Farmers Use of Erosion Control Measures in Anambra State Nigeria

Abstract The study investigated the attitude of farmers to the use of erosion control measure in Anambra State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 farmers used for the study. Results show that majority (99.2%&98.3%) of the respondents indicated that rain water run-off and poor road construction respectively were the major causes of soil erosion in the area. All (100%) the respondents used mixed cropping, tie ridging and mulching as control practice against erosion. Challenges to farmers’ use of erosion control practices were: unavailability of resource required (ẋ=3.44), and high cost of using the practice (=3.23). Respondents had positive attitude to erosion control as indicated by the results including: it is good to adopt some erosion practices as it helps to save the soil (=2.68), interested in issues concerning erosion as this will help me gain knowledge of how to control it (=2.68),I always teach their family members how to control erosion on their farmland/homes (=2.56), I will like to be trained about erosion control even though it has not directly affected them(=2.55).in the area. The paper advocates that government at all levels should provide financial incentives to farmers so that they can afford some good erosion control practices which are costly for them.   Key words: erosion, environmental degradation, farmers’ attitude, erosion control practices

Farmers Use of Erosion Control Measures in Anambra State Nigeria

Abstract The study investigated the attitude of farmers to the use of erosion control measure in Anambra State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 farmers used for the study. Results show that majority (99.2%&98.3%) of the respondents indicated that rain water run-off and poor road construction respectively were the major causes of soil erosion in the area. All (100%) the respondents used mixed cropping, tie ridging and mulching as control practice against erosion. Challenges to farmers’ use of erosion control practices were: unavailability of resource required (ẋ=3.44), and high cost of using the practice (=3.23). Respondents had positive attitude to erosion control as indicated by the results including: it is good to adopt some erosion practices as it helps to save the soil (=2.68), interested in issues concerning erosion as this will help me gain knowledge of how to control it (=2.68),I always teach their family members how to control erosion on their farmland/homes (=2.56), I will like to be trained about erosion control even though it has not directly affected them(=2.55).in the area. The paper advocates that government at all levels should provide financial incentives to farmers so that they can afford some good erosion control practices which are costly for them.   Key words: erosion, environmental degradation, farmers’ attitude, erosion control practices

Absorbable energy monitoring scheme: new design protocol to test vehicle structural crashworthiness

In vehicle crashworthiness design optimization detailed system evaluation capable of producing reliable results are basically achieved through high-order numerical computational (HNC) models such as the dynamic finite element model, mesh-free model etc. However the application of these models especially during optimization studies is basically challenged by their inherent high demand on computational resources, conditional stability of the solution process, and lack of knowledge of viable parameter range for detailed optimization studies. The absorbable energy monitoring scheme (AEMS) presented in this paper suggests a new design protocol that attempts to overcome such problems in evaluation of vehicle structure for crashworthiness. The implementation of the AEMS involves studying crash performance of vehicle components at various absorbable energy ratios based on a 2DOF lumped-mass-spring (LMS) vehicle impact model. This allows for prompt prediction of useful parameter values in a given design problem. The application of the classical one-dimensional LMS model in vehicle crash analysis is further improved in the present work by developing a critical load matching criterion which allows for quantitative interpretation of the results of the abstract model in a typical vehicle crash design. The adequacy of the proposed AEMS for preliminary vehicle crashworthiness design is demonstrated in this paper, however its extension to full-scale design-optimization problem involving full vehicle model that shows greater structural detail requires more theoretical development

Detection of Hotspots and Performance Deteriotations in PV Modules under Partial Shading Conditions Using Infrared Thermography

Operating photovoltaic (PV) modules are frequently shaded by nearby structures, vegetation, droppings, etc., and this reduces the effective incident solar radiation received by the modules. Shading also reduces the power output of PV modules and, under certain conditions, causes the formation of hotspots. In this study, a wide variety of partial shading scenarios were investigated to evaluate their effects on the output current, voltage and efficiencies, and hotspot formation in mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline PV modules operating under the ambient conditions experienced in Nsukka, Nigeria. Sixteen shading cases were considered, including 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the modules’ surface areas shaded parallel to the long sides, parallel to the short sides, diagonally and randomly. Test ambient conditions, module outputs and surface thermal patterns were simultaneously monitored using a digital solarimeter, multimeter and infrared thermal imager, respectively. The outputs of the modules decreased to almost zero when as little as 40% of the module surfaces were shaded, with the reductions in performance being more severe in the mono-crystalline modules than in the poly-crystalline modules. The infrared thermography revealed the thermal patterns under the different shading conditions and showed that the random shading of the modules was the most likely to result in hotspots