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Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is an inventive problem-solving method developed to find a solution for issues involving contradictions. The TRIZ method was applied to develop a new method of simulating raining weather conditions for vehicle lane support system (LSS) on-road testing infrastructure. The objective of the project was to develop a mechanical solution capable of dispensing a consistent amount of water to a moving vehicle to simulate raining weather conditions, while at the same time it is portable and easy to set up. Based on the requirement, the TRIZ 40 inventive principles were applied as the solution, based on the principles of “the other way around”, “segmentation”, “dynamicity” and “feedback”. The specific solution generated based on the inventive principles identified was to make both the vehicle and the rain simulating machine movable during the on-road test. This is achieved by creating a customized rain machine that can be fitted onto a moving vehicle. This simple setup enabled both vehicle-under-test (VUT) and the rain machine vehicle to move simultaneously during the test, at any test speed and type of test track desired. Furthermore, the rain machine itself is designed with the capability to dispense the water by using a control unit, hence making the testing method safer and less human effort required. Based on the literature review, there is yet no similar solution for simulating raining conditions in LSS on-road test made using the same principle developed in this project. The innovative portable rain machine developed in this project could also be applied for other Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) test protocols requiring similar raining testing conditions especially involving moving VUT.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Keep Assist (LKA) systems are part of the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), which are equipped in the latest passenger vehicles sold in the Southeast Asia (SEA) countries. Both technologies are very beneficial to gain improved safety performance for vehicle occupants and benefiting other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists by alerting the driver and making automatic trajectory correction when the vehicle is deviating away from the correct path while in motion. Nevertheless, there is yet any test protocol established by the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) to evaluate both technologies tailored to the SEA’s environmental conditions. Hence, this is a preliminary investigation of the new test protocol developed for LDW and LKA based on SEA’s environmental conditions. The proposed protocol incorporated the effect of both dry and wet conditions, which is unique to simulate the main weather elements in the region. On-road tests using actual passenger vehicles were conducted using a rain simulator to simulate the rainy weather. The preliminary tests were performed on straight road conditions. Results show that the proposed protocol was able to assess the effectiveness of LDW and LKA in both dry and wet conditions. Further actions shall be carried out in the later stage of this project to validate the proposed protocol using other vehicle models sold in SEA that equipped with similar technologies.

Purpose In this study, a new method of controlled deposition in electrospinning process is investigated using active time-varying secondary electrodes, in particular sine and triangular potentials to produce a wide and uniform electrospun fibre web. Design/methodology/approach A special electrospinning setup was designed to include two independently charged secondary electrodes and a rotating collector. LabVIEW programme was used to control the applied potential at the electrodes. An aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol was used as the model material. An image analysis method was used to quantify the results. MATLAB programme was used to simulate the experimental results. Scanning electron microscope and SEM analyser software were used to examine the fibres. Findings It was observed that when a time-varying electric potential was used, the electrospinning jet was periodically move to-and-fro in agreement with the varying electric field. The continuous movement of the jet expanded the width of the deposited web. The smooth oscillation of a sine wave potential was initially thought to produce a uniform pattern of deposited web; however, the results showed otherwise. A similar result was also found in simulations. The reason behind this observation was due to the difference in jet scanning speed between the two potentials. Originality/value This study provides useful information for understanding how an active secondary electrode can be used as a new method of fibre deposition control in electrospinning process.

This chapter presents the life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis of composite products in automotive applications. LCA is a systematic method to quantify the potential environmental impact of products and processes over their entire life cycle phases, including raw material extraction, production, transportation, use, and end of life. In this chapter, descriptions about LCA fundamentals are included, followed by a review of the recent literature about the LCA of composite products in automotive applications. To demonstrate the use of the method, a case study on simplified LCA analysis for automotive interior accessory products is also included, using the Eco-indicator 99 impact assessment method. The results of the case study showed the potential environmental impact performance of two competing materials [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and kenaf reinforced ABS composites] for similar product production as well as the environmental burden generated at each product life cycle stage.

Over the past few decades, research into nanomaterials has been one of the most popular topics in nanotechnology. To date, nanomaterials have found their potential uses in various fields of research and industry, mainly attributed to their unique physical and chemical properties. Electrospinning is the most widely used method for producing polymeric fiber-like nanomaterials. A wide range of synthetic polymer materials have been successfully electrospun into nanofibers. However, recently, growing concerns about the overuse of nonrenewable resources has triggered new studies on green polymers. In this chapter, relevant studies on green polymer electrospun fibers are reviewed. This includes natural polymers such as cellulose, chitin, lignin, protein, and synthetic bio-based polymers such as polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate. The use of related polymer–solvent systems and process paramaters is also reviewed. Due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity, biopolymer-based electrospun fibers have been proposed for various potential applications, especially in biomedical applications.

When electrospinning, the amount of electrospun fibres deposited is difficult to determine due to the extremely small size and light weight of the fibres. Several methods have been used to predict the amount of deposited fibres including weighing, imaging and direct measurement. Although these methods work to a certain extent, they all have drawbacks that make them unsuitable for commercial scale process control. The methods are generally time consuming, destructive and only examine a small area of web. In this study, an image analysis method is used to predict the amount of electrospun fibres deposited over a significant area. When images of electrospun fibres are converted into grey scale images, it is suggested that the amount of fibres deposited can be predicted by measuring the grey scale intensity. A conventional weighing method was used to validate the image analysis results. The weighing method was found wanting when the deposition time was short (p>0.05). This was because the measured fibre masses were insignificant compared to the weight variation of the collector substrates. Statistical analyses showed that there were a strong correlation between grey scale intensity and deposition time especially at short deposition times. The results suggest that image analysis method could be used to predict the amount of deposited electrospun nanofibres. Further test on different polymers and different coloured substrates showed that the method was still capable to distinguish the samples. The developed method has the potential to be applied as an in-line non-destructive quality control method for electrospun fibre manufacture.

This paper presents a study on the implementation of dark and raining environment test conditions to investigate Lane Support System (LSS) performance for passenger cars in Southeast Asia. The case study has been performed for Malaysian domestic roads. LSS systems involved have been the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Keep Assist (LKA). The literature review conducted has revealed that there is not yet a similar study performed for vehicle LSS system. The motivation of this study has been to identify the effect of both environmental conditions on the vehicle LSS performance. This pioneering work is also aimed to help in establishing a new LSS test protocol that could reflect better the driving situations in Southeast Asia countries. The experimental works have been carried out at state road in Melaka, Malaysia. LSS on-road test parameters have been adopted from LSS test protocols from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and the Japan National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victim’s Aid (NASVA). A new test procedure to carry out the study has been also developed in this study in order to complement the referred test protocols, including customized rain-making testing equipment to simulate the raining environment conditions. Results from the study have showed that both LDW and LKA systems performance could successfully be evaluated when subjected to dark and raining environment conditions using the new test procedure. Furthermore, the new test procedure developed in this study is also highly applicable for implementation in future LSS on-road tests involving any type of road category (both domestic and highway) with minimal setting up process.

Since its inception, the aerospace industry has actively pioneered the use of advanced materials, especially polymer composites for aircraft construction. The key objectives are to gain lightweight advantages, so that aircraft can burn less fuel, and hence travel longer distances or carry higher payload over the same distance. In line with the current drive toward improving sustainability performance the in aerospace industry, environmentally friendly materials are steadily being introduced as substitute materials for aircraft component construction, such as natural fiber polymer composites (NFPC). Natural fibers, derived from plants and animals, offers many advantages in term of low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, low cost, and alike synthetic composites, they are able to be applied to components with complex geometrical design features. Furthermore, due to their natural origin, natural fibers are also more environmentally friendly because of to their renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable properties. In this chapter, the current applications of NFPC for aerospace engineering are discussed. Among the topics covered are the introduction to aerospace materials especially polymer composites such as for aircraft frames, and engine construction, and the advantages offered by the material. Further topics included are the recent development of NFPC in aerospace applications such as for aircraft radome and interior cabin components, as well as remarks on NFPC future trends and challenges. It is hoped that this chapter is able to provide a positive insight to readers and spark greater interest to industry players on the potential of applying NFPC in aerospace applications, towards improving the current performance of aerospace materials, especially in terms of lightweight and environmental sustainability.

This study investigates the magnitude of movement of the area of deposition of electrospun fibres in response to an applied auxiliary electric field. The auxiliary field is generated by two pairs of rod electrodes positioned adjacent and parallel to the line of flight of the spun fibre. The changes in shape of the deposition area and the degree of movement of the deposition area are quantified by optical scanning and image analysis. A linear response was observed between the magnitude of movement of the deposition area and voltage difference between the auxiliary and deposition electrodes. A squeezing effect which changed the aspect ratio of the deposition area was also observed to result from the application of symmetric electrical fields. Statistical analysis showed that the deflection and squeezing responses can be thought of as independent control actions. The results from this experiment suggest this particular application of superposition of electric fields could be used as to control the flight path of an electrospun fibre.

Functional nanofibers have great potential to improve protection against chemical and biological warfare agents. This chapter reviews the history of chemical and biological warfare and existing protective technologies. The use of electrospinning to produce nanofibers for protective applications is also introduced. Previous studies demonstrate the applicability of electrospun nanofibers in protective fabric technologies. Advantages of these next-generation protective materials include high penetration resistance, excellent breathability, low basis weight, low pressure drop, the potential for the incorporation of surface chemical functionality and simple processing equipment. Finally, the main development issues and potential research directions of electrospun nanofibers in protective applications are discussed.

A significant challenge in the synthesis of uniform membranes via electrospinning is achieving a spatially uniform deposition of electrospun fibers. The problem is more pronounced in the case of a multi-spinneret system due to self repulsion between the jets. In this study, electric field manipulation ( via auxiliary electrodes) is explored as a potential technique for controlling the spatial deposition area of electrospun fiber. It was observed experimentally that the location and size of the deposition area can be moved linearly in response to the applied voltages at the auxiliary electrodes. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to simulate the electric field strength and distribution at a given applied voltage and its effect on the flight path of electrospun fiber. Comparisons between experiments and simulations were made in evaluating the accuracy of simulations. The adaptation of this technique in production would provide a method of controlled deposition for producing uniform electrospun fiber membranes.