Fast changeovers using AIV and a tool platform

Fast changeover is changing from one process or machine to another line, process, or machine to produce different products or services. Lean aims at reducing waste, improving productivity, and eliminating non-value-added activities to the customer. Whilst achieving sustained continual improvement in certain activities and process of an organization. This project focuses on implementing the methodologies used in lean to improve a manufacturing process that has a changeover, and integrate an AIV (Automated Intelligent Vehicle) with a tool platform or top module into the same process. After careful literature review and research, I was able to set up a process in the machining laboratory of ‘UiT Universitet i Norge, Narvik,’ that is of value to a customer. I identified the step with the need of a fast tool change and optimized the entire process using a software called Simul8. After running the simulation for a period of two weeks and doing some analysis for the processes, I achieved an optimal solution that ensures that all bottlenecks and buffers were eliminated. I also conducted a smooth flow of the process, improving productivity, efficiency, and reduction in changeover time

Geophysical assessment of subsurface conditions at proposed building sites: implications for foundation failure and building collapse

Building collapse has been a recurrent environmental hazard in Nigeria in the last two decades. This is a corollary of inadequate foundation investigation prior to construction, poor government policies, and general lack of awareness on the importance of geophysical and geotechnical investigations. In this study, geological mapping and detailed geophysical investigation using Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were carried out to understand the suitability of proposed building sites at the main campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria for construction. Both Wenner array and dipole-dipole were used for profiling and Schlumberger for sounding. Four transverses and VES were used in each of the three areas investigated. Our results show that the subsurface of the study areas is underlain by Precambrian basement rock of Nigeria. Rocks in the study area include banded gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss, biotite-hornblende granite and quartzite schist. The sounding stations across the three areas and 2D resistivity imaging revealed three principal geoelectric layers, the topsoil, the weathered layer and the fractured/fresh basement with varied resistivity values for each layers. At the VES stations, the three geoelectric layers have resistivity values of 62 to 1182 Ωm, 3.2 to 1360Ωm and 87 to 4680 Ωm. On the 2D resistivity imaging profiles, the resistivity of the three layers varies from 2 to 1182 Ωm, 30to 1360 Ωm, and 40 to 2904 Ωm for the topsoil, the weathered basement, and fractured/fresh bedrock. Our work demonstrates that some of the proposed sites are structurally incompetent for engineering or foundation purposes. Excavation of the topsoil and reinforcement are required to sustain the proposed structures

A flexural isostasy model for the Pleistocene evolution of the Barents Sea bathymetry

Source at: http://doi.org/10.17850/njg97-1-01 The topographic relief of the Barents Sea was subjected to major changes during the past 1.5 million years mostly due to sediment redistribution driven by glacial activity. This paper addresses the problem of Pleistocene bathymetric evolution of the southern Barents Sea using a numerical modelling approach that considers the influence of regional isostasy on relief development. The model presented in this work shows that most of the bathymetric features were initiated prior to the first documented, shelf-edge glaciations at around 1.5 Ma. During the Early Pleistocene (Calabrian), the Barents Sea shelf was close to sea level with some areas elevated to about 300 m. Most of the shelf experienced up to 200 m topography reduction during the Early to Middle Pleistocene (1.5–0.7 Ma) facilitating bifurcation of the North Atlantic waters into the Barents Sea. Later during the Middle Pleistocene–Present (0.7–0.0 Ma) the relief deepened by 0 to 250 m. Our results demonstrate that the present-day topography of the southern Barents Sea is the consequence of glacial activity influenced by a regional isostatic component, which is the result of selective trough erosion and significant sediment deposition at the Barents Sea margins during the Pleistocene

Hydrocarbon Potential of Some Afowo Shale Deposits in Part of South Western Nigeria

Six (6) core samples were collected at different depths from a borehole at a locality in part of Southwestern Nigeria at depth range of 92 – 112fts, 151 – 161fts, 210 – 220ft, 240 – 250ft, 250 – 260ft, 300 – 310ft. respectively and were subjected to Total Organic Content (TOC). Three samples with high TOC were equally subjected to Rock Eval Pyrolysis to evaluate the petroleum generative potential, organic richness, organic matter quality, origin of organic matter and thermal maturity of the rock. The Rock-Eval Pyrolysis result showed total organic carbon content range of between 2.12 and 2.94wt% indicating organic –rich rock; hydrogen index (HI) ranged from 15 – 43 indicating increasing hydrocarbon potential with depth ; oxygen Index (OI) ranged from 121 – 177; Productive Index (PI) ranged from 0.19 – 0.26 with increase in depth and at depth 151-161ft it decreases indicating immature rock. S1 + S2 ranged from 0.59 - 1.37 indicating good hydrocarbon potential and Tmax range from 3430C to 4270C indicating thermal immaturity of the samples. Hydrocarbon generative potential of the rock can be said to be poor. HI Vs OI plot indicates organic matter that belongs to Kerogen Type III and Type IV, which indicate gas prone source rock. The organic matter from the plots can also be deduced to be of terrestrial origin. Key words- Hydrocarbon, Vitrinite, Kerogen, Shale and Rock-Eval-Pyrolysis

Crestal fault geometries reveal late halokinesis and collapse of the Samson Dome, Northern Norway: Implications for petroleum systems in the Barents Sea

This paper uses 2D and high-quality 3D seismic reflection data to assess the geometry and kinematics of the Samson Dome, offshore Norway, revising the implications of the new data to hydrocarbon exploration in the Barents Sea. The study area was divided into three (3) zones in terms of fault geometries and predominant strikes. Displacement-length (D-x) and Throw-depth (T-z) plots showed faults to consist of several segments that were later dip-linked. Interpreted faults were categorised into three families, with Type A comprising crestal faults, Type B representing large E-W faults, and Type C consisting of polygonal faults. The Samson Dome was formed in three major stages: a) a first stage recording buckling of the post-salt overburden and generation of radial faults; b) a second stage involving dissolution and collapse of the dome, causing subsidence of the overburden and linkage of initially isolated fault segments; and c) a final stage in which large fault segments were developed. Late Cretaceous faults strike predominantly to the NW, whereas NE-trending faults comprise Triassic structures that were reactivated in a later stage. Our work provides scarce evidence for the escape of hydrocarbons in the Samson Dome. In addition, fault analyses based on present-day stress distributions indicate a tendency for ‘locking’ of faults at depth, with the largest leakage factors occurring close to the surface. The Samson Dome is an analogue to salt structures in the Barents Sea where oil and gas exploration has occurred with varied degrees of success

Impacts of fault-sill interactions on sill emplacement in the Vøring Basin, Norwegian North Sea

Pre-existing faults may facilitate subsurface magma transport and sill trangression in sedimentary basins. Although widely recognized, interaction between faults and intrusion networks in sedimentary basins remains poorly imaged by seismic reflection data. To understand how sills interact with pre-existing faults in sedimentary basins, we use high-resolution 3-D seismic reflection data from the Naglfar Dome, Vøring Basin to examine the seismic expression of sills, interpret fault geometries and displacement patterns, and characterize sill-fault interactions. The sills are expressed as tuned reflection packages, meaning they are below ∼<50 ± 5 m thick, with saucer-shaped, transgressive, and strata-concordant morphologies that range in area from 6 km2 to 180 km2. The interconnected sills form a sill-complex, which was emplaced during the Eocene and cross-cuts three main stratigraphic intervals (i.e. the Nise, Tang, and Brygge Formations). Faults are of Early Paleocene to Early Eocene age, tectonic in origin and dominated by normal faults that are up to 28 km long. Fault and sill interactions define a spectrum, which we sub-divide into five categories (i.e. Type 1a, 1b, 2, 3 and 4); the two main end-member fault-sill relationships documented here are (a) sills stepping up stratigraphy short distances via faults and (b) those with inclined limbs intruded along fault planes. Whilst interactions between the faults and the sills are common, quantitative displacement analysis reveals fault displacement did not influence where sills exploited faults. In the study, the intricate interaction of fault and magmatic sills and its broader implications to structural compartmentalization and outcrop-scale studies in many magma-rich continental margins are demonstrated

Patient Education and Medication Adherence among Hypertensives in a Tertiary Hospital, South Western Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a global health issue among the adult population with high morbidity and mortality rates. Poor adherence to medication is associated with bad outcome of the disease and wastage of health resources. Therefore, this study aims to determine the role of patient education in medication adherence among hypertensives attending tertiary hospitals in Ekiti State, South Western, Nigeria.METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 420 participants attending Family Medicine Department Clinic of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido-Ekiti. Relevant data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire.RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 60.97 ± 11.28 years, and a slight female preponderance (male: female = 1:1.7 over male). Three hundred and forty nine (83.1%) were married, 273(65.0%) were from a monogamous family and 375(89.2%) had family sizes of more than 4. Ninety four (22.4%) had good knowledge about hypertension, and 257(61.2%) were adherent to their medication. Increased medication adherence proportion was observed as knowledge about hypertension improves. The odds of adherence to treatment among subjects with good knowledge is 2 times (OR = 2.320, 95%CI = 1.164, 4.626) higher than among subjects with poor knowledge.CONCLUSION: The proportion of respondents with good knowledge about hypertension is low. However, the adherence among them to medication is higher and statistically significant. Patient education about the disease and its treatment by primary care physicians can help to improve adherence to medication

Consumers' acceptability of iodine-biofortified tomato in Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria

Higher exposure rate to certain chemicals found in processed foods that reduce iodine absorption and a depletion in the amount of iodine found in soil have been reported to be detrimental to health. This study seeks to examine the consumers' acceptability and willingness to pay a price premium for iodine-enriched tomatoes in Abeokuta, southwest, Nigeria. Primary data were used to collect a sample of 300 respondents. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) under double bounded dichotomous choice approach. The use of dichotomous choice (DC) method in explaining the willingness to pay (WTP) in contingent valuation studies is a common method in Economics. Research has shown that double-bounded Dichotomous Choice methods provide statistically superior outcomes than single bounded methods, given appropriate sampling design. Results from the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents revealed a mean age of 42 years and are mainly (83%) in their economic active age (&lt;50 years), 69% male respondents, 63% were married and 53% of the respondents had prior knowledge of iodine-biofortified tomato. It was also revealed that 58% of the respondent are willing to accept and pay a premium for iodine-biofortified tomato. Although, the proportion of the respondents who were willing to pay generally decreases with increases in price. It is concluded that age, level of education, income, prior knowledge and bid price were the significant factors influencing respondents' willingness to pay a price premium for iodine-biofortified tomato in the study area.Keywords: acceptability, contingent valuation method, iodine-biofortified tomato, price premiu

Seismic character and interaction of intrabasinal mass-transport deposits in deep-water continental margins (Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil)

The aim of this thesis is to assess the spatial and temporal recurrence of mass-transport deposits (MTDs) within salt withdrawal basins to unravel the complex interaction between mass-wasting processes and salt halokinesis. A high-quality 3D seismic dataset from the mid-continental slope of Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil, was used to assess the provenance of mass-transport deposits and their potentials as structural markers for seafloor perturbation and fault activity. A new proposition from this work includes scale-independent classification of mass- transport deposits into homogeneous and heterogeneous types. Heterogeneous MTDs are composed of seismic facies corresponding to slides, slumps and debrites. Homogeneous MTDs comprise consolidated debrites considered in this work as comprising barriers to fluid flow. In addition, MTD composed of rafted blocks displayed a disproportionate relationship between their shape, transporting distance and degree of remobilization. Drag zones denote sections of MTDs that are uplifted during salt diapir rise. These drag zones are extended and shortened along their long and short axis respectively. Ramps flanking salt diapirs are formed by either complete or partial erosion of paleo-seafloors and pre-existing fault scarps. In this thesis, it is shown that the risk of remobilized sediments is highest within drag zones. The erosive nature of mass-wasting processes is justified by the decoupling history of faults eroded by MTDs. An innovative method to assess fault decoupling history on continental margin is the use of cumulative throw character. MTD-decoupled faults are iv | P a g e characterised by shorter propagation rate and cumulative throw and are potentially sealing compared to their non-decoupled counterparts. The information from this study is crucial information for successful hydrocarbon exploration and risk assessment in deep-water environments. The methodologies and results from this thesis are applicable to continental margins worldwide