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Biomass gasification technology is currently being actively developed because this process can produce a syngas which is valuable in the energy and chemical industries. Syngas was the raw material of several products such as methane, methanol, DME, and Fischer-Tropsch fuel. In producing syngas, the appropriate technology is needed to get syngas whose contents meet the requirements for downstream processing. In this research, syngas production has been carried out using bubbling fluidized bed gasification technology. By using downdraft technology, the operating temperature is around 800-1200°C, while with bubbling fluidized bed technology the operating temperature is around 700°C and the bed material used is bentonite. Feeding of OPEFB is carried out in two different conditions that are encapsulated and non-encapsulated biomass. As for the result, the composition of gas products of non-encapsulated biomass and encapsulated biomass was relatively the same with around 22% of H2 and 40% CO. However non encapsulated biomass shows slightly higher performance compared to encapsulated biomass, it can be seen from higher H2/CO ratio (0,77 for non-encapsulated and 0,74 for encapsulated biomass) and CO composition (43% for non-encapsulated and 38% for encapsulated biomass. In addition, the resulting product showed that the syngas composition produced by downdraft technology was more stable than the syngas composition produced by bubbling fluidized bed technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For spintronics applications, the materials which have high spin-polarization at the Fermi level are prospective materials. In this study, we investigated how spin-orbit coupling affected the electronic and magnetic characteristics of Mn1.5PtSn, an inverse tetragonal Heusler compound exhibiting both ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic spin orders. By employing density functional theory calculations, we determined that at the ground state the ferrimagnetic configuration is more stable than the ferromagnetic one, in spite of the spin-orbit coupling. To validate our findings, we analyzed the density of states and band structure plots for the compound. Our results suggest that precise modification of the constituent atoms could transform this compound into a half-metallic material appropriate for spin-transfer-torque-based technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the results of two methods of increasing oil recovery were analyzed - drilling of side shafts from wells that have come out of development, and hydraulic fracturing. The criteria for selecting wells for hydraulic fracturing were determined and a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of both methods at the late stage of oil field development was carried out. The work contains recommendations for choosing the most appropriate technology, depending on the specific conditions of the field. When choosing, it is necessary to take into account geological, economic and environmental factors. Research results show that both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. Drilling side shafts allows you to increase the speed of production and increase the volume of reserves, but requires high costs for the construction of wells. Hydraulic fracturing, in turn, is a more cost-effective method, but can lead to negative consequences for the environment. The work can be useful for specialists in the oil and gas industry who deal with the problems of production and development of deposits. It may also be of interest to a wide audience that is interested in energy and environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of cybernetics and mechatronics, which blended with the Internet of Things (IoT), led to the introduction of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) using IoT devices and protocols in the automotive industry. This paper describes the use of MQTT protocol in the development of a CPS architectural model based on a common IoT layered architecture as a template. For each layer, appropriate technologies are designated, most notably LoRa, MQTT, and dash. LoRa is used to enable physical device communication, whereas MQTT is used for data exchange with an application server. Dash is a framework for developing web-based applications. As a result, the system was put through tests in remote controlling a manual transmission car over a cloud server, which demonstrated the reliability of the MQTT data exchange in the network of LoRa communication and the connection to the user interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many sophisticated useful reapers present in the market but are very expensive and are designed to harvest crops like wheat, rice, maize, corn, etc. And there is a need for an efficient reaper for the harvesting of small size crops. Nowadays farmers of Manipur are facing a lack of skilled labour for the harvesting of crops. Due to these problem farmers are shifting to machine and technologies as an alternative solution for more economic growth, but the cost of harvesting machines available in the market is too high and are not suitable for small size crops like Maroi Nakuppi which is mostly grown in remote areas like the valley of Manipur. The farmers who are dependent on agriculture in these areas are small-scale farmers who have a small piece of land and cannot afford the costly machine and are using conventional methods for harvesting. Thus, there is a need for a cost-effective and efficient harvest machine to cut small crops like Maroi Nakuppi (Allium hookeri) and other similar crops like Coriander, Mint, etc. Thus, the proposed work aims to develop and design a reaper to harvest small size crops. Which is easily accessible, economical, adaptable, and easy to operate. The proposed design of the study aims to achieve the harvesting of small-size crops at faster rates as compared to conventional methods. The outcome of the study will help the farmers to increase the overall productivity by decreasing harvesting time, and human effort and ultimately achieving more economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is one of the main pests that currently attack papaya plants, both in terms of the extent and intensity of the attack. So far, no effective control measures have been found, likewise with the use of insecticides. Alternative control technologies that are both effective and safe for the environment and consumers must be obtained. Citronella oil has the potential to be tested as a control agent for the mealybug P. marginatus. The aim of this research is to understand the effectiveness of citronella oil to control P. marginatus in field/real condition. The results showed that at the end of the observation, citronella oil application was able to suppress the mealybug population on papaya fruit compared to the control. The average population density of mealybugs per papaya fruit treated with citronella application was 0.18, 0.18, 0.20 per individual, respectively, for the treatment of 1, 2, and 3 mL/L water, while in control, the population density of mealybug per papaya fruit was 4.47 individuals. Citronella oil was also able to suppress the spr said that each of the mealybugs on papaya fruit. This was indicated by the low number of infected fruit by 3.62, 5.33, and 5.4% respectively for the treatment of 1, 2, and 3 mL/L water compared to the control which the number of infected fruits was 28.35%. This shows that citronella oil has potency to be developed as an environmentally friendly botanical pesticide to control mealybug on papaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for nutritional quality snacks increases along with the increase in snack consumption. Vacuum frying is an alternative technology to produce snacks with better nutritional content compared to atmospheric frying. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of frying temperature and frying time on the physicochemical changes of taro (Colocasia esculenta) chips related to their quality attributes. The variables selected for investigation were vacuum pressure (93kPa), frying temperature (102°C, 112°C), and frying time (25, 30, and 35 minutes). Moisture content, fat content, texture, color, and sensory analysis were monitored. Temperature and time treatment significantly influenced physicochemical parameters such as moisture content, oil uptake, and color. The taro chips fried in a vacuum at 112°C for 30 minutes had the highest acceptance score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of appropriate technology in the community is one of the strategies of the Indonesian Government to increase productivity and value-added products, especially agricultural commodities. Although efforts to develop appropriate technology have become a concern of the Government, previous studies have shown that the level of acceptance and utilization of various appropriate technology needs to be increased. This research aimed to find out user perception of appropriate technology machine design. One hundred fifty-two people were involved. They were instructed to fill out questionnaires using a five-Likert scale. The results showed that users were satisfied with the appropriate technology machine, as indicated by the customer satisfaction index value of 74,97 %. The user's perception of the lowest appropriate technology performance is on attribute accessibility. The user's perception of the highest appropriate technology performance is functionality. It means that the use of appropriate technology machines gives the expected results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drying aims to maintain durability by reducing the water content in the product. Ripe plantains have high water and sugar content, so they require special handling. This study dried ripe plantain chips using three rack-type dryers with different characteristics and heating sources. Two dryers used in this study were an electric tray dryer (P2) and a gas-burner type tray dryer (P3) developed by Research Center for Appropriate Technology, and the rest was a commercial electric tray dryer (P1). This experimental study used a factorial randomized design method with two factors: the dryer and the tray's position in the drying rack. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a pilot plant-scale rack-type dryer with different characteristics and heating sources for drying ripe plantain chips. The research found that the three dryers reduced the moisture content of fresh plantain from 57.9–62.9% to 4.61%–10.34% after becoming dry chips. Analysis of temperature stability and uniformity in the drying chamber during the drying process showed that the gas-burner type tray dryer (P3) was more stable and had a uniform drying temperature compared to the commercial electric tray dryer (P1) and the electric tray dryer (P2). Meanwhile, based on the drying results, the moisture content of the banana chips from the commercial electric dryer (P1) was the highest and significantly different from the other two dryers. The results indicate that all evaluated dryers can dry ripe banana chips with good results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters have caused great affectations in society. Currently, with the use of new technologies, emergency systems have been developed to deal with this problem; one of the most appropriate technologies for this context is FANET. The objective of this research is to analyze routing protocols for an emergency system in the face of seismic events, with the use of OPNET simulation software to evaluate wireless routing protocols with different quality of service metrics, to finally carry out the statistical validation of the results. It was obtained that the AODV protocol presented a superior performance in the delay and jitter metrics in comparison with the DSR and OLSR protocols, in the throughput the OLSR protocol obtained a superior performance and in the packet loss a similar performance was observed between the 3 protocols, the OLSR protocol being the one with the best performance. Through statistical validation, it was determined that the AODV protocol is significantly superior in delay and the OLSR protocol in throughput, Therefore, it is concluded that the AODV routing protocol is the most appropriate since it provides better performance in the emergency system against seismic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of quarantines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the massive introduction of distance learning technologies into the vocational education system. The subsequent decline in the level of effective organization of training of future specialists, including ensuring the quality of knowledge transfer to them and creating comfortable conditions for their acquisition of professional competencies, provoked a pedagogical search for appropriate methods and technologies that would allow satisfying the educational needs of the subjects of the educational process. The article raises the issues of improving the quality of vocational education, in the basis of which it is proposed to take into account the components of a continuous technological process of forming the competence of future specialists and skilled workers. In this vein, technological education is an important link in the formation of the vocational education system, especially in the vector of its modern transformations associated with online learning. The authors focus on the positive and negative aspects of the use of digital technologies, which, on the one hand, ensure the possibility of implementing the educational process of educational institutions during quarantine restrictions, and on the other hand, given that the activity-based basis of training a profession is a priority competence component. At the same time, the use of information and communication technologies can significantly improve the quality of the educational process. Despite the impossibility of full-fledged remote training in various professional and technological operations, the use of augmented reality technologies and virtual laboratories for remote training allows to train various types of activities and combine them in different combinations. It also helps to assimilate technological operations and develop one's abilities, create communicative situations, automate practical actions, as well as provide an opportunity to influence the leading representative system, implement an individual approach and intensify students' independent work. The article analyzes a number of electronic educational resources, the use of which can provide significant assistance in the preparation and conduct of classes for teachers of vocational institutions and become a significant help for improving the quality of the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional marine propellers and shaft driven propellers are associated with many problems, for example: entangled dirt, cavitation, and limited machinery and debris damage - fishing nets and cables. If flotsam meets the propellers, damage to the blade edge area can occur. If it is not repaired, cavitation, clogging, and early propeller failure can occur. The removal of such impediments via a shaft-less alternative propulsion technology is being researched. In recent years, shaft-less rim driven thruster (RDT) has emerged as an appealing marine propeller in the shipping industry, as it can provide benefits over traditional ships. Decreased vibrations and sound, better on-board pleasure and propulsion efficiency, variable installation and site arrangement, low weight, and compact size are all features of propulsion systems. Furthermore, the hub-less RDT has a higher efficiency than the hub-type RDT. The hub-less RDT has high thrust, high torque, but small thrust ratio. The efficiency of the propeller decreases with the decrease in number of blades. To solve all these problems, the design and analysis of propeller blades for shaft-less thrusters is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the issues of transformable coatings. Modern trends in construction and architecture pose the problem of using prefabricated and transformable enclosing structures of buildings and structures for various functional purposes. Awning materials from polymer films, fabrics, and other elastic types of coverings, on load-bearing frames, in the form of rod and other support systems are used as such enclosing structures. The most resistant to force effects are spatially-rod structures in the form of spheres, hemispheres, or part of a hemisphere, called «geodetic structural systems», geodesic domes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waste reduction program in Bandung City is a program that must be implemented. In addition to the "Kangpisman" program that has been rolled out, technology is needed as an effort to destroy non-recyclable waste. One alternative technology for destroying unrecycled waste is Shokyakuro Incinerator produced by Hikari Soji Co. Ltd. Japan. In connection with this, a study on the effectiveness of the machine will be carried out for culling waste in the city of Bandung. The objectives of this research are as follows: to get an overview of the performance of the incinerator, to get an overview of the level of effectiveness and efficiency of the incinerator, and to get a recommendation for optimalization of the incinerator. The method of the research is an experimental approach, where the Incinerator will be tested within 6 days. This research will also be evaluated concerning the work system as well as the constraints and problems faced by the operator. Based on the results that the incinerator is quite effective for destroying waste. However, there are several weaknesses of the engine that need to be improved, namely: the main combustion temperature control system, the gas system, and the fuel monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food, made from solid state fermentation of soybeans using Rhizopus spp. Tempeh can be developed from nutrition-rich substrates other than soybeans. This study aims to evaluate the potency of peas as the alternative substrate for tempeh. Peas were fermented using Rhizopus oligosporus C1 with the variation of culture concentrations (10% and 20%) and fermentation times (0, 24 and 48 hours) to produce tempeh. Distilled water was used to extract peas tempeh. The chemical characteristics of peas tempeh water extract, i.e., proteins, polyphenols, flavonoid content, and antioxidant bioactivity, were evaluated in this study. The profile of chemical compounds in tempeh with the highest antioxidant activity was identified using LC-MS/MS. The concentration of culture and duration of fermentation affected the characteristics of peas tempeh. The utilization of 20% R. oligosporus C1 and 24 hours of fermentation gave the highest antioxidant activity, proteins, polyphenols, and flavonoid content. LC-MS-MS analysis shows two compounds (Kadsurenin E dan Nigakilactone M) in a sample with the most increased antioxidant activity. Fermentation using R. oligosporus C1 can be used as an alternative technology to enhance peas' nutrition contents and bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing unemployment during the Covid-19 pandemic has affected those at a young productive age. One solution that can be applied is through improving the skills of youth through entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurial activity that was initiated at the Ikatan Kawula Muda (IKADA) Youth Association of Jurang Belimbing was in the form of training about the t-shirt screen printing business along with the application of its screen printing tools. The IKADA group was trained so that the entrepreneurial ideas they already have can be applied. One of the entrepreneurship activities that have been implemented was training to transfer painted images into t-shirt screen printing designs. Furthermore, to support these efforts, it is necessary to have appropriate technology that can facilitate the business. Several tools have been implemented to support entrepreneurship at IKADA in the form of printing tools and press tools for t-shirt screen printing, as well as automatic cutting tools to cut the screen printing designs that will be pressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the world, and the key to the success of tourism is understanding tourist behavior. Unfortunately, research in terms of information technology, especially in terms of tracking tourist behavior, receives little attention from researchers. This study aims to provide various potential alternative technologies to be used in researching tourist behavior through information technology. This study was conducted through a literature study. This article produces various techniques used in tracking the behavior of tourist movements, especially to support the growth of the tourism sector through the use of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the issues on conventional reinforced concrete slab due to high concrete consumption and heavy structural weight has been raised up. Therefore, the revolutionary construction method by replacing conventional reinforced concrete slab with bubble deck slab has been promoted as an alternative slab system in order to solve these issues. The bubble deck slab or also called as biaxial hollow slab was invented in 1990s by Jorgen Bruenig from Denmark. This bubble deck slab is constructed by placing bubbles in the middle of slab that replace the ineffective concrete that not performing any structural function, thereby, reducing the self-weight and increasing the slab efficiency. This unique bubble deck slab technology will reduce it self-weight by 30% to 50% compared to conventional reinforced concrete slab. It has a lot of benefits such as reduced cost and materials used, improved structural efficiency, faster construction duration, and also green technology. The purpose of this paper is to review on the bubble deck slab technology according to previous research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Indonesia, traditional drying methods for preserving fish face numerous challenges, including a lack of solar heat, rain, and other issues that make the drying process inefficient. This study has the objective s of designing and developing a solar dryer using solar energy photovoltaics to power electricity for supporting the fish drying process. The research method used in this work consist of several stages of Research and Development (R&D), including analysis requirement, model design, prototype construction, and further development. The results of using the fish dryer with solar power can be produced more quickly and efficiently with additional pair DC fan and coil thermal that supply by electricity power from solar energy Photovoltaic (PV). For further development, the solar energy-based food dryers would be tested for other kinds of fish species and agriculture crops in remote coastal communities that face limited access to electricity from the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The project's purpose is to create a conferencing system that uses a regular phone. Independent wireless microphones for each participant would be the most essential element of the created system (the number of participants is taken as 8). The goal is to make it easier to participate in a phone conference by broadcasting the voice wirelessly to a receiver connected to the phone, giving the user a sense of portability. The process would begin with selecting the appropriate technology, ASIC'S components, and other components, as well as designing and installing the circuit by connecting it to a telephone line. There has been an attempt to make existing technology more affordable and portable so that it can coexist with other wireless devices operating in the same frequency range. The key challenges included accommodating 8 channels, interacting with the telephone, building programming interfaces, and so on, all of which could be effectively addressed with the right ASIC'S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One form of urban agriculture that is being promoted is aquaponic agriculture. Aquaponics is a technology that combines fish and plants in one system. The purpose of this research is to produce appropriate technology in the form of aquaponics technology innovation, with modifications to the circulation subsystem and environmental-based bioremediation that can be used in water minimum area. This study uses a Research Development design. The development of the aquaponics technology design is carried out on campus, while field trials are carried out at the Fisheries Laboratory. The results showed that the development of the circulation subsystem and bioremediation subsystem had a significant effect on increasing the growth and production of pakcoy, as well as increasing the survival rate and growth of catfish. From the results of the study it can be concluded that the development of the circulation and bioremediation subsystem can increase the effectiveness of the aquaponics technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, electrocoagulation (EC) was used as an alternative technology for soy sauce wastewater treatment. The EC process was operated continuously at a flow rate of 500 mL/minute using 6 (six) sheets of aluminum (Al) as electrodes. A turbine impeller was installed inside the EC reactor to induce a mixing process while the electrodes functioned as baffles. Two types of electrode configurations were used, namely 3 anodes - 3 cathodes (3A-3C) and 4 anodes - 2 cathodes (4A-2C). The influence of electrode configuration and the presence of mixing in EC reactor on the effluent quality were investigated. It was found that the 4A-2C electrode configuration resulted in higher efficiency in reducing turbidity, TDS, and BOD of the wastewater compared to 3A-3C configuration. The presence of mixing process improved the separation efficiency in the EC process. Without a mixing process in the EC reactor, the 4A-2C electrode configuration reduced turbidity, TDS, and BOD by 82.5%, 10%, and 18.7%. By combining a mixing process in EC treatment, the reduction of turbidity, TDS, and BOD was improved to 84.7%, 15%, and 37%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition status among toddlers may entail effects that greatly inhibit physical, mental, and cognitive ability which will ultimately impede work productivity. Malnutrition detection has been performed, however the implementation consumes a lot of time in measuring and interpreting the measurement data. Therefore, this study aims to design an instrument for measuring weight and height simultaneously among infants with automatic z-score data interpretation. The instrument for measuring infant's weight and length involves a weight sensor and a length sensor which is expounded through a regression equation approach and processed using a microcontroller. Reading nutritional status interventions was adapted to children's anthropometric standards based on the Regulation of Indonesian Minister of Health Number 2 of 2020. The reading instrument results consists of four displays, including the results of measuring weight, body length, nutritional status, and standard deviation. The invention field is incorporated in the development of appropriate technology for infant health and nutrition. Such measuring instrument is ergonomically designed by placing the baby in the supine position. There is a default menu for baby girl category option. Interpretation of nutritional status that appears are undernutrition, good nutrition/normal lower limit 2, good nutrition/normal lower limit 1, good nutrition/normal upper limit 1, risk of overnutrition, overnutrition, and obesity. Gauges are able to directly read the measurement results and interpretation. Calibration tests were conducted at the metrology agency with a read error of up to 1.003%. This prototype continues to be developed in order to improve the accuracy and convenience of the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rukun Makaryo Farmer Group is the only farming group in Karanganyar Regency that has been a reference in the training of organic farming systems at the National level in 2007-2011. In 2007, the Rukun Makaryo farming group won the National Level I Champion in irrigation water management to overcome the limited availability of water by utilizing cattle waste as a medium to bind water. Since 2000 farming groups have initiated the use of organic fertilizers from cattle waste to improve soil fertility. The Rukun Makaryo farming group has succeeded in initiating the utilization of cattle waste as a solid organic fertilizer and fermented liquid. The farmer group gets the opportunity to be assessed by the organic rice certification team from the Persada organic rice certification body on a member-owned land area of 5.9 hectares. This research aims to analyze the sustainability of organic rice programs in the Rukun Makaryo farmer group in Pereng Village of Mojogedang District of Karanganyar Regency. Research is conducted by qualitative description methods with phenomenological approaches. Through this research activity will be obtained subjective experience and awareness and interpretation of efforts to maintain the status of organic rice certification. The external targets of the research are the publication of the journal Sinta, an E-book with ISBN and appropriate technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxidase enzymes are a group of oxidoreductase enzymes that catalyse the reduction of peroxides such as hydrogen and oxidise organic and inorganic compounds. Membrane processing is a promising alternative technology for the separation and purification of enzymes. This study partially purified peroxidase from Kailan (Brassica oleraceae var Alboglabra) by micro-and ultrafiltration membrane technology. The effects of physicochemical conditions (pH and temperature) on peroxidase were examined, and the purity and enzyme activity of resulted peroxidase was also determined. The crude peroxidase enzyme isolated from Kailan was passed through a microfiltration membrane (0.15 µm) with pressure 40 psia, rotation speed 400 rpm, and a flow rate of 30 mL/min, followed by an ultrafiltration module with the pressure of 40 psia and rotation speed 200, 300 and 400 rpm at room temperature. The optimum pH and temperature of peroxidase were pH 6.0 and 27 °C, respectively, as determined with guaiacol as the substrate. The purification of peroxidase by micro-and ultrafiltration process at optimum conditions resulted in specific activity of 392.16 and 749.91 U/mg with a purity level of 5.20 and 9.95 fold than crude enzyme activity. Thus, the membrane technology has a potential purification method for peroxidase production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pine forest in Cipada Village, has 500 trees that are very productive and produced pine fruits and were still categorized by the community as useless waste. pine fruits waste that fell as much as 105,000 pieces /day. The surrounding community is used to burning pines cones with plastic with a total waste weight of 24.5 kg/day, which is dangerous for the health of visiting tourists, could cause nausea, dizziness, death, and can cause a 50% decrease in the number of tourists from 48,000 thousand visitors/day. year. Therefore, training on appropriate technology for processing pine fruit waste needs to be carried out. This training was using a qualitative approach the mobile training unit (MTU) design. Its basics is training of trainers (TOT) through the application of chemical science in making products from pine fruits waste with the aim of making someone a trainer both technically and non-technically. The results showed that there was an addition in terms of community knowledging, skilling, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit from the results of utilizing pine fruit waste on individual income. Based on qualitative testing, if pine fruit waste is treated properly it will generate a profit of Rp. 13,507,500 / week. On the other hand, by utilizing the waste, the environment is 20% cleaner than waste. The outer scope of this method is very good to be applied in remote villages to improve people's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) are an alternative to soldering technology for solar cell interconnection, offering low-temperature and lead-free processing. ECAs are especially relevant for novel, often temperature sensitive high-efficiency cell types such as silicon heterojunction technology (SHJ). ECA suppliers offer a large number of products with different characteristics. In the current work most important ECA properties and their thresholds relevant for industrial string production are identified. They are compiled into an efficient testing scheme, which allows quick pre-selection of products suitable for further tests in the production environment. The proposed scheme includes determination of curing time with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), investigation of the mechanical stability of the bond with a 90° peel test, one-cell modules production and their I-V and EL measurements to assess initial ECA performance, damp heat (DH) and accelerated thermocycling (aTC) testing for early determination of severe material or design flaws. In order to illustrate the approach, four (I to IV) commercially available ECAs were tested and compared. DSC revealed that ECA-II and ECA-III cure quicker and at lower temperatures than ECA-I and ECA-IV. Peel test showed peel forces ranging between 0.2 to 1.2 N/mm. After production of one-cell modules no performance differences between the ECAs have been detected. Damp heat testing showed mostly uniform degradation throughout the variation. Accelerated thermocycling testing proved to subject modules to greater degradation than conventional TC, most likely due to 6 six times quicker temperature change in the aTC chamber. Cell breakage was abundant in glass-glass (GG) samples after both aTC and TC testing and did not occur after encapsulation material was changed and the aTC50 test was repeated. Results of the aTC50 test on modules with another encapsulation material suggest different reliability of the interconnection with different ECAs as well as generally better performance of glass-backsheet (GBS) modules in comparison to GG. After all tests and corresponding measurements had been finished, results were incorporated in a simple color-coded matrix to optimally compare values. In the current case, the product for further tests would be ECA-III, which is capable of curing at 140°C within 30 seconds and provides a mechanically stable joint. One-cell modules produced with it lost <1 %relPMPP after DH500, and 1.5 (GBS) to 3.6 (GG) %relPMPP after aTC50. The whole described testing procedure can be done within one month. However, in case no DH500 is required, testing and comparison scheme requires one week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During recent years, the use of ADHOC network has become widespread in many scientific fields and different industries due to the successes and benefits it has achieved. The ADHOC network type focuses on the direct pairing of devices with each other for communication purposes and the self-regulation of data traffic within the network. The main idea is to implement the ADHOC network type in a sensor and hybridize the network accordingly to overcome the previous disadvantages of the network type. The aim of this study is to implement an ad hoc network type over a wireless sensor network to simplify the overall data collection and management process and to reduce the cost of installation and maintenance of the sensor network. ADHOC is a peer-to-peer network that does not pursue any hardware requirements and is able to use basic system resources to communicate, and by using appropriate routing technologies, ADHOC's low data transfer speed of 11 Mbps is sufficient for the network to function properly. The problems with the type of ADHOC are low security, minimum speed, and obstruction to signal strength monitoring. By hybridizing the network, related issues can be reduced, and the sensing system can also be subjected to both centralization and decentralization of various specific operations that the sensing system collectively performs. This paper will explain in detail all the factors and conditions required to implement ADHOC in a sensor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rationale for drying liquid materials is given to increase the shelf life, bring consistency and texture for packaging of any flexibility and shape, as well as safe transportation. The classical method of drying such materials is considered, its advantages and disadvantages are shown. An alternative technology of drying by IR radiation is proposed. The main criteria for choosing the IR radiation generator and its coordination with the product are shown, from which the choice of film electric heaters (FEH) follows for drying liquid materials in lot-type installations. The problem of product adhesion to the FEH surface during its dehydration is identified and a way to solve it is proposed, which consists in the use of a substrate with properties that counteract adhesion and do not affect the radiation flux density value. For research, it is proposed to consider silicone and fluoroplastic. For testing, a laboratory unit is presented, on which comparative dependences of the radiation flux density for the FEH location directly on the substrate material under study and its location at a distance are obtained. The analysis of comparative dependencies is given, from which it follows that of the two studied substrate materials, fluoroplastic is the most effective and economically advantageous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Internet of Things in recent years has led to the use and dissemination of various technologies to achieve the concept of connected life. Some of the most common technologies that enable the implementation of the IoT concept are ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, and BLE. The main obstacle to the realization of this is the provision of quality service. The study of parameters affecting the Quality of Service can be used as a means to improve the service of objects and select a more appropriate wireless technology to communicate with them. This paper constructs an IoT network with Texas Instruments CC2650STK sensors that can be monitored and controlled with each of these technologies. The research was performed on a different sensor, at different distances from the network servicing device and for each of the technologies, the following parameters characterizing QoS were measured – End_to_End Delay, Throughput, and Packet Loss Ratio. A comparative analysis for the impact of each of the considered wireless technologies on studied parameters is presented to formulate recommendations for selecting the most appropriate technology for the respective type of IoT application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization of energy consumption is important, especially in building these days. The energy consumption of Mechanical – Ventilating – Air conditioning (MVAC) systems always the largest proportion in total energy consumption. One of the most effective approach is the estimation and prediction as close as possible to the real operation mode of the MVAC in reality. However, the tasks of energy consumption estimation request large efforts, time consuming but low precise results. Most designers roughly calculate the energy consumption at first and the using automation control to manipulate the system operation later. With the help of the newest, cutting edge technology in soft computing like ANN, ANFIS and intelligent optimization methods, the designers now can apply these technologies to achieve the reliable, rapid, precise results for the further convincing designs. In this paper, the authors simply apply the Multi Layers, Back Propaganda Neural Network (MLB ANN) to estimate the building Heating Load (HL) and Cooling Load (CL). The Mean Square Errors (MSE) and Regression R Values (R) are used as the indicators for ANN with the dataset provided open access by UCI. The results prove that ANN can be reliable approach to predict energy consumption for complex, multi design option building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple sweet potato (PSP) has an advantage because it contains anthocyanin pigments that can provide functional effects for the human body. The utilization of PSP in West Java Province has not been optimal; it is necessary to innovate process technology and appropriate equipment for processing PSP to increase the added value and economy. The objective of this research is to develop appropriate technological innovations for the production of PSP flour and its product characteristics and to test the performance of the drum dryer as the main supporting tool for the production of PSP flour. The methods used include: (1) the process of making PSP flour on a pilot plant scale with immersion in citrate acid and blanching (a), blanching treatment (b); (2) analysis of the characteristics of PSP flour; (3) feasibility analysis and techno-economics for production PSP flour. The results showed that a temperature of 120 °C and a drum rotation speed of 0.7 rpm were optimal conditions for the performance of the drum dryer when drying purple sweet potato paste from moisture content 65.59±2.77% to 5.42±1.17%; the measured drying capacity was 7.24±0.34 kg/hour. Characteristics of PSP produced moisture content 5.42–7.42%, ash 3.32–3.33%, carbohydrates 76.55–82.46%, fat 0.34–0.40%, protein 5.70– 5.82%, anthocyanin 2.7–3.32 mgCyE/g with colour analysis (L*) 29.913–31.372, the morphology of the granules with Scanning Electron Microscopy showed an even physical shape of the particles. Feasibility analysis obtained NPV of IDR 138,011,164; IRR of 41.03%; Net B/C of 1.17; and a payback period of 41 months. Based on these criteria, the purple sweet potato flour production business can run as long as the project runs according to the assumptions set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-aerobic landfills become the preferred solution worldwide and expected to remain as future routes of exponentially increasing solid waste disposal. But Landfills emitted leachate, which is liquid residue with extreme pH, BOD, COD, NH3−N, refractory compounds, and toxicity could be an impending source of contamination through percolation to subsoil is a typical dilemma of this method due to its severe pessimistic impact over human health and environment. Hence to establish a green approach of leachate treatment is the paramount necessity to preserve the environmental elements and sustainability. Owing to the extensive variety in composition to explore the appropriate technology of leachate treatment is challenging. However, the application of natural coagulants (hibiscus rosa-sinensis, chitosan, natural starch) through coagulation-flocculation has been proven quite efficient method for stabilized leachate treatment according to research outcome. Comprising with discharge standard due to satisfactory performance regarding pollutant removal and environment-friendly characteristics nowadays these natural coagulants are being privileged over conventional synthetic inorganic coagulants. This study aims to summarize the technological innovations and recent applications of natural coagulants for the treatment of semi-aerobic landfill leachate with high COD, colour and humic substances as well as to focus the prospects of potential natural polymeric material for sustainable leachate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quick urbanization increment causes a few difficult problems, such as social assessment, more energy demands, and pollution increase. A positive factor for a city is the concentration of energy requests. On the other hand, urbanization trend is going to fragmentation of settlements, with a consequent expansion of the energy distribution networks but also an increase of the energy wasted. Each building needs some of the total energy distributed in the city. Energy needs can be grouped into four essential parameters: construction, heating, electricity, and water. How were these four parameters satisfied in the XIX century, before the industrial revolution? In those days’ energy requirement wasn’t so high and could be supplied with basic energy production technology. The knowledge of appropriate building technology (project), the use of (energy saving) materials, with a low and punctual heating system (fireplace, stove) or passive refreshment all intervened in this process. These requirements were achieved in each country using building plans studied to face different weather conditions with different architectural typology and with human effort and time (work-energy). This paper analyses an energy balance in a single typical building in the center of Italy, describing the energy flow that will show the logical and technical solution for “energy-saving”. Old buildings (before the introduction of “building-plant”) were always designed and built with an energy-saving concern. This article wants to propose the study of a typical building in which are used only low-energy systems to meet all the comfort requirements, to demonstrate that it is not necessary to use high-energy technology. This is how architecture urbanization studies and implementation can be used to reduce high-energy production needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary Home Automation Systems have become very popular to the end-user as they provide them easy and convenient ways to control their home and their appliances with the use of a networking device such as a PC, tablet or a Smartphone. The market provides a plethora of home automation protocols and technologies, with the end user having a difficult decision as to which of these is the most appropriate. Unfortunately, such a decision is a complex, time-consuming task, as technology solutions are changing over the years. The existing standards and protocols do not provide always enough information for the extraction of the appropriate metrics for comparing their technical characteristics and capabilities. This paper is an effort to present a complete information set about the most popular home automation protocols and technologies including standardized, proprietary and open source implementations. In addition, an approach from the end user’s perspective is given, by providing critical details for administrators about their management and configuration procedures. Finally, the last section of this paper presents for each protocol its realization according to the OSI 7-layer model, in an effort to extract their common characteristics and differentiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enormous increase in the number of vehicles has led to an increase in demand for fuels. The conventional fuels are being depleted and will cost more in the near future. Hence the alternative fuel technology is becoming more common. There are many fuels that can be used as an alternative, among which biodiesel has shown a positive impact. However, the increased NOx emission from biodiesel fuels is still a major concern. Fuel reformulation of biodiesel is reported to reduce the NOx emission by decreasing the unsaturated ester contents. Hence in this paper, a review of fuel reformulation and its effects on reduction is emission is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is one of the biggest Indonesian export commodities. To get good quality of coffee, there are many methods in post-harvest coffee processing. Cultivation and post-harvest processing are important phases. They affect about 70% of coffee quality. In the present study, we focus on three general processing methods: dry, semi-dry, and wet processing methods. Each method has different characteristics in terms of the process and the taste of the product. In addition, different processing methods have different costs, and in the end, will affect the price of coffee bean. The purpose of this study was to compare these methods to be applied in the rural coffee community, with a case study of coffee processing in Sumba Barat Daya Regency. Geographically, Sumba Barat Daya Regency has an altitude of 700m above sea level. This elevation is suitable for the plantation of Robusta coffee. Techno-economic analysis was the method used in this study. It was selected to gain the best methods that generate the most efficient and the highest profit. From the analysis, semi-dry processing method indicates the highest value for an area where water is limited. So instead, semi-dry method is the most suitable method to be applied in sufficient water area. However, preferably, the use of water in the post-harvest processing can be pressed to a minimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research work presents methods for achieving production sustainability on a machining technology level. To define sustainable production, three pillars of sustainability i.e. environment, society & people, and economic profit, have to be synergistically related. This paper studies sustainability aspects of different sustainable machining techniques like Cryogenic Machining, Drymachining, Minimum quantity lubrication, High pressure jet machining. Sustainability aspects of these machining techniques were compared with the help of multi criteria decision makingmodel AHP&TOPSIS and relative comparison between this machining techniques regarding these aspects were analysedfor finding best alternative to become sustainable manufacturer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of modern induction heating power sources in the direction of high frequency and large capacity, the design and production of induction heating power supplies are increasingly demanding for switching devices. The soft switch technology keeps the voltage or current at zero during the switching process, which can weaken or even eliminate the switching loss. Its research and design are concerned by researchers in related fields. This paper introduces the related principle of soft-switching technology. Based on diode-rectified voltage-type induction heating power supply, a soft-start control circuit for induction heating power supply is designed, and the simulation model is built for the whole power supply system. Then it is studied in MATLAB/Simulink simulation environment. The simulation results were analyzed and compared with the theoretical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of appropriate technology in the health field is full of misconceptions. The first one is to equate machines with technology. Even though the evolution of medical equipment has influenced the development of health technologies, the concept of health technology is much broader. Yet, equipment does drive technology. Another misconception is the belief that appropriate technology is technology for developing countries. Although simplified systems have been developed for these countries, the whole world has limited health resources and is constantly struggling with the challenge of how to manage health-care delivery in health conditions of resource constraint. Thus, it is essential that any new technology should be evaluated before it is placed in clinical use. The process is called "health technology assessment" (HTA) and it consists of a multidisciplinary activity that systematically examines the safety, clinical efficacy and effectiveness, cost, cost-effectiveness, organizational implications, social consequences, and the legal and ethical considerations of the application of a health technology. Once it has been decided that a particular technology is appropriate for an industrialized country, it should be assessed whether the process can be transferred to a developing country, using guidance from HTA agencies. Medical physicists should have a prominent role in advising governments whether a particular health technology is appropriate for a particular medical facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]