, the boiler may explode leading to disaster damages. Early detection and diagnosis of boiler trips is crucial to maintain normal and safe operational conditions.

In the present invention, Artificial Intelligent code is implemented for diagnosis of six different types of steam boiler trips. The code was trained and validated using real data from JMNG-TNB coal fired thermal power plant. The code successfully diagnosed the trips before their occurrence, and before the indication of the existing control system of the plant.

5)      DUCTACRETE

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Nasir Shafiq & Muhd Fadhil Nuruddin

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Product Description

:

Majority of the reinforced concrete (RC) structures (particularly bridges) fail because of concrete crushing in the compression zones; for example piers and heavily reinforced girders. Some efforts have been made to use steel fiber-reinforced concrete, which usually results in the highly ductile post-peak behavior of such members as compared to that observed in beams/columns having the same geometry, steel bars, and the bearing capacities, but made of normal concrete (NC) without fiber. Thus, when crushing occurs, the type of concrete controls both the mechanical response and the ductility of RC structures. Some experimental programmes on highly confined RC columns, subject to concentric compression, also confirm the influence of the cement-based composites on the structural performances. More precisely, for a given cross-section, the load vs.average axial strain diagrams appear more ductile in the case of columns made of self-compacting concrete (SC) than in NC columns.

In general, in South East Asia, there is very little efforts made to produce high ductile concrete on commercial basis, one of the main concerns raised by many concrete practitioners and developers about its cost-effectiveness. Since last few years, much of the research activities at UTP are focused on developing cost effective high performance concrete using locally available resources. In the first stage, very high quality rice husk ash was produced using microwave incinerated method and it is called MIRHA. In the second stage, self-compacting concrete mixes up to a strength level of 100 MPa were developed.

In this stage, DUCTACRETE is produced and research activities are on-going to further enhance the properties of concrete. The ultimate aim is to achieve the quality of concrete that can behave in a very close manner as structural steel. So, the utilization of structural steel in the construction industry can be significantly reduced because the production of steel consume very high amount of energy and being non-renewable resource, its continuous usage is cause a concern towards resource depletion.

6)      WIT (WAVE INTEFERENCE TERMINATOR) 

Inventor/s

:

Dr Wong Peng Wen

Achievement

:

Gold medal with mention

Special Award

:

Prize of Brussels Innova

Product Description

:

Why microwave interference terminator is important? Mobile, Satellite and Wireless communication systems have tremendously grown in the past few years, and consequently caused an acute problem of frequency band interference. We anticipated that the problem is getting worse as there are unforeseen new applications emerging in the very near future. This is the global trend and issue which is unavoidable.

We came out with a new product called µ-WIT which is able to terminate the extremely high power interference signal. The word ‘terminate’ rather than ‘mitigate’ is being used as the product was demonstrated to be able to reduce the power level of the interference signal by more than 30000 times! Unlike the conventional technology, the product exhibits almost ideal technical performance and relatively small in size. The product is competitive for its low implementation cost where it can be easily integrated into existing wireless system to solve the interference issue without additional rework or modification performed. In contrast to conventional technology where redesign work is required for performance upgrade, the solution gives cost saving of 80%.  Besides the very huge existing telecommunication markets such as cellular, satellite, radar defense, WiMAX, WiFi and etc, the product is also suitable for future advanced system implementation.

7)      DUMORE (WAVE DUAL MODE RESONATOR)

Inventor/s

:

Dr Wong Peng Wen

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Special Award

:

Prize of Brussels Innova

Product Description

:

WAVE RESONATOR is the most fundamental element for a wide range of applications such as Mobile, Satellite and Wireless Communications Systems. Demand for SMALL RESONATOR is always growing due to the space, weight and cost saving requirements. In contrast to conventional technology, a µ-DUMORE based on the advanced dual mode technology is developed which offers 50% size reduction. This leads to 50% cost reduction as material cost is directly proportional to the size or volume of material. It can be claimed that µ-DUMORE is the smallest dual mode resonator topology in the world for planar type technology. Furthermore the DUMORE offers better technical performance where it can used to construct great performance microwave sensors, filters for mobile, satellite, radar and consumer based wireless system. 

8)      TRIMORE (WAVE TRIPLE MODE RESONATOR)

Inventor/s

:

Dr Wong Peng Wen

Achievement

:

Gold medal

Product Description

:

TRIMORE is the complimentary invention of µ-DUMORE. It was designed based on the advanced triple mode technology which offers 60% size reduction. Similarly it leads to 60% cost reduction and it can be claimed to be the smallest triple mode resonator topology in the world for planar type technology.

9)      BOS – GAS CONC MEASURE

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Abdul Rashid A Aziz

Achievement

:

Silver medal

Product Description

:

The quantitative Schlieren method is extended to measure the concentration field of an injected gaseous fuel along several planes perpendicular to the jet axis. Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) is used as a quantitative flow field concentration measurement based on the deflection made by features in the background pattern. The flow field which is located between the camera and the background pattern changes the intensity value of the background points in the transfer medium. The Optical flow algorithm, which is used to measure the deflection vectors in the background due to the change in index of refraction, is modified to consider the change in intensity of the background image. Optical tomography served as a tool to extract the index of refraction of the gaseous field.  Mole fraction values at different planes perpendicular to the jet axis are obtained and displayed.

10)      BIO-GASOLINE FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE VIA CATALYTIC CONVERSION PROCESS (BIOGAX)

Inventor/s

:

Dr Murni Melati Ahmad, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suzana Yusup and Prof Yoshimitsu Uemura

Achievement

:

Silver medal

Product Description

:

Interest in biomass as an alternative source to fulfill the energy demand has been heightened due to global warming, energy crisis and depletion of crude oil resources. One of the most promising and potentially cost competitive fuels is bio-fuel produced from biomass. Biomass appears as the highest worldwide resource to substitute fossil oil. Malaysia plans to tap into the biomass energy production to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the country in the next 10 years. In Malaysia alone, approximately 90 million tons of palm oil wastes are generated yearly and the amount is increasing at an estimated rate of 5% annually. In 2008, the EFB production was 18.1 million tons.

Bio-oil can be produced through pyrolysis of biomass such as agricultural wastes and wood. Like petroleum oil, bio-oil can be processed and upgraded into a wide variety of fuels and chemicals. Bio-oil produced from empty fruit bunches (EFB) is a dark brown, free flowing liquid, with an acrid or smoky odour. This liquid is basically a complex mixture of oxygenated compounds formed from the depolymerisation of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. The recent bio-oil upgrading techniques include hydrodeoxygenation, catalytic cracking of pyrolysis vapors, emulsification, steam reforming and esterification. These technologies are energy intensive and quite cost competitive.

The current technology has the potential to produce liquid product while utilizing low energy and is cost attractive due to low operating conditions.This system was awarded a silver medal in the 60th INNOVA 2011 in Brussels, Belgium.

11)      LUBE-PLASTICIZER

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Nasir Shafiq,  Fadhil Nuruddin and Shamsul Rahman M Kutty

Achievement

:

Silver medal

Special Award

Prize of Charles Picqué, Minister- President

Product Description

:

LUBE-PLASTICIZER is converted from the hazardous waste "used engine oil" to a value added plasticizer/air entraining admixture for producing durable concrete. Used engine oil is produced in large quantities in the workshops at time of servicing of vehicles and other engines that used lubricants. Statistics shows that two-third of this engine oil is illegally disposed-off into the nation's water courses that may disturb the ecosystem and may cause disaster if continued.

Our research activities on this area proved that the used engine oil can be converted into a value added concrete admixture that can be used as the plasticizer and/or air entraining agent for improving the properties of fresh concrete. Plasticizers are generally used in fresh concrete to enhance its workability (free flowing tendency) by reducing the amount of water in order to increase the properties of concrete towards durability and high performance.

The research IPR is protected through patent filing to MIPO under registration number PI 2011000768.The product received Silver medal in PECIPTA 2011 at KL Convention Centre, Silver medal in Brussels INNVOVAL together with a special award by Charles Picque Minister-President for the Green Product.

12)      ORTHOPTIC THERAPY DEVICE

Inventor/s

:

AP Dr Hussain Al-Kayeim

Achievement

:

Bronze medal

Product Description

:

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an eye therapy that can reshape the eyes disorders illness, or strabiamus, such as Estropia, Extropia, hypertropia, and Hypotropia. Moreover, there is a need for an eye therapy that treats a combination of these disorders. For example, there is a strong clinical need for a procedure which can treat the presence of strabiamus cases. The present device is capable to improve the disorders to a certain extend.

On the other hand, like each part of the human body- the muscles of the eye also need exercises to maintain its strength for proper functioning. Exercising by the developed system enhances the oxygen level and blood circulation and nutrient in and around the eyes. Moreover, this device allows the eyes to exercise in three different manners to treat the weakness of the eye muscles due to the age and the extreme usage.Also, usage of the developed device will maintain the alignment after strabismus surgery.

It is hoped that by participating in such exhibition, UTP will strengthen its human capital development in R & D and encourage creativity across the university community.