EVALUATION OF THE TEMPERATURE EFFECT OF A THERMOSYPHON SOLAR WATER HEATER

This study investigated the effect of system temperature on the performance of thermosyphon solar water heater. Solar collector was designed and developed with galvanized steel, wood and copper pipes for the experiment. While the copper pipes serves as the tube through which the cold water flows, the wood was employed for the frame and stand, and the galvanized steel for the collector material. Also employed were two hot and cold water tanks of 60 and 110 litre capacities respectively. The period of experiment were taken to be 3 days each for sunshine, sun-off and moderate sunshine days, with the average data employed for the analysis. The results showed that temperature has a domineering effect on the performance of the thermosyphon system. The maximum outlet temperature obtained for sunshine, moderate sunshine and sun-off days were 94.6, 73.5 and 51oC respectively. Also the system efficiency was found to be 61.04%, demonstrating good performance. However, considering the fact that the experiment was carried out in rainy season (between April and September), it was concluded that if it is repeated during the dry periods (October to March), the efficiency of performance will be more as these period is characterized by low cloud cover, high temperature and high radiation intensities. The outcome of the study was compared with published results and it clearly demonstrates that the designed system can suitably be employed for both domestic and industrial uses

Construction and Testing of A Single and Double Ring Infiltrometers in Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State

This paper presents the results of the construction of an improvised double and single ring infiltrometers. The study was carried in Auchi Polytechnic campus, after the construction, the double ring and single ring infiltrometer were used to carryout infiltration tests at four different locations. The t-test was used to test check the performance of the double and single ring infiltrometers. The results of the soil properties showed that the soil texture was predominantly sandy loam and loam respectively. The result presented herein showed a high significant difference between the performance of the single and double ring infiltrometer at Plot A and no significant other plots. The total cumulative infiltration depth of the single-ring infiltrometer for the A, B, and C and D fields were 188.30 cm, 59.70 cm, 77.00 cm and 97.00 cm, respectively.  The total cumulative infiltration depth of the Double-ring infiltrometer for the A, B, and C and D fields were 123.30 cm, 75.60 cm, 70.50 cm and 95.20 cm, respectively. Generally, Philip’s model performed better than Kostiakov’s model Keywords: Single and Double ring infiltrometer, infiltration models DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-3-04 Publication date: February 28th 202

Thermodynamics Characterization of Density models for an Effective Solar Water Heater Sizing

The problem faced in Sizing of an effective Solar Water Heater (SWH) by engineers to meet certain design requirement is highly enormous. Using the thermodynamic characterization relation and the knowledge of Solar Water Heater (SWH) density’s model; various design were evaluated. The result shows that density model actually predicts adequately and providing alternative means of estimating these design parameters. Also, the properties of the system, such as entropy and enthalpy (specific heat capacities), which cannot be determined directly from experimental axiom, were evaluated. These evaluations therefore, give room to express the thermodynamics properties of the system and consequently improve the design performance. Further comparisons with experimental results reveal a better outfit. Therefore through the knowledge of thermodynamic relation an efficient Solar Water Heater is operated and empirical data is expanded

Suitability of local binder compositional variation on silica sand for foundry core-making

The use of local oils, namely groundnut oil, cotton seed oil and palm oil with Nigeria local clay and silica sand for the production of foundry cores has been investigated on varying composition. Addition of cassava starch, local clay, oil and moisture to sand are used to produce strong and efficient core. These oils were tested and it was found that the three could be used to produce foundry cores. The best composition was found to be core comprising 2.5% starch, 2.5% clay, 8% oil, 8% moisture and 68% sand and baked at 150oC for 1 h 30min. The tensile strength of the core were as high as 600 KN/m2

Assessment of Heavy Metals Level in Soil and Vegetables Grown in Peri-Urban Farms around Osun State and the Associated Human Health Risk

Farming around urban centres (peri-urban farming) is a major source of fresh crop produce, notably vegetables. However, the limitation of land resources and the associated high level of soil contamination from domestic and industrial pollutants are major concerns for the safety of food materials from peri-urban farms. Thus, this study investigated heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) concentration in soil and vegetable samples (Amaranthus hybridus and Corchorus olitorius) collected from selected peri-urban farms with a view to providing information on the human health risks associated with consumption of peri-urban vegetables.This study showed that the concentration of investigated heavy metals in the soils of peri-urban farms were within the background range for farming set by FAO/WHO (2002) and EU (2006) while appreciable level of these metals were observed in vegetable samples. Arsenic concentration was below detection limit in all samples. Amaranthus showed higher retention capacity for the assayed heavy metals except Cu. Transfer Factor values showed metal uptake by vegetables in the order Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu. The estimated daily intake showed that the highest consumption of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were from Amaranthus. The Health risk index showed high values for Cd and Pb but low values for Cu and Zn for both Amaranthus and Corchorus. The results obtained in this study regarding the hazard index indicate that vegetables grown in selected peri-urban farms are not safe for consumption

Hand Vein Based Personal Identification System

Personal Identification is necessary and useful to prevent crime in our society. Biometric traits extracted from hand image are more secure to use for identification compared to Personal Identification Number (PIN) because these features cannot be stolen. Developing an effective hand vein based personal identification system using robust feature with appropriate classifier is a serious task. Therefore this work incorporates new hand vein feature and two different classifiers to develop a personal identification system. Experiments were carried-out to affirm appropriateness of Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Euclidean Distance Measure (EDM) for the proposed system. The results obtained show that the proposed system give better result using SVM compared to EDM

Endocrine Admissions in a Tertiary Hospital In Nigeria: A 5-Year Review of Pattern and Trend

Hospital admission is a reflection of prevailing disease pattern in an environment, impact of services rendered in the outpatient department and preventative healthcare services in the community. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and trend of endocrine related admissions at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. This was a retrospective analysis of health records of patients with endocrine related disorders admitted into the medical wards of the hospital between 2008-2012. The diagnoses, based on WHO ICD-10 were documented. Endocrine related admissions were subdivided into diabetes related, thyroid related and non-diabetes hypoglycaemia. Data of interest were compared with Pearson’s Chi-Square and Student’s t test. There were 3818 admissions out of which 457 (12.0%) were endocrine related. Majority of the endocrine admission were DM related (93.9%), representing 11.8% of the total admissions. There was increase in endocrine-related admissions from 9.1%-18.0% and a 10.6% increase in the DM related admissions from 2008 to 2012, but a decline in absolute number of endocrine admissions notably among females (X2 = 39.88, p<0.001). Poor glucose control (42.8%) was the commonest reason for diabetic admission, followed by hyperglycaemic emergencies (31.1%), diabetic foot disease (15.9%), sepsis (2.6%), stroke (2.3%), nephropathy/renal failure (1.6%), diabetic hand (0.9%), hypoglycaemia (0.9%), heart failure (0.7%). Between 2010-2012, hyperglycaemic crisis emerged as the commonest reason for diabetic admission, but overall, there was significant reduction in the number of hospitalizations for all diabetic complications (X2 = 128.69, df= 36, p=0.000). More resources need to be allocated for the management of diabetes mellitus while efforts to prevent its complications through educational activities and public awareness should be sustained

Methanol Production from Cow Dung

The amount of agricultural biodegradable wastes generated in Nigeria is constantly on the increase. These wastes are mainly cellulosic materials from reared animal (feaces) and plants. The environmental awareness of most Nigerians is also far better than it used to be in about 30 years back. Accordingly, the paper considers economical use of one of this agricultural wastes-cow dung. The waste was anaerobically digested and acid treated in sequence to produce storable form of alternative energy, while the left over sludge could be used as a good quality farmland fertilizer. The quantities/qualities of methane gas and methanol produced were found to depend on slurry concentration, incubation period, pH value, operating temperature and carbon/nitrogen ratio of the dung. The gas chromatographic analysis conducted indicated that the unrefined biogas was determined to contain 57.23 mol% CH4, 42.65mol% CO2, 0.21mol% H2S, 0.07mol% NH3 and others. The refined biogas was analyzed and the composition was established to be: 59.45mol% CH4, 14.65mol% CO2, 0.11mol% H2S, 0.04mol% NH3 and others. This refinement was found to enhance the C/N ratio, making the organic component readily available for the acidic reaction. Spectroscopic analysis of the obtained liquid sample indicated formation of methanol. The purity of methanol produce was determined to be 92.5%, which compared slightly favorably with literature value of 98.9%. The boiling point and heat of combustion were found to compare favorably with literature values. The C/N ratio determined after the demethanization was found to be lower compared to the starting C/N ratio and the gang served as good source of manure. Keywords- biomass, cow dung, fertilizer, methanol, renewable energy, methane, manur

Production of Biodegradable Detergent from Castor Oil

This research work was carried out with the objective of extraction of oil from castor seeds and its utilization to produce a biodegradable detergent. Solvent extraction method was employed in extracting the oil and the total percent oil yield was found to be 23.8%. The experimentally determined saponification value of the oil was 183.7275mgKOH/g of oil. The detergent efficiency, determined as a measure of the foamability of the detergent was found to be 2.6cm. The pH tests revealed mildly basic properties. The color, scent and efficiency of the detergent were improved with the addition of bleaching agent, perfume and foaming agents respectively. Keywords: Castor seeds, Castor Oil, Biodegradable detergent, Saponification DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-1-0