Volume-12 Issue-4, November 2023 – International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)

E799312050124

IJRTE Journal — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:20:08 +0000

Performance Assessment of Coconut Shell Ash as Partial Replacement of Cement in Compressed Earth Blocks
Maman Oumarou Aboubacar¹, Joseph Ng’ang’a Thuo², Owayo Alphonse³

¹Maman Oumarou Aboubacar, MSc, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation Hosted at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya.

²Joseph Ng’ang’a Thuo, Department of Civil Engineering, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kenya.

³Dr. Owayo Alphonse, Department of Geotechnical & Mining Engineering, Technical University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Open Access | Editorial and Publishing Policies | Cite | Indexing and Abstracting
© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Earth construction represents the oldest recognized building technique employed by humanity. However, the use of earth resources in construction is limited due to their inherent weakness and durability issues. The two most widely utilised binders to enhance the characteristics of these blocks are cement and lime; however, these are expensive and sources of CO2 emissions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of coconut shell ash (CSA) as a replacement for cement in compressed earth blocks (CEBs). The microstructure test was conducted on laterite soil, cement, and CSA samples, and the blocks were tested in terms of dry density, water absorption, and compressive strength at 7, 14, and 28 days. The blocks were stabilised with various cement contents ranging from 0 to 8%. After testing, blocks with 6% cement showed good performances, taking into account the economic aspect. The optimal 6% cement was substituted with 2%, 4%, and 6% coconut shell ash (CSA) as replacements. CSA has improved the properties of CEBs. There was an increase in dry density and compressive strength, accompanied by a reduction in water absorption. The highest strength was recorded with blocks stabilised with 4% C + 2% CSA at 28 days. Based on the results of this study, an optimum of 2% CSA can be recommended as a substitute for cement in making CEBs.

Keywords: Dry density, Compressed Earth Blocks, Coconut Shell ash, Compressive strength, Water Absorption.
Scope of the Article: Civil Engineering and Applications

Download PDF

The post E799312050124 appeared first on International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE).

D79461112423

IJRTE Journal — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:34:30 +0000

Obstacle Avoidance Trajectory Planning for Robotic Arm based on Genetic Algorithm
Masood Usama¹, Xianhua Li², Haohao Yu³, Yamin Iqra⁴

¹Masood Usama, School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, China.

²Xianhua Li, School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, School of Artificial Intelligence, Anhui University of Science and Technology, China.

³Haohao Yu, School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, China.

⁴Yamin Iqra, School of Computer science and Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, China.

Open Access | Editorial and Publishing Policies | Cite | Zenodo | Indexing and Abstracting
© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: For the problem of obstacle avoidance trajectory planning of a robot arm, a robot arm obstacle avoidance method based on a genetic algorithm is proposed. It is based on two key advantages: the motion process can avoid obstacles and is more stable and efficient. First, the motion of each joint is planned as a sixth-degree polynomial, and the coefficients of the sixth-degree term are set as the pending parameters. The motion of each joint is changed by changing the pending parameters. Then, the fitness function is constructed by calculating the collision detection, angular velocity limit detection, acceleration limit detection, and the total trajectory length and rotation angle for each joint. Finally, the fitness function is optimised using a genetic algorithm to obtain smooth, continuous, and collision-free trajectories. Matlab simulation experiments show that this method can get the optimal or suboptimal trajectory without collision.

Keywords: Genetic Algorithm; Obstacle Avoidance; Robotic Arm; Trajectory Planning
Scope of the Article: Robotic

Download PDF

The post D79461112423 appeared first on International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE).

D79511112423

IJRTE Journal — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:50:26 +0000

Multi-Scale Feature Pyramid for Detection of Red Lesions in Fundus Images
Goutam Kumar Ghorai¹, Swagata Kundu², Gautam Sarkar³, Ashis Kumar Dhara⁴
¹Goutam Kumar Ghorai, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata (West Bengal), India.

²Swagata Kundu, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur (West Bengal), India.

³Gautam Sarkar, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata (West Bengal), India.

⁴Ashis Kumar Dhara, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur (West Bengal), India.

Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is increasing rapidly around the world, but there is a shortage of experienced ophthalmologists. Therefore, computer-based diagnosis of the fundus images is essential to the screening of referable DR. Automated detection of red lesions is very important for the screening of DR. This paper deals with a novel method for automatic detection of red lesions. The main contribution is the development of a deep learning-based detection framework to handle severe class imbalance and size imbalance in red lesions. The multi-scale features are extracted using the feature pyramid network. A pyramid of features is generated with strong semantics. The proposed network is end-to-end trainable at the image level across multiple scales and is effective for a wide range of red lesions, achieving acceptable performance. The sensitivity of the proposed method is 0.76, with six false positives per image on the test set of the publicly available DIARECTDB1 database, and it outperforms state-of-the-art approaches. A potential benefit of a deep learning-based detection framework could be its use in screening programs for referable diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Keywords: Diabetic Retinopathy, Fundus Images, Red Lesions Detection, Feature Pyramid Network, Focal loss
Scope of the Article: Artificial Intelligence

Download PDF

The post D79511112423 appeared first on International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE).

D79531112423

IJRTE Journal — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:45:20 +0000

Studying the Influence and Analysis of Online Education on Students’ Health and Education During the Pandemic
Vijay Kant Sharma¹, Dharm Raj Singh², Vinita Singh³, Ranjana Singh⁴
¹Vijay Kant Sharma, Department of Computer Applications, Jagatpur P. G. College, Varanasi-221302 (Uttar Pradesh), India.

²Dr. Dharm Raj Singh, Department of Computer Applications, Jagatpur P. G. College, Varanasi-221302 (Uttar Pradesh), India.

³Vinita Singh, Department of Computer Applications, MGU Bhopal, (M.P), India.

⁴Dr. Ranjana Singh, Department of Sociology UPRTOU Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), India.

Abstract: The biggest pandemic in the world is COVID-19 in human history. The COVID-19 pandemic had a particularly negative impact on the education sector. It became necessary for educators and students everywhere to switch to online education to compensate for educational losses. The mental effects and academic challenges brought on by the lockdowns imposed by governments to contain the pandemic have been especially harsh on students. In this paper, we examine the impact of online instruction on the mental health of college and university students. A survey was conducted to gather information for this purpose, including participants’ academic credentials, use of digital technology, sleep schedules, human interactions, emotional health, and academic success. Students at universities and colleges were given the questionnaire, and 148 of them participated in the study. These findings were gathered and evaluated using statistical methods. The finding reveals a clear relationship between online learning and students’ mental health during the pandemic. The outcomes also demonstrated a positive connection between students’ academic success and the use of digital resources in online education. The adverse effects of the pandemic on the educational systems were also emphasized in the results.

Keywords: Pandemic, Online Learning System, Statistical Methods.
Scope of the Article: Smart Learning and Innovative Education Systems

Download PDF

The post D79531112423 appeared first on International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE).

D79521112423

IJRTE Journal — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:38:42 +0000

Reliability Evaluation of a Radial Feeder Configurations by Replacing the Distribution Transformer with the Solid-State Transformer
G Kirankumar¹, E Vidya Sagar²
¹G. Kiran Kumar, Department of Electrical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad, (Telangana), India.

²Dr. E. Vidya Sagar, Department of Electrical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad, (Telangana), India.

Abstract: The radial feeder is the most typical power distribution system configuration for distributing power to the consumer through the distribution transformer. Distribution transformers are a key component of power distribution systems. They enable voltage transformation, improve safety, reduce energy losses, enhance network reliability, and facilitate the efficient distribution of electricity to consumers. Due to their limited role in balancing loads and integrating renewable energy sources, they must be replaced with an alternative solution to modernise and optimise distribution grids. A solid-state transformer (SST) is a power electronic device that, in many ways, may replace a typical distribution transformer (DTR). It also improves controllability and provides a direct current link, making it simple to integrate distributed energy sources on either side of medium- and lowvoltage networks. However, reliability is the most critical parameter in restricting its applications. Modularity is one way to improve reliability and availability by directly rerouting power within the modular system. This work investigates the failure rate of a modular solar thermal system (SST) by determining the number of module units required in SST design based on the available Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) ratings. Further, the reliability of a radial feeder is evaluated by considering the configuration of a) without AS and with DTRs, b) without AS and replacement of DTRs with SST, c) with AS and DTRs, and d) with AS and replacement of DTRs with SST.

Keywords: Reliability, DTR, SST, and Radial Feeder.
Scope of the Article: Reliability

Download PDF

The post D79521112423 appeared first on International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE).