Availability in energy and water sustainability are mounting concerns in several parts of the world where connection to the electric utility is not obtainable or irregular. There is a need to develop an alternative source of energy for pumping water. This research developed a solar energy powered 1.5 horsepower surface water pump. It comprises of the following major components: charge controller, 24 Volts DC battery, 3KVA inverter, solar panel and 1119W surface water pumping machine. The components were designed and assembled according to functions. Solar energy is used to charge the battery through solar controller. The solar charge controller used in this research was designed in such a way that it regulates the quantity of electrical energy that is stored in the battery which prevents overcharging, thereby ensuring no reduction in life span of the battery. The inverter was designed in such a way that when there is no alternative power supply from the electricity distribution company, that is, power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN), it can make use of the energy stored in the battery to power the single phase motor used to pump water into a tank. Similarly, when there is power supply from PHCN, it has an inbuilt change over switch (relay) to connect it’s output of 220 volts AC supply from PHCN used to charge a battery through a charge controller. Experiments were setup to analyze varying loads on the inverter. Average time obtained for varying loads of 0, 120, 500, 1000, 1300w are 200, 23, 9.8, 4.3 and 2.9hr. Comparisons were also made between locally built and imported inverters. It can be concluded from the results obtained that the design can best be put in use to obtain maximum efficiency of 88.2% at a load in the range of 1000–1300 watts.
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and advances made globally in medicine, construction, aerospace, and energy sectors are discussed. The paper further explores the current state of AM innovation and development landscape in Africa as a late comer to this area of smart manufacturing. Peer-reviewed and published literature were retrieved from Scopus database from 2005 to 2021 and analysed. In Africa, out of 500 published articles, South Africa has the highest research throughput, whereas about two-thirds of the continent is not actively participating in this burgeoning field. The main AM techniques most widely used are selective laser melting, fused deposition modelling, and direct energy deposition. Globally, there is an interplay of computational (machine learning and mechanistic models) and experimental approaches to understanding the physical metallurgy of AM techniques and processes. Though this trend is consistent with global practices, Africa lags the world in AM technologies, a niche that could leapfrog the manufacturing sector. Thus, Africa need to foster collaborative partnership within and globally to become an active global player in this industry.
Thermo-mechanical processing of refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) at high temperatures is very important. It is an effective method of modifying the microstructure, properties, and shaping into final components after casting. Using the Scopus database, 57 articles relating to the hot deformation of refractory high entropy alloys were extracted from 2011 to 2022. Despite the limited number of articles on hot deformation of RHEAs, it is important to find out if the dominant softening mechanisms reported in other metallic alloys are evident. This is the main impetus for this study since the hot deformation behavior has not been comprehensively studied. All the probable mechanisms influencing deformation in metallic alloys, such as work hardening, dynamic recrystallization, and dynamic recovery, have also been observed in RHEAs. The bulging phenomenon, serrated grain boundaries, and necklace-like structures reported in metallic alloys have also been detected in hot deformed RHEAs. Unsafe deformation behavior such as cracks that have been reported in metallic alloys, have also been observed in RHEAs. This review has provided a comprehensive study on the hot working processes of RHEAs and highlighted critical gaps for future research direction with some suggested limitations.
This paper focuses on the enhancement of mobile scissor lifting system for windy environments. This study was necessitated in order to address the lack of support arm problem on the mobile scissor lifting system for the strong wind environment such as Minna in Niger State Nigeria. The outstation broadcasting operations in Minna metropolis are usually challenging during windy days as wind often affects the stability and efficiency of the outstation broad-casting platforms. This research employs electronic control circuit to control mechanical hydraulic actuated scissor lifting system in response to variations in wind speed. The mechanical components were designed using solidworks software. The control unit was remodeled using Proteus 8.0 software with the code written in Arduino integrated development environment (IDE). The model simulation results for both electronic and mechanical system reveal the possibility of achieving system stability with the resultant signal fidelity in outstation telecommunication broad-cast within windy areas. The experiment result shows that the system was capable of lifting the telecommunication platform 2 meters high within 20 seconds considering the load range of 500 to 1000 kg. An overload alert mechanism was incorporated to signal the operators of excessive loading. Then, the system automatically deploys its support arms to counter the attendant consequences of the strong wind thereby restoring the stability of the mobile scissor lift. Therefore, the authors conclude that the enhanced mobile scissor lifting system would be deployed in the windy environment for the maximum attainment of stability objectives while physical model from this design should be subsequently fabricated in the near future.
Industry 4.0 has contributed positively to establishing digital value-added supply chains to enable information flow between environment, clients, business partners and products. The aim of this article is to present a review on the features, elements and role of industry 4.0 to construction firms supply chain management. This article further reiterates the importance of digital industry 4.0 in construction firms supply chain management, especially on how construction industries and stake holders can reduce project delivery time, material and labor costs. The article reveals that industry 4.0 will have a high significant effect on the future of construction supply chain if it can identify crucial elements for improvement, such as speed, adjustability, measure of productivity, and high-test quality. The article also suggests further comprehensive research on how technological advancement can bring global competitiveness of the construction industry supply chain.
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