West Indian Journal of Engineering最新文献

{"title":"A Convolutional Neural Network Based Robust Automated Real-Time Image Detection System for Personal Protective Equipment","authors":"Jordon Hayles, Kolapo S Alli, Latchman A. Haninph","doi":"10.47412/lxqc9076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/lxqc9076","url":null,"abstract":"Statistically, casualties in engineering workplaces often result from one of the following accidents: when people get stuck in the rotating machines, electric shocks or collision with heavy equipment. Most of these accidents can be prevented if the workers make proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE). This paper presents the design and implementation of a functional image detection system that takes a picture of an employee, analyses it, and determines the employee he is appropriately attired to enter a potentially hazardous workplace. This system can help to reduce the liability of company owners, by extension their costs, and can provide level of accident prevention. In this study, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to develop three sets of models, namely hard hat model, boot model, and vest model. These were used to detect the appearance of workers and determine if the PPE being worn was in compliance with the stipulated requirements for entry to a particularly hazardous workplace. To determine the performance of the system, each model was validated with two classes of image datasets: normal colour RGB (Red, Green and Blue) and grayscale image. The overall average accuracy of the system, in real-time implementation, then was calculated and determined to be 83.33%.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129702947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of Computer Aided Design and Engineering (CAD/E) Principles for Development of a Face Shield Concept to Protect against the COVID-19 Virus","authors":"Nasser Ramsawak, B. Chowdary","doi":"10.47412/iviu9414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/iviu9414","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has exponentially developed over the past two years into the most prominent crisis that humanity has encountered regarding the stark danger posed to the health and well-being of the everyday citizen. As such, a multitude of safety measures have both been mandated and heavily advised by the governments of the world in a desperate attempt to reduce infection and mortality rates. No method has been more strongly encouraged than the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) when coming into human contact, by virtue of the adornment of face masks and face shields. This paper investigates the integration of computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/E) principles for the development of a face shield concept to protect against the COVID-19 virus. The study was orchestrated through the use of the SolidWorks software in generating CAD concepts, employment of the SolidWorks Sustainability tool to evaluate the most viable concept’s lifecycle environmental effects, and the subsequent material redesign of this concept within the sustainability tool to reduce its adverse inflictions on nature. Due to the exceedingly high number of persons using face shields in today’s society to protect against this virus, waste levels upon disposal are equally immense. This paper is to describe the development of the CAD/E concept through the major avenues of sustainability and environmental conservation, and provides an opportunity for sanitation and engineering companies alike to explore a niche in this increasingly expanding market.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125970190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rehydration Characteristics of Beetroot, Sweet Potato and Yam Slices Dried using the Refractance WindowTM Method","authors":"A. A. Akinola, Ebikeseye T. Abeokuta","doi":"10.47412/djoa3244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/djoa3244","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents four models' suitability for the rehydration ratio and moisture content history data during the hydration process of beetroot, sweet potato, and yam. The models are the Akinola et al., the Exponential, the Peleg, and the Weibull models. Rehydration occurred at 27◦C for the dehydrated sample slices, which had original dimensions of 25 mm × 25 mm × 3.0 mm. During rehydration, the mass/moisture content history data was recorded for the samples. Regression analysis established that the Akinola et al. Model best fit the rehydration ratio/ mixture content changes vs time history data. The study results show a rapid increase in rehydration in the initial hour of the rehydration process. This increase gradually decreases to a contact equilibrium value. For the yam, sweet potato, and beetroot slices, the rehydration ratio values approached 2.1, 2.1 and 6.5, respectively. This study provides a better understanding of the beetroot, sweet potato, and yam slices' rehydration process. Also, knowledge of the rehydration characteristics of the agro-products will be valuable in the design, operation and optimisation of processing equipment and prediction of water absorption with time.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117147386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimisation of Maintenance Operations Involving Three Integrated Departments at a Local Oil Company in Trinidad","authors":"S. Harrison, Jainarine Bansee, B. Chowdary","doi":"10.47412/erix2203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/erix2203","url":null,"abstract":"A simulation case study was conducted to assess the utility of predictive maintenance and database management for lean maintenance applications within a Petroleum Company. At this company the maintenance of pumps was performed internally where feasible. The study explored a proposed lean strategy on the operations of three departments related to the maintenance of pumping equipment. These departments were, the Pump Shop, Stores Department and Shipping and Receiving. Rockwell Automation’s Arena® simulation software was used to study existing and proposed models of the maintenance system and track the key performance indicators of Flow Time, Waiting Time, and Work-in-Process. Analysis of the performance indicators showed a 76% and a 96% reduction in average Flow Time and Waiting Time, respectively. No difference was determined for Work-in-Process at the 95% confidence interval.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129424901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterisation, Antioxidant Activity and Chain Breaking Properties of Blighia sapida Oil Extracts","authors":"O. Falloon, Lascelles Graham, N. Sadler-McKnight, A. Goldson-Barnaby","doi":"10.47412/ddju6983","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/ddju6983","url":null,"abstract":"The ackee (Blighia sapida), a member of the Sapindaceae family is native to West Africa but has been naturalised in the Caribbean. Fully mature fruits are consumed in Jamaica and its diaspora. The arilli of the mature fruit is rich in monounsaturated lipids. Lipid extracts of the fruit are not currently utilised commercially. In the current study, lipid extracts of the arilli and seeds of the fully mature fruit were characterised. The acid, iodine, peroxide, and saponification values of the lipid extracts, as well as the refractive index were determined. Their antioxidant and chain breaking properties were also evaluated. Ackee arilli oil and seed oil had acid values of 3.2 ± 1.3 mg KOH/g and 4.7 ± 0.3 mg KOH/g, respectively (p > 0.05). The refractive index of ackee arilli oil and seed oil was 1.46 and 1.45, respectively (p > 0.05). Ackee seed oil had an iodine value of 48 and arilli oil 47 – 56 (g I2/100 g oil) (p > 0.05). Oil extracts from the mature arilli of the fruit had a saponification value of 211-213 mg KOH/g whereas ackee seed oil had a saponification value of 140 mg KOH/g. The peroxide values for the arilli and seed oil samples were 1.88 ± 0.35 and 19.55 ± 2.90 mEq/kg, respectively (p < 0.05), indicating that arilli oil had greater stability than ackee seed oil. The reducing capacity of ackee seed oil (3184 ± 526 %) and arilli oil (2078 ± 252 %) was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Fractionation of arilli oil extracts revealed that neutral lipids made up the major portion followed by glycolipids. Phospholipids were present in very small quantities. DPPH radical scavenging assay revealed percentage inhibitions of 3.2 % and 20.1 % for arilli and seed oils, respectively. Ackee arilli oil contained higher quantities (p < 0.05) of phenolics compounds (14.35 ± 0.66 ppm gallic acid/g) than the seed oil (11.47 ± 0.53 ppm gallic acid/g). Ackee oil exhibited several characteristic features of oils that are currently utilised commercially. Ackee oil extracts could be considered for utilisation in commercial applications in the food and cosmetic industries.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133084930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measurement of Swash Infiltration Rates on Sandy Beaches","authors":"Shani Brathwaite, D. Villarroel-Lamb","doi":"10.47412/ppjx1408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/ppjx1408","url":null,"abstract":"The swash zone is a critical area of the nearshore hydrodynamics contributing significantly to beach evolution. The role of infiltration of water during swash events has been investigated, but an enhanced data collection methodology will improve prediction and analyses of swash processes. A new and simple technique was proposed to determine the rate of swash infiltration on sandy beaches. Direct, in situ measurements of swash infiltration rates were conducted on the sandy beach of Las Cuevas Bay located on the north coast of Trinidad. The method incorporated the use of a double ring infiltrometer paired with a Bluetooth water level logger, where infiltration rates were inferred from the changes in water level recorded within the double ring infiltrometer. Observed infiltration rates were variable and showed a dependency on sediment characteristics and location of measurement. The study also sought to ascertain any correlation between the measured infiltration rates and sediment properties. While correlation was generally low, the use of the maximum recorded infiltration rate yielded the best correlation across most cases observed. In addition, the highest correlation occurred with the D10 grain size for the upper beach, and the D90 grain size for the lower beach which is closer to the Still Water Line. The sediment sorting ratio of D84/D16 and D90/D10 showed the best correlation for the upper and lower beach locations respectively. While the field method was practical, the results of the study demonstrate a need to capture additional bed features that contribute to the rate of infiltration.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114770687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation into the Use of a Fourier Based Edge Detection Image Processing Approach for Assessing Cocoa Pod Stem Cut Quality","authors":"Renique Murray, Kathryn Maharaj, R. Birch, Cilla Pemberton","doi":"10.47412/zulr6423","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/zulr6423","url":null,"abstract":"As the cocoa industry continues to grow, there is an increasing need for greater efficiency and higher levels of quality in all areas. The objective assessment of pod stem cut quality is one such critical area, as it not only directly impacts productivity but wider industry economics. Despite this, and the significance of cut quality in other agricultural applications, there is little done in the area of developing an objective and reliable assessment method. This work proposes, develops and tests a Fourier based image processing approach for assessing cut quality. The proposed Fourier Peak Index (FPI) method is implemented in MATLAB 2013 via a series of algorithms. Further, a windowed FPI (WFPI) is also developed and implemented in the same environment. Both methods are tested using a set of 40 images, comprising of 10 reference images, 15 poor cut images and 15 good cut images. The results obtained showed that the FPI method had a 93% accuracy in categorising good cuts, 60% accuracy in categorising poor cuts and an overall accuracy of approximately 77%. It was particularly noted that poor cuts with long, smooth excess bark material attached to the stems, were poorly categorised by the FPI method. Additionally, the method’s effectiveness was found to be significantly influenced by image lighting, as this determined the amount of data loss during the image binarisation step. Notwithstanding, the WFPI method was found to be effective in categorising the images that were incorrectly categorised by the FPI method. The combined efforts of both methods had the potential to increase detection and categorisation accuracy to a maximum of 97%","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129379417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterisation, Amino Acid Composition and Denaturation status of Acid Soluble Collagen from Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Skin","authors":"A. Adejumo, L. Azeez, Ebenezer I. O. Ajayi, T. G. Atere, F. Aderibigbe, R. O. Adetoro","doi":"10.47412/oymi4758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/oymi4758","url":null,"abstract":"This study reported characterisation of acid-soluble collagen from the skin of freshwater catfish (Clarias gariepinus) by Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX). Amino acid composition and denaturation temperature of the collagen were determined. Acid soluble collagen (ASC) from the skin of C. gariepinus produced a comparatively yield of 2.38% with all amide functional groups (Amide A, B, I, II and III) visible in the FTIR spectrum suggesting the intactness of triple helical structure of the collagen. The SEM of C. glariepinus, shows a mono-fibrillated irregularly arranged crystalline surface material having 24.46 % carbon, 11.72 % oxygen and 9.40 % nitrogen. The abundance of amino acids follows glycine > arginine > proline > alanine indicating the integrity of collagen and a non-disruptive method of extraction. The denaturation temperature (Td) of ASC was about 30 °C implying its usefulness in food and pharmaceutical industries.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130433364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate Change Adaptation Planning in Selected Caribbean Countries: Is Enough Being Done?","authors":"Christian Casey-Lee Virgil, M. Nathai-Balkissoon, Kit Fai Pun","doi":"10.47412/inal2196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/inal2196","url":null,"abstract":"The climate is changing, and sustainable adaptation measures are required to meet the resulting challenges. Several effects linked to climate change can be highly disruptive, such as rising sea levels and coastal reef destruction. The severity of the impact and capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change is unevenly distributed at various spatial levels. The Caribbean is more vulnerable to climate change than other regions. There is a need to plan strategically in managing the multiple consequences of climate change. This study evaluates the synergies between adaptation plans and policies and guidelines in climate change adaptation. It attempts to audit the national adaptation planning documents in climate change developed by government agencies to cope with the challenges of climate change among respective countries. The study explores the factors underlying observed discrepancies and performance shortcomings and utilises information from a review of research literature to contextualise critical findings in adaptation measures and research. Synthesising the determinants and barriers would aid with closing performance gaps. The study concludes by providing evidence-based recommendations that shed light on the design and planning for sustainable adaptation measures in developing nations of the Caribbean.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116456263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying Wave Runup in Data-Sparse Locations for Planning","authors":"D. Villarroel-Lamb, Andrew Williams","doi":"10.47412/gdwm2126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47412/gdwm2126","url":null,"abstract":"The determination of wave runup is important to coastal management, including engineering designs and hazard assessments. In data-sparse regions such as the Caribbean, where critical coastal parameters are lacking for adequate decision-making, optimal use must be made of limited datasets to access continuous wave runup data. A video camera system was established at Mayaro Beach in Trinidad and collected video data for a short duration. The waterline variations were rectified and then digitised by sampling pixel intensities along a cross-shore transect. A wave runup time series of 15-minute duration was generated to represent the selected hour of video, from which statistical wave runup estimates including the maximum runup, Rmax, and the runup exceeded by 2% of swash events, Ru2%, were determined. Numerous expressions exist to estimate runup elevations, with the Stockdon et al. (2006) Ru2% predictor being a good performer. The predictive skill of this formulation was assessed, by comparing the measured and predicted magnitudes of the Ru2% using a calibrated/validated model for wave parameters. For the video data analysed, it was found that the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) were 0.414 and 0.673m for the Stockdon et al. (2006) predictor, but improved to 0.587 and 0.055m using a modified predictor, respectively. Disparities between predicted and observed values were attributed primarily to site-specific conditions and the lack of concurrent in-situ wave data and beach slope characteristics; these were accounted for using the modified predictor and thus enabled an improved wave runup description at the data-sparse site.","PeriodicalId":364752,"journal":{"name":"West Indian Journal of Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126300714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}