ENGINEERING TOPICS

ABSTRACT

Environmental pollution due to improperly managed wastewater has been a major challenge and of public health concern in Nigeria. Not many studies related to wastewater management have been carried out in Nigeria, hence the paucity of data on wastewater management in the country. The Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTP) in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja are presently performing below capacity due to several problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wastewater man...

ABSTRACT

Power consumption is a key consideration in every Wireless Local Area Network Medium Access Control (WLAN MAC) algorithm design for wireless devices and extending battery life requires more efficient power management scheme considering that carrier sensing by WLAN modules, false wake-ups, collisions and number of contention rounds are major contributors to energy overhead. Researchers over the years have proposed and implemented various schemes using a low power wakeup radi...

ABSTRACT

Research trends in the construction industry is toward the application of nano materials in mortar/concrete which could act as set accelerator due to the ultrafine nature of silica nano_particles (SNPs). The study is aimed at investigating the effect of SNPs on the performance of Sorghum Husk Ash (SHA) and Calcium Carbide Waste (CCW) binder based mortar with a view to establishing its suitability. SHA was an incinerated ash from agro-by-product of sorghum husk with major co...

ABSTRACT

Distribution of Water has been a major source of concern all over the world. Despite the fact that water is a scarce commodity, a lot of human activities in terms of poor management such as opening taps when not needed and careless attitudes towards broken pipes contribute to poor distribution. Furthermore, the supply of the commodity at constant pressure to areas when not needed contributes to little or no supply to where it is needed. This is because; a lot is wasted with...

ABSTRACT

The issue of inadequate geotechnical investigation usually leads to over or under design of structural elements which eventually contributes immensely to project cost overrun and poor performance. This research aims to assess the impact of inadequate geotechnical investigation on construction projects‟ performance which was achieved through the research objectives. The objectives were to examine the difference in awareness level among clients, contractors, and consultants a...

Office table and chairs usually come in set of three, and are designed to fit one into another for convenient storage. Furniture of this soot should be of the highest quality, attractive in design and capable of standing up to many years in use.

The cost of the wood and the amount of time spent on this project may restrict you to making one table only and the chairs. The design chiefly makes use of curved lines for the legs, the base and the lower ba...

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on communities along Lamurde floodplain between Latitude 8˚52’0” and 8˚56’6” and Longitude11˚19’0” and 11˚22’8”. The study areaoverlain the shallow well fieldswhere public water supply system and main private water vending were extracted to service the entire Jalingo city. Sample points were selected among the few available functional water points during the month of April when dry season was at its pea...

ABSTRACT

A method of preparing cast aluminium alloy – graphite particulate composite using uncoated graphite with the addition of 1wt% magnesium to aid wettability was studied. The method consists of introducing and dispersing uncoated but pre-treated graphite particles in aluminium alloy melt and casting the resulting composite melts in suitable moulds. The graphite was pre-heated to 400oC in air for 2 hours just prior to dispersion in the melts. Al-5%Cu and 1%Mg by weight wi...

Abstract

The methodology of the experiment involves three main stages. The first part describes the synthesis of the PF (novolac) resins. Novolac (resins) were prepared with an excess of phenol over formaldehyde under acidic conditions. PF molar ratio were varied from 1P:2F to 1P:8F. The structure of the PF was determined using FT-IR techniques. The preparation and characterization was reported. The physicochemical properties tests carried out on the (novolac) resins include pH, vis...

ABSTRACT

The suitability of hardwood charcoal and snail shell particles for carburizing mild steel was investigated. All the mild steel specimens were carburized at constant temperature of 920°C from one (1) to five (5) hours at intervals of one hour. The mild steel specimen in the as-received and carburized conditions were all prepared for the following tests: hardness, impact and microstructure examination. The outcome of the test shows that the as-received specimen has the le...

ABSTRACT

This research was carried out to ascertain the suitability of Osara and Jamata River sand for moulding operation and Ajaokuta Foundry Sand was also tested along with the two sands under the same condition and their moulding properties were compared with that of American Foundrymens’ Society (AFS) Standard. The Jamata River sand sample was collected from the River Niger flowing under the Murtala Bridge along Lokoja to Abuja road at a village called Jamata in Kogi State...

Abstract

Spent primary batteries are known to contain metallic compounds that could be of value if recycled as well as harmful to man and the environment if not properly disposed. Also, the recovery of these value metals from the used batteries can reduce limited natural resource (ore) depletion. This research was carried out to investigate the recovery potential of Zinc and Manganese from spent zinc-carbon battery paste. Spent battery samples were collected around Samaru area of Sa...

ABSTRACT

This study is a study to evaluate and compare the hydraulic performance of plastic and iron mini sprinkler system using 8mm and 14mm diameter nozzle sizes. The study was carried out at a farm land of the national water resources institute, Mando, Kaduna. In this study, meteorological data such as rainfall, evaporation, relative humidity, wind speed/ direction, maximum and minimum temperature were first taken into consideration, soil, sample test were investigated for their...

ABSTRACT

Queuing theory as a tool for optimising patients flow and resources utilisation in the female section of the OPD at Yusuf Dantsoho memorial hospital Kaduna, the study was conducted for a period of 5 days. Simple queuing theory calculations were done using the data collected in the evaluation of the performance characteristics of the system, i.e. the average utilisation of the servers, the probability that the system would be idle, the average number of patients in the queue...

ABSTRACT

The water in River Kaduna is used for; domestic purposes, fishing, recreational activities as well as irrigation of crops.However, literatures have revealed that there are lots of anthropogenic activities occurring within the middle stretch of the river that could likely deteriorate its water quality as it flows through the Kaduna city metropolis. Hence, this research was targeted at evaluating the water quality of the middle stretch of River Kaduna with respect to seasonal...

ABSTRACT

This study focused on water allocation for different purposes in Tiga dam, using WEAP model to carry out analysis of the hydrological and meteorological information of the study area, with a view to settling the conflict between water allocation of Kano City and major irrigation project. The research commenced with a preliminary site investigation through reconnaissance survey to analyzeactivities related to water resources in the basin. Meteorological and hydrological data...

ABSTRACT

Records of flooding are increasing due to heavy storm which tend to filled most of the water bodies, thereby overflowing onto the land, causing damages and endangering the lives people. Flood also occur due to other factors such dam break, overflowing rivers etc. Most of this event occur with inadequate capacity of reservoirs, channels, drainages etc to store or convey the water appropriately Sediments transport due to heavy rain also contributed so much in reducing the cap...

ABSTRACT

The influence of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process parameters on the microstructural features and mechanical properties (hardness and tensile strength) of AISI430 ferritic stainless steel (FSS) weldsbased on the central composite design (CCD) approach, was investigated. The process parameters considered in this study include; the welding current (I), welding speed (S) and argon flow rate (AFR). The stainless steel AISI 430 FSS plates having chromium content of 17% Cr...

ABSTRACT

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Geographical Information System (GIS) based hydrological modelling was applied to Hadejia River Sub-basin- an integral of the Chad Basin in the Northern Nigeria- to determine the impacts of land use/cover dynamics on the hydrological regime of the sub-basin under the changing climate factors. The study enhanced solution with dx understanding to the complex problems in the sub-basin, with large quantities of data associated with wate...

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to carry out a flood risk assessment for Ofu River Catchment in Nigeria. Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission Digital Elevation Model (SRTM DEM) and River Map of Africa were used to delineate the catchment boundaries in ArcGIS 10.2.2 coupled with ArcHydro and HEC-GeoHMS extensions while the stream ordering was done using the spatial analyst hydrology tool in ArcGIS 10.2.2. Stage and discharge measured from February, 2016 to January, 2017 were used to...

ABSTRACT

The field experiment was conducted during the 2011 dry season at the Irrigation Research Fields of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Samaru, Nigeria, to evaluate yield and soil water balance of two cowpea varieties under deficit irrigation and mulch using locally assembled weighing- type micro lysimeter. The treatments comprised of three levels of irrigation water application depths (50%, 75% and 100% of weekly reference evapotranspiration (WRETo)) and two leve...

ABSTRACT

The service conditions of many moving steel components require it to possess both hard and wear resistant surfaces witha tough and shock resistant cores. To achieve this, the suitability of pulverized coconut shell charcoal and periwinkle shell for carburizing 0.08%C mild steel was investigated in order to evaluate the carburizing parameters of the mild steel. The carburizing parameters evaluated were temperature, time and materials (ratio 75wt% pulverized coconut shell cha...

ABSTRACT

The major problems of most wireless technologies such as EDGE, HSPA, WiMax, HSPA+, WiFi G, WiFi and LTE are the imbalance of radio resources allocation as well as unfairness and difficulty to achieve unity index. These result in overstressing the networks while leaving some idle. This imbalance of resources amongst the networks brings about poor quality of service. Most researchers including Donoso et al (2014) tried to resolve the problem using different techniques such as...

ABSTRACT

It has being observed over time that there are problems associated with the quality of designs and execution of jobs within the Building Services Sector of the Engineering Industry. The sector is an important aspect of Engineering Practice in Nigeria and its performance can only be measured by the quality of its output which include good engineering designs and proper execution of projects. Hence, the focus of this research work is to investigate o n effective training as a...

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted during the dry season in 2016 at the Irrigation Research farm of Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru, Zaria, to determine the effect of deficit irrigation and mulch on yield and water use of Cucumber crop. The experiment consisted of four levels of moisture depletion at 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% (I100, I75, I50, and I25) of irrigation water application depths and three mulch types Rice straw mulch; Black polythene mulch, and No mulch (RSM, BPM, a...

ABSTRACT

The problems of low mechanical properties of composites reinforced with fibres of natural origin have been a source of concern for researchers. Also, the insufficient utilization of bagasse fibres due to its moderate strength has further reduced its potentialities in composite production hence the need to hybridize with other fibres. In this work, the effects of hybridization on the physical and mechanical properties of bagasse/sisal/coir fibre-reinforced epoxy composites h...

ABSTRACT

This thesis presents the development of a Three Degree of Freedom (3DoF) based outlet fluid temperature controller for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger (STHX). Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers are classes of heat exchangers being used in industries for heat transfer between fluids. Tracking a setpoint by the STHX is usually a challenging problem, especially when subjected to noise and disturbance. Addressing this challenge, an existing STHX experimental data was employed to deve...

Excerpt from the Study

The complexity of emitters in drip systems, makes it difficult to maintain precision during its production, as a result of changes in temperature, mould damage and nonuniform mixing of raw materials. These are some of the factors affecting emitter homogeneity. Similarly, field evaluation of the hydraulic characteristics of the system under local conditions of the Guinea Savannah ecological zone has not been fully explored (Oyebode et al., 2011...

ABSTRACT

Energy conservation in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a key area of research aimed at addressing the challenge of efficient energy utilization. This is due to the fact that the Sensor Nodes (SNs) have limited energy. The limited energy has to be utilized efficiently in order to provide longer network lifetime for the wireless sensor network (WSN). To reduce energy consumption in WSNs, an improved multi-hop routing protocol (mEEMRP) in WSNs based on cluster head (CH) loa...

ABSTRACT

This research work is aimed at the development of an optimal extracted feature classification scheme in a voice recognition system using dynamic cuckoo search algorithm. This minimized error mismatch in the recognition process and increased accuracy of recognition. Standard voice dataset was obtained from English Language Speech Database for Speaker Recognition (ELSDSR) of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), processed and key features of these voice data were extract...

ABSTRACT

This research presents the development of a Frangi filter and first-order derivative of Gaussian (FF-FDOG) based power line detection (PLD) algorithm as an improvement to the standard PLD algorithm. Vision-based PLD is important in obstacle avoidance in low-altitude flight and also in the surveillance and maintenance of electrical infrastructure. The need for high and real-time detection rates as well as low false alarm in noisy and cluttered images makes it a challenging t...

ABSTRACT

High signaling load due to location management (LM) scheme in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Networks is a major quality of service issue due to the significant amount of resources consumed by this scheme. This scheme needs to be managed efficiently to guarantee seamless connection to any user on the Network at any time. Increasing trends of connected mobile equipment has further increase the required signaling resources for the Location Management Scheme in LTE. There are diffe...

Excerpt from the Study

This study has presented the development of a brightness enhancement technique for video frame pixel improvement based on pixel intensity analysis. The research also achieved an FOA based compression technique using the light intensity and attractionbehaviour of fireflies in nature. This optimization technique was further modified by nullifying the effect of long distance between any two pixels in an image using the inverse square law relation...

ABSTRACT

Pilot Contamination (PC) has been considered as a majorlimiting factor of Time Division Duplexing (TDD) Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (M-MIMO) systems, as itsaturates the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) saturated. Similarly, several mitigation techniques such as Eigenvalue decomposition, cooperative Bayesian channel estimation, blind equalization technique, time staggering pilot, smart pilot assignment, etc. proposed in literature to address PC issue...

ABSTRACT

Energy efficiency is one of the most important challenges for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). This is due to the fact that sensor nodes have limited energy capacity. Therefore, the energy of sensor nodes has to be efficiently managed to provide longer lifetime for the network. To reduce energy consumption in WSNs, a Modified Energy Efficient Clustering with Splitting and Merging (𝑚𝐸𝐸𝐶𝑆𝑀) for WSNs using Cluster-Head Handover Mechanism was implemented in this research. This...

ABSTRACT

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a multi-carrier frequency multiplexing scheme used in broadband wireless communication systems and has advantages such as high spectral efficiency, simple channel equalization and flexibility.One of its major challenges is the high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of the signal which can cause a nonlinear signal distortion and reduction in power efficiency. One of the techniques used to reduce PAPR is the Partial Transm...

Excerpt from the Study

The IAR multicrop thresher was modified and reconstructed at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University; to increase its threshing performance for Millet and Soybean crops. The performance of the machine was evaluated, mathematical models for predicting its threshing efficiency, threshing loss and output capacity were developed and the machine was optimized for both crops. Based on the result of this study the followin...

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Nanocomposite is a class of composites in which the dimensions of the reinforcing particles are in the order of 1-100 nanometers. Because of this nanometer size characteristic, nanocomposites possess superior properties to the conventional composites due to larger interfacial adhesion. In the past, major interest has been in the use of synthetic materials such as aliphatic polyesters, aliphatic-aromatic polyesters, polyvinyl alcohols, polyestera...

ABSTRACT

Timely delivery of construction projects can fasten up drastic development in any country. Construction delay has become endemic in Nigeria, it is imperative to create awareness of the extent to which delays can adversely affect project delivery. This study identifies, by questionnaire evaluates and through empirical method assesses the effects of construction delays. The findings showed that time and cost overruns were frequent effects of delay. Delay had...

Excerpt from the Study

This work was aimed at developing and characterising epoxy/BPLSF reinforced composite by hand lay-up method.At the end of the study, the following conclusions were made.

i. Characterisation of untreated and treated fibre confirmed the etching away of surface and interfibrillar materials by NaOH treatment, and further revealed latex layers on latex treated fibres that served as reactive sites with epoxy matrix.Single fibre strength sh...

Excerpt from the Study

The two-row engine propelled ridge seed planter was developed and evaluated for performance in comparison with an existing single row animal drawn seed planter and the manual planting method. The developed planter has the capacity for planting two seeds per hole in one hectare in 4.55 hours. Seedling emergence under the developed planter was 30,636 per hectare as against the 26,091 per hectare for the animal drawn planter and 28,545 per hectar...

Problem Statement

The successful operation of cognitive radios depends largely on the results of spectrum sensing. Energy detection being the simplest to implement in terms of computational complexity has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers in order to improve on it, as its performance is weak when the SNR is low. Researches had proposed ways of performing energy detection and the use of time-frequency analysis show a great potential. However, the d...

Abstract

Waste Management is pertinent in achieving sustainable Development, which is fuelled by the growing concern for the effect of man’s activities on the environment. The management of Construction processes to reduce, reuse, recycle and effectively dispose of wastes has a serious bearing on the final cost, quality, time and impact of the project delivery. This research studied the impact of building materials management on project delivery in Nigeria. T...

ABSTRACT

There is dearth of information on output level of building operatives in Nigeria, consequently, the output constants currently used for preparation of construction estimates are remnants of British colonial heritage or derived from untested experiences. Therefore this study aims at empirically determining output constants for floor finishes (screeds and tiles) for building project in Abuja. The objectives are to identify the productivity factors related to...

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of effluent discharges from various point-loads on a purposively selected receiving river, the self-recovery ability of the river and the treatability of both the discharges and the receiving stream in a heavily industrialized community.

The work involved field survey of industries producing and discharging effluents in the study area (Ado Odo/ Otta industrial zone...

Abstract

The study examined the distributional pattern of mechanic workshops in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Numerous accidents recorded in Ibadan North Local Government area coupled with frequent car breakdowns made the researcher to investigate the subject matter and the following objectives were formulated for the study; to examine the pattern of distribution of automobile mechanic workshops in the study area, to examine the factors that deter...

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In this country, Nigeria, just like most developing countries in the world, we are faced with the challenges of light disruption. Continuous spending on fuelling and maintenance of our fuel generator, but now lets look at another alternative. Converting a fuelled generator into a fuel less generator and it has a low maintenance cost.

1.3. OBJECTIVE OF THE SEMINAR

The aim of this project is to design and m...

ABSTRACT

When the transportation system of any educational institution is effective, it positively contributes to effective learning; saves cost and generate revenue to the authorities. This is the desire of every institutions of learning although a number of constraints usually make it not attainable. The transportation system presently operated by the school was studied and found to be cumbersome, exploitative and fall short in all standard of a good transportatio...

ABSTRACT

The problem of water Scarcity, water pollution and cost of accessing water for domestic needs have become growing concerns to the ever increasing global population. Waterwaterremediation has long been accepted as a viable option to mitigate water scarcity. This research examines the potentials of an environmentally friendly technique of using local but modified tropical plant materials in remediation of greywater for re-use. Column adsorption experiment was conducted using...

ABSTRACT

Characterization and concentration of Kurungu Iron ore has been undertaken. Bulk samples were collected from the deposit site located in Kurungu village Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. The samples were crushed and pulverized and a representative sample obtained by coning and quartering method. Analysis of the representative sample was done using the XRF for composition analysis, XRD and SEM for the mineralogical analysis and the modified Berry and Bru...

Abstract

Characterization and flotation studies were carried out on the Nasarawa-Eggon leadzinc ore sample through Chemical analysis, Mineralogical analysis, Petrological analysis, Work Index evaluation, Particle size/mineral assay analysis, Liberation studies Bulk Froth Flotation and development of a flow sheet. The chemical analysis was carried out using XRF machine to estimate the elements in the ore sample, the analysis revealed that the ore deposit is mainly made up of 16.78%Pb...

ABSTRACT

Climatic parameters are exposed to variation due to the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Hence, it is essential to assess the water availability and demand under the climate variation in Goronyo Reservoir, Sokoto State Nigeria. since the supply of water is one of the significant tasks in water resources management. In this study, estimation of available water, demand, and unmet demand was simulated using Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Software with the o...

Abstract

In this study, a Laboratory-scale Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland has been designed, and three replicas constructed, cultivated with selected locally available aquatic plants Phragmites australis,Polygonum salicifolium + Ipomoea carnea, respectively, with the third cell un-vegetated, and used to treat tannery effluent. The capacity or treatment efficiency or performance of the laboratory-scale Constructed Wetland in reducing the level of physicochemical param...

ABSTRACT

This study is aimed at the assessment of sawdust activated carbon in the treatment of aquaculture effluent with various objectives which includes the determination of the SAC properties, effluent parameters, effect of operating conditions and application of relevant adsorption isotherms. The sawdust was first precarbonized at 500𝑜C, then impregnated with potassium carbonate (activating agent) and activated at 450𝑜C in a furnace. The surface morphology of the sawdust activat...

ABSTRACT

This research studied the effect of filler dimensions on some major properties of pineapple leaf fibre-reinforced polypropylene composites. In this study, composites of PALF/PP were produced, the PALF were extracted from pineapple leaves. This was achieved by adopting the mechanical scrapping method. The surface of the extracted PALF were modified with 6%NaOH, 14% C3H6O3, 6% HNO3 and 3% ZnCl. The surface modified PALF as well as the control (untreated/unmodified) gave FTIR...

ABSTRACT

This study, assessed the potentials of generating biogas from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes to fuel an incinerator which is then used to burn the residual combustible solid waste. Municipal solid waste from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) commercial market was collected, grinded and mixed with intestinal waste from slaughtered cattle at Zango abattoir, Zaria in a 2:1 ratio by volume. The mixture was diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio by volume to form a slurry...

ABSTRACT

Energy is one commodity on which provision of goods and services depend. Its availability and consumption rate is an economic index to measure the development of any community. Nigeria has limitation to power supply from the National grid which has adverse effect on the populace‟s economic and social development. This necessitates the need for other sources of viable alternative to which hydropower schemes is the best and sustainable. Goronyo Dam was built across River Rima...

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the impact of open dumpsites on the quality of groundwater within the vicinity of solid waste dumpsites in Maiduguri. The problem of rapid urbanization and poor waste management has resulted in an increased of hand dug wells with some located within the premises of an open dumpsites. The mean percentage composition of solid waste at the two dump sites were earth/garbage (26%), metal (21%), glass (20%), plastic (19%), polythene (13%), tex...

ABSTRACT

This project, Electronic logbook for Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme was designed to minimize the problems associated with the paper logbook such as susceptibility to manipulation or forgery, wearing, and storage problem and retrieval problems. The top down approach was used for the software development and the tools used for this project are PHP, CSS, HTML and SQL Server.

      INTRODUCTION

The industrial batch counter is an electronic and electrical device that handles the counting and controls the flow of individuals using an automated slide door that allows access only when the administrator permits. The technique involved in the design is a simple sensor unit that opens and closes the door when someone obstructs the light path. These parameters can be used to determine when someo...