Basic Engineering Research Articles

The Impact of Selectively Plasticized Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) Block in Nanostructured Polystyrene−PEO−Polystyrene Triblock Copolymer Electrolytes

All polymer electrolytes, including block polymer (BP) electrolytes exhibit low ionic conductivity compared to liquid electrolytes. For homopolymer electrolytes, the ionic conductivity can be increased by incorporating plasticizer into the polymer network. However, the subsequent weakened mechanical structure of the network precludes its use in many practical applications. In this work, we selectively plasticize the PEO block in a polystyrene PS-PEO-PS triblock copolymer electrolyte using a PEO-like plasticizer: tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME). Unlike its homopolymer (PEO) electrolyte counterpart, the mechanical properties of the PS-PEO-PS triblock copolymer electrolyte are not drastically degraded by this plasticizer because it is immiscible in the nonpolar PS block domains. Polymer electrolyte membranes were cast from lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiTFS) solutions with the corresponding polymers. The molar ratio of ethylene oxide to Li+ is 16 for all electrolytes (nEO:nLi = 16:1). The ionic conductivity of the PS-PEO-PS electrolyte at 80 °C is about one order of magnitude lower than that of the homopolymer (PEO) counterpart at the same temperature. However, the shear modulus (G’) of the PS-PEO-PS electrolyte is about three orders of magnitude higher than the homopolymer, indicating the mechanical properties of the copolymer electrolyte is primarily dominated by the PS phase. The addition of TEGDME plasticizer to the PEO homopolymer electrolyte resulted in a ~10% increase in conductivity. The addition of same amount of TEGDME to the PS-PEO-PS electrolyte resulted in ~100% increase in conductivity. Compared to the dry electrolyte counterpart, the low isothermal frequency (ω = 0.1 rad/s) elastic modulus, G’ of the TEGDME plastized PS-PEO-PS was reduced to half at 80 °C (on the order of 106 Pa). Surprisingly, G’ of the plastized membrane surpassed its dry PS-PEO-PS counterpart at higher frequency values (17 < ω < 100 rad/s). This counter intuitive result is further explored using: 1) Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to elucidate the salt solvation and coordination to ether oxygens, and 2) small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to decipher the domain spacing of the adjacent copolymer blocks. Acknowledgment This work is supported by Dr. Imre Gyuk, Manager, Energy Storage Program, Office of Electricity Delivery and Reliability, Department of Energy. CC acknowldge partial financial support by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

Materials with Shape Memory Effect for Applications in Maritime

Abstract In this review it is presented the insight of challenges faced by all branches of industry in the new age, and especially the maritime industry, strive for sustainable development, better energy control, use of materials with functional properties such as shape memory, all in the direction of increasing safety and comfort. Therefore, the development of new materials with shape memory, which is associated with the introduction of optimized production and the achievement of better functional properties. This leads to new applications in different systems and possible use on devices, which meet the rigorous requirements of the modern industry. The research into new materials with shape memory effect and their applied use in maritime is a challenge that many researchers have encountered in recent decades, and this is why in this paper we look at the basic engineering aspect of these materials and their current as well as future applications in the maritime industry. An overview of several innovations that testify shape memory effect and superelasticity in different maritime fields will be presented in this review.

Optimum Haul Road Track Selection on Open Pit Coal Mine By Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) Implementation

The optimal design of roads in mines is very crucial to the success of the mining operation. However, the transportation roads of mines are often inadequately designed and rarely properly maintained in order to save cost. In order to acquire the optimum track of road for the open pit coal mine, analysis of the topography factor, land usage, environment, and geology are needed on the basic engineering design phase. Considering the amount of overlapping and influencing criteria, the method of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) is used. FAHP is the combination of AHP with the mathematical method of fuzzy. The difference between FAHP and AHP is the implementation of the level of importance in the paired comparison of the comparison matrices, which uses Triangular Fuzzy Numbers (TFN). Following the geometric planning of the open pit coal mine haul road, several track alternatives are considered. Fuzzy AHP was used to select the final alternative that should be implemented. The criteria for the fuzzy AHP operation were acquired through expert opinions. The resulting criteria and scores were processed, with the final result of a feasibility ranking of each track alternative. Fuzzy AHP were proven to be very effective to be used in determining the optimum haul road track alternative for an open pit coal mine.

Motivation Measurement model to Learn Basic Buliding Construction and Survey Engineering using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

The purpose of this study was to produce an instrument of learning motivation in the subject of Basic Building Construction and Survey Engineering (DKBT) using factor analysis. Conceptually, the learning motivation instrument developed has two factors, specifically intrinsic and extrinsic. The subjects of the research were the 11th grade students of SMKN 3 Jombang second semester 2018/2019 totaling 62 people. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24, including instrument reliability indicators (Cronbach Alpha), Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), percentage of construction variance, and item validity (loading factor). The results showed that the Cronbach Alpha value in the classification was higher than 0.70 that was 0.93, the KMO price was 0.681, the construction variance percentage was 68.39%, and the factor load was all items ≥0.3. Thus the measurement model is suitable for measuring the learning motivation of DKBT students in the Modeling Design and Building Information.

Onshore wind energy potential for Small Island Developing States: Findings and recommendations from Barbados

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are often burdened with high electricity prices whilst being bestowed with excellent wind resources. Wind energy is the most proven of the modern renewable energy technologies and, in areas with a good resource, is often the cheapest form of electricity generation. Many small island states have yet to tap into their wind energy potential. Using the Caribbean island of Barbados as a case study, this paper applies basic engineering processes and a spatial planning methodology to determine an island’s maximum potential installed wind capacity. In order to encourage repeated studies for other islands, publicly available global historical hourly weather data is identified and forms part of a technical assessment to estimate the expected annual energy yield. The paper highlights the complexities of wind energy development on small islands when compared with mainland countries and explores the key factors that are to be addressed if SIDS are to make use of their wind resource. Economic analysis of the expected annual energy yield for Barbados predicts a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for wind of 0.13 US$/kWh (±0.01 US$/kWh), which compares favourably with other forms of generation that are an option for the island.

Obituary in Memory of Professor Dr. Luc Missotten

Professor Missotten was born in Hasselt, Belgium, on the 9th of October 1931. He passed away on Thursday, 27 June 2019. He is survived by his wife Marie-Helene Verhamme, his sons Pieter and Jan, his daughters Anne and Kathleen and his grandson Wolf. Professor Missotten graduated and received his medical degree from KU Leuven, Belgium, in 1955. He obtained his PhD degree in 1965, with a thesis entitled ‘The Ultrastructure of the Retina’. He was promoted to professor in 1975 and became the chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, KU Leuven in 1978. Under his leadership, the Department of Ophthalmology progressed into an international centre for basic and translational research, establishing strong connections and productive international collaborations. As a research leader and mentor, Professor Missotten established a group of clinician–scientists at the KU Leuven with an outstanding contribution to translational science. His passion for research motivated many young Belgian and international ophthalmologists to pursue a research career. His scientific career was outstanding as he was the leading author or co-author of over 240 national and international publications. Professor Missotten had an encyclopedic knowledge of basic science, engineering, optics and clinical practice of Ophthalmology, which allowed him to lead in many areas of ophthalmic research. Many generations of ophthalmologists, to whom he served as a role model and mentor, will remember him as a very kind, open-minded, honest, dedicated and committed clinician–scientist. Professor Missotten has been my mentor and friend for the last 36 years, with whom I shared my research ideas and plans. Our friendship was deep, and his loss will be unforgettable. In addition to his contributions to clinical practice and research, Professor Missotten served as the editor of international research journals and was involved in several research societies. His efforts were instrumental to unite ophthalmic research groups in Europe and to establish European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER) in 1997. From 1997 to 2002, he served as the secretary-general of EVER. He was also very important for the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE). He was Secretary General from 1984 to 1996 and then became the President and elder statesman of SOE from 1996 to 1998. His efforts transformed SOE from a club to a scientific society. He was honored by the Society with both the Helmholtz Medal and the Henkes Medal. Professor Missotten received many awards to his work, including the degree of ‘Doctor Honoris Causa’ from the University of Mansoura, Egypt, in 1996 for his efforts to supervise the research of many young Egyptian ophthalmologists to obtain PhD degrees. Professor Missotten, ‘you shall be remembered forever’.

Generation of a Purified iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle-like Population forCell Sheet Engineering.

SummaryInduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a potential source for the derivation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs); however, current approaches are limited by the production of heterogeneous cell types and a paucity of tools or markers for tracking and purifying candidate SMCs. Here, we develop murine and human iPSC lines carrying fluorochrome reporters (Acta2hrGFP and ACTA2eGFP, respectively) that identify Acta2+/ACTA2+ cells as they emerge in vitro in real time during iPSC-directed differentiation. We find that Acta2hrGFP+ and ACTA2eGFP+ cells can be sorted to purity and are enriched in markers characteristic of an immature or synthetic SMC. We characterize the resulting GFP+ populations through global transcriptomic profiling and functional studies, including the capacity to form engineered cell sheets. We conclude that these reporter lines allow for generation of sortable, live iPSC-derived Acta2+/ACTA2+ cells highly enriched in smooth muscle lineages for basic developmental studies, tissue engineering, or future clinical regenerative applications.

Naval Architecture: From Theory to practice

The complexity of projecting and designing a ship requires a work sequence that covers at least three main areas: (1) Concept engineering; (2) Basic engineering; (3) Detail engineering. This paper explains the design transition that exists (or should exist) between concept engineering and the final product, emphasizing the existing contractual relationship with the shipbuilder, especially in the initial definition of the project and the influence on construction aspects.

The investigation of transesterification effect of Eruca sativa Madwort’s oil as biodiesel on performance and emissions of internal combustion engines

ABSTRACT As fossil fuel sources are being decreasing day by day, finding renewable energy resources are necessary. Biodiesel is one of the best alternatives in diesel engines. Eruca sativa Madwort (ESM), a nonedible plant and spice of Brassica carinata family, is one of the Iranian local oil seed plants that can grow in poor and unsuitable lands and has been used as an initial source of biodiesel in this study. Transesterification of ESM’s oil has been done using KOH as catalyst and methanol with protection of molar proportion of oil to alcohol (1:6). Indirect Spray Diesel engine (Lister M8.1) is used according to ECE-49 standard and different proportions of diesel fuel and biodiesel (B0, B5, B10, B20, and B35) are selected to investigate functional parameters and exhaust emission. The results show that with the increase in the percentage of the amount of biofuel in the fuel mixture, the amount of NO, NOx, and soot contamination reduce. Also, the diesel engine has best specific fuel consumption equal to 470 g/kw.h at B20. Other basic engine parameters such as power also remain in optimal condition. Finally, it is shown that ESM has good potential to replace the diesel fuel in diesel engines, without major modification in the design of engine and injection system.

Iron-polyphenol complex nanoparticles for removal of greenhouse gas emission from bitumen and formation of paraffins.

The removal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from bitumen used in the construction of flexible pavement by iron-polyphenol complex nanoparticles (Fe-PNPs) has been examined in the study. Laboratory studies indicated the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) with Fe-PNPs is a function of the amount of additive (Fe-PNPs). From the experimental data, it was found that the reduction of CO2 increases with increasing amount of additive up to a dosage of 4% (by weight of bitumen) without severely changing the basic engineering properties of the bitumen. The reduction of GHG is due to the conversion of the CO2 to a mixture of hydrocarbon in the presence of Fe-PNPs. The characterization of the additive by SEM, FTIR, UV, and XRD indicated the formation of the Fe-PNPs. The analysis of the basic engineering properties of bitumen such as penetration value, softening point of the bitumen, flash point, fire point, and ductility in the presence of additive as well as without the additive were studied and reflected a noticeable effect in the reduction of the CO2. The reduction of GHG by Fe-PNPs minimizes the environmental impact and saving energy by increasing the yield of hydrocarbons.

SEINet: A Centralized Specimen Resource Managed by a Distributed Network of Researchers

The SEINet Portal Network has a complex social and development history spanning nearly two decades. Initially established as a basic online search engine for a select handful of biological collections curated within the southwestern United States, SEINet has since matured into a biodiversity data network incorporating more than 330 institutions and 1,900 individual data contributors. Participating institutions manage and publish over 14 million specimen records, 215,000 observations, and 8 million images. Approximately 70% of the collections make use of the data portal as their primary "live" specimen management platform. The SEINet interface now supports 13 regional data portals distributed across the United States and northern Mexico (http://symbiota.org/docs/seinet/). Through many collaborative efforts, it has matured into a tool for biodiversity data exploration, which includes species inventories, interactive identification keys, specimen and field images, taxonomic information, species distribution maps, and taxonomic descriptions. SEINet’s initial developmental goals were to construct a read-only interface that integrated specimen records harvested from a handful of distributed natural history databases. Intermittent network conductivity and inconsistent data exchange protocols frequently restricted data persistence. National funding opportunities supported a complete redesign towards the development of a centralized data cache model with periodic "snapshot" updates from original data sources. A service-based management infrastructure was integrated into the interface to mobilize small- to medium-sized collections (&amp;lt;1 million specimen records) that commonly lack consistent infrastructure and technical expertise to maintain a standard compliant specimen database. These developments were the precursors to the Symbiota software project (Gries et al. 2014). Through further development of Symbiota, SEINet transformed into a robust specimen management system specifically geared toward specimen digitization with features including data entry from label images, harvesting data from specimen duplicates, batch georeferencing, data validation and cleaning, generating progress reports, and additional tools to improve the efficiency of the digitization process. The central developmental paradigm focused on data mobilization through the production of: a versatile import module capable of ingesting a diverse range of data structures, a robust toolkit to assist in digitizing and managing specimen data and images, and a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) compliant data publishing and export toolkit to facilitate data distribution to global aggregators such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and iDigBio. a versatile import module capable of ingesting a diverse range of data structures, a robust toolkit to assist in digitizing and managing specimen data and images, and a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) compliant data publishing and export toolkit to facilitate data distribution to global aggregators such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and iDigBio. User interfaces consist of a decentralized network of regional data portals, all connecting to a centralized shared data source. Each of the 13 data portals are configured to present a regional perspective specifically tailored to represent the needs of the local research community. This infrastructure has supported the formation of regional consortia, who provide network support to aid local institutions in digitizing and publishing their collections within the network. The community-based infrastructure creates a sense of ownership – perhaps even good-natured competition – by the data providers and provides extra incentive to improve data quality and expand the network. Certain areas of development remain challenging in spite of the project's overall success. For instance, data managers continuously struggle to maintain a current local taxonomic thesaurus used for name validation, data cleaning, and to resolve taxonomic discrepancies commonly encountered when integrating collection datasets. We will discuss the successes and challenges associated with the long-term sustainability model and explore potential future paths for SEINet that support the long-term goal of maintaining a data provider that is in full compliance with the FAIR use principles of making the datasets findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (Wilkinson et al. 2016).

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AS A KEY FACTOR IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

The integration of Ukraine into the European community is impossible without changes in the education sphere. The implementation of such projects of the European Union as "Horizon 2020” provides the collaboration between experts in Agriculture and Engineering. The results of the questionnaire conducted by “Agro Survey” agency showed the lack of student’s practical knowledge in Ukrainian Engineering and Agricultural universities. It is obvious that the quality of education in Ukrainian technical universities doesn't meet the requirements of the European labour market. Getting theoretical knowledge has no value until students can apply it for practical purposes. We suggest that a subject like Physics should be practice-oriented. If the Physics course at technical universities integrates theory with practice, students will be better prepared for their future career. The purpose of the study is to define the basic principles of professional competence as the key factor for improving the quality of future engineer’s training in the process of studying Physics. To select and interpret the factual material, concepts and theories the theoretical analysis of philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature on research was used in the paper. The pedagogical experiment was carried out on the basis of 4 universities in different regions of Ukraine and involved 159 respondents (151 students and 8 university teachers). To determine the strategies for implementation of the profession-based tasks in Physics course we carried out specially designed questionnaires for students majoring in Agrarian Engineering and university teachers. One of the necessary conditions for future engineer training is professional orientation in studying. We suppose that to consider the relationship between a comprehensive Physics course and the disciplines of professional and practical training the in-depth analysis should be performed. First of all, it will help to determine Physics knowledge, abilities and skills that should be used in student’s further professional training. Second of all, it will enable the most effective use of engineering-based tasks in Physics classes. However, knowledge of basic Engineering and General Theoretical subjects is not applied by the students of Technical High School for a long-period of university study. The results of the survey have shown that studying major subjects at a later stage doesn’t motivate students to learn Natural Science and Engineering disciplines. We can conclude that profession-based tasks in Physics class contribute to the formation of a system of natural knowledge, practical skills and abilities. They stimulate the students’ cognitive interest in Physics as a science, help to better absorb material of other disciplines, develop creative abilities and influence the formation of persistent motifs for obtaining knowledge of professional disciplines.

Methodology for the design and economic assessment of anaerobic digestion plants to produce energy and biofertilizer from livestock waste

The generation and poor disposal of waste from livestock industries is the major cause of pollution of water sources, soil, and air. Therefore, profitable alternatives are required for their correct disposal and use. Anaerobic digestion plants are a technologically viable solution to overcome this problem. In this study, it is proposed a methodology for the design and economic assessment of projects using anaerobic digestion plants to produce electrical energy, thermal energy, and biofertilizer from livestock waste. The methodology is developed based on the assumption that the process is mainly composed of an anaerobic digester and an electric generator having a Diesel-cycle internal combustion engine. It is programmed in “MS Excel” sheet and assessed using technical and economic data from a three real anaerobic digestion plants. The methodology obtains technical parameters such as energy production efficiency with an average difference of 35% compared to the real plants data. In addition, the unit capital costs are calculated, obtaining a value of €3789/kW with a difference of 21.1%, as well as unit operating costs of €729/kW per year with a difference of 15.2%. The financial viability of the project is assessed by calculating the net present value and obtaining €577,050 with a difference of 17.8% and an internal rate of return with a percentage difference of 3%. The proposed methodology specifies the technical parameters and the basic engineering of an anaerobic digestion plant in a stationary state, where the basic streams and dimensions of primary equipment, such as anaerobic reactors and electric generators, are specified. Moreover, the methodology calculates capital and operating expenses for an anaerobic digestion plant, which may be useful to assess the technical and financial feasibility for a project of this type.

Solving Practical Engineering Mechanics Problems: Advanced Kinetics

Abstract Engineering Mechanics is one of the fundamental branches of science which is important for the education of professional engineers regardless of major. Most of the basic engineering course...

Enhanced Engineering Characteristics of Soils by Electro-Osmotic Treatment: An Overview

The electro-osmotic treatment for stabilizing fine-grained soils is gaining importance in the field of geotechnical engineering. There is absolute evidence that during the electro-osmotic treatment, the basic index, physicochemical and engineering properties of the soils was found to be modified. A review of the enhanced engineering characteristics of soils due to electro-osmotic treatment is presented in this paper. In addition, a brief description of the critical factors that affect the efficiency of electro-osmotic treatment is presented. This review intends to summarize the results obtained from the several field-based case studies and laboratory-based experimental studies to understand the variation in the water content, Atterberg limits, permeability, seepage, consolidation, shear strength, mineralogical and physicochemical characteristics of the soil due to electro-osmotic treatment. Based on the review, it can be inferred that usage of electro-osmotic treatment for stabilizing the fine-grained soils is beneficial, and its higher efficiency can be obtained by selecting suitable electrodes and devising the scheme appropriately for the polarity reversal and current intermittences.

RANCANG BANGUN MEDIA INTERAKTIF PADA MATA PELAJARAN TEKNIK DASAR LISTRIK DAN ELEKTRONIKA

Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering (DLE) is a subject that has theory and practice, students are required to play an active role in learning so that they understand the material being taught, these subjects are the basis for students to understand and understand electronic components. SMK Negeri 1 Padang is one of the schools that has taken advantage of technological developments, such as the use of computers and Liquid Crystal Display or LCD projectors in the learning process. The purpose of this study is to improve student learning outcomes by using interactive media in the teaching and learning process. This research produces interactive learning media for basic electrical and electronic techniques. The media was then tested through computers and several people who understood interactive learning media and were revised based on suggestions and input from examiners, then tested their feasibility for use in the teaching and learning process. From the results of the trial it can be concluded that the media designed can run as it should and is suitable for use in the teaching and learning process at SMK Negeri 1 Padang.Keywords : Interactive Media, Adobe Flash CS6, Basic Electricity and Electronics.

On standing out and fitting in

ABSTRACTTwo basic sociological processes with particular relevance to global fashion marketing and consumption are attempting to stand out or to fit in. These processes operate not only among face-to-face peers but online as well. And in some cases, users of social media, as well as marketers, are able to take advantage of the dynamics between those attempting to stand out and those attempting to fit in. In this note, I analyze various ways in which these dynamics operate as well as some of the cultural differences in the tendency toward each trait. I conclude that across cultures the interplay of standing out and fitting in is a basic engine of the fashion process.

Day-Ahead Prediction of Microgrid Electricity Demand Using a Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Model

Improved-performance day-ahead electricity demand forecast is important to deliver necessary information for right decision of energy management of microgrids. It supports microgrid operators and stakeholders to have better decisions on microgrid flexibility, stability and control. The available conventional forecasting methods for electricity demand at national or regional level are not effective for electricity demand forecasting in microgrids. This is due to the fact that the electricity consumption in microgrids is many times less than the regional or national demands and it is highly volatile. In this paper, an integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) based approach consisting of Wavelet Transform (WT), Simulated Annealing (SA) and Feedforward Artificial Neural Network (FFANN) is devised for day-ahead prediction of electric power consumption in microgrids. The FFANN is the basic forecasting engine of the proposed model. The WT is utilized to extract relevant features of the target variable (electric load data series) to obtain a cluster of enhanced-feature subseries. The extracted subseries of the past values of the electric load demand data are employed as the target variables to model the FFANN. The SA optimization technique is employed to obtain the optimal values of the FFANN weight parameters during the training process. Historical information of actual electricity consumption, meteorological variables, daily variations, weekly variations, and working/non-working day indicators have been employed to develop the forecasting tool of the devised integrated AI based approach. The approach is validated using electricity demand data of an operational microgrid in Beijing, China. The prediction results are presented for future testing days with one-hour time interval. The validation results demonstrated that the devised approach is capable to forecast the microgrid electricity demand with acceptably small error and reasonably short computation time. Moreover, the prediction performance of the devised approach has been evaluated relative to other four approaches and resulted in better prediction accuracy.

Comparative study on the friction behaviour of piston/bore interface technologies

Engine crank case designs for passenger car applications are based today on two main material technologies: grey cast iron and an increasing share of aluminium-based concepts. Due to the low wear resistance of aluminium, the latter concepts require a wear protective layer for the cylinder bore surface. Iron-based thermal spray coats are widely used for this purpose. The coating improves the tribological behaviour significantly, as previous studies have shown. Additionally, aluminium-based concepts offer advantages regarding engine weight and thermal management. The aim of the presented work was the discussion of these technological concepts regarding the tribological and sealing properties of the piston/bore interface. The study was carried out based on the AVL FRISC Floating Liner Engine. While the basic engine remained unchanged, the cylinder bore surface was varied. In addition to the floating liner friction measurement, the blow-by and lube oil consumption were also measured. A state-of-the-art multi-body dynamic simulation model complements the experimental study, while both simulation and measurement lead to similar conclusions.

Using pictorial action instructions to build a basic humanitarian engineering project

Humanitarian engineering projects mitigate environmental hazards disproportionately affecting health in low- and middle-income countries. However, widespread literacy deficits can create barriers in training low-literacy adults to construct these projects, indicating a need for literacy-adapted training materials. A randomized control trial in rural Guatemala tested the usability of pictorial action instructions, compared to demonstration-only methods, in training low-literacy adults (N = 60; n = 30 per group) to construct a solar bottle bulb. Fourteen days after the training, participants individually constructed the solar bottle bulb. The intervention group received pictorial action instructions to guide them, and the control group completed construction based on memory. Usability was evaluated by measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of construction, as well as user satisfaction and self-efficacy levels. Effectiveness and self-efficacy were significantly better among those in the intervention group compared to the control group. Considering this, the findings support the use of pictorial action instructions in training low-literacy adults to construct humanitarian engineering projects. This method may allow more individuals in rural regions of low- and middle-income countries to successfully construct their own humanitarian engineering projects in a way that is sustainable and scalable. Further research is needed to test these instructions in different settings, on a larger scale, as well as to test the long-term effects of using pictorial action instructions.