
Shaharin Anwar SulaimanUniversiti Teknologi Petronas | UTP · Department of Mechanical Engineering
Shaharin Anwar Sulaiman
PhD
About
372
Publications
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Introduction
Shaharin Anwar Sulaiman is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. He holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the USA and the UK. He was a Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Engineer in YTL Construction prior to joining the academics in 1998. His research interests include air-conditioning, biomass energy, solar photovoltaic, combustion, and flow assurance. Some of his books are: Energy Efficiency in Mobility Systems (2020), Engineers in Society (2010), Gas District Cooling in Malaysia (2011), Downdraft Gasification of Oil Palm Frond (2012), and Energy Efficiency Improvements: Miscellanea (2014). He was also UTP’s Director of Mission-Oriented Research (MOR) for Hybrid Energy Systems in UTP from 2009 to 2017.
Additional affiliations
June 1994 - December 1998
YTL Construction
Position
- Engineer
Description
- Mechanical and electrical (M&E) services installation in buildings throughout construction period. The services included air-conditioning, lifts, fire protection, plumbing etc.
October 2000 - present
Education
September 2003 - March 2007
September 1999 - August 2000
September 1990 - December 1993
Publications
Publications (372)
Climate and weather conditions greatly affect photovoltaic (PV) module performance and efficiency, particularly in desert environments. Dust accumulation, which significantly reduces power generation efficiency, is currently the main issue facing photovoltaic modules since it affects the return on investment of PV systems. It is believed that the t...
Hydrogen gas is becoming popular in the worldwide industry as fuel where it is very reactive to any ignition source that can result in a heavy explosion which will harm human beings. The primary purpose of this work is to study how varying the equivalence ratio and hydrogen diffusion time impact the flame propagation of hydrogen-air mixtures under...
This work proposes an innovative approach to evaluate the functional characteristics of a heterogeneous underwater wireless acoustic sensor network (UWASN) using a stochastic model and the network connectivity criterion. The connectivity criterion is probabilistic and considers inherently distinct groups of parameters: technical parameters that det...
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are projected to become the largest contributor of clean electricity generation worldwide. Maintenance and cleaning strategies are crucial for optimizing solar PV operations, ensuring a satisfactory economic return of investment. Nanocoating may have potential for optimizing PV operations; however, there is insufficie...
Human activities and climatic elements, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, have an impact on natural dust deposition. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of wind speed, relative humidity, and ambient temperature on the performance of soiled photovoltaic panels in Al Seeb, Oman. The study was conducted by exposing the...
Idling engines when automobiles are not moving leads to inefficient fuel consumption and may harm human health and the environment. No scientific reports have evaluated the effects of idling diesel engines on the public and fuel wastage in Malaysia; thus, a study is required. This work aims to study the characteristics of emissions, heat dissipatio...
The present work is a focus on getting selectivity of the products using intense heat and employing borax vacant orbitals for catalysis. A DC‐arc‐type reactor was used for the pyrolysis of waste polyethylene. The third point of its novelty is utilization of the solar energy as arc through photovoltaics and indoor use of solar energy for high‐temper...
Syngas produced from biomass gasification has emerged as a highly promising substitute for conventional fossil fuel, catering to various industrial applications while ensuring minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Water hyacinth (WH) has been a major concern due to its invasive nature and uncontrollable growth which impedes aquatic growth and urban man...
Charcoal has been among the alternative energy sources that are used worldwide. The famous feedstock in producing charcoal is normally wood. Yet, due to certain circumstances varieties of raw materials have been used to make charcoal. Even so, suitable processing methods need to be considered so that the feedstock is fully utilized. Major drawbacks...
The interactive model of a district cooling system in a cogeneration plant is the model that allows researchers, students, and lecturers to know how the system of district cooling works. Basically, the method of teaching with chalk and talk from the lecturer to explain how the system run resulted in low understanding. This is because the real plant...
The utilization of a rigid and projecting surface, coupled with an agitator and vortex generator, frequently results in the dissipation of more energy than the production of turbulence that meets the required criteria. By contrast, a passively oscillating flexible protruding surface can generate a greater turbulence level. In the current study, a c...
A rigid protruding surface, agitator and vortex generator often dissipate more energy than to produce a satisfied turbulence production. In contrast, a passively-oscillating flexible protruding surface has the ability in generating greater turbulence level. In the current study, a circular finite cylinder (cantilever) was used as the geometry of th...
Water hyacinth being one of the top invasive aquatic plants has brought upon various challenges towards the humanity and the environment. The magnitude of the menace of uncontrollable growth and spread of water hyacinth has sparked the interest of researchers in identifying its potential as a biomass feedstock for biofuel production. Biomass gasifi...
Waxy crude oil deposition in production pipelines often causes flow assurance issues in production operation. The issue further deteriorates during restarting of the waxy crude oil pipeline after an emergency shut down or planned maintenance. This is due to the obstruction caused by the solid wax in the pipeline, which requires additional pressure...
Transportation of waxy crude oil in a production pipeline often encountered flow assurance issues, such as wax deposition. In a case where pipeline shutdown is needed, wax deposit is likely to form within the pipelines, which leads to operational complexity during the restart phase. Commonly, crude oil restarts to flow after a significantly high re...
Biomass-derived fuel is a promising candidate for future bioenergy, which will reduce CO2 emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Physicochemical analysis, pyrolysis, and gasification processes were conducted to study the potential of coconut shell biomass. According to the findings, coconut shell biomass includes numerous important components, and...
High indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) is a result of poor ventilation. The CO2 concentration is mainly contributed by human respiration especially when a confined space is occupied for a long period of time such as due to sleeping or due to lockdown during the pandemic.
Due to global energy concerns and sustainability issues, the use of coconut shell biomass for charcoal production has drawn interest in the society. However, assessing how to produce charcoal, as well as increasing yield and quality, remains a significant problem.
Recirculation of air within a vehicle is an excellent approach to limit particle pollution and enhance air conditioner cooling efficiency. Nevertheless, prolonged use of recirculation air within a vehicle may result in high accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the vehicle’s cabin due to human exhalation and the lack of fresh air. On the other ha...
One of Asia’s emerging environmental issues is the poorly organized disposal of plastic waste, the majority of which ends up downstream in the ocean. Malaysia’s increased production of single-use plastics, as well as the uncontrolled release of plastic debris into terrestrial and marine habitats, are contributing to widespread plastic pollution, po...
This work presents an analytical study of a suggested mechanism as part of a design process of a Crank-Rocker (CR) engine. The basic geometry of this engine is based on the principal of a four-bar crank rocker mechanism, which requires optimization for effective operation. Kinematic study of this mechanism is achieved using two analysis approaches,...
The first chapter introduces the basic concepts and definitions that are essential for a successful understanding of the further material. Examples of linear integral equations are given; the concept of a solution is explained. An idea on how to create an integral equation in the Wolfram Mathematica package is shown. This chapter also provides clas...
This chapter deals with symmetric integral equations. The definition of a symmetric kernel together with its main properties is given. A method for constructing an orthonormal system of eigenfunctions for symmetric kernels is described. The theory is supplied with a large number of examples with detailed solutions. A method of reducing an inhomogen...
This chapter offers individual assignments for the final test after completing the course. A large number of tasks have been designed, covering all the materials presented in the previous chapters. With full-time study, these tasks can be useful both for students, when consolidating the material, and for teachers when preparing the assignments for...
This chapter is devoted to integral equations with difference kernels. The solution of integral equations with difference kernels using integral Laplace and Fourier transforms is discussed in detail. A large number of examples are given with detailed solutions obtained both manually and using symbolic computations in the Wolfram Mathematica. Exampl...
In this chapter, the approximate methods for solving integral equations are studied. Approximate solution of the Fredholm equation is obtained by replacing the integral with a finite sum using the rectangles, trapezoids and Simpson formulas. Method of successive approximations, Bubnov–Galerkin method and the method of replacing the kernel with a de...
This chapter is devoted to the Fredholm integral equations theory. A method for solving Fredholm integral equations is proposed by constructing a resolvent function. The method of Fredholm determinants is described in detail. Another way to solve integral equations instead of using the resolvent is the method of constructing iterated kernels and th...
The utilization of energy from renewable sources had been steadily increasing. Bioenergy's contribution to the final energy consumption was estimated at 12%, while traditional biomass was at 6.9%. The ever-increasing biomass utilization through direct combustion and other thermochemical conversions will increase the generation of ash and char. The...
Nowadays emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels have become a serious environmental problem. Besides, an ever-growing demand for energy sources, which is in dissonance with a limited supply of fossil fuels, has also become another related concern. Subsequently, alternative energy sources have received dramatic attention in an effort to red...
This paper presents an original probabilistic model of a hybrid underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN), which includes a network of stationary sensors placed on the seabed and a mobile gateway. The mobile gateway is a wave glider that collects data from the underwater network segment and retransmits it to the processing center. The authors consi...
The transition of energy extraction from the fossil fuel to renewable energy is a primary drive-in world. Saudi Arabia is one of the big producer of date fruit which generates an abundant amount of date palm wastes. There is no proper utilization of these wastes in Saudi Arabia. Conversion of date palm waste into energy is a major potential alterna...
Recent research on solar irradiance forecasting has attracted considerable attention, as governments worldwide are displaying a keenness to harness green energy. The goal of this study is to build forecasting methods using deep learning (DL) approach to estimate daily solar irradiance in three sites in Kuwait over 12 years (2008–2020). Solar irradi...
The energy generation from renewable sources is in prime focus not only oil-importing countries as well as oil-exporting countries. This study aims to probe the energy generation (syngas) from Saudi Arabian date palm fronds through air gasification in a downdraft fixed-bed system. In addition, an equilibrium process simulation model was developed u...
Biomass co-gasification is among the most encouraging bio-conversion technologies used in the production of clean and sustainable fuel. This research work was performed on the co-gasification of oil palm trunk and frond to explore the mutual relation of input variables on syngas and optimize them for maximum syngas generation. Air was utilised as t...
Considering the value of coconut shell biomass as renewable fuels in homes and commercial industries, its effectiveness as a biomass resource has been overlooked by our rural citizens and researchers. Carbonization experiments of coconut shell biomass were conducted in a downdraft carbonization reactor (750 mm height and 67 mm diameter) to determin...
The generation of syngas via gasification is accompanied by greenhouse gas emissions and certain impurities like tar. This is the major problem that makes the technology unattractive for commercialisation. Tar content present in the syngas limits its application as it causes damage to engines, while the CO2that accompanies it adds to the climate is...
Borax and its calcined derivatives were used in pyrolytic valorization of tire tube rubber to produce high value oil and gases. This work involved the preparation and characterization of catalysts and optimization of the reaction parameters for the catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of waste tire tube rubber. The derivatives of borax catalyst we...
This work is focused on energy harvesting and energy storage through renewable sources. In many cases, vegetables may either get rotted or the market gets full due to imbalance in supply, price and demand. The waste vegetables and wild plants contain electrochemically active compounds, which can be used for preparation of rechargeable bio-battery c...
The biggest problem that has been faced globally is the extinction of natural resources for production of energy. Industries as well as consumers should devise some ways to generate energy by utilizing limited resources and hence making the system cost effective. The resources of renewable energy and their reserves are sources of survival in modern...
Production of waxy crude oil from offshore fields has increased in the last decade. However, the operation is being challenged with the high wax content of crude oil that tends to precipitate at lower temperature. This paper presents the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the voids formed in waxy crude oil gel. A flow loop rig that simulates offsho...
The conversion of oil palm waste to valuable fuels via biological and thermochemical means has witnessed much interest from researchers. Increasing tonnes of palm waste resulting from about 400 palm oil mills across Malaysia necessitates a rethink towards its conversion to energy to curb soil and air pollution, underground water contamination, and...
In this study, a new optimization approach is introduced to reduce vibration exerted on a double crank-rocker mechanism. A dynamic analysis based on planar methods of this mechanism is suggested, and formulation of shaking forces and shaking moments inducing vibration on this system is presented. A two-step optimization technique is suggested to st...
This chapter contains the description of the virtual labs. We start with a brief description of simple classical models such as a spring pendulum and a simple mathematical pendulum. The equations for these models are provided in cases with and without the impact of friction force. Subsequently, more sophisticated models are considered. These models...
This chapter provides recommendations for the implementation of the virtual labs considered in Chapter 1. This chapter is to be used when encountering difficulties in Chapter 1. The instructions contain the necessary reference material that is needed to complete the tasks. For each lab from the Chapter 1, there are guidelines and recommendations on...
This study investigated the effect of input power and process time on microwave-metal interaction pyrolysis of pure plastics (PS, PP, LDPE) and their blends into liquid and gaseous fuels. The microwave power and time were varied to pyrolyze 20 g of each sample in an iron coil. The pure PS underwent maximum conversion into fuels followed by PP and L...
Coconut shells are produced in a vast amount around tropical countries that needs to be utilized properly. Thermochemical methods are the main route for converting biomass to charcoal. Percentage of some relative factors in the biomass such as low-density, low caloric value, high ash, SOX, NOX, moisture content, microstructure, and complex elements...
In this paper, a new configuration of Crank-Rocker (CR) model has been proposed by duplicating its mechanism. The method has been implemented to overcome vibration problem on a single-piston Crank-Rocker engine caused by system unbalance. The new method suggests combining conventional method of adding counterweights to reduce shaking forces and eli...
Low Temperature Vacuum Drying (LTVD) with induced nucleate boiling is a new method that has been invented to reduce the water content of honey at a lower temperature without damaging the nutrient content of honey. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of temperature on the dewatering rate by this LTVD method. The honey sample was...
This study presents an optimization approach in the design selection of parameters of
the Crank-Rocker engine. This engine works on the principle of a four-bar crank-rocker
mechanism, and the purpose of this study is to find the basic geometry of the mechanism that
satisfies three required objectives which are to determine the optimized rocker stro...
The erosion failure of oil transmission lines is mainly caused by the migration of quartz, sand, silt and clay into the processing units. Apart from the solid particles, the fluid viscosity also impacts the erosion-related failure of the processing units. The role of sand carrier viscosity in wear damage to pipelines, however, is not well understoo...
The outer hard shell that encloses the coconut fruit is known as the coconut shell. It is available in plentiful quantities and utilizes as an energy source throughout the tropical countries worldwide. The current world production of coconut fruits and the availability of its biomass wastes have the potential to generate power for low emissions in...
Home air-conditioning for space cooling has become a necessity in today’s world due to its affordability and the need for comfort, especially in tropical countries. The hot and humid climate makes it difficult for many people to concentrate with their indoor activities. Nevertheless, the air-conditioners consume large amount of energy. As a result,...
In Nigeria, maintaining steady power supply to the teeming population of over 200 million people has become a challenge. The country stands to be the most populous and yet having the highest economy in the African region. The present electricity generation capacity of 12,552 MW is not enough to cater for the rural and urban dwellers, and this const...
Clean energy is an important issue nowadays since the global community has become more aware of the problem of emission and global warming. Despite strong efforts by many developing countries, which are mostly located in temperate zones, it has been quite unclear how countries of the tropical zone are responding. This chapter delves into the charac...
This book highlights the present scenario of energy demand and power generation technologies in tropical countries. The tropics are well known to receive direct sunlight. Furthermore, different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season, and therefore, they are rich in clean energy sources, like solar and bi...
Tar is an unwanted complex organic compound that has a molecular weight higher than benzene. Usually, tar is produced during gasification process during the pyrolysis stage of carbonaceous materials. Higher concentrations of tar in produced gas can cause choking and damage to the downstream equipment. The operation parameters of gasification are af...
This book highlights the practical aspects of computer modelling and simulation of complex dynamical systems for students. Mechanical systems are considered in the book as representative examples of dynamical systems. Wolfram SystemModeler, in combination with Learning Management System Sakai, is used as an instrument for studying features of vario...
Disruption in feedstock supply due to seasonal availability, and logistics problem poses a threat to smooth biomass gasification. To mitigate this problem, co‐gasification of different biomass feedstocks may be a reliable and efficient means of syngas production. Furthermore, the oil palm trunk (OPT) has been neglected in conducting thermochemical...
Syngas production from biomass gasification is a potentially sustainable and alternative means of conventional fuels. The current challenges for biomass gasification process are biomass storage and tar contamination in syngas. Co-gasification of two biomass and use of mineral catalysts as tar reformer in downdraft gasifier is addressed the issues....
The formation of voids is eminent below the pour point temperature of waxy crude oil. This paper discusses the temporal variation of voids in waxy crude oil gel in the presence of temperature gradient between the waxy crude oil and its ambient condition. Cooling of waxy crude oil to an end temperature of 10 °C was performed in a flow loop rig, afte...
Gasification has emerged as a prominent technique to convert biomass, coal, plastic, and municipals wastes sludge (generated from agriculture, industrial, and domestics, urban centers) into energy in the form of gaseous products. However, co-gasification of these materials has many advantages, such as desired product yield and uninterrupted feedsto...
Wind speed forecasts can boost the quality of wind energy generation by increasing the efficiency and enhancing the economic viability of this variable renewable resource. This work proposes a hybrid model for wind energy capacity for electrical power generation at coastal sites by utilizing wind-related variables' characteristics. The datasets of...
The paper is an experimental study of the gasification process of sawdust (SW), sawdust pellet (SWP) and sub-bituminous coal (SBCoal) by using downdraft gasifier. The gasification was undertaken in a lab-scale fixed-bed gasifier operating under air as an oxidizing agent. The comparison on the raw biomass, treated biomass and coal was assessed in te...
Charcoal, a black carbon residue, is mostly produced from the major conventional method where the biomass is allowed to be heated for several days in a kiln without studying the process condition. Most of the studies on the pyrolysis process focus on the liquid and gaseous by-products neglecting the solid to be used as a combustion fuel. For this s...
This study investigated the elemental content, proximate analysis, morphological nature, calorific value and ultimate analysis of the Elaeis guineensis palm kernel shell (PKS), to determine its suitability for use in syngas generation. The elemental content was studied using the X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) analysis, and the presence of el...
The air gasification of Palm Kernel Shells (PKS) using coal bottom ash (CBA) as a catalyst has been performed in a fixed-bed gasifier. The impact of three process parameters, namely, temperature (575-775°C), air flowrate (1.5-45 litter/min) and catalyst loading (0-30 wt.%) has been investigated on the product gas yield. The composition of the H2 pr...
This study is aimed at testing Mechanical earth modeling (MEM) and Sand onset production prediction (SOP) models using well log and core data to estimate the mechanical properties of the rock, in-situ stresses and the critical conditions at which the rock failure may occur. New numerical models were developed to predict the onset of sand production...
Plastic waste management has been a problem as most of the plastics are not biodegradable. Although plastics are recyclable, only 21% of total plastic wastes are recycled. Using plastics as gasification feedstock/co-feedstock and converting it to usable energy is one of the solutions of removing plastics waste. Co-gasifying polystyrene (PS) with pa...
One of the most challenging issue faced by the oil and gas industry is the formation of crude oil emulsion. The emulsion formation will lead to inconsistency in the production performance, which directly affects the economic growth of the industry. Current, conventional de-emulsification methods such as thermal, demulsifiers, and electrical methods...
Rapid rise in production of plastic waste has posed a threat to environment due to its nonbiodegradable nature. In recent years, microwave assisted pyrolysis of plastic waste has emerged as a promising solution toward reduction of waste and recovery of value-added products and fuels. Previous works on microwave-metal interaction pyrolysis estimated...
The rate of oil palm production in Malaysia increases annually and as a result, the oil palm wastes, especially oil palm trunk (OPT) and oil palm fronds (OPF) remain abundant. A suitable way of converting this abundant waste to renewable energy is through thermochemical conversion. Thus, this study investigates the characteristics of OPT and OPF bi...
Coconut shell charcoal is an important product obtained from coconut shells, which are widely used as domestic and industrial fuel. Wastes of coconut residues (shells, husks and coir) from processing of coconut milk and oil industries are widely generated everywhere all over the world. They have the potential of use as a fuel in renewable energy fo...