Internet and Citizen Journalism:Perspectives and Issues in the Global Broadcast Landscape

The use of participatory journalism to re-invent broadcasting outlets is common trend among media professionals and experts. This paper examines the use of citizen journalism in the production of news contents for broadcast media outlets. Based on principles from Democratic Participant Media theory, the paper argues that participatory journalism can serve as a watchdog to the development process of a nation. Also, this paper examined issues that affect global media outlets that make use of citizen journalism to produce news contents. The authors suggest that citizen journalism should be seen as a tool to re-invent professional media practice. It is an inevitable practice evident on the internet that can be used to promote national developmen

Performance evaluation and economic analysis of a gas turbine power plant in Nigeria

In this study, performance evaluation and economic analysis (in terms of power outage cost due to system downtime) of a gas turbine power plant in Nigeria have been carried out for the period 2001–2010. The thermal power station consists of nine gas turbine units with total capacity of 301 MW (9 � 31.5 MW). The study reveals that 64.3% of the installed capacity was available in the period. The percentage of shortfall of energy generated in the period ranged from 4.18% to 14.53% as against the acceptable value of 5–10%. The load factor of the plant is between 20.8% and 78.2% as against international best practice of 80%. The average availability of the plant for the period was about 64% as against industry best practice of 95%, while the average use factor was about 92%. The capacity factor of the plant ranged from 20.8% to 78.23% while the utilization factor ranged from 85.47% to 95.82%. For the ten years under review, there was energy generation loss of about 35.7% of expected energy generation of 26.411 TW h with consequent plant performance of 64.3%. The study further reveals that the 35.7% of generation loss resulted in revenue loss of about M$251 (approximately bN40). The simple performance indicator developed to evaluate the performance indices and outage cost for the station can also be applicable to other power stations in Nigeria and elsewhere. Measures to improve the performance indices of the plant have been suggested such as training of operation and maintenance (O & M) personnel regularly, improvement in O & M practices, proper spare parts inventory and improvement in general housekeeping of the plant. From technical point of view, performance of the plant can be improved by retrofitting with a gas turbine air inlet cooling system, heat recovery system or adding modifications (inter-cooling or regeneration) to the simple gas turbine units

Fatty Acids Composition of Three Different Vegetable Oils (Soybean Oil, Groundnut Oil and Coconut Oil) by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Edible vegetable oil were extracted from three sources; soyabean, groundnut and coconut. These oils were processed for fatty acid analysis using high performance liquid chromatography. Three saturated fatty acid were present. Palmitic acid; (C16;O) range from 2.092% in coconut oil to 4.756% in groundnut oil, stearic acid (C16;O) range from 1.496% in soya bean oil to 12.075% in groundnut oil. Monounsaturated fatty acid was also obtained. Oleric acid (C18:1) range from 8.584% in coconut oil to 12.722% in groundnut oil. Polyunsaturated (essential) fatty acid identified was linoleic acid (C18:2 Omega-6) at concentration ranges of 5.654% in soyabean oil to 9.198% in groundnut oil. The result showed that the three samples are good sources of two essential fatty acid (lauric and palmitric acid). The predominant component of soyabean oil and coconut oil was myristic acid (C14:O) (41.039% and 33.544% respectively). The highest fatty acid component of groundnut oil is lauric acid (C12:O) at 14.567%. Keywords: Soybean oil, Groundnut Oil, Coconut oil, Fatty acids, HPLC

Analysis of wind speed data and wind energy potential in three selected locations in south-east Nigeria

In this study, the wind speed characteristics and energy potential in three selected locations in the southeastern part of Nigeria were investigated using wind speed data that span between 24 and 37 years and measured at a height of 10 m. It was shown that the annual mean wind speed at a height of 10 m for Enugu, Owerri and Onitsha are 5.42, 3.36 and 3.59 m/s, respectively, while the annual mean power densities are 96.98, 23.23 and 28.34 W/m2, respectively. It was further shown that the mean annual value of the most probable wind speed are 5.47, 3.72 and 3.50 m/s for Enugu, Owerri and Onitsha, respectively, while the respective annual value of the wind speed carrying maximum energy are 6.48, 4.33 and 3.90 m/s. The performance of selected commercial wind turbine models (with rated power between 50 and 1,000 kW) designed for electricity generation and a windmill (rated power, 0.36 kW) for water pumping located in these sites was examined. The annual energy output and capacity factor for these turbines, as well as the water produced by the windmill, were determined. The minimum required design parameters for a wind turbine to be a viable option for electricity generation in each location are also suggested

Assessment of electricity generation and energy cost of wind energy conversion systems in north-central Nigeria

In this study, the wind energy potential and economic analysis in selected six locations in north central part of Nigeria were investigated using wind speed data that span between 19 and 37 years measured at 10 m height. The performance of small to medium size commercial wind turbine models were examined and economic evaluation of the wind energy in the selected sites was made by using the levelised cost method. The results showed that the cost of energy production per kWh for the selected sites vary between ¢4.02 and ¢166.79. It was shown that Minna is most viable site while Bida is found to be least among the sites considered. Using three selected wind turbine models (in Minna) as case study, an increase in the escalation rate of operating and maintenance cost from 0% to 10%, lead to an increase in the unit energy cost by about 7%. It was further shown that by increasing the escalation rate of inflation from 0% to 5%, the cost of energy decreases by about 29% while the discount rate (return on investment) decreases from 11.54% to 6.23%

Assessment of effect of operation parameters on gas turbine power plant performance using first and second laws

In this study, modelling of gas turbine engine performance is carried out using thermodynamics relations. The model reveals that the influence of operation parameters such as compression ratio, turbine inlet temperature and ambient temperature has significant effect on the performance of gas turbine engine. Energy and exergy analyses were conducted to evaluate the performance of the selected power plant and to assess the effect of operation parameters on energy loss and exergy destruction in the plant. Energy analysis shows that the turbine has the highest proportion of energy loss (31.98%) in the plant. The exergy analysis results reveal that the combustion chamber is the most exergy destructive component compared to other cycle components. Thermal efficiency of the plant is as low as 36.68% while the total efficiency defect and overall exergetic efficiency of the power plant are 40.46 and 19.06%, respectively

The Place of the Nigerian Family Values in Social Media Usage

African family values are fast changing considering diverse societal factors such as globalisation replicated western government policies and information communication technology. These surrounding factors neutralize the sustainability of historical heritage and identity of the African citizen. While examining the existence of the Nigerian culture within the family setting, this study investigates the role of Facebook, an ICT enabled communication platform, in changing, modifying or building the Nigerian family values. The sample size was drawn from Lagos, a cosmopolitan state in Nigeria. A total number of 289 copies of the questionnaire were randomly administered to Lagos residents from the three senatorial districts. Results showed that respondents strongly believe that Facebook does not impede the values of Nigerians, as it serves as a medium for enhancing Nigerian fashion, information dissemination and creating new forms of relationships. Also, respondents agreed that social media generally have changed or modified diverse aspects of the Nigerian culture. However, westernization, technology, bad family upbringing and globalization were identified as other factors responsible for the changes in Nigerian family values in this era. It recommends that stakeholders maximize social media platforms in reinforcing Nigerian family values, especially amongst the younger generation who are avid users of social media

EXERGETIC AND EXERGOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED GAS TURBINE POWER PLANTS IN NIGERIA

Analysis of power generation systems is of scientific interest and also essential for the efficient utilization of energy resource. The most commonly used method for analysis of the energy conversion process is the first law of thermodynamics - especially for computation of work and heat exchanges as well as thermal efficiency. However, there is increasing interest in combined utilization of both the first and second laws, using such concepts as exergy and exergy destructions in order to evaluate the efficiency with which the available energy is utilized. In this study, a thermodynamic analysis and performance of eleven selected gas turbine power plants in Nigeria was carried out using the first and second laws of thermodynamics and economic concepts. Thermodynamic modelling of industrial gas turbines in power plant applications was performed using a computer code developed specifically for simulation purposes with the Matlab software. Exergetic and exergo-economic analyses were conducted using operating data obtained from the power plants to determine the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of each major component of the gas turbine in each power plant. The exergy analysis confirmed that the combustion chamber is the most exergy destructive component compared to other cycle components as expected. Furthermore, the exergy efficiency of the combustion chamber is less than that of any other components of the gas turbines studied, which is due to the high temperature difference between working fluid and burner temperatures. The percentage exergy destruction in combustion chamber varied between 86.05 and 94.6%. In addition, it was found that by increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature (GTIT), the exergy destruction of this component can be reduced. Exergo-economic analysis showed that the cost of exergy destruction is high in the combustion chamber and that increasing the GTIT effectively decreases this cost. The exergy costing Analysis of power generation systems is of scientific interest and also essential for the efficient utilization of energy resource. The most commonly used method for analysis of the energy conversion process is the first law of thermodynamics - especially for computation of work and heat exchanges as well as thermal efficiency. However, there is increasing interest in combined utilization of both the first and second laws, using such concepts as exergy and exergy destructions in order to evaluate the efficiency with which the available energy is utilized. In this study, a thermodynamic analysis and performance of eleven selected gas turbine power plants in Nigeria was carried out using the first and second laws of thermodynamics and economic concepts. Thermodynamic modelling of industrial gas turbines in power plant applications was performed using a computer code developed specifically for simulation purposes with the Matlab software. Exergetic and exergo-economic analyses were conducted using operating data obtained from the power plants to determine the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of each major component of the gas turbine in each power plant. The exergy analysis confirmed that the combustion chamber is the most exergy destructive component compared to other cycle components as expected. Furthermore, the exergy efficiency of the combustion chamber is less than that of any other components of the gas turbines studied, which is due to the high temperature difference between working fluid and burner temperatures. The percentage exergy destruction in combustion chamber varied between 86.05 and 94.6%. In addition, it was found that by increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature (GTIT), the exergy destruction of this component can be reduced. Exergo-economic analysis showed that the cost of exergy destruction is high in the combustion chamber and that increasing the GTIT effectively decreases this cost. The exergy costingAnalysis of power generation systems is of scientific interest and also essential for the efficient utilization of energy resource. The most commonly used method for analysis of the energy conversion process is the first law of thermodynamics - especially for computation of work and heat exchanges as well as thermal efficiency. However, there is increasing interest in combined utilization of both the first and second laws, using such concepts as exergy and exergy destructions in order to evaluate the efficiency with which the available energy is utilized. In this study, a thermodynamic analysis and performance of eleven selected gas turbine power plants in Nigeria was carried out using the first and second laws of thermodynamics and economic concepts. Thermodynamic modelling of industrial gas turbines in power plant applications was performed using a computer code developed specifically for simulation purposes with the Matlab software. Exergetic and exergo-economic analyses were conducted using operating data obtained from the power plants to determine the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of each major component of the gas turbine in each power plant. The exergy analysis confirmed that the combustion chamber is the most exergy destructive component compared to other cycle components as expected. Furthermore, the exergy efficiency of the combustion chamber is less than that of any other components of the gas turbines studied, which is due to the high temperature difference between working fluid and burner temperatures. The percentage exergy destruction in combustion chamber varied between 86.05 and 94.6%. In addition, it was found that by increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature (GTIT), the exergy destruction of this component can be reduced. Exergo-economic analysis showed that the cost of exergy destruction is high in the combustion chamber and that increasing the GTIT effectively decreases this cost. The exergy costing analysis revealed that the unit cost of electricity produced in the plants ranged from 3.78 cents/kWh (N5.67/kWh) to 5.86 cents/kWh (N8.79/kWh). An examination of the effects of design parameters on exergy efficiency showed that an increase in the air compressor pressure ratio and GTIT increases the total exergy efficiency of the cycle

Serial pathologic fractures of five long bones on four separate occasions in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism, challenges of management in a developing country: a case report

Multiple pathologic fractures secondary to parathyroid adenoma is rarely recognized and reported in the tropics. Inadequate evaluation causes worsened disability and increased psychological stress. We present a 27-year-old Nigerian male student with recurrent unexplained pathological fractures of the long bones. Primary Hyperparathyroidism was later diagnosed and he benefited from a unilateral parathyroidectomy. Primary hyperparathyroidism secondary to parathyroid adenoma is difficult to diagnose and needs a high index of suspicion. Surgery and good  postoperative biochemical control of serum calcium produce satisfying outcomesKey words: Pathologic fractures, parathyroid adenoma, Primary Hyperparathyroidism, serum calcium, surger