MARTIN OSIKHUEMHE

First and foremost, I give all glory, honor, and praise to Almighty God for His unending grace, wisdom, and strength throughout the course of my studies and this project. His guidance has been my anchor in moments of challenge, and His blessings have made every step of this journey possible. Our deepest gratitude goes to Barr. Joseph Happy and Mrs Joseph, Mr and Mrs. Agbonogieva, and Mr. and Mrs. Opia,whose unwavering support, sacrifices, and encouragement have been the cornerstone of our success. Their belief in us has been a driving force, inspiring us to strive for excellence and persevere through every difficulty
I sincerely appreciate our project supervisor, Engr Jaja Wisdom and Dr. Ambrose Orogun, for their exceptional guidance, constructive criticism, and patience during the course of this work. Their mentorship not only shaped this project but also deepened my understanding of practical marine engineering principles. I am also thankful to all lecturers and staff of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, for their commitment to knowledge and for providing the academic foundation upon which this project was built. Special thanks to friends Clinton, Diamond and my course mates, whose collaboration, technical insights, and shared passion for engineering made this research both rewarding and memorable. This project stands as a testament to faith, perseverance, and the collective effort of everyone who contributed to my academic and personal growth.

Mooring systems remain one of the most critical safety components in marine operations, yet failures continue to occur across ports and offshore environments. These failures often lead to equipment damage, operational disruptions, and, in severe cases, loss of life. This study investigates the major causes of mooring system failures and evaluates the associated risks, with a particular focus on mooring practices in port environments. The research combines a detailed review of mooring system fundamentals with an assessment of human, environmental, and equipment-related factors that influence failure. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain first-hand information from marine professionals, and the responses were analyzed using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique. The findings reveal that human error, inadequate inspection routines, worn mooring lines, and environmental forces such as strong winds and currents are leading contributors to mooring failures. Several failure modes were identified, but the highest Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs) were associated with poor maintenance culture, deviation from safety procedures, and the use of degraded lines. These areas represent the most urgent risks requiring intervention. The study also highlights gaps in compliance with standard mooring system management practices, including inconsistent adherence to the Mooring System Management Plan (MSMP). Based on the results, the research recommends stricter enforcement of mooring safety procedures, regular condition monitoring of mooring equipment, improved crew training, and the adoption of structured risk-assessment tools such as FMEA during operations. Strengthening these areas will significantly reduce the likelihood of failures and enhance the overall safety and reliability of mooring operations in Nigerian port environments.

The problem of electricity in Nigeria has become some sort of a nationwide pandemic that has plagued the country for years and continues to do so. With seemingly no end in sight to the electricity crisis, food storage has become very expensive as individuals as well as producers, need to pay a lot of money to run generators to power refrigerators. An alternative means to this would
be a more than welcome development. This project aims to reduce the cost encountered in refrigeration by using vapor absorption refrigeration, which is powered by solar energy.
The vapor absorption refrigerator uses water as its refrigerant, and zeolite is used as the absorbent. The compression system is a network of systems consisting of an absorber and a generator, aimed at compressing a liquid refrigerant-absorbent mixture that requires less work to compress than vapor. The temperature of the evaporator, generator, and condenser was measured and recorded periodically. The performance of the system is evaluated as the ratio of heat removed from the refrigerated space to the heat added to the system at the generator. The refrigerator proved quite functional, achieving a COP of 0.66. This validates the functionality of the system, but it was observed that it took 3 hours of heating to produce a 9°c drop (from 34.2°c to 25.2°c) in evaporator temperature. After 5 hours of heating, there was a 15°c drop (from 34.2°c to 19.2°c) in evaporator temperature. However, the atmospheric temperature was 27°c which means the cooling achieved was not appreciable. The system used in this project suffered from a lot of leakages and heat loss, which directly affected the performance of the system. We recommend
that further studies on techniques that would prevent heat loss, and a meticulous fabrication process to prevent leakages allow. Significant reduction in heat loss would greatly improve the
performance of the waste solar-powered VARS, thereby making it more viable and suitable for domestic and commercial usage

Mooring systems remain one of the most critical safety components in marine operations, yet failures continue to occur across ports and offshore environments. These failures often lead to equipment damage, operational disruptions, and, in severe cases, loss of life. This study investigates the major causes of mooring system failures and evaluates the associated risks, with a particular focus on mooring practices in port environments. The research combines a detailed review of mooring system fundamentals with an assessment of human, environmental, and equipment-related factors that influence failure. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain first-hand information from marine professionals, and the responses were analysed using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique. The findings reveal that human error, inadequate inspection routines, worn mooring lines, and environmental forces such as strong winds and currents are leading contributors to mooring failures. Several failure modes were identified, but the highest Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs) were associated with poor maintenance culture, deviation from safety procedures, and the use of degraded lines. These areas represent the most urgent risks requiring intervention. The study also highlights gaps in compliance with standard mooring system management practices, including inconsistent adherence to the Mooring System Management Plan (MSMP). Based on the results, the research recommends stricter enforcement of mooring safety procedures, regular condition onitoring of mooring equipment, improved crew training, and the adoption of structured risk-assessment tools such as FMEA during operations. Strengthening these areas will significantly reduce the likelihood of failures and enhance the overall safety and reliability of mooring operations in Nigerian port environments.

The problem of electricity in Nigeria has become some sort of a nationwide pandemic that has plagued the country for years and continues to do so. With seemingly no end in sight to the electricity crisis, food storage has become very expensive as individuals as well as producers need to pay a lot of money to run generators to power refrigerators. An alternative means to this would be a more than welcomed development. This project aims to reduce the cost encountered in refrigeration by using vapor absorption refrigeration which is powered by solar energy. The vapor absorption refrigerator uses water as its refrigerant, and zeolite is used as the absorbent. The compression system is a network of systems consisting of an absorber and a generator; aimed at compressing liquid refrigerant-absorbent mixture which requires less work to compress than vapor. The temperature of the evaporator, generator and condenser were measured and recorded periodically. The performance of the system is evaluated as the ratio of heat removed from the refrigerated space to the heat added to the system at the generator. The refrigerator proved quite functional, achieving a COP of 0.66. This validates the functionality of the system but it was observed that it took 3 hours of heating to produce a 9°c drop (from 34.2°c to 25.2°c) in evaporator temperature. After 5 hours of heating, there was a 15°c drop (from 34.2°c to 19.2°c) in evaporator temperature. However, the atmospheric temperature was 27°c which means the cooling achieved was not appreciable. The system used in this project suffered from a lot of leakages and heat loss which directly affected the performance of the system. We recommend that further studies on techniques which would prevent heat loss and meticulous fabrication process to prevent leakages allow. Significant reduction in heat loss would greatly improve the performance of the waste solar powered VARS thereby making it more viable and suitable for domestic and commercial usage

This report details the design, fabrication, and testing of a solar-powered ice cooling air conditioning system that utilizes a unique ice-based air conditioning cycle for sustainable cooling. The system harnesses solar energy to power a DC battery, which drives a pump to circulate cold water. This cold water is produced by melting ice stored in a container atop the system, with the volume of water carefully calculated to ensure sufficient cooling capacity. The chilled water is then directed to extractor fins, where it absorbs heat from the surrounding air, significantly reducing the temperature. The system's design prioritizes efficiency and environmental sustainability, promoting a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to climate control.