Prakash Persad | The University of Trinidad and Tobago (original) (raw)
Papers by Prakash Persad
The Caribbean region has been identified as a favourable area for the exploitation of wave energy... more The Caribbean region has been identified as a favourable area for the exploitation of wave energy. A cost effective approach to the development of this resource is to use hard skinned heaving bodies. A mathematical model for heaving bodies is developed and used to determine the performance for such bodies under the Eastern Caribbean wave regime for rectangular, circular and elliptical geometries. The results indicate that performance is a strong function of the dimensionless frequency parameter. As the wave regime is seasonal, active tuning is indicated for extraction optimization.
The increased class size in the IENG2004/3009 course in 2006/2007 contributed to lower class perf... more The increased class size in the IENG2004/3009 course in 2006/2007 contributed to lower class performance in the standard examination processes at the University of the West Indies (UWI). In 2008, to the group work- a feature of collaborative learning was added the production of a DVD as an alternative to the traditional project presentation. This additional feature gave students an opportunity to interact in another fashion with the course material thus appealing to other forms of intelligences, taking into account the divergent learning styles and learning strategies which the students possess. This resulted in an increase in the overall class performance, even though the class size has almost doubled
Alternative Energy Sources, 1980
Three collectors of identical dimensions but operating in the single-pass, two-pass and three-pas... more Three collectors of identical dimensions but operating in the single-pass, two-pass and three-pass modes were tested simultaneously under ambient conditions. It was found that the two-pass air heater was consistently better than the single-pass air heater over the day for the range of mass flow rates considered. It was also found that at a mass flow rate of 0.0095 kg s/sup -1/ m/sup -2/, the thermal performances of the two-pass and three-pass collectors were identical, but at higher flow rates the two-pass collector was superior to the three-pass collector, the superiority decreasing with increasing mass flow rate.
It is believed that economies succeed when firms are able to respond to changing market condition... more It is believed that economies succeed when firms are able to respond to changing market conditions by producing new products, services, and production methods. The role of the university in promoting these can be very diverse. Most visible is in the commercialization of research, or by the introduction of cutting edge technologies to firms and individuals. The effectiveness of these new technologies in stimulating economic growth is largely dependent upon the extent to which the technologies are absorbed and utilized. The absorption and utilization of new technologies is dependent upon the amount, type and in what manner that individuals are educated about the new technologies. In the region, and specifically in Trinidad and Tobago, technologies are being constantly imported. Today, the manpower is also imported to utilize the technologies. This leads to currency flight and dampening of the local economies. This paper proposes the use of Computer Based Training (CBT) as a tool for t...
The Caribbean is a net importer of energy. This energy supply includes diesel, heavy fuel oils an... more The Caribbean is a net importer of energy. This energy supply includes diesel, heavy fuel oils and light distillates. The increased prices of these commodities have a severe and negative impact on the economies of the Caribbean. The use of available renewable energy sources can help in alleviating the increased costs of hydrocarbon-based fuels through their application in specific areas. Water is also a scarce resource in the Caribbean. Many Caribbean islands are water stressed as their per capital water potential is below 1000 m3/yr. 2000m3/yr is considered an adequate standard. Many require additional water production methods to supplement their water resources. Desalination is one such method that is used to fill this gap. However, desalination requires a considerable amount of energy, typically 5kWh/m3. The Eastern Caribbean possesses significant renewable wave energy potential. By directly coupling this wave energy resource to the desalination process, a solution to address bot...
2008 Second IEEE International Conference on Digital Game and Intelligent Toy Enhanced Learning, 2008
ABSTRACT This works seeks to examine the basis for using a robot as a tabla tutor. It describes t... more ABSTRACT This works seeks to examine the basis for using a robot as a tabla tutor. It describes the difficulty associated with playing the tabla and the current methods of teaching. The argument is then put forward for the suitability of the concept. The present state of the project and eventual goal are also described.
International Journal of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, 2013
Traditional North Indian religious music has, for the most part, used traditional drums like the ... more Traditional North Indian religious music has, for the most part, used traditional drums like the tabla. This article describes the work that has been done thus far in integrating a robotic drummer in a music band. It illustrates a user centred design approach for the creation of an interface to be used by musicians working with the robot. The interface is designed to be used during a training session for the creation of a tabla accompaniment piece with little additional training or technical knowledge. The first iteration of the design was created and formative testing was conducted. Users were successfully able to use the interface to complete a series of tasks and recommendations were gathered for improving the next iteration.
Desalination, 2010
... However, their model was presented in the light of pulse disturbances and not continuous fluc... more ... However, their model was presented in the light of pulse disturbances and not continuous fluctuations in the feed stream, as would be the case in WPRO. Jamal et al. ... (12), (13) and (14).(15) (16) (17). The present model is validated using the results presented by Jamal et al. ...
Asian Journal on Quality, 2004
Distance education is a non-traditional mode of training and can take many forms, one of which is... more Distance education is a non-traditional mode of training and can take many forms, one of which is the use of Computer Based Training (CBT). This paper reviews various quality assurance models for designing the delivery of programmes at the universities and other training institutions. It presents the findings of a CBT research that is currently being carried out at the
HighTech and Innovation Journal, 2021
The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors has increased sign... more The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors has increased significantly. In the absence of bowlers, batsmen can bat for hours without any bowlers getting tired. The designs of these machines are often a derivative of ball projection machines used for other sports such as tennis. Reviewed literature highlights the deficit in visual information in the form of an arm and hand when using these machines. Hence a cricket bowling machine was developed with an arm and hand. The usability, functionality, repeatability, and accuracy of the cricket bowling machine with an arm and hand was tested which had been previously designed and built by Loutan Jr. (2016) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago. A trajectory model was developed for an indoor environment and experimentally validated with data collected from extensive testing of the bowling machine using Pitch Vision hardware and software. A design procedure had to be formulated to determine what test had...
The Finite Element Method is commonly used in the analysis of flexible manipulators to predict el... more The Finite Element Method is commonly used in the analysis of flexible manipulators to predict elastic displacements and develop joint control schemes for reducing positioning error. In order to preserve simplicity, regular geometries, ideal joints and connections are assumed. This paper presents the dynamic FE analysis of a 4- degrees of freedom open chain manipulator, intended for striking a curved 3D surface percussion musical instrument. This was done utilizing the new MultiBody Dynamics Module in COMSOL, capable of modeling the elastic behavior of a body undergoing rigid body type motion.
This paper describes the process whereby the Caribbean Invention and Innovation Centre (CIIC) was... more This paper describes the process whereby the Caribbean Invention and Innovation Centre (CIIC) was established and launched in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The advantage of the CIIC being located in The University of Trinidad and Tobago is to provide students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels with exposure to and experience in the developing of products, from the idea to prototyping and marketing. Furthermore, postgraduate students will benefit from being actively involved in commercially driven research thus leading to industry ready graduates. The key output of such a facility would also lead to the formation of new manufacturing SMEs which would create employment for the country and fulfill the mandate of The University of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Policy on community development and deliver on the Millennium Development Goals.
Many of the agricultural plots within Trinidad and Tobago remain in a state of dormancy due to a ... more Many of the agricultural plots within Trinidad and Tobago remain in a state of dormancy due to a critical lack of infrastructure needed for their development. This has contributed to the increasing food import bill which was some TT$5.6 billion over the last couple of years. This overall crop irrigation project aims at assisting the farmers in setting up a proper infrastructure that will utilize natural resources. The lack of pipe water will be substituted by rainwater capture, storage and distribution via drip irrigation. The lack of power for water distribution by irrigation will be obtained by the use of solar power for the pumps. The project will be done in phases. This phase involved at creating a smart estimator to determine the water requirement and the planting land area for the 2-acre plot when the number of plants, type of plants, and the month in which the farmer chooses to start planting are chosen. It will estimate the water storage volume required for the various crops...
The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors have increased sig... more The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors have increased significantly. In the absence of bowlers, batsmen can bat for hours without any bowlers getting tired. The designs of these machines are often a derivative of ball projection machines used for other sports such as tennis. Reviewed literature highlights the deficit in visual information in the form of an arm and hand when using these machines. Hence a cricket bowling machine was developed with an arm and hand. The usability, functionality, repeatability and accuracy of the cricket bowling machine with an arm and hand was tested which had been previously designed and built by Dr Kelvin Loutan Jr (2016) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago. A trajectory model was developed for an indoor environment and experimentally validated with data collected from extensive testing of the bowling machine using Pitch Vision hardware and software. A design procedure had to be formulated to determine what...
Mathematical modelling of reverse osmosis membranes has evolved from simplified one-dimensional s... more Mathematical modelling of reverse osmosis membranes has evolved from simplified one-dimensional simulations to complex three-dimensional simulations using CFD based techniques. These models have been useful in simulating solute and solvent flows across the membrane, the development of the concentration polarisation layer and the effects of spacer and spacer geometry as some examples. Various simplifying assumptions are, however, made in the modelling process that limit their extension to the specific application of directly-coupled wave powered desalination. These include the treatment of the membrane and use of rejection coefficients for solute transport. The model presented in this paper addresses some of the limitations imposed currently on available models. Fully coupled mass-momentum equations are specified for the hydrodynamics within the feed, membrane and permeate channels. Semi-empirical relationships are developed to account for the effects of inlet pressure, cross-flow ve...
Engineering students are often faced with many assessment points during a semester. One of the mo... more Engineering students are often faced with many assessment points during a semester. One of the more common assessments in an engineering programme are group-based, design and build projects. These projects often require a disproportionate amount of time due to coordination between members and resources for acquiring materials. This study relates an attempt to reduce this burden by utilising a common project as an assessment point for two separate courses: Practical Prototyping Skills and Introduction to Energy Engineering. The challenges faced by instructors in creating a project that would adequately address their individual learning outcomes are presented, along with the students’ perspective on this approach. Student surveys indicated that there was a clear understanding of how the project related to both courses and that they had sufficient support for the project, while lecturers highlighted several positive outcomes such as more student emphasis on the project, a higher standa...
Journal of Economics and Business
International Journal of Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing, 2015
The market place of the 21st century is evolving into one of merging national markets, fragmented... more The market place of the 21st century is evolving into one of merging national markets, fragmented consumer markets, and rapidly changing product technologies and so the use of new technologies has become vital to the manufacturing industry for their survival and sustainability. This work focused on the assembly type industry in a small developing country and aimed at identifying the use of advanced manufacturing technologies and their impact on this sector of the industry. It was found that some technologies were being used and that they had improved the effectiveness of those companies. Some of the specific advantages highlighted were improved productivity and thus improved efficiency, improved flexibility, more consistency in the production and quality improvements in the products. It was however noted that there was still room for improvement. Some of the recommendations included benchmarking against international standards, the adoption of a "made in TT" campaign and the effective utilisation of the technologies to improve competitive advantages and strategies. Index Terms-Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), Trinidad and Tobago (TT), assembly sector.
The Caribbean region has been identified as a favourable area for the exploitation of wave energy... more The Caribbean region has been identified as a favourable area for the exploitation of wave energy. A cost effective approach to the development of this resource is to use hard skinned heaving bodies. A mathematical model for heaving bodies is developed and used to determine the performance for such bodies under the Eastern Caribbean wave regime for rectangular, circular and elliptical geometries. The results indicate that performance is a strong function of the dimensionless frequency parameter. As the wave regime is seasonal, active tuning is indicated for extraction optimization.
The increased class size in the IENG2004/3009 course in 2006/2007 contributed to lower class perf... more The increased class size in the IENG2004/3009 course in 2006/2007 contributed to lower class performance in the standard examination processes at the University of the West Indies (UWI). In 2008, to the group work- a feature of collaborative learning was added the production of a DVD as an alternative to the traditional project presentation. This additional feature gave students an opportunity to interact in another fashion with the course material thus appealing to other forms of intelligences, taking into account the divergent learning styles and learning strategies which the students possess. This resulted in an increase in the overall class performance, even though the class size has almost doubled
Alternative Energy Sources, 1980
Three collectors of identical dimensions but operating in the single-pass, two-pass and three-pas... more Three collectors of identical dimensions but operating in the single-pass, two-pass and three-pass modes were tested simultaneously under ambient conditions. It was found that the two-pass air heater was consistently better than the single-pass air heater over the day for the range of mass flow rates considered. It was also found that at a mass flow rate of 0.0095 kg s/sup -1/ m/sup -2/, the thermal performances of the two-pass and three-pass collectors were identical, but at higher flow rates the two-pass collector was superior to the three-pass collector, the superiority decreasing with increasing mass flow rate.
It is believed that economies succeed when firms are able to respond to changing market condition... more It is believed that economies succeed when firms are able to respond to changing market conditions by producing new products, services, and production methods. The role of the university in promoting these can be very diverse. Most visible is in the commercialization of research, or by the introduction of cutting edge technologies to firms and individuals. The effectiveness of these new technologies in stimulating economic growth is largely dependent upon the extent to which the technologies are absorbed and utilized. The absorption and utilization of new technologies is dependent upon the amount, type and in what manner that individuals are educated about the new technologies. In the region, and specifically in Trinidad and Tobago, technologies are being constantly imported. Today, the manpower is also imported to utilize the technologies. This leads to currency flight and dampening of the local economies. This paper proposes the use of Computer Based Training (CBT) as a tool for t...
The Caribbean is a net importer of energy. This energy supply includes diesel, heavy fuel oils an... more The Caribbean is a net importer of energy. This energy supply includes diesel, heavy fuel oils and light distillates. The increased prices of these commodities have a severe and negative impact on the economies of the Caribbean. The use of available renewable energy sources can help in alleviating the increased costs of hydrocarbon-based fuels through their application in specific areas. Water is also a scarce resource in the Caribbean. Many Caribbean islands are water stressed as their per capital water potential is below 1000 m3/yr. 2000m3/yr is considered an adequate standard. Many require additional water production methods to supplement their water resources. Desalination is one such method that is used to fill this gap. However, desalination requires a considerable amount of energy, typically 5kWh/m3. The Eastern Caribbean possesses significant renewable wave energy potential. By directly coupling this wave energy resource to the desalination process, a solution to address bot...
2008 Second IEEE International Conference on Digital Game and Intelligent Toy Enhanced Learning, 2008
ABSTRACT This works seeks to examine the basis for using a robot as a tabla tutor. It describes t... more ABSTRACT This works seeks to examine the basis for using a robot as a tabla tutor. It describes the difficulty associated with playing the tabla and the current methods of teaching. The argument is then put forward for the suitability of the concept. The present state of the project and eventual goal are also described.
International Journal of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, 2013
Traditional North Indian religious music has, for the most part, used traditional drums like the ... more Traditional North Indian religious music has, for the most part, used traditional drums like the tabla. This article describes the work that has been done thus far in integrating a robotic drummer in a music band. It illustrates a user centred design approach for the creation of an interface to be used by musicians working with the robot. The interface is designed to be used during a training session for the creation of a tabla accompaniment piece with little additional training or technical knowledge. The first iteration of the design was created and formative testing was conducted. Users were successfully able to use the interface to complete a series of tasks and recommendations were gathered for improving the next iteration.
Desalination, 2010
... However, their model was presented in the light of pulse disturbances and not continuous fluc... more ... However, their model was presented in the light of pulse disturbances and not continuous fluctuations in the feed stream, as would be the case in WPRO. Jamal et al. ... (12), (13) and (14).(15) (16) (17). The present model is validated using the results presented by Jamal et al. ...
Asian Journal on Quality, 2004
Distance education is a non-traditional mode of training and can take many forms, one of which is... more Distance education is a non-traditional mode of training and can take many forms, one of which is the use of Computer Based Training (CBT). This paper reviews various quality assurance models for designing the delivery of programmes at the universities and other training institutions. It presents the findings of a CBT research that is currently being carried out at the
HighTech and Innovation Journal, 2021
The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors has increased sign... more The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors has increased significantly. In the absence of bowlers, batsmen can bat for hours without any bowlers getting tired. The designs of these machines are often a derivative of ball projection machines used for other sports such as tennis. Reviewed literature highlights the deficit in visual information in the form of an arm and hand when using these machines. Hence a cricket bowling machine was developed with an arm and hand. The usability, functionality, repeatability, and accuracy of the cricket bowling machine with an arm and hand was tested which had been previously designed and built by Loutan Jr. (2016) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago. A trajectory model was developed for an indoor environment and experimentally validated with data collected from extensive testing of the bowling machine using Pitch Vision hardware and software. A design procedure had to be formulated to determine what test had...
The Finite Element Method is commonly used in the analysis of flexible manipulators to predict el... more The Finite Element Method is commonly used in the analysis of flexible manipulators to predict elastic displacements and develop joint control schemes for reducing positioning error. In order to preserve simplicity, regular geometries, ideal joints and connections are assumed. This paper presents the dynamic FE analysis of a 4- degrees of freedom open chain manipulator, intended for striking a curved 3D surface percussion musical instrument. This was done utilizing the new MultiBody Dynamics Module in COMSOL, capable of modeling the elastic behavior of a body undergoing rigid body type motion.
This paper describes the process whereby the Caribbean Invention and Innovation Centre (CIIC) was... more This paper describes the process whereby the Caribbean Invention and Innovation Centre (CIIC) was established and launched in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The advantage of the CIIC being located in The University of Trinidad and Tobago is to provide students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels with exposure to and experience in the developing of products, from the idea to prototyping and marketing. Furthermore, postgraduate students will benefit from being actively involved in commercially driven research thus leading to industry ready graduates. The key output of such a facility would also lead to the formation of new manufacturing SMEs which would create employment for the country and fulfill the mandate of The University of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Policy on community development and deliver on the Millennium Development Goals.
Many of the agricultural plots within Trinidad and Tobago remain in a state of dormancy due to a ... more Many of the agricultural plots within Trinidad and Tobago remain in a state of dormancy due to a critical lack of infrastructure needed for their development. This has contributed to the increasing food import bill which was some TT$5.6 billion over the last couple of years. This overall crop irrigation project aims at assisting the farmers in setting up a proper infrastructure that will utilize natural resources. The lack of pipe water will be substituted by rainwater capture, storage and distribution via drip irrigation. The lack of power for water distribution by irrigation will be obtained by the use of solar power for the pumps. The project will be done in phases. This phase involved at creating a smart estimator to determine the water requirement and the planting land area for the 2-acre plot when the number of plants, type of plants, and the month in which the farmer chooses to start planting are chosen. It will estimate the water storage volume required for the various crops...
The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors have increased sig... more The use of bowling machines to train batsmen whether it be indoors or outdoors have increased significantly. In the absence of bowlers, batsmen can bat for hours without any bowlers getting tired. The designs of these machines are often a derivative of ball projection machines used for other sports such as tennis. Reviewed literature highlights the deficit in visual information in the form of an arm and hand when using these machines. Hence a cricket bowling machine was developed with an arm and hand. The usability, functionality, repeatability and accuracy of the cricket bowling machine with an arm and hand was tested which had been previously designed and built by Dr Kelvin Loutan Jr (2016) at The University of Trinidad and Tobago. A trajectory model was developed for an indoor environment and experimentally validated with data collected from extensive testing of the bowling machine using Pitch Vision hardware and software. A design procedure had to be formulated to determine what...
Mathematical modelling of reverse osmosis membranes has evolved from simplified one-dimensional s... more Mathematical modelling of reverse osmosis membranes has evolved from simplified one-dimensional simulations to complex three-dimensional simulations using CFD based techniques. These models have been useful in simulating solute and solvent flows across the membrane, the development of the concentration polarisation layer and the effects of spacer and spacer geometry as some examples. Various simplifying assumptions are, however, made in the modelling process that limit their extension to the specific application of directly-coupled wave powered desalination. These include the treatment of the membrane and use of rejection coefficients for solute transport. The model presented in this paper addresses some of the limitations imposed currently on available models. Fully coupled mass-momentum equations are specified for the hydrodynamics within the feed, membrane and permeate channels. Semi-empirical relationships are developed to account for the effects of inlet pressure, cross-flow ve...
Engineering students are often faced with many assessment points during a semester. One of the mo... more Engineering students are often faced with many assessment points during a semester. One of the more common assessments in an engineering programme are group-based, design and build projects. These projects often require a disproportionate amount of time due to coordination between members and resources for acquiring materials. This study relates an attempt to reduce this burden by utilising a common project as an assessment point for two separate courses: Practical Prototyping Skills and Introduction to Energy Engineering. The challenges faced by instructors in creating a project that would adequately address their individual learning outcomes are presented, along with the students’ perspective on this approach. Student surveys indicated that there was a clear understanding of how the project related to both courses and that they had sufficient support for the project, while lecturers highlighted several positive outcomes such as more student emphasis on the project, a higher standa...
Journal of Economics and Business
International Journal of Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing, 2015
The market place of the 21st century is evolving into one of merging national markets, fragmented... more The market place of the 21st century is evolving into one of merging national markets, fragmented consumer markets, and rapidly changing product technologies and so the use of new technologies has become vital to the manufacturing industry for their survival and sustainability. This work focused on the assembly type industry in a small developing country and aimed at identifying the use of advanced manufacturing technologies and their impact on this sector of the industry. It was found that some technologies were being used and that they had improved the effectiveness of those companies. Some of the specific advantages highlighted were improved productivity and thus improved efficiency, improved flexibility, more consistency in the production and quality improvements in the products. It was however noted that there was still room for improvement. Some of the recommendations included benchmarking against international standards, the adoption of a "made in TT" campaign and the effective utilisation of the technologies to improve competitive advantages and strategies. Index Terms-Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), Trinidad and Tobago (TT), assembly sector.