An Evaluation of Rural Electrification and Households' Poverty in Ikole Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria: An FGT Approach

The rural areas in Nigeria have witnessed intense neglect and inadequate rural infrastructural development. This is contrary to the backdrop experienced in emerging cities where the provision of rural infrastructure was critical for improving the quality of rural life and opening up the areas for development. This study evaluated the relevance of rural electrification on households' poverty using structured questionnaire and a multistage sampling procedure to obtain cross sectional data. A total of 114 rural households were randomly selected, out of which 60 had access to electricity and 54 did not. The Foster-Greer-Thorbecke technique was used to evaluate the poverty incidence among the households. The results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 52years. The mean household size and farm size was 8 and 28.9 percent of the respondents had no formal education with majority engaging in farming as main occupation. The households in electrified communities spent more averagely, N4,017.90/Month on the alternative sources of energy than their counterpart in non-electrified communities who averagely spent N2,890.90/Month. The results further revealed that households in non-electrified communities were poorer than their counterpart in electrified communities. Therefore, rural electrification can actually curb poverty and improve standard of living in rural Nigerian areas. Keywords: Electrification, Households, Infrastructure, Poverty, Rural Nigeria    JEL Classifications: I32, O18, R

Study of the corrosion, electrical, and mechanical properties of aluminium metal composite reinforced with coconut rice and eggshell for wind turbine blade development

The gradual global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as wind energy for power generation has stirred up a perpetual exigency for sustainable materials for manufacturing wind turbine blades. AMMCs are categories of materials that, over time, have proven reliable as they have been successful in meeting engineering needs in applications requiring high stiffness, moderate strength, and lightweight. The Al8112 alloy was used as the base metal in this study, reinforced with coconut rice and eggshell, to study the corrosion, electrical, and mechanical properties as a viable material for the development of the wind turbine blade. The stir-casting method was used in the preparation. Microstructures, Vickers hardness, tensile strength, electrical conductivity, and corrosion analysis (via the weight loss method) of the prepared composites were analysed. The 3 samples A, B, and C were analysed under 3 media for the corrosion study, such as rainwater, coolant (soluble oil plus water), and nano-lubricants. The results showed that introducing the reinforcements in the matrix of coconut rice and eggshell caused a rise in the hardness and tensile strength. SEM and EDX microstructural analysis revealed a uniform distribution of reinforcement particles in the matrix with the elemental reactions. The corrosion resistance of sample C of the composition (92% aluminium alloy, 5% coconut rice, and 3% eggshell) proved to be higher than that of sample B of the composition (95% aluminium alloy, 2.5% coconut rice, and 2.5% eggshell, and that of the aluminium alloy sample A, with sample C having a corrosion rate of 0.020 mg, sample B having a corrosion rate of 0.021 mg, and sample A having a corrosion rate of 0.022 mg. The composition of the AMMC that exhibits these properties is 92% aluminium, 5% coconut rice, and 3% eggshell. This newly developed material is recommended for applications involving the wind blade

A concise review on the Suitability of Nano-Refrigerants for Residential Refrigeration Systems (RRS)

Nanoparticles have recently attracted huge attention as an engineering alternative in various fields. This is not unconnected with its established ability to perform better when used to replace some conventional systems or used as an enhancement for the system. Hence, this study reviewed the viability of nanofluids developed from nanoparticles as a possible replacement for conventional refrigerants available. In this review, focus was placed on refrigerants and refrigeration types, Nanoparticles and Nanofluids, Synthesis, Characterization and properties of Nanoparticles and finally on Nano-refrigerants and their viability. Conclusions were reached based on findings of the review