This research presents a study of the use of classified fly ash and ground rice husk ash as a pozzolanic material in producing high-strength concrete. Portland cement (CT) is partially replaced with classified fly ash and ground rice husk ash by weight of the cementitious materials. Compressive strength porosity and chloride penetration were investigated. The results show that the compressive strength resistance to chloride and low porosity of high-strength concrete improves substantially with partial replacement of Portland cement with fly ash and rice husk ash.

Metaheuristic optimization approach has become the new framework for control synthesis. The main purposed of the control design are input (command) tracking and load (disturbance) regulating. This research proposes an optimal proportional-derivative (PID) controller design for the brushless dc (BLDC) motor speed control system with input tracking and load regulating constrained optimization by using the cuckoo search (CuS) one of the most efficient population-based metaheuristic optimization techniques. The sum-squared error between population-based metaheuristic optimization techniques. The sum-squared error between the referent input and the controlled output is set as the objective function to be minimized. The rise time the maximum overshoot settling time and steady-state error are set as inequality constraints for tracking purpose while the regulating time and the maximum overshoot of load regulation are set as inequality constraints for regulating purpose. Results obtained by the CuS will be compared with those obtained by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA). From simulation results it was found that the parameters of CuS were optimal than both PSO and GA for BLDC motor speed control system satisfying the preset input tracking and load regulating constraints. In addition the simulation results are confirmed by the experimental ones from the BLDC motor speed control system developed in the laboratory.

The pomelo peels charcoal was successfully prepared by traditional charcoal burning and its adsorption of methylene blue was investigated. The influences of methylene blue adsorption including contact time and methylene blue initial concentration were studied at room temperature. The adsorption rate initially increased rapidly until 24 h and 600 mg/L of methylene blue initial concentration. The further increase in contact time and methylene blue initial concentration did not significantly increase the adsorption due to it reached equilibrium. Kinetic of adsorption were investigated that the pseudo-second order model best described adsorption kinetic data. The adsorption isotherms were evaluated and the data correlated with Langmuir adsorption model with the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 166.67 mg/g. The adsorption of pomelo peel charcoal was studied comparing to other adsorbents at the same experimental conditions. The results showed higher adsorption of pomelo peel charcoal than dried pomelo peel longan wood charcoal coconut shell charcoal litchi wood charcoal and tamarind wood charcoal respectively.

This research focuses on the production of charcoal briquettes from agricultural residues by using durian and nypa palm peel mixtures. The objectives of this study are to study the combustion efficiency of charcoal briquettes; study the suitable ratio for the production of briquettes with the ratios of durian : nypa palm peel mixtures as 100:0 50:50 25:75 and 0:100; recycle the agricultural residues as the renewable energy sources and analyze the fuel characteristics; moisture content ash content volatile matters fixed carbon and heating value. The results showed that the best ratio for the combustion efficiency of charcoal briquettes is 50:50 with the minimum moisture content of 4.68% the minimum ash content of 2.70% the volatile matters of 10.33% ; the maximum fixed carbon of 25.56% and all characteristics are met with the standard of charcoal briquettes from the local community products. In the ratio of 100:0 it showed the maximum heating value as 5399 calories per gram. Therefore the 50:50 charcoal briquettes are suitable as the renewable energy source. Besides the capacity of odor adsorption was analyzed by adding the odor substances (mothball) in two bottles with three mothballs for each bottle for two consecutive days before removal. Then sic of 50:50 charcoal briquettes were added into one bottle. Ten testers smelled the bottle every two days for six days. The result showed that the bottle with the charcoal briquettes had odor less than the bottle without briquettes. Hence the charcoal briquettes from durian and nyla palm peel mixtures have the best odor adsorption capacity and are suitable for household uses.

This research aims to study the effect of drying temperature on the changes in the moisture content of charcoal briquettes undergoing drying of solar energy and far-infrared radiation (Solar+FIR) and far-infrared radiation (FIR). The electricity consumption and the specific energy consumption were also investigated. The coconut shell charcoal briquettes with the initial moisture content of about 41-43% MW were dried at 55 60 and 65oC until the final moisture content of 8% MW was obtained. Based on the experimental results it was found that the drying temperatures and the drying methods had effects on the changes in the moisture content of charcoal briquettes. Drying at high temperature could reduce the moisture content of charcoal briquettes faster than that at low temperature. Drying using FIR could reduce the moisture content of charcoal briquettes faster than that using Solar+FIR. Moreover the electricity consumption and the specific energy consumption decreased with an increase in the drying temperature. Drying using Solar+FIR had lower electricity consumption but had higher specific energy consumption than drying using FIR. In this study the charcoal briquettes had the average heating value of about 6667.05 cal/g.