Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment (AZOJETE)
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Effects of Diboron Trioxide on Zinc Silicate-Based Glass-Ceramic Derived from Waste Soda Lime Silica for Potential Phosphor Materials Application
No full textOver the last few decades, researchers have developed great deals of interest focusing on the fabrication and synthesis of zinc silicate-based glass-ceramic. However, using waste materials as precursors for the fabrication is yet another milestone in waste management. Thus, in this study, zinc silicate glass-ceramic was fabricated using sola lime silica (SLS) glass waste as a source of silicon. The series of precursor glass in the system was prepared by the conventional solid-state melt-quench technique through a controlled crystallization process. The physical, structural, and optical properties of the glass system were obtained by density measurement, X-Ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, respectively. The density of the glasses series was observed to be decreasing with the increment of content. The XRD spectra of the samples with 0 and 0.01 wt.% , exhibits major diffraction peaks attributed to the ZnO phase in the glass matrix. However, as content increased, the precursor glass sample shown by the XRD spectra depicted a broad halo characteristic, which reflected the properties of amorphous glass that were observed at the composition of 0.05 wt.% From FTIR spectra, the bands at 500, 688, 902 and 1243 can be associated with stretching vibrations of ZnO4 and Si-O-B bending vibrations, stretching vibration of the B–O bonds in the units, and modes of boron–oxygen triangular units. The intensity of the IR band increases with increasing percentage of . The UV-Vis analysis of the samples with 0 and 0.01 wt.% demonstrates crystalline hump and varies at 370 nm. It was observed that the addition of B2O3 to the ZnO-SLS glass network caused the glassy amorphous state with an absence of a sharp absorption edge at 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 wt.% B2O3.The system shows increase in band gap when the composition of increased. When serves as a modifier, the number of NBOs will increase, and this will cause the expansion of glass network. The zinc silicate-based glass-ceramic produced has been classified to be a semiconductor due to the wide optical band gap energy obtained and may have key potential applications for future LED and other optoelectronic lighting devices.
 
Technology Awareness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application for Public Procurement Process in Nigeria
Get PDFThe public procurement process of acquiring goods, works and services has been observed to be suffering from inefficiencies in the forms of corruption cases, absence of transparency, faulty procedures, and dysfunctional bureaucratic ties. In Nigeria, it was discovered that the public procurement process has the potential of reaping the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, the level of awareness of the public procurement practitioners of the significance of incorporating AI in procurement is yet to be studied. This study assessed the awareness of Artificial Intelligence application for public procurement processes in Nigeria. Data was collected using questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was distributed to public procurement practitioners with at least 5 years of experience in procurement. Data was analysed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Relative importance index. Analysis of variance and Independent t-test was then used to ascertain the level of awareness of the respondents based on their attributes. The study discovered information about Artificial intelligence is quite vast as the parameter ‘I have heard about AI’ got the highest ranking with mean score of 3.63 and RII of 72.58%, while ‘I use AI for procurement processes’ to be the lowest ranking attribute with mean score of 1.50 and RII of 30.00% meaning even though information is available, the usage of AI for procurement is quite low. Additionally, the results show that while AI is a popular concept within procurement organisations, majority of the procurement practitioners have little knowledge of its application in public procurement. The research recommends that, public procurement organisations should develop the capacity of their employees on the utilisation of AI in procurement process.
 
Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Film as Vacuum Packaging Material for Dried Fish
Get PDFThis study investigated the mechanical properties of three sets of polypropylene packaging films and existing dried fish packaging films and the quality of dried fish packaging in Nigeria... The polypropylene packaging films were produced in three batches A, B and C with thicknesses of 130µm, 150µm and 180µm respectively. The results showed that samples A, B and C had tensile strengths of 48N/mm2, 51.8N/mm2 and 61N/mm2 with Elongation at Break of 690.2%, 729.8% and 760% respectively. Also, the Dart Impact Strength of the samples were observed to be 191g/130µm, 208g/150µm and 231g/180µm respectively. Additionally, samples N and K (existing fish packaging films) had tensile strengths of 34.6N/mm2 and 31.2N/mm2 and Elongation at Break of 279.2% and 267.2% respectively. Furthermore, it was revealed that sample N exhibited better mechanical properties than sample K, while the produced polypropylene packaging films had the best mechanical properties among the samples tested. Using modern systems such as vacuum packaging and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) techniques, fish packaging and storage was improved. This research is important in light of the significant increase in aquaculture activities in Nigeria due to increased fish production and government intervention in developing the sector, since it offers good moisture barrier properties, transparency and sealability with good cost efficiency and recyclability.It helps to preserve and protect the product’s quality, flavor and shelf life while providing a visually appealing package for consumers.
 
Effect of Water Stress on Yield and Water Productivity of Drip Irrigated Cassava (Manihot esculenta) in Ibadan, Nigeria
Get PDFCassava (Manihot esculentus) is an important staple tuber crop in many regions of Africa. It is a cash crop with wide domestic and industrial applications. Hence, there is a need to sustain its production during water scarcity. This study examined the effect of available soil moisture on phenological parameters and drought resistance of four improved varieties of cassava, TMS (30572, 980505, 920326 and 090581) using water productivity. The water management regimes (T75 maximum water regime - 75% of Evapotranspiration (ET); T50, 50% ET, T25 - 25% ET and Control, zero irrigation). The varieties and water regimes were applied and the treatment was arranged using a Latin Square design with four replications. Lynne's model was used in calculating the irrigation water requirements. The amount of water supplied to each treatment varied with the duration of irrigation. The results show that TMS 980505 at T75 had the highest tuber, stem and leaf productivities of 2.76, 1.66 and 2.05 kg m-3 respectively while TMS 30572 on the control regime had the least tuber, stem and leaf productivities of 0.16, 0.21 and 0.21 kg m-3 respectively. The TMS 980505 can be grown in regions where substantial crop water requirements for cassava could be met during the dry season through irrigation while TMS 090581 could be grown in water-scarce regions with a guaranteed 370 mm of water with an average yield of 4.5 t ha-1. The TMS 090581 at T75 had the highest plant height of 128 cm while TMS 30572 on control had the least height of 56 cm. TMS 920326 at T75 had the highest stem girth of 21.4 mm while TMS 30572 at T50 had the least stem girth of 10.7 mm. Therefore, full irrigation is recommended for the cultivation of TMS 980505 during the dry season. The TMS 090581 has the highest drought resistance. Therefore, it is recommended for cultivation in water-scarce regions.
 
Evaluation of the Impacts of Boko Haram Activities on the Patronage of Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study examined the temporal pattern of tourists’ patronage at Yankari Game Reserve before and after the emergence of Boko Haram between 2000 and 2019. Data for this study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were gotten through the administration of structured questionnaire. The result indicated that 90.0% of the tourists alleged that bombings and suicide attack carried out respectively by the Boko Haram sect made them not to visit the reserve in about five years. In addition, 72.5.0% affirmed that stories and news feeds of massacre orchestrated by Boko Haram have reduced their rate of patronage of the tourist site. T-test was employed to test the hypothesis. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference (t = 6.010, p<0.05) in the temporal pattern of tourist patronage before and after the emergence of Boko Haram insurgency. The study has shown that Boko Haram activities have affected tourist patronage of Yankari Game Reserve. It is recommended that the Nigerian government should strategize on how to put an end to the Boko Haram crisis in the northeastern part of the country which could lead to increases in tourist patronage of Yankari Game Reserve.
 
Geospatial Multi Criteria Selection of Best Sanitary Landfill Site and their Geotechnical and Digital Image Analysis.
Get PDFContaminations caused by municipal waste affect not only the soil but also water and air. In many parts of the world, there are many uncontrolled landfills that often lack the necessary anti-fouling barrier systems which causes leachate to permeate the underlying groundwater making it toxic for consumption. This research presents a sustainable method in which sanitary landfills can be sited using geospatial multi criteria method and the subsequent application of geotechnical and digital image analysis. Due to the large volume of spatial data, thus, Geographic Information System was used to handle, evaluate, and process these data. Meanwhile, Analytical Hierarchy Process was applied to solve decision making problems where multiple alternatives and competing objectives are involved. The results revealed three most suitable sites for sustainable sanitary landfilling in the research area. These most suitable sites were further examined using geotechnical criteria in laboratory to obtain the best site. Engineering property relating to permeability was investigated. The results show that only one amongst the three sites achieved maximum regulatory range of permeability value of 10-9 m/s. Additionally, computer modeling through digital image technique was used to visualize the leachate flow and validate the laboratory experimentation. The leachate migrated through the soil covering a depth of 2.51 mm in one month, having a velocity of 10-9 m/s which is within the recommended permeability value. Therefore, this model could be used as a guide for sustainable sanitary landfilling in developed and developing countries
Fabrication and Evaluation of an Affordable Infant Radiant Warmer for use in Limited Resource Settings
Get PDFThe challenges of thermoregulation due to hypothermia, which is believed to underlie high infant morbidity and mortality rate, is common with underweight or preterm infants especially those from limited resource settings. Available devices in the market to check hypothermia are expensive, especially for most countries with between 2% to 10% of GDP on the healthcare budget. Affordable thermoregulation realization for infants is therefore of significant clinical importance in these settings. The aim of this study was to design and fabricate an affordable ($110) and clinically useful radiant warmer to facilitate hypothermia treatment. The radiant warmer was fabricated with an overhead radiant heater for heat radiation targeted at infants laid in a clinically comfortable foam mattress in a bassinet. A portable fan was placed above the heating element to facilitate downward heat flow. A biocompatible temperature sensor was also placed on the bassinet to monitor the infant’s body temperature. The warmer incorporated an Arduino-based PID temperature microcontroller to regulate the temperature of the heating element. The warmer, with castor wheels to aid the device’s mobility, has a strong and durable galvanized pipe stand capable of supporting the device. The device performance indicated an acceptable physiological heating temperature range of 36 °C - 36.5 °C within 20 min of warm-up and up to 36.7 °C in 30 min of use. Therefore, the device can be adjudged potentially useful in facilitating thermoregulation in infants by providing suitable thermal support. With these results and the potential of the device to reduce infant mortality rates and promote their growth, it is hereby recommended that the device may be fully deployed for clinical application.
 
Development of an NCAM Tuber-Shaped Vegetable Slicing Machine
No full textEngine performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel produced from yellow oleander, soyabeans residual cooking oil and fossil diesel was carried out in a compression ignition engine. The engine was operated at constant speed of 2160rpm and variable torque (4, 7.5 and 10.6Nm). The oil extracted from yellow oleander by mechanical press had a yield of 60%. Physicochemical properties of the oil were determined. The chemical composition of the biodiesels was analyzed and the result revealed that yellow oleander and soyabeans residual cooking oils contain 86.2% and 85.3% methyl esters respectively. The engine performance tests of the yellow oleander, soyabeans residual cooking oil and fossil diesel at a constant speed 2160rpm and variable torque (4, 7.5 and 10.6Nm)., were found to be 2.40kw, 1.70kw and 0.91kw for brake power and 51412.57 MN/m2, 36376.87 MN/m2 and 19401.02 MN/m2 for brake mean effective pressure respectively. Similarly, at constant speed of 2160 rpm and variable torque (4, 7.5 and 10.6Nm), it was also found that in comparison to fossil diesel fuel, the emission reduction for soyabean residual cooking oil biodiesel at engine torque of 4Nm was 67% for CO, 47% for CO2, 100% for HC and 40% increase for NOx. However, there was no remarkable change in emission reduction when the engine torque was increased from 4 to 10.6Nm at constant engine speed of 2160 rpm. Biodiesel from yellow oleander and residual cooking can be used as part of substitutes for compression ignition engines to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases emissions caused by fossil diesel fuel combustion from heavy duty equipments.
 
Reservoir Hydrocarbon Volumetric Analysis of Sapele Deep Field, Niger Delta, Southern Nigeria
Get PDFThe calculation of hydrocarbon volume in place of Sapele Deep field in the Niger Delta, Nigeria was done by the integration of seismic and well logs data using the petrel software. On average, the entire field has a hydrocarbon pore volume of 90,341.68, STOIIP value of 1,156,970,604.11 BBCF/BBSTB and an ultimate recovery value of 951,966,117.95 MMCF/MMSTB with a primary recovery factor of 0.81 (81%). Petrophysical evaluation reveals that the field on average, has a gross thickness of 268.60m (886.38 ft), net sand thickness of 6.67 m (22.01 ft), porosity value of 0.21 (21%), permeability of 1493.14 mD, shale volume of 0.16, net-to-gross value of 0.51 and water saturation (Sw) of 0.43 (43%). The combination of well log neutron and density log reveals that the study area is made up of both single and double-phase reservoirs
Optimization analysis of heat energy required in garrification process using a garri fryer powered by electrical filaments as heat source.
No full textFrying is the most tedious unit of garri processing. The amount of heat applied during the processing operation determines the end quality and market value of the product. Thus, this study is aimed at investigating the effect of pre-processing conditions on the heat energy of an auto garri frying machine. A 4-factor, 5-level D-optimal design of response surface methodology (RSM) was used for modeling and optimization of the process. The mash quantity, frying time, initial moisture content and temperature were varied over 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 kg; 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 mins; 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50% wet basis (wb); and 140, 160, 180, 200, and 220 °C, respectively. The results show that a linear model F- value of 61.08 implies that the model was significant with value of R2 (0.8526) and Adj-R2 (0.9092) indicating that there was a high correlation between the dependent and independent variables. In optimizing the process, the heat energy was maximized while the independent variables were set at ranges. Optimum heat energy of 14,000 J was obtained at 45.33 kg mash quantity, 67.37 mins frying time, 40% wb initial moisture content and 180 °C frying temperature at the desirability of 1. At α = 0.05, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the mash quantity, frying time and temperature had direct significant impacts on heat energy of the garri frying machine while the initial moisture content had no significant effect on the heat energy