DELINEATION OF FLOOD RISK ZONES AND 3D MODELING IN TERENGGANU RIVER CATCHMENT USING GIS AND SWAT

For many years, during the monsoon period the River (Sungai) Terengganu catchment in Malaysia has been flooding and causing flood risk problems to the inhabitants as well as the environment. This study uses the realtime simulation in ArcGIS 10.3 and 3D in ArcScene 10.3, and the variables obtained from the soil and water assessment tool SWAT such as the land use, soil and slope are the parameters measured to induce the flood. the application of soil water assessment tool (SWAT) has produced the demarcation or boundary called delineation of the whole Terengganu watershed. When certain portions of the Hydrologic response unit HRU; land use, soil or slope is changed due to temporal adjustment and climate change, then the model can predict zones of low, moderate and high flood risk. The 3D simulations appear to produce a visual model for decision-making, planning, management, and mitigation. The simulation helps in determining the extent of the flood by using animation in ArcScence 10.3, to visualize the simulated flood water level

How effective are trained role model caregivers in prompt presumptive treatment of malaria of under 5 children in Kaduna state, North western Nigeria?

Objective: Malaria is Africa's leading cause of under 5 mortality, constituting 10% of the overall disease burden. A major strategy for reducing the burden of malaria is prompt access to effective antimalarials. Community Case Management of malaria (CCMm) can be used to achieve the 80% treatment target of uncomplicated malaria within 24 hours of onset of symptoms. CCMm aims to train selected community members to recognize symptoms of malaria and give appropriate early and prompt treatment. We conducted this study to assess CCMm in trained Role Model caregivers (RMCs) of under fives in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross sectional survey in Kaduna state. A sample of 308 RMCs were selected by multistage sampling and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire had questions on sociodemographic characteristics, malaria transmission and treatment. Results: Mean age (SD) of RMCs was 35.34 years (±8.67). Females were 294(95.5%) and 285(92.5%) were literate. Out of 308, 294 (95.5%) correctly identified that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes. Two hundred and sixty three (85.4 %) RMCs had treated a child under five years for presumptive malaria in the two weeks preceding the survey. Out of 267 children, 232 (88.2%) received the correct dose of antimalarials and 220 (84.3%) were treated within 24 hours of onset of symptoms. Level of education was significantly found to affect receiving the correct dose of antimalarials.(

Knowledge, attitude and practice of safety measures among cooking gas refill attendants in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Cooking gas refill attendants play important role in the use of gas in Zaria. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and safety measure practices among cooking gas refill attendants in Zaria metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A cross sectional study was conducted in January, 2019 among cooking gas refill attendants using structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and checklist. It was a whole-population study of 121 participants. The data was collected using Open Data Kit (ODK) software version 1.21.1 installed in an android device and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. The results were summarized and presented in tables and charts; p value was set at < 0.05 for statistical significance. Majority (79.6%) of the respondents were within the productive age group of 25 to 44 years with median age 36 years, married (57.9%) and more than half (52.1%) of the respondents had secondary education and all respondents were males. The overall scores for knowledge, attitudes and safety practices were 81.0%, 90.1% and 75.2% respectively but with various deficiencies. Those that attended training were 78.0%. Finding from the checklist showed that 5.8% of the inspected fire extinguishers were expired. The respondents’ knowledge, attitude and safety measures practices were associated with level of education, age and ethnicity. Majority of the gas refill attendants had good knowledge, attitude and safety measure practice, however, with some deficiencies. There is need for training and supervision to ensure use of personal protective equipment and replacement of the expired fire extinguishers

Prediction Model for the Performance of Different PV Modules Using Artificial Neural Networks

This study presents a prediction model for comparing the performance of six different photovoltaic (PV) modules using artificial neural networks (ANNs), with simple inputs for the model. Cell temperature (Tc), irradiance, fill factor (FF), short circuit current (Isc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), maximum power (Pm), and the product of Voc and Isc are the inputs of the neural networks’ processes. A Prova 1011 solar system analyzer was used to extract the datasets of IV curves for six different PV modules under test conditions. As for the result, the highest FF was the mono-crystalline with an average of 0.737, while the lowest was the CIGS module with an average of 0.66. As for efficiency, the most efficient was the mono-crystalline module with an average of 10.32%, while the least was the thin-film module with an average of 7.65%. It is noted that the thin-film and flexible mono-modules have similar performances. The results from the proposed model give a clear idea about the best and worst performances of the PV modules under test conditions. Comparing the prediction process with the real dataset for the PV modules, the prediction accuracy for the model has a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.874%, with an average root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute deviation (MAD) of, respectively, 0.0638 A and 0.237 A. The accuracy of the proposed model proved its efficiency for predicting the performance of the six PV modules

Recent advances in passive cooling methods for photovoltaic performance enhancement

The electrical output performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules are sensitive to temperature variations and the intensity of solar irradiance under prolonged exposure. Only 20% of solar irradiance is converted into useful electricity, and the remaining are dissipated as heat which in turns increases the module operating temperature. The increase in module operating temperature has an adverse impact on the open-circuit voltage (Voc), which results in the power conversion efficiency reduction and irreversible cell degradation rate. Hence, proper cooling methods are essential to maintain the module operating temperature within the standard test conditions (STC). This paper presents an overview of passive cooling methods for its feasibility and economic viability in comparison with active cooling. Three different passive cooling approaches are considered, namely phase change material (PCM), fin heat sink, and radiative cooling covering the discussions on the achieved cooling efficiency. The understanding of the above-mentioned state-of-the-art cooling technologies is vital for further modifications of existing PV modules to improve the efficiency of electrical output

Performance Analysis of a Double Pass Solar Air Thermal Collector with Porous Media Using Lava Rock

This paper investigates double-pass solar air thermal collectors with lava rock as the porous media. The addition of lava rock serves as short-term sensible thermal storage for a solar drying system. It also enhances the convective heat transfer rate to the airflow due to an increased heat transfer area and increased turbulence in the air channel. A mathematical model was developed based on energy balance equations and was numerically solved in MATLAB. The collector’s thermal performance was studied at various levels of solar intensity and at different wind speeds for different design parameters: collector size, air mass flow rate, and lava rock volume. From the study, the optimum efficiencies that were obtained in the range between the intensities of 500 W/m2 and 800 W/m2 were 62% to 64%, respectively, with an optimum flow rate of 0.035 kg/s. The optimum porosity of about 89% was selected for the collector by considering the pressure drop and thermal efficiency. An optimal temperature output range between 41.7 °C and 48.3 °C could be achieved and was suitable for agricultural and food drying applications. Meanwhile, compared to conventional DPSAHs, the average percentage increase in the output temperature of the DPSAH with lava rock was found to be higher by 17.5%

Incorporating theoretical and practical approaches to assess the amount of sunlight captured by a tilted surface in a tropical climate

Global solar radiation can theoretically be approximated in terms of tilt and azimuth of the surface regarding the impossibility of simultaneous measurement of solar radiation at various surface tilt and azimuth angles. Moreover, the random and anisotropic nature of diffuse radiation in a tropical climate makes it extremely difficult to estimate global solar radiation accurately as a function of surface tilt and azimuth angles. This study aims to develop a novel experimental and theoretical approach in the form of a computational network in order to determine a precise combined model integrated with global horizontal solar radiation to evaluate global tilted solar radiation in a tropical climate. Obtained results revealed that precisely estimation of the global tilted solar radiation was possible, by combining geometric factors for the tilted beam solar ra- diation, a combination of Gueymard and Louche models for the tilted diffuse solar radiation, and isotropic ground reflectance model for the ground reflected radiation, along with global horizontal solar radiation. It was observed that the accuracy of the model developed was higher for the partly sunny sky compared to the cloudy and rainy sky, estimates were more accurate on south-facing surfaces, and the model’s accuracy declined with the increasing tilt angle of the surface. The statistical analysis exhibited excellent agreement between the measured data and simulation results, considering the value of normalized mean absolute error (nMAE %), normalized root mean squared error (nRMSE %), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE %), which were in the ranges 0.22–0.94, 0.27–1.11, and 0.23–1.02, respectively for estimating global tilted solar radiation in various regions of Peninsular Malaysia, and they were respectively found in the range of 10.2–27.5%, 16.1–38.9%, and 6.0–17.8%, for evaluating the monthly optimum tilt angle towards the south, that leads to a loss of solar energy from 1.3 to 5.

Techno-economic analysis of a hybrid solar dryer with a vacuum tube collector for Hibiscus Cannabinus L Fiber

Solar energy is one of several types of renewable energy and has numerous applications. Types of solar energy include photovoltaic, thermal, and thermophotovoltaic modes. Drying is an application of thermal solar energy which is used to remove water from a sample. The main reason this study was done was due to the lack of use of hybrid solar dryers for high load keno fibers. This dryer is capable of extracting water from the sample with a maximum load of up to 1400 kg. This study aims to evaluate certain open drying methods as compared with modern thermal drying methods. The dried samples were a type of natural fiber commonly known as kenaf (Hibiscus Cannabinus L). The test amounts were 175 kg and 1400 kg, respectively. The solar thermal drying uses several components, including an evacuated tube collector, water storage tank, heater, air intake, pump, and a drying chamber. The parameters to be measured included weight, water content, time, and electricity usage. Dryer performance was evaluated in terms of water extraction rate, exact water extraction rate, specific energy usage, dryer operational costs, and specific operational costs. The results of the evaluations indicate that drying with the maximum load of 1400 kg increased the extracted water, exact water extraction rate, and dryer operational costs by 97.27 kg/hour, 39.86 kg/kWh, and 3.72 Malaysian ringgit (approximately 0.90 USD), respectively. Specific energy consumption and specific operating costs fell by 0.10 kWh/kg and 0.05 RM/kg (0.012 USD/kg), respectively. Based on these findings, economic analysis was carried out to estimate the profitability and frequency of drying. The results indicate that a maximum load of 1400 kg is superior to the open drying method, with an annual yield and return of investment period of RM 64992 (15,723 USD) and 3.7 years, respectivel

SWAT SUBBASINS PARAMETERS AND FLOOD RISK SIMULATIONS USING 3D IN TERENGGANU WATERSHED

Flood is one of the natural disasters that occurs mostly due to climate characteristics and locations. The application of SWAT has categorized the subbasins and identify them on the basis of parameters. The use of GIS technology produces the flood risk zone through the 3D ArcScene 10.3. the ArcGIS 10.3 and ArcSWAT 2012 were employed for the analysis of the result. The remote sensing data from ASTER DEM was also been used for providing the highresolution platform. One of the significance of this study is the identification of 25 different sub-basins with their individual parameters that make easiear to classify and explore. The 3Dsimulation produces different categories of flood risk zone from very high vulnerability of flood to no flood risk zone. All these are confined within the 25 subbasins parameters obtained from the catchment area of Terengganu. The model designed in this study is clearly going to be useful for planning as well as management not only in Terengganu but entire Malaysia or similar environment

Evaluation on moisture extraction of Malaysian spratelloides gracilis cracker by using heat pump dryer

Fish cracker is one of Malaysian traditional snack food. The cracker has a huge potential to be marketed globally. However, it is obstructed by hygienic issue during preparation. Traditionally, open sun drying was used for moisture extraction, but this method exposed to contamination from bird, incest and dust. To overcome the problem, an alternative drying method was introduced by using the heat pump dryer. The purpose of this work is to evaluate drying of Malaysian Spratelloides Gracilis fish cracker originated from Kemaman. The dryer consists of drying chamber, fan, heater, and compressor. Multilevel drying trays equivalent to 7.43 m2 drying area was arranged inside the chamber. The evaluation started by measuring drying time, electricity consumption, weight, and moisture reduction. Changes of the cracker was observed and performance of the dryer was determined. At the end of this report will discuss the economic aspect by estimating annual return of investment and payback period. Result shows moisture and weight reduction are 42.9 % and 6.0 kg, respectively. Drying completed in 4 hours consuming 5 kWh electricity. Physical observation shows significant changes on dried cracker in terms of color, size, and shape. Dryer performance determined by evaporative capacity (1.5 kg/hr), specific moisture extraction rate (1.2 kg/kWh), specific energy consumption (0.8 kWh/kg), drying cost (1.09 RM) and specific drying cost (0.17 RM/kg). Based on electricity cost, selling price and production, replacing open sun drying with heat pump drying method will not affect much the new selling price because drying cost is only 0.6 %. Payback period of the dryer also estimated as 1.1 year