Performance of traditionally-managed Bunaji (White Fulani) cattle under smallholder dairy production systems in Oyo State, South-West, Nigeria

The remarkable reduction in tsetse fly and its vector trypanosomosis in the South-West zone of Nigeria have led to the development of smallholder dairy production which is predominantly practised by the Fulani agropastoralists in the zone. This study was conducted by the administration of structured questionnaires to farmers in the Derived savannah area of Oyo State in the South-West zone of Nigeria with aim of assessing the performance of traditionally managed Bunaji (White Fulani) cattle in this newly encroached zone by the Fulani pastoralists from the northern parts of the country. The survey showed that milk offtake or partial milk yield (0.6 kg/day), pregnancy rate (53.2%), calving rate (49.5%), calf crop (37.11%) and body condition score (4.3) were low and typical of tropical breeds of cattle. Also, average age at first calving (47.8 months) and calving interval (18.1 months) were on the high side. Majority (80%) of the dams produced their young ones during the wet season while a few ones (20%) calved during the dry season. Diarrhoea (84%), helminthosis (72%) and sand eating (64%) were the major diseases of calves in wet and dry season, respectively; whereas in addition to diarrhoea and sand eating, low milk production (90%) was peculiar to adult cattle in dry season. Calves’ overall mortality was 24.11% with majority (73.77%) occurring during the first week of life; it was higher in wet season (86.89%) compared to the dry season (13.11%). Overall mortality for adult cattle was 5.83% with the mortality, in contrast to the calves’ mortality, being higher in dry season (69.39%) than in wet season (30.61%), and the females (91.84%) more susceptible than the males (8.16%). The results indicate that the performance of traditionally-managed cattle in smallholder dairy production systems in Oyo State, South-West, Nigeria is poor and below their genetic potentials due to poor managemen

Data on artificial neural network and response surface methodology analysis of biodiesel production

The biodiesel production from waste soybean oil (using NaOH and KOH catalysts independently) was investigated in this study. The use of optimization tools (artificial neural network, ANN, and response surface methodology, RSM) for the modelling of the relationship between biodiesel yield and process parameters was carried out. The variables em- ployed in the experimental design of biodiesel yields were methanol-oil mole ratio (6 –12), catalyst concentration (0.7 –1.7 wt/wt%), reaction temperature (48 –62 °C) and reaction time (50 –90 min). Also, the usefulness of both the RSM and ANN tools in the accurate prediction of the regression mod- els were revealed, with values of R-sq being 0.93 and 0.98 for RSM and ANN respectively

Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of biosorption of zinc ions from industrial wastewater using derived composite biosorbents from walnut shell

The biosorption process of Zn (II) ions in industrial wastewater was investigated using derived composite biosorbents from walnut and snail shells. Composite adsorbents were produced by activating walnut shell carbon (WSC) with phosphoric acid to obtain acid-treated walnut shell carbon (AWSC) and WSC and AWSC were independently impregnated on chitosan to produce walnut shell carbon impregnated on chitosan (WSCC) and acid-treated walnut shell carbon impregnated on chitosan (AWSCC) respectively. The removal efficiencies of Zn (II) ions from synthetic wastewater using the prepared adsorbents were determined. The effects of operational parameters on Zn (II) ions adsorption were investigated. The adsorption data of Zn (II) ions were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm fitted the adsorption data excellently for the derived composite biosorbents, giving an indication of monolayer coverage on the derived composite biosorbents and the determination coefficients were close to unity. Also, the maximum adsorption capacities of 3.1104, 3.8052, 16.4474 and 17.6991 mg/g were obtained for WSC, AWSC, WSCC and AWSCC at pH=5, 1 g of adsorbent dosage, Zn (II) ions initial concentration of 30 mg/L, contact time of 2 h, agitation speed of 150 rpm, particle size of 60 BSS and temperature of 30°C. The kinetic modelling of Zn (II) ions adsorption showed that pseudo second-order kinetic model gave the best fit amongst the investigated kinetic models. The adsorption of Zn (II) ions on the prepared adsorbents was filmdiffusion controlled. The experimental results of this study showed that acid-treated walnut shell carbon impregnated on chitosan has the potential to be applied as alternative efficient low-cost biosorbent in the remediation of heavy metal contamination in wastewater. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption of Zn (II) ions on the derived composite biosorbents was exothermic, endogonic, favourable, non-spontaneous with changes in enthalpy ( H , negative), entropy [ S , nearly zero (though negative)], and Gibbs free energy (G, positive), for all the prepared adsorbents

Modelling and simulation of an industrial RFCCU‑riser reactor for catalytic cracking of vacuum residue

A one-dimensional adiabatic mathematical model was developed for the riser reactor of an industrial residue fluid catalytic cracking unit (RFCCU). A seven-lump kinetic model was presented for the catalytic cracking of vacuum residue, taking cognisance of diffusion resistance, which is a departure from the general norm in the literature. Also, heat transfer resistance between the fluid and solid phases was incorporated into the energy balances for instantaneous and one-dimensional vaporization of feedstock. The developed model was a set of twelve coupled, highly non-linear and stiff ordinary differential equations, ODEs, which was numerically solved with an implicit MATLAB built-in solver, ode23t, designed deliberately for handling stiff differential equations to circumvent the problem of instability associated with explicit methods. An excellent agreement was achieved between the industrial RFCCU plant data and the simulated results of this study, with average absolute deviation being < ± 5% for instantaneous vaporization of feedstock in all cases investigated. Moreover, the simulated results revealed that half of the reactor was relatively redundant as this accounted for only 3% of the conversion. Hence, the findings of this study could be useful to the production practice for the Khartoum Refinery Compan

TREATMENT OF BREWERY WASTEWATER EFFLUENT USING ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED FROM COCONUT SHELL

Abstract The use and effectiveness of granular and powder activated carbon made from agricultural waste (coconut shell

MECHANISTIC KINETIC MODELS FOR STEAM REFORMING OF CONCENTRATED CRUDE ETHANOL ON NI/AL2O3 CATALYST

Mechanistic kinetic models were postulated for the catalytic steam reforming of concentrated crude ethanol on a Ni-based commercial catalyst at atmosphere pressure in the temperature range of 673-863 K, and at different catalyst weight to the crude ethanol molar flow rate ratio (in the range 0.9645-9.6451 kg catalyst h/kg mole crude ethanol) in a stainless steel packed bed tubular microreactor. The models were based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) and Eley-Rideal (ER) mechanisms. The optimization routine of Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm was used to estimate the inherent kinetic parameters in the proposed models. The selection of the best kinetic model amongst the rival kinetic models was based on physicochemical, statistical and thermodynamic scrutinies. The rate determining step for the steam reforming of concentrated crude ethanol on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was found to be surface reaction between chemisorbed CH3O and O when hydrogen and oxygen were adsorbed as monomolecular species on the catalyst surface. Excellent agreement was obtained between the experimental rate of reaction and conversion of crude ethanol, and the simulated results, with ADD% being ±0.46

Effect of graded levels of Parkia biglobosa in concentrate diets on growth performance, digestibility and nitrogen utilization of Yankasa rams

The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion of Parkia biglobosa foliage (PBF) in complete rations on voluntary intake, growth performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization of Yankasa rams. Sixteen Yankasa ram aged 7 – 10 months with average live weight of 18.00 ± 0.33 were randomly assigned to one of four experimental diets containing 0, 5%, 10 and 15% of PBF on dry matter (DM) basis. The feeding trial lasted for 91 days. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with four treatments replicated four times with individually housed animals. Dry matter (DM) intake (kg/kg W 0.75/day), average daily gain, and digestibility of crude protein and ether extract (EE) were most superior (p&lt;0.05) for 15% inclusion level of PBF relative to other treatments. Organic matter (OM) content of 10% PBF inclusion level was highest (p&lt;0.05) compared to other diets. Ether extract and hemicellulose contents, digestibility of DM, OM and neutral detergent fibre, and N intake, absorbtion and retentionwere greatest (p&lt;0.05) for the control diet (0%) compared to the PBF based diets. Digestibility of acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin, and N retention (N retained as % of N intake) were higher (P&lt;0.05) in PBF diets than in control diet. Faecal N excretion was more (P&lt;0.05) for animals on 0 and 5% PBF compared to those on 10 and 15% PBF. In conclusion, PBF can be included up to 15% in practical sheep rations.Keywords: Apparent digestibility, intake, Parkia biglobosa, weight gain, Yankasa ram