LAUTECH Journal of Engineering and Technology (LAUJET)
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QUANTIFYING HEAT AND POWER GENERATION FROM PALM KERNEL SHELL AND PALM FRUIT FIBRE
No full textConsiderable quantities of palm kernel shell (PKS) and palm fruit fibre (PFF) are produced as by-products of palm fruits processing. These by-products are long regarded as wastes. Indeed, there are wastes. Now, research has shown that they are not wastes as such but very important resources which are out of use.
The objective of this study is to quantify the heat and power generated from palm kernel shell (PKS) and palm fruit fibre (PFF). Samples of PKS and PFF (Dura and Pisifera varieties) at varying quantities were collected from a palm fruits processing mill and combusted inside the oven. The experiment was conducted in an oil mill located at Amaokwe Item in Abia state Nigeria. The mill has a capacity of processing 60 tons of palm fruits per day. Parameters measured directly are; current, induced voltage, pressure, time and the quantity of fuels burned. Parameters calculated are the electrical power, heat energy and ratio of PKS to PFF mixed. The current was measured using ammeter and the voltage was measured using a voltmeter. The pressure was measured using pressure gauge which was attached to the boiler. The initial and final temperatures were measured using a DT9205A thermocouple. Results show that at 50 bars, maximum current of 5.0A and voltage of 210V were recorded. The calculated electrical power of 1050W was obtained. The ratio of PKS to PFF at these readings was 4:1 and the heat generated at these conditions was 110523.3kJ. The power generated can power 3 refrigerators of 100W capacity and 12 bulbs of 60W capacity each all at the same time. It is concluded that palm kernel shell and palm fruits fibre are capable of replacing fossil fuel in palm fruit processing and electricity generatio
INTERNAL MODEL CONTROL DESIGN FOR BLOOD GLUCOSE REGULATION IN A TYPE 1 DIABETIC PATIENT
No full textInternal Model Control (IMC) applied to the blood glucose regulation process in body of a type 1 diabetic patient in this study. Minimal Model (BMM) adopted as the type 1 diabetic patient was linearized using Taylor Series expansion to get appropriate transfer function. Insulin infusion rate was used as the manipulated variable to control the blood glucose concentration while glucose meal was used as disturbance variable. IMC algorithm was developed to control the process model using the IMC structure along with the Single Input Single Output (SISO) tool in MATLAB. Single parameter associated with IMC was tuned by using percentage of settling time (% OLST) for open the loop model representing the patient. The parameter equivalent to 5% OLST gave the best setting for full-order IMC with closed-loop settling time of 55.913 min, without violating input constraint. The parameter equivalent to 10% OLST gave the best setting for reduced-order IMC with closed-loop settling time of 93.788 min. The controllers gave good performance in term of set point tracking and disturbance attenuation. Comparison of IMC with PID controllers based on Zeigler-Nichols and Cohen-Coon indicated that IMC outperformed PID controllers
IMPACTS OF COAGULANTS ON QUALITY OF SOFT CHEESE PRODUCED FROM COW-SOY MILK BLENDS
Get PDFProduction of cheese at household level involved the use of different locally produced coagulants which include alum, Sodom apple and fermented maize liquor. Their effects on quality of cheese made from blends of cow-soy milk are sparse. This work investigated effect of coagulants on soft cheese produced from cow soy blends. Soft cheese samples were produced from cow-soy milk blends (90:10%). The cheese was coagulated using three locally available coagulants {juice of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera), aqueous solution of Potassium alum and fermented maize liquor}. Samples were analysed for yield, pH, proximate and mineral contents. Microbial analysis and sensory attributes were also determined. The yield obtained ranged from 38.7 to 39.0%. Highest yield was obtained from Sodom apple coagulated cheese sample. Cheese produced using fermented maize liquor had the highest pH (6.07) while Sodom apple and alum coagulated cheese had the pH values of 6.83 and 6.97, respectively. The moisture contents of the produced cow-soy cheese ranged from 70.4 to 73.57%. The protein content of the cheese samples coagulated with alum had the highest (12.97%) in all the samples. There was no fiber in all the cheese samples produced. Calcium contents obtained from the three samples ranged between 171.67 and 185.00 mg/100 g. The iron content of cheese coagulated with fermented maize liquor (3.63 mg) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of alum coagulated (3.23 mg/100 g) and Sodom apple coagulated cheese (3.33 mg/100 g). Higher microbial load was recorded in cheese samples coagulated with FML. The sensory attributes of the cheese samples varied with different coagulants. This indicates that the type of coagulant used in cheese-making has effect on the yield, pH some nutritional and sensory attributes of cheese
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A METALLIC BIO-DIGESTER FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOGAS FROM COW DUNG
Get PDFBiogas production has contributed greatly as an alternative source of fuel power to solving various developing nations’ problems including high dependency on petroleum products. This gives a clear objective why its production is seriously needed, as it plays a significant role in destroying and converting municipal and agricultural wastes into a useful fuel which can be used in homes and on farms for lighting, heating and moving equipment by supplying the fuel power needed This work focused on design and construction of a metallic bio digester for the production of biogas. Cow dung was mixed with water in ratio 1:2 of particulate mass. The experiment was carried out in a metallic digester under mesophilic temperature. The average retention time for the experiment was 30days. The average internal temperature of the biogas digester was 32.3oC. The total volume of biogas produced was 5.208 m3. The concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide in the biogas produced were found to be 59% and 40% respectively. The developed metallic bio-digester has been found to be appropriate for the production of biogas from cow dung at mesophilic temperature
AN EVALUATION OF TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN A POLYURETHANE FOAM MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA
No full textThe work is aimed at investigating, analyzing and comparing the business performance before and after a polyurethane foam producing company embarked on Max foam plant, which is a continuous machine for producing foam as a result of technology development. The study was designed to assess the performance of the company using questionnaire, interviews as well as data from secondary sources. The current productivity of the company (1996-to date) was found to be much higher than hitherto (1979-1996) when it employed the older method of polyurethane foam production ( the “box method”). The production rate per month, operating profit per month, operating profit per annum, the profit after tax, all increased tremendously by about 600%. Overall, the company achieved increased production, reduced wastage, high tonnage and reduced process and fugitive emissions. Strategies for maximizing the benefit of using the latest technology of production were therefore recommende
UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) FOR EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY AMONG FARMERS IN OGBOMOSO AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF OYO STATE
Get PDFThis paper investigated farmer’s utilization of ICT for Extension Service Delivery among Farmers in Ogbomoso Agricultural zone of Oyo State. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 240 respondents through schedule for the study. Findings showed that the farmers were still in their active years with mean age of 45.9 years and majority being married (84.9%). Mostly used ICT were radio and mobile phone which were used to source information on market price, input supplies, market for produce, input prices, linking middlemen and buyers and timely production information. About 67% of the female had poor use of ICTs. There was a digital divide between male and female. Constraints faced in the use of ICTs include poor electricity supply (69.6%) and high initial purchase cost of ICT device (62.3%). Age had a negative significant relationship (t = -2.28) with ICT use while years spent schooling and income had positive significant influence (t = 3.77) in the use of ICT among farmers at p = 0.05. Extension service should ensure that information given to the farmers especially through ICT result in increased productivity that will guarantee increased income for the farmers so that they get more interested in using ICTs to get information
EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON AMYLOSE, RESISTANT-STARCH, RAPIDLY-DIGESTIBLE-STARCH, AND SLOWLY-DIGESTIBLE-STARCH FOR GARI, A PROCESSED CASSAVA PRODUCT.
Get PDFThe objective was to investigate the effect of domestic processing on the digestion attributes of gari, a low-moisture food product from cassava commonly consumed in tropical developing nations, and important ethnic food amongst population groups in Europe and elsewhere.
During the production of gari, cassava-mash samples were analysed for amylose whilst pH of enzyme extracts from all samples were measured. Resistant-starch types 2 and 3 (RS2, RS3), rapidly-digestible-starch (RDS), and slowly-digestible-starch (SDS) in gari were determined.
The pH was almost stable at 5.3. SDS, RDS, RS2 and RS3 variations were 27.4-39.5, 18.2-24.7, 41.7-51.6, and 8.2-15.3 mg/100mg, respectively. Increase in RS3, lower RDS, higher SDS and RS2 suggested that gari has better potential as functional food compared to potato-chips (3.5gRS/100g), rice-cake (0.2gRS/100g), raw-banana (4.0gRS/100g), and cooked-white-rice (1.3gRS/100g). Therefore, gari may be considered for its benefits in the diets of wider population groups
ENERGY ANALYSIS AND ESTIMATION OF CO2 EMISSION OF SELECTED PLASTIC RECYCLING PLANTS IN NIGERIA
Get PDFEnergy management is a technical and management function which is to monitor, record, analyse, critically examine, alter and control energy flows through systems so that energy is utilized with maximum efficiency. In line with this, a study was conducted in 4 randomly selected plastic recycling plants located in Osun and Oyo States in South West Nigeria. The plants referred to as 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the study were investigated to determine the energy utilization patterns, estimate the CO2 emission and carry out exergy analysis. The process analysis method of energy accounting was adopted to evaluate the energy requirement for each of the unit operations involved in the selected plants. Investigation revealed that the types of energy used in the recycling plants were electrical, thermal and human labour with percent contribution of 7.14, 92.83 and 0.03% of the total energy in plant 1. The corresponding values in the other plants were 87.81, 0, 11.9%; 22.44, 77.53, 0.03% and 8.12, 91.81, 0.06% respectively. The total energy requirements for the four plants per tons of raw plastic wastes were 16.9, 0.5, 49.3 and 11.5 GJ respectively. The amount of CO2 emitted in all the four plastic plants, which were mainly from the use of liquid fuels, were 76.8, 77.2, 74.5 and 90.6 tons of CO2 for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 production years respectively. The exergy analysis revealed that melting operation accounted for the highest exergy (available energy) in all the four selected plants. The results of this study have provided baseline data needed for monitoring energy utilization and policy making decision in the selected plastic recycling plants which could also find useful application in other similar plants in Nigeria
CELLULAR DAMAGE AND STORAGE STABILITY OF LACTOBACILLUS RHAMNOSUS GG DRIED IN DISACCHARIDE MATRICES UNDER VACUUM
Get PDFThe survival of cell concentrates of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in selected dissacharides after drying under vacuum was evaluated. Drying is a useful technique for preserving foods, agricultural products and pharmaceuticals. However, biological materials can be irreversibly damaged during this treatment resulting in substantial loss of viability and activity. In this paper, disaccharide systems (trehalose, sucrose and lactose) were used as protectants for L. rhamnosus GG. Among the solutes examined, trehalose improved the recovery of viable cells after drying as well as during storage at 4°C and 25°C. Stored vacuum-dried trehalose systems were found as viscous syrups which indicated that they were not glassy. Damage of cell membrane and reduction in colony sizes occurred as a result of dehydration inactivation. Comparison of the conventional techniques with flow cytometric viability assessment after drying revealed the occurrence of certain cell population which were stressed and lost their ability to grow on agar. The protecting ability of trehalose on bacterial cells was only against lysozyme and pepsin actions. These results could have some relevance, especially in underdeveloped and /or developing countries, for the production of functional confections
ASSESSING THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE OF THE KWANYAKU WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Get PDFThe study assessed the Maintenance Performance of the Kwanyaku Water Treatment Plant. Availability and reliability of eleven facilities from the old and Jubilee treatment plants were compared. Twenty respondents view on the Maintenance Schedule at the Kwanyaku Headworks was also obtained. The t-test was the main statistical tool used with an alpha level of 0.05. There were significant differences in the availability of the equipment at the two treatment plants where the old recorded 93.33% better than the jubilee 77.50%. Also, there were significant differences in the average reliability of 48.20 days and 11.00 days for the facilities at the old and the jubilee plants respectively which fell below the GWCL benchmark and plant manufactures’ standard. The assessment further revealed significant differences in the maintainability of the two plants which were within the GWCL benchmark of 1 – 5 hours. Finally, the study revealed that the main causes of frequent plants and equipment failure at the treatment plant were power outages and instrumentation issues