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PERFORMANCEEVALUATIONOFSOLAROVENUSINGKAPOKWOOLAS INSULATION MATERIAL
(Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, 2019-07-02) A. T. Abdulrahim; S. Abdulkareem; M. Haruna; A. S. Abdulraheem; F. A. Oluwole; G. M. Ngala; U. A. Mukhtar
Solar ovens are among common devices which utilize insulation materials because of their ability to retards heat transfer by acting as barriers in the path of heat flow. Previous solar box cookers have used cotton, saw dust, and fibre-glass as insulation materials but none has used Kapok wool despite its potential. This study is aimed at the performance evaluation of solar oven using Kapok wool as the insulation material. The solar box oven designed is of the size 59 x 56 x 36cm dimensions made of plywood, with an aperture area of 3304cm2 double glass cover and an oven’s floor area of 1225cm2 made of aluminum. Kapok wool was used to line the oven’s walls and floor serving as insulator. The solar box oven was tested at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. It was tested without load to determine its stagnation temperature and to check its endurance under stagnation conditions. Similarly, a water boiling test was conducted to cook rice and beans. The results show that maximum stagnation temperature was 165.1°C and maximum overall daily thermal efficiency of 19.44% was achieved on a clear day test without reflector. The field test of the solar oven demonstrated its ability to cook rice and beans well with 1 kg of rice cooked under 2 hours, while 1 kg of beans was cooked under 1 hour 45 minutes on the same day. This performance demonstrated the suitability of Kapok wool as insulation material for solar ovens.
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Solar Radiation Potential for Electricity Generation in Potiskum
(ATBU, Journal of Science, Technology & Education (JOSTE), 2018-06) Abdullahi Madu; Sulaimon Shodiya; Abdulraheem Toyin
Potiskum, located on latitude 11.42 0N, longitude 11.02 0E and Altitude 414.8m2was evaluated for solar radiation for the possibilities of it as a remedy to the fluctuation of electricity in the area. Gunn Bellani radiation integrator was used to evaluate the solar radiation for this region. Data obtained from the period of 1990 to 2004 was analyzed for clearness index as well as Global solar radiation. This been the only data available using Gunn-Bellani at the station. The result produced was found to be within the allowable value with an average clearness index of 0.66. This means that the sky in this location is clear for most part of the year for solar radiation to be received on a horizontal surface. Hargreaves- Samani’s equation was used as a method of estimating Global solar radiation using climatologically data’s. The mean monthly solar radiation was obtained as 23.59MJ/m2 which is within the threshold for which Photovoltaic cell can be used to generate power.
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THERMALANDMECHANICALPROPERTIESOFCLAYANDDROP-OFFOF CEIBA PENTANDRA(KAPOK)PLANTWOOLMIXTURE
(ARID ZONEJOURNALOFENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY& ENVIRONMENT, 2020) A. T. Abdulrahim1; S. Abdulkareem2; W. J. Mohammed; S. A. Abdulraheem1
This study is aimed at the investigation of the effects of the addition of clay to drop-off of Ceiba pentandra (Kapok) plant wool on the thermal and mechanical properties of the materials produced. Because of the considerable increase in the use of insulations in many heat devices, process and systems, and dependence on imported insulations, the need to process natural fibre insulations to form rigid or semi-rigid material using appropriate and sustainable binding material cannot be over emphasized. For this study, Kapok wool and clay mixture were investigated. Five samples were prepared: Sample A was 100% Kapok wool while samples B, C, D, and E were mixture of Kapok wool and Clay in water with varying percentage of clay quantities (Kapok to Clay ratio; B 2:1, C 2:1.5, D 2:2.5, E 2:3.5). The samples were prepared into cylindrical shapes, compressed and dried. The Thermal conductivity meter on Armfield Heat transfer equipment was used to find the thermal conductivity of each sample, while the thermal diffusivity and thermal resistivity of samples were determined using appropriate formula. Universal Testing Machine (Model: FS 50AT) was used to determine the stress at Yield and Young Modulus of elasticity for samples B, C, D, and E. Results show that the density of sample increases with increase in clay content. Thermal conductivities of the samples after the addition of clay ranges between 0.027 (W/mK) and 0.013 (W/mK). Reversed was the case for Thermal Resistivity, the value of thermal resistivity first decreases with addition of clay content (sample B) and then started increasing with increased clay content in the samples, and the values range from 37.037 to 76.923mKW-1. Thermal diffusivity of sample decreases from 1.2762 x10-3 m2/s to 0.2810 x10-3 m2/s with increasing clay content. Results also show that the Stress at Yield of samples range from 0.012 N/mm2 to 0.022 N/mm2 while the Young Modulus of elasticity range from 0.113 N/mm2 to 0.222 N/mm2. Kapok wool– Clay combination of ratio 2:3.5 (Sample E) have the highest value of thermal resistivity and lowest thermal diffusivity, though with high density, which suggests it to be the best among samples in the study for insulation purposes. The products are recommended for use as insulations of thermal storage for medium temperature applications.
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WATER SUPPLY SIIORTAGE IN MAIDUGURI: AN ENGINEERING POINT OF VIEW
(International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research, 2013-10) B. G. Umaral; A. T. Abdulrahim; Jibrin Musa; B. B. Shuwa
Field investigation into the water supply characteristics and water supply shortage pattern have become, necessary to provide data for planning and record for analysis. In line with the above, this study was 'initialed to investigate. and establish engineering questions related to causes of water supply shortage in Maiduguri Metropolitan using questionnaires, oral interviews, and study 'Of past maintenance records/machines -log books. A descriptive statistical technique was enlisted to breakdown the data presentation and analysis: The result shows that engineering related factors contribute substantially to the water shortage problem in Maiduguri At was established from data analysis that lack} and/or inadequate: power supply due to fluctuation and failure of electricity, among others, affected water supply in Maiduguri the most.
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Prediction of Quaternary Protein Structure of HSP90AA1 Gene in Three Nigerian Indigenous Breeds of Sheep
(Nigerian Journal of Animal Science and Technology (NJAST),Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria., 2026-09-07) De Campos, J.S., Olatunji, O.I., Okunlola, M.A., Oliyide, O.M., Bajomo, E.T., *Aremu, J.O*., Bello, T.S., Adegoke, S.J., Kujero, G.O., Onasanya, G.O., Adeleye, A.A., Olusoji, B. I.,Popoola, A.A., Badmus, M.O., Ajayi, B.J., Abatti, O.S., Adeneye, I.B., Amoo, S.T., Dairo, C.O., Ikeobi, C.O.N.
This study aimed to predict and compare the quaternary structure and functions of the HSP90AA1 protein in three indigenous sheep breeds in Nigeria: West African Dwarf (WAD), Yankasa, and Uda. Fifteen healthy adult sheep, comprising five animals per breed, were randomly selected for the study. 2 mls of blood was collected from each animal via jugular vein and preserved on FTA cards for genomic DNA extraction. The HSP90AA1 gene was amplified using two primer sets targeting the 5′ flanking region (300 bp) and intron 10 (700 bp), followed by bidirectional Sanger sequencing. A total of thirty (30) sequence reads were generated, quality-checked using Phred scores (≥30), and aligned using BioEdit software to produce consensus sequences for each breed. The nucleotide sequences were translated into amino acid sequences and analysed using ExPASy. ProtParam software was used for detecting the physicochemical properties and SOPMA software was used for secondary structure prediction. Quaternary structures were predicted using AlphaFold2 Multimer software and visualised using Mol* Viewer. Results revealed clear breedspecific variation in amino acid length, with WAD, Yankasa, and Uda having 1540, 1680, and 1890 amino acids, respectively. Physicochemical analysis showed that the Uda breed exhibited a lower instability index (31.25) and higher aliphatic index (40.68), indicating greater structural stability and thermo-tolerance compared to WAD and Yankasa. All predicted proteins were slightly acidic and hydrophilic. Quaternary structure prediction confirmed a conserved homodimeric organisation across all breeds; however, structural differences were observed, with WAD and Yankasa displaying compact V-shaped conformations, while Uda exhibited a more elongated open-state structure. The study demonstrates that breed-specific variations in the HSP90AA1 gene result in distinct structural and functional differences in the protein, which may contribute to environmental adaptabilities of the Nigerian indigenous sheep. The findings highlight the potential of HSP90AA1 as a molecular marker for breeding heat-resilient sheep and underscores the importance of computational approaches in livestock genetic improvement.