DESIGN AND FABRICATION

This project focuses on the design and fabrication of an improved twin blades yam pounding machine to enhance the efficiency, speed, and quality of pounded yam production. Pounded yam, produced mainly from Dioscorea rotundata, is a staple food widely consumed in Nigeria and other West African countries. Traditional pounding using mortar and pestle is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often unhygienic, while many existing mechanized pounders use single blades that limit effective tumbling and crushing of larger yam quantities. Experimental analysis was conducted to determine the crushing force of cooked yam, and detailed engineering design calculations were performed for motor selection, shaft design, pulley system, and bearing selection. A decision matrix was used to compare two design concepts, leading to the selection of the twin blade configuration due to its superior pounding efficiency. Performance evaluation of the fabricated machine showed that it pounded 1 kg of yam in 2 minutes, 1.5 kg in 2.27 minutes, and 2 kg in 3 minutes, compared to 6–8 minutes for single-blade machines and 15–20 minutes for manual pounding. The machine achieved a throughput capacity of 292.8 kg/hr and an efficiency of 97.6%. The results demonstrate that the improved twin blades yam pounding machine provides faster operation, better texture uniformity, and higher productivity, offering a more hygienic and efficient alternative to traditional and existing mechanical methods.

The development of affordable and efficient vacuum cleaners has become a significant concern for households and small-scale cleaning businesses, especially in developing regions where high-end vacuum cleaners are often too expensive. Vacuum cleaners are essential tools in maintaining clean indoor environments by removing dirt, dust, and other debris from floors and surfaces. However, the design and functionality of many low-cost vacuum cleaners are often compromised, especially in terms of air velocity, particle retention, and the efficiency of dust separation. These issues can lead to ineffective cleaning and the release of fine dust particles into the environment, undermining the overall effectiveness of the vacuum cleaner. Previous designs of vacuum cleaners fabricated from locally available materials often suffer from limitations such as inadequate air velocity through the wand, improper filtration of fine particles, and ineffective dust deposition mechanisms. These flaws not only reduce the cleaning efficiency but also compromise air quality in the environment. This study aims to review and improve upon the design and fabrication of such vacuum cleaners, addressing these critical issues to enhance performance and dust control.

The essence of this project lies in the creation of a prototype that serves as an educational tool, offering a tangible insight into the world of offshore logistics. This prototype, a scaled -down version of a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), is designed to mimic the functionalities of a real PSV. The highlight of this educational resource is its physical design. The prototype features a distinctive hull design and bow shape, mirroring those of a real PSV. These elements not only add to its visual appeal but also play a crucial role in optimizing performance. Thus, This prototype stands as a unique innovation in the realm of educational resources for offshore logistics.

Coconut is a cash and food crop that has the abaility to be grown even in bad weather, hence can be cultivated around all weathers and in virtually any geographical location in Nigeria. However; there are growing concerns of its judicious and profitable cultivation and post-harvest processing despite its commercial value as it can be consumed as food and its constituent parts can be used in pharmaceuticals, beverages, energy and power and a host of other products such as brooms, mats, floor mats. Prior to its use the coconut fruit is dehusked to remove its outer fiber shell. The dehusking process which conventionally involves the use of human effort using a sharp object is characterized by low output, susceptibility to injury and unhygienic nature. To mitigate these setbacks, a coconut dehusking machine was designed and fabricated using the design Methodology of reverse engineering. The machine had some components which include hopper, twin shafts with dehusking spikes, pulleys and pulley belts, bearings and a structural rame. Test and operational performance carried out on the machine showed that it was quite effective for dehusking various sizes of coconuts with a throughput capacity of 33 coconuts per hour. The efficiency of the machine was estimated as 83.3%. Effectiveness of the dehusking process was dependent on the dehusking force of the machine and the moisture content of the coconut fiber. A major advantage and achievement in this prototype was that more than one coconut could be dehusked simultaneously and the dehusked coconuts can be discharged automatically without the input of human effort.

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

Poultry farming is a crucial agricultural sector that provides protein and economic opportunities, particularly in rural communities. However, small-scale poultry farmers often face challenges in egg incubation due to unreliable electricity and the high costs of conventional incubators. This study explores the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a solar-powered egg incubator tailored for small-scale poultry farmers. The proposed incubator harnesses renewable solar energy to maintain optimal incubation conditions, ensuring stable temperature, humidity, and automated egg turning. The research employs a systematic approach, including component selection, design calculations, computer-aided design (CAD) simulations, and prototype fabrication. The incubator is designed to be cost-effective, energy-efficient, and scalable, making it accessible to farmers in off-grid areas. Performance tests demonstrated that the incubator maintained an internal temperature range of 37–38°C, achieving a hatchability rate of 91% and a fertility rate of 95%. Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis validated its thermal efficiency and air circulation patterns. The results indicate that solar-powered incubation is a viable alternative to conventional methods, reducing dependency on fossil fuels while enhancing productivity. This study contributes to sustainable poultry farming by offering a practical, environmentally friendly, and economically viable solution for small-scale farmers. Further research is recommended to explore large-scale applications and the integration of automated control systems

The pipelines that transport petroleum products across Nigeria are vital for the country’s economy and energy security. However, they are also exposed to various hazards and risks, suchas theft, sabotage, corrosion, impact damage, fire, explosion, and environmental pollution. Theserisks can cause significant losses of life, property, and revenue, as well as damage the reputationand credibility of the pipeline operators. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a hazard andoperability (HAZOP) study and a risk assessment of the pipelines to identify the potential causesand consequences of failure, and to propose appropriate mitigation measures. A Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) analysis of pipelines is a systematic and structured processused to identify potential hazards, operability issues, and risks associated with the design, operation, and maintenance of pipeline systems. This report presents the methodology and results of a HAZOP study and a risk assessment of thepipelines across Nigeria. The report also reviews the existing literature on the topic and
compares the findings with the data collected around the pipelines observed in around EdoState. The report also went ahead to calculate the third party damage index for some selected pipelinesand examines the pipeline right of way conditions in such locations. The report aims to provide useful information and recommendations for the pipeline, regulators, stakeholders, and researchers who are involved or interested in the safety and reliability of thepipelines across the State.

This project centers on devising a cost-efficient and highly productive solution for the palm oil industry, with a specific focus on alleviating the labor-intensive palm kernel cracking process. The proposed machine incorporates cutting-edge design principles and advanced materials to elevate its performance and reliability. By subjecting the project to rigorous engineering analysis and prototyping, the primary objective is to attain the utmost efficiency in kernel cracking while
concurrently minimizing waste and energy consumption. Furthermore, the design prioritizes safety, environmental consciousness, and scalability. The successful execution of this project holds the potential to transform the palm oil industry by simplifying the kernel extraction procedure, ultimately ushering in heightened productivity and sustainability within the sector.

The cleaning of living and work spaces are a fundamental human activity. Cleaning must be done for safety and human health. The process of cleaning can be cumbersome, tasking on the human muscle and time consuming when done in the traditional way of using brooms, brushes and similar tools. Modern living and work requirements demands that cleaning must be done fast and more efficiently. This need therefore demands that the cleaning of living and work spaces has to be mechanized to take away the burden from human muscles, improve efficiency, save time and cost. One way of achieving this is through the use of Vacuum Cleaners. A literature review during the course of this project work revealed that virtually all available Vacuum Cleaners listed and reviewed online as well as those found in shops here in Nigeria are highly technologically sophisticated and unaffordable for homes and small scale firms. The need therefore arises for the production of a locally affordable Vacuum Cleaner made from readily available local materials. The literature review and search identified a simple handheld Vacuum Cleaner that can be modified and adapted through a redesign to use locally available materials for its production. Several concept designs were proposed and the most acceptable in terms of simplicity, availability of local materials and affordability was chosen. The components for the chosen design were redesigned one by one with the idea of local production in mind. These includes the intake Wand and its dust agitator, the housing, the motor and its mounting within the housing, the air stream expansion section of the housing, the dust bag and its attachment to the housing and finally air flow exhaust area. After the design of these components the material needed for their fabrication were procured and the components fabricated. These fabricated components were then assembled to produce the portable Vacuum Cleaner complete with a shoulder hanging belt. The assembled unit was then tested in the 500 level classroom. The performance of the Vacuum Cleaner was found to be really effective in dust pickup through the dust agitator at the end of the end of the wand that is always pressed against the floor as it is pushed back and forth during the cleaning process. No dust particle size in the classroom was left on the floor during the testing. It is worthy of note that there was a small amount of very very fine particles of dust noticed in the effluent exhaust air. The posibble reasons suggested for this unwanted occurrence by our project group were listed as 1. A larger than required dust bag particle size retention holes that allowed these very fine dust particles to escape with the exhaust air. and or 2. Insufficient expansion of the exhaust air to reduce its speed to allow these very fine particles to deposit in the air stream expansion zone of the Vacuum Cleaner housing. For the fact that the fabricated Vacuum Cleaner was able to pick up virtually all particles on the floor, this project is therefore considered a great success. It is hoped that improvements to this design would continue to be carried out in future project work until it reaches the perfection in both aesthetics and performance for commercialization.

The main purpose of the project was to design and construct a 3.5KVA inverter which makes use of both Solar and mains or grid supply for charging the batteries. This is to reduce the frequency of power outages experienced in our homes and businesses. The project was carried out with the use of two 12V batteries connected in series to give
a total of 24V DC which would serve as input for the inverter when on inverting mode and give an output of 220V AC for household appliances. Incorporated within the inverter was load control features, such that when the inverter stops charging and starts inverting, at a particular battery level set by the user, the heavy loads would be cut off
while supply of power to the light loads continues. But when critical battery level is reached the light loads are also cut off and the inverter shuts down. This was done using Microcontroller in controlling relays which either powers on the load or cuts off the load when the battery is low. The proposed inverter design has two outputs through
which load management was achieved. One of the outputs is designated to light loads and the other to heavy loads. The Microcontroller controls the load stage which can be programmed through the keypad to monitor the output power to the loads in output one and two, to ensure they do not draw power beyond the limits programmed by the user. To achieve this, the Microcontroller cuts off either of the outputs which exceed the set limit. With the help of a timer controller and by means of the keypad a particular load power duration can be programmed so that the output can be shut down at the end of the set time. This timer control and load power control are ways the user can control power consumption and help in power management. The project was successful and the test results obtained was satisfactory and efficient. The inverter's operation was consistent with the design and the desired control of power consumption and power management was achieved.