FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

This project “Design and Construction of a microcontroller timer socket outlet, that takes over the task of human intervention in electrical and electronic appliances when connected to power. It can also be used as home automation system to ensure energy saving by shutting off from the main supply in such a way that it will switch off the loads once it counts down to zero.
The working principle is such that a preset time, usually between 1minute and 1440 minutes, is set using the appropriate buttons and made to start operation when the start button is hit. The preset time counts down to zero and disconnects automatically from the main supply to conserve power usage. The microcontroller does the countdown which is displayed on the LCD . At the completion of the task, audio and visual signals are indicated to signify completion.
The microcontroller-driven timer socket outlet project effectively showcased the capability to automate electrical devices according to set time intervals. Utilizing a microcontroller paired with a real-time clock (RTC) module, the system enabled users to program specific activation and deactivation times for connected appliances, promoting energy savings and ease of use. Tests verified precise timing functionality and consistent performance across different loads. In summary, the project successfully delivered an affordable and intuitive tool for automating electrical devices, with potential uses in smart homes, energy conservation, and IoT applications. Enhancements such as wireless features and mobile app compatibility could further expand its functionality in the future.

In this project, a 2KVA hybrid pure sine wave inverter with battery charging and monitoring system was designed and constructed. The inverter circuit was designed using a power transformer rated at 2.5KVA. The DC voltage source is a battery bank rated at 24V. A high performance microcontroller (DSPic30f2010) with advanced switching and control ability was used. The inverter system doubles as an inverter and a battery charger. Pulse width modulation technique was used in the inverter design. The inverter circuit was designed, constructed and tested. It performed satisfactorily with different house appliances such as electric fans, ulbs, refrigerator, etc

The increasing demand for sustainable energy sources has driven the exploration of biodiesel as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. This study focuses on the development of biomass-derived catalysts for the production of biodiesel using a blend of non-edible oils: neem, shea, and jatropha. The research aims to address the challenges associated with conventional catalytic processes, such as high costs, environmental impact, and inefficiencies, by utilizing agricultural waste products to create sustainable and cost-effective catalysts.
The project involved the synthesis of biomass-derived catalysts from plantain peels and coconut husks, which were characterized for their physical and chemical properties. The transesterification process was optimized using the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to determine the effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, catalyst load, and methanol-to-oil mole ratio on biodiesel yield. The results indicated that the optimal conditions for biodiesel production were a reaction temperature of 60°C, a reaction time of 90 minutes, a catalyst load of 5.5 wt%, and a methanol-to-oil mole ratio of 6.5:1, yielding a maximum biodiesel yield of 92.37%.
The biodiesel produced from the oil blend was characterized according to ASTM standards, and the results showed that the physical and chemical properties, including density, viscosity, flash point, and acid value, were within acceptable limits for biodiesel. The study demonstrated that biomass-derived catalysts are effective in producing high-quality biodiesel from non-edible oil blends, offering a sustainable and economically viable alternative to conventional catalysts. This research contributes to the advancement of renewable energy technologies by providing a framework for the utilization of locally sourced agricultural waste in biodiesel production. The findings highlight the potential of biomass-derived catalysts to enhance biodiesel yield and qualitywhile reducing environmental impact, thereby supporting the transition to sustainable energy
solution.

Natural gas, which can be found in conventional natural gas reservoirs as non-associated gas (NAG), associated gas (AG), or gas condensation products, is a combustible gaseous combination of gaseous hydrocarbons, very light liquid hydrocarbons, free water, water vapor, and other undesirable non- hydrocarbon gaseous and solid components. Water or water vapor is eliminated rom the streams of natural gas through the process of natural gas dehydration. Production, handling, and transportation of natural gas are hampered by the presence of water that is free in the gas. Therefore, it is imperative to eliminate a large portion moisture as feasible from the gas stream. While there are a number of ways to dehydrate natural gas, the following are the most idely used ones:

This project looks into the designing and installation of solar PV system to power some appliances in a five bedroom bungalow building. This is necessary because of unreliable power supply. Solar energy is a clean and endless source of power from the sun, unlike electricity from utility companies which can be limited and affect daily activities. In this project, we designed a solar PV system which consists of PV cells, charge controller, inverter, batteries.The size of the solar panels, battery capacity, and other components needed to run the appliances efficiently was calculated. Then testing of each part of the system was carried out to make sure it worked properly before putting it all together. The photovoltaic cells were used to capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. This electricity is then sent to the charge controller and then to the inverter which then charges the batteries. The stored charges in the batteries can be used to power our appliances even when the sun isn’t shining. The system is designed specifically for powering home equipment like fans, light bulbs, fans etc. The final system was tested in the University of Benin, Benin City, (6.3998° N, 5.6099° E). It was successfully used to power some home appliances like light bulb, fan. From the test, graphs of current (amps) against time (hrs) and power (watts) against time (hrs) were plotted it was then observed that at the earlier hours of the day, the current and likewise the power from the panel increases and it is maximum at 1:30pm. It begins to reduce from 2pm. This is due to the reduction of the irradiance of the sun. The weather becomes a bit cloudy and towards evening there is minimal sunlight resulting in lesser current. The more the sunlight, the higher the current and vice versa.This shows that solar power can be a reliable way to run home equipment, even in places with frequent power outages. Overall, the project demonstrates that solar energy has the potential to reduce reliance on traditional electricity from utility companies.

This study investigates a plant-based surfactant alternative as a result of the growing need for surfactants that are both economical and ecologically friendly for enhanced oil recovery. Using alkali from corn cobs, this study explores the synthesis of a natural surfactant from Aloe vera for possible use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Corn cobs were calcined for eight hours at 450°C to produce the alkali, which was then extracted using distilled water. Aloe vera leaves were macerated with 62.5% ethanol to extract saponins, which were then filtered and the
solvent evaporated. To create the surfactant, the isolated saponins were mixed with the alkali solution that had been created under controlled conditions.
Several tests were carried out to assess the surfactant's effectiveness. Tests for emulsification and foam stability were carried out to evaluate the characteristics. The surfactant's functional groups were also compared to those of the synthetic surfactant Tween 80 using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed using Box-Behnken Design to optimize the experimental variables and produce surfactant.
The research results showed that the aloe vera-derived surfactant proved a viable alternative for conventional synthetic surfactants due to its foaming ability and emulsion formation. The existence of functional groups typical of surfactants was confirmed by the FTIR analysis which was similar to that of tween 80. The surfactant produced had an optimum volume of emulsion of 2.52 ml which was achieved with saponin concentration of 0.0587 g/ml, 0.0186g/ml alkaline concentration at the duration of 53 mins. The RSM model was seen to be quite effective in
optimizing surfactant production because of the R2 of 0.9719. This study demonstrates the viability of using agricultural waste (corn cobs) with locally produced aloe vera to create an affordable and sustainable surfactant, supporting environmentally friendly industrial processes.

With the rising need to maximize passenger’s comfort, especially with the rising demand for selfdriving vehicles, alternatives to the popular passive suspension system have been on the rise. In order to improve the stability of a vehicle and reduce the vibration transferred to the passengers of the vehicle due to different road profiles, it has become necessary to implement a smarter type of suspension system that can respond to different type of road profiles and provide improved damping experience. This type of suspension system is the active suspension system. In order to analyze and simulate an active suspension system, parameters like the sprung and unsprung mass, spring and tire stiffness, damping constant of the damper were accounted for. Then the mathematical model of the system in the time domain was generated. Mathematical model was transformed from the time domain to frequency domain, using the Laplace transform. Then an appropriate controller for stabilizing the system was obtained. The simulated results show that the active suspension system performs better than the passive suspension in terms of settling time, rise time and overshoot and had lesser vibrations was transmitted to the passengers

Cobwebs are a common nuisance in both residential and commercial spaces, often requiring manual removal that can be time-consuming and tedious especially hard to reach corners. This project focuses on the development of an efficient and cost- ffective cobweb remover using locally available materials like electric motor (rotational motion), brush (removal of the cobweb), Rechargeable Battery (as the power source) and telescopic pole (for high buildings). The primary objective is to design a device that simplifies the process of cobweb removal while minimizing the need for expensive or specialized equipment providing 75% efficiency. The outcome of this project is an innovative cobweb remover that is not only effective but also accessible to a wide range of users, including homeowners, cleaning services, and facility managers. By utilizing locally sourced materials and promoting sustainable design, this project contributes to eco-friendly cleaning practices while improving the quality of life for individuals in various environments. It was successfully fabricated and our results were compared with the traditional methods. And it was observed that the cobweb remover has an efficiency of 78% while the traditional method of removing cobweb was 60.7% which shows that the design is more efficient and reliable.

For its bio- and environmentally friendly properties, low cost, and relative abundance, clay has become increasingly relevant and used. Based on their components and layer patterns, clay minerals have a variety of morphological and physicochemical characteristics., in addition to its well-established uses in adsorbent development, water treatment, and construction. In order to determine whether clay samples from the Ikpeshi town in the Akoko-Edo LGA could be used in an industrial process, its physical and chemical characteristics were examined. The study involved the analysis of elemental content, mineral constituent, functional groups of compounds content, surface morphology, and thermal stability with EDXRF, XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET and TGA respectively. Results revealed that the sample was kaolinite with SiO2 45.116 wt%, and Al2O3 20.39 wt% as the most predominant elements. Wave numbers of 909.47043cm-1 to 998.92654cm-1 with bold peaks revealed the presence of SiO4 -4 . The overall study revealed kaolinite characteristics and strong thermal stability thus possesses properties for clay suitable for lining furnace kilns.

As global engineering practice increasingly prioritizes the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution, the development of renewable energy-powered equipment represents a critical pathway toward sustainable industrial operations. This project focuses on the design and fabrication of a solar-powered grain grinding machine that harnesses photovoltaic technology to provide an off-grid, zero-emission solution for agricultural processing in rural areas where conventional electricity supply is unreliable and diesel-powered alternatives contribute significantly to carbon emissions and operational costs. The system employs a 350W brushless DC (BLDC) motor operating at 24V and 1500 RPM, powered by a 200W monocrystalline solar panel with battery backup comprising two 12V lead- acid batteries connected in series. A pulse width modulation charge controller regulates the charging process while providing comprehensive battery protection. The mechanical subsystem features a food-grade stainless steel hopper feeding into a burr-type grinding mechanism with 80mm diameter hardened steel grinding plates, enabling adjustable fineness control for various grain types. Power transmission from the motor to the grinding shaft is achieved through a universal joint coupling, with the complete assembly mounted on a fabricated mild steel frame. System performance analysis reveals a comprehensive energy conversion pathway from solar input to mechanical grinding output. The electrical subsystem demonstrates strong efficiency with the PWM charge controller achieving approximately 78% efficiency and the BLDC motor operating at 85-90% electrical-to-mechanical conversion efficiency. The mechanical drivetrain, comprising the universal joint, bearings, and shaft assembly, maintains approximately 85% transmission efficiency. These results in a net system operational efficiency of approximately 58% from battery DC output to mechanical grinding power. Under typical operating conditions, the system delivers approximately 315-320W of net mechanical grinding power from the 350W motor rating, accounting for motor efficiency and mechanical losses. Performance testing validated a grinding throughput of 5.0-10.0kg/hr for various grain types including tomatoes, pepper, millet etc with an estimated Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) of approximately 42Wh/kg. Environmental benefits include zero operational carbon emissions, elimination of air and reduced noise pollution, and contribution to sustainable rural development. The system eliminates recurring fuel costs associated with diesel generators, reduces monthly operating expenses for minimal maintenance, and provides payback periods of 1-3 months for small-scale commercial users.