ABSTRACT Monitoring of surface roughness is an essential component in planning of machining processes as it affects the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of machined components. In this study, the development and application of a machine vision system suitable for on-line measurement of surface roughness of machined components using artificial neural network (ANN) is described. The system, which was based on digital image processing of the machined surface, consisted of a CCD camera, ...
ABSTRACT The work presented in this paper is on the preliminary design and fabrication of an automated whiteboard cleaner. The objective here in is to reduce the man-power involved in cleaning white boards after use. Though the use of smart boards is increasing, many institutions in the developed and developing world still make use of white boards. The Autodesk software was used for the CAD drawing and thereafter the design analyses and fabrication were done. The auto-board was designed to be...
ABSTRACT In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) based model for prediction of solar energy potential in Nigeria (lat. 4–14N, log. 2–15E) was developed. Standard multilayered, feed-forward, back-propagation neural networks with different architecture were designed using neural toolbox for MATLAB. Geographical and meteorological data of 195 cities in Nigeria for period of 10 years (1983–1993) from the NASA geo-satellite database were used for the training and testing the networ...
ABSTRACT Energy study was conducted in an organic fertilizer production plant in Nigeria, to determine the energy consumption patterns and the associated costs for the production of both powdered and pelletised fertilizer. Analysis was conducted for a daily production of 9000 kg of the finished products. Eight and nine defined unit operations were required for production of powder and pellets, respectively. The electrical and manual energy required for the production of powder were 94.5 and 5...
ABSTRACT The properties of cast iron grade GL 250 are dependent on the microstructures developed during casting. These microstructures are in turn dependent on the composition of the alloy, type of mould and other numerous casting practice variables such as shake-out time, pouring temperature, mould ambient conditions and inoculating technique. In this work, the effect of silicon content and shake-out time on the grain size (GS) and hardness properties of GL 250 cast iron was studied using a ...
The prediction of emission characteristics of sawdust particles immediately after the cutting operation from the interaction of band saw's blade and plank is a growing research area. Still, a wide gap exists with respect to understanding the behaviour of sawdust particles as they collide with one another. Previous efforts have focused on non-collision states of sawdust particles. However, in real life, collision of particles must occur, with several particles colliding after the cutting opera...
ABSTRACT Lead absorption poses a great threat to the health of workers in printing presses where commercial publishing is done. A case example is the commercial printing operations in Lagos, Nigeria. Since regular exposure to lead dusts could result in lead poisoning, complications that could cause death of victims, monitoring and controlling lead absorption of operators is essential for the maintenance of workers’ health and for the avoidance of the risk of incurring heavy losses due to li...
ABSTRACT An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for the analysis and prediction of the relationship between cutting and process parameters during high-speed turning of nickel-based, Inconel 718, alloy. The input parameters of the ANN model are the cutting parameters: speed, feed rate, depth of cut, cutting time, and coolant pressure. The output parameters of the model are seven process parameters measured during the machining trials, namely tangential force (cutting force, Fz)...
ABSTRACT This research work investigated the corrosion resistance of nickel- plated medium carbon steel and 18/8 stainless steel in cassava fluid (i.e. containing hydrogen cyanide). It simulated the effect of continuous use of the materials in a cyanide environment where corrosion products are left in place. Low carbon steel sample was nickel electroplated at 4V for 35 minutes. The plated sample, the unplated and the 18/8 stainless steel were then subjected to a cassava fluid environment for ...
ABSTRACT In semiautomated orange fruits canning factories, the concept of bouncing ball seems applicable to the raw material transformation process in which fresh hits are passed through conveyors from the supply station (feed station) on factory floor to an elevated height where processed hits are translated, ready for sales to customers. The motion of these oranges is similar to a ball constrained to an accelerating lift tabletop. As the orange ball drops onto the surface of the upward carr...
This study utilized fractal disk dimension characterization to investigate the system response of a nonlinear, harmonically driven pendulum of mass, m (or weight. W) and length I over a well-defined parameter plane of excitation amplitude versus damping factor. The system response was simulated at three drive frequencies (symbol,*) of 1/3, 2/3 and 313. A Runge-Kutta fourth order algorithm, coded in FORTRAN programming language was used to simulate the System response over a 101 by 101 para...
In this work, modifications have been done on a prototype pneumatic separator to improve its efficiency. The effects of the modifications were studied by carrying out performance test analyses on the two blowers and reciprocating sieve mechanism which make up the critical components of the separating machine. The variations in the feed weights of the sieve were analysed to determine the best and most effective screening process. Also, the best and least tilt angles of the blowers were co...
In certain parts of the country and the globe, a consistent and steady supply of power is still scarce and inaccessible. In such places, this work will support refrigeration of nourishments, food, medications, etc... The results of such empirical research to assess the efficiency of household refrigerators is discussed in this article where melted petroleum gas (LPG) which is locally accessible comprising of 24.4% propane, 56.4% butane, and 17.2% isobutene varying from company to comp...
Wind energy is abundant, inexhaustible, affordable, environmentally preferable, and equally sustainable. More researches are emerging in the analysis of wind energy in Nigeria and each have proven that great potential exist for wind power generation in Nigeria but sufficient results is yet to be achieved in terms of application. The present research is intended to apply the technology of wind energy for pumping of water in rural Nigeria. To achieve this, a Savonius vertical axis wind turbine ...
The demand for EN8 mild steel in the industry is high due to its integral mechanical properties. However, conventional machining of EN8 mild steel is a challenging task. In this research work, prediction and optimization of EN8 mild steel Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Surface Roughness (Ra) using Response Surface Methodology (R.S. M) were investigated. The dimension of the EN8 mild steel material was 0.12 m diameter and 0.08 m in length. The turning operation of the ENS mild steel was carri...