LAUTECH Journal of Engineering and Technology

Performance evaluation of hit frequency modulation 95.7 megahertz radio signal strength along selected routes in Benin city, Edo State, Nigeria

2025-06-21T18:44:32+00:00

The research work presents the evaluation of the performance of Hit FM 95.7Mhz radio signal strength along six selected routes in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The methodology involved the use of Tiny Spectrum Analyser to measure the signal strength at intervals of 500 meters across the routes selected in Benin City.

Production of biofertiliser from soybean cake and soypod

2025-07-11T14:06:52+00:00

Soil fertility can be improved by the use of fertilizer, which can either be of chemical or biological sources. However, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has caused a large number of environmental pollutions in water, air and soil. This research aimed to produce organic fertilizer from soybean cake and pod using Solid State Fermentation (SSF). Soybean cake and pod samples from WASIL Oil Company, Sagamu, Nigeria underwent NaOH pretreatment for delignification. Physico-chemical parameters including temperature, TDS, moisture content, pH, phosphate, potassium, calcium, nitrate, and sulphate were analyzed using standard methods. Microbial populations were determined through agar plate and broth culturing, while SEM, FTIR, and EDX analyses were conducted on raw and pretreated samples. Results showed that for soybean cake, temperature was 28.50°C, TDS 34.9mg/l, moisture content 58.4%, pH 7.56, phosphate 2.81mg/l, potassium 2.50 mg/l, calcium 38mg/l, nitrate 2.69 mg/l, and sulphate 32mg/l. For soybean pod, values were 28.40°C, 33.1mg/l, 51.2%, 7.06, 2.90mg/l, 2.8mg/l, 41mg/l, 2.84mg/l, and 36mg/l respectively. Microbial counts for soybean cake included Salmonella (2.4 x 10?), E. coli (2.1 x 10?), Bacillus (2.7 x 10²), and Aspergillus (3.7 x 10²), while soybean pod showed Salmonella (1.9 x 10?), E. coli (2.1 x 10?), Bacillus (2.4 x 10²), and Aspergillus (3.4 x 10²). SEM revealed irregular morphological shapes at surface layers. FTIR confirmed presence of amine and carboxyl groups indicative of fertilizers, while EDX detected nitrogen, phosphorous, and other nutrients. The study concluded that SSF is suitable for producing effective and economical organic fertilizer from soybean cake.

Nutritional and antinutritional evaluation of gluten free pasta from cocoyam starch and lima bean flour

2025-07-04T12:49:04+00:00

Pasta is a wheat-based food product which has gained universal popularity in recent years due to its versatility, low cost, ease of preparation and nutritional quality. It is traditionally produced from wheat that is largely imported in Nigeria, placing a heavy burden on the dwindling financial resources of the nation. Efforts are currently being made to develop new processing techniques that can increase utilization of locally grown crops in food production in order to reduce wheat importation,. Cocoyam and lima beans are gluten free underutilized indigenous tropical crops with rich nutritional profile which can be used to replace wheat flour in pasta production. This study therefore aims at developing gluten free pasta from lima beans flour and cocoyam starch. Composite blends of pregelatinized cocoyam starch, germinated lima beans flour and xanthum gum (binder) were formulated in the following ratio: (100:0, 87.5:12:5, 75:25, 62.5:37.5 and 50:50) and used to produce pasta. The protein content of gluten free pasta ranged from 6.54 -18.82%, moisture content obtained ranged from 9.06-10.56% while the carbohydrate content ranged from 59.29-74.30%. Mineral content of gluten free pasta ranged from 61.54-108.20 mg/100g for calcium and 0.94-6.09mg/100g for iron. Lysine values increased from 2.63(100% Wheat Flour Pasta) to 3.85(50%GCS , 50% GLBF & xanthum gum) while total amino acid ranged from 53.66-83.11. The study concluded that pregelatinized cocoyam starch and germinated lima beans flour blends are effective in developing acceptable gluten free pasta

Techno-economic optimization of a standalone hybrid pv-diesel-battery system for rural electrification using genetic algorithm

2025-07-07T15:26:14+00:00

Grid extension is expensive and diesel-only generation has significant environmental downsides, making it difficult for rural Sub-Saharan Africa to obtain reliable access to electricity. The ideal stand-alone hybrid renewable energy system made up of photovoltaic (PV), diesel generator (DG), and battery storage system (BSS) for rural electrification is proposed by means of a case study of Ayeoba, Olode community, Osun State, Nigeria. After performing a detailed feasibility study using on-site weather and load data, a mathematical model for the hybrid system was developed. A genetic algorithm (GA) was then employed to fine-tune and implement the model in MATLAB R2021a to achieve the lowest Cost of Energy while achieving 0 LPSP and decreasing CO?. The optimal configuration of the PV-DG-BSS system yielded a Cost of Energy of $0.10/kWh, a Loss of Power Supply Probability of 0%, and a CO? emission reduction of 84.1905 kg/day. These results indicate that GA is a valid tool to improve hybrid energy systems for rural communities as a sustainable and cheaper solution when compared to traditional power sources. It contributes to clean energy access and a step forward for Nigeria in the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Development of an android-based energy meter reading with load control monitoring

2025-07-03T15:26:50+00:00

This paper discusses the design and implementation of an Android-based energy meter reading system with load control capabilities. The system leverages modern communication technologies for real-time energy monitoring and management, featuring automatic meter reading, remote load control, and a user-friendly interface via a smartphone application. Integrating voltage and current sensors, a relay module, and an LCD display with the ESP32 microcontroller, the system demonstrates high accuracy and reliability in energy measurement and control. Testing reveals accurate data collection, effective real-time visualization, and reliable load management. The use of Android technology and IoT platforms addresses traditional metering inefficiencies, offering significant improvements in energy management and potential cost savings. The system's robust design and user-friendly interface support its potential for broader adoption and more sustainable energy practices.

Natural radionuclides distribution in quarry products from quarries in Osun and Oyo States, Southwestern Nigeria

2025-06-26T15:08:21+00:00

Granites are one of the major quarry products that are widely used in building materials, thus it is imperative to investigate its radiological safety as regard human protection. This study therefore determines the concentrations of natural radionuclides of ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, and ²³²Th in quarry products of three different sizes (Stone-Dust, 3/4-Down and 3/4-Up) collected from quarries in Osun and Oyo States, Southwestern Nigeria, using gamma-ray spectrometry technique. The average radioactivity concentrations of ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, and ⁴⁰K for Stone-Dust samples are 8.92 ± 0.81, 15.70 ± 1.19, and 374.26 ± 12.74, Bq/kg respectively while for 3/4-Up samples are 2.78 ± 0.39, 3.99 ± 0.65, and 146.99 ± 2.55, Bq/kg respectively and those for 3/4-Down samples are 5.68 ± 0.64, 6.61 ± 0.57, and 250.78 ± 4.02, Bq/kg respectively. The results of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-1) and Scheffee pair-wise comparisons tests performed on the quarry products showed that Stone-Dust samples have the highest mean activity concentrations, but all the analyzed samples have lower activity concentrations when compared with the recommended limits. This indicated that using the samples assayed for the mentioned purposes may not pose any radiological hazard to the workers and populace.

Effect of pretreatment and drying method on drying kinetics of ackee (blighia sapida) arils

2025-07-09T11:05:00+00:00

Ackee (Blighia sapida) is a tropical fruit known for its nutritional content and health benefits, but its high perishable nature limits its shelf life. The research investigated the effect of different pretreatments and different drying methods on drying kinetics of ackee fruit arils. Freshly harvested ackee aril were portioned and subjected to pretreatments of blanching at 85 ? for 3 min, dipping in salt (NaCl) solution of 1, 2 and 3% w/v for 5 min and untreated samples served as control. The aril samples were dried at different temperatures (50, 60, 70 ?, solar and sun drying) monitored at intervals, until constant weight was obtained, and they were subsequently analyzed for drying kinetics, effective moisture diffusivity (D_eff), activation energy (Ea), using standard methods. The drying was observed to take place in a falling rate period. The moisture content of the ackee aril before drying was found to be 62.847% wet basis and at the end of the drying experiment, the moisture content reduce to less than 3% in the dried samples. The moisture loss was at a fast rate in aril dried at 70 ? compared to 60 and 50 ? which could be due to an increase in the energy of water molecules with increased temperature resulting in quick evaporation of water from the sample. The effective moisture diffusivity (D_eff) increased with increase in drying temperature from 50 to 70 ?. The overall highest effective moisture diffusivity was found to be 2.07 ×10^-4 m²/s at oven drying temperature of 60 ?, 1% salt solution pretreatment, while the lowest was found to be 4.23 × 10^-6 m²/s at oven drying temperature of 70 ?, 3% salt solution pretreatment. The activation energy obtained falls within the range of (106.10 – 125.29 kJmol^-1) which indicates that the ackee aril processed is highly sensitive to temperature. The obtained drying data were fitted into five different thin layer drying mathematical models using coefficient of determination (R²), least values of Chi Square (?2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Biased Error (MBE). Pretreatment had significant effect (p?0.05) on the drying of ackee arils. Midilli and Kucuk model described the drying behaviour of ackee aril pretreated with 1% salt (NaCl) solution and oven-dried at 70 ? satisfactorily having the R²values of 0.999.

Comparative analysis of SVM and logistic regression for classifying diagnostic microRNA signatures in colorectal cancer

2025-06-30T19:32:39+00:00

Abstract

The selection and classification of genes are critical for determining which ones are linked to a particular illness, especially cancer. As a result, it's critical to use machine learning algorithms to analyze relevant statistical data to aid biomedical researchers and end-users in the work of selection and classification. Few researches have been done on the early diagnosis of CRC using machine learning techniques to detect biomarkers, which are very important in colorectal cancer disease diagnoses. We therefore conduct a comprehensive gene selection and classification functionality using SVM and Logistic Regression algorithms on high-dimensional datasets. The results show that under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the SVM and Logistic Regression models' discriminative capacities for classification were 83.5% and 73.2 %, respectively. This study thus reveals that the SVM algorithm outperforms the Logistic Regression algorithm in classifying data in the detection of Colorectal Cancer.

Keywords: Algorithm, Biomarkers, Classification, Colorectal Cancer, Disease Diagnosis

Health Risk Assessment of Nitrate Concentration in Soil and Water within the Sango area, Ibadan

2025-07-10T08:58:36+00:00

Drinking water contamination by nitrates poses serious health risks, particularly to infants and pregnant women. Rapid urbanization in Sango, alongside poor sewage and industrial waste management, intensifies nitrate pollution, endangering public health. The aim of this research is to assess the nitrate concentration in drinking water sources in Sango area of Ibadan metropolis. Twenty-two sampling points (SW1–SW22) were selected using stratified sampling. Water samples were collected during both rainy and dry seasons. Nitrate concentrations and key physicochemical parameters pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured. Daily nitrate intake was estimated across age groups and compared with WHO guidelines. Nitrate levels ranged from 125 - 285 mg/L (rainy season) and 67.42 - 153.67 mg/L (dry season), significantly above WHO limits. pH ranged from 6.1 - 9.3 and 6.32 - 9.47; turbidity, 28.6 - 49.3 NTU and 20.34 - 34.54 NTU; DO, 5.02 - 8.9 mg/L and 4.54 - 7.63 mg/L; EC, 206.4 - 907.5 µS/cm and 230.72 - 980.44 µS/cm during rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Estimated nitrate intake across all adult age groups exceeded the WHO acceptable daily intake thresholds, indicating significant health risks. The total nitrate intake across body weight categories exceeded WHO's estimated acceptable nitrate intake (mg/kg) in both rainy and dry seasons. Elevated levels, especially during the rainy season, pose significant health risks, surpassing WHO limits across demographics and seasons. Enhancing water treatment infrastructure, promoting rainwater harvesting, and improving filtration systems during periods of peak contamination can significantly reduce nitrate exposure.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Palm Kernel Oil Extraction Machine

2025-07-14T13:59:22+00:00

Oil palm is a valuable crop and of considerable commercial importance because of its major products which are red palm oil and palm kernel oil. The processing of the palm fruit locally is crude and tedious for the local processors in Nigeria. The drudgery and time spent in extracting palm oil discourage the youth and affect the productivity of palm oil in rural communities. The primary objective of this work is to design and fabricate an efficient palm kernel oil crushing machine. This machine, featuring high torque and low rotational speed, incorporates an adjustable choke mechanism. This mechanism allows precise regulation of back pressure, controlling the thickness and dryness of the pressed cake as it passes between the barrel and the crushing shaft. Key components, including the hopper, crushing chamber, shaft, pulleys, and belts, were designed and then fabricated using standard techniques such as cutting, welding, drilling, bending, and casting.The innovative design processes cold palm kernel seeds without pre-treatment; the crushing shaft within the barrel performs both breaking, cooking, and palm oil extraction process. Driven by a 10hp electric motor, a processing capacity of 100 kg per hour gives an oil extraction efficiency of 87.10%. The developed machine has a high oil extraction efficiency and material discharge efficiency. Machine processing of palm oil extraction will alleviate the rigor of manual processing and enhance product quality.

A comparative analysis of zebra optimization algorithm and chaotic sinusoidal zebra optimization algorithm for video forgery detection system

2025-07-21T12:14:16+00:00

This study presents a comparative evaluation of two metaheuristic optimization strategies: Zebra Optimization Algorithm (ZOA) and Chaotic Sinusoidal Zebra Optimization Algorithm (CSZOA) for enhancing the performance of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in video forgery detection. A dataset comprising 270 videos with deletion, duplication, and insertion forgeries was used to train and evaluate CNN models optimized with ZOA and CSZOA. The experimental results indicate that the CSZOA-CNN model consistently outperforms both the baseline CNN and ZOA-CNN models across all evaluation metrics, achieving an accuracy of 99.51%, a false positive rate of 0.32%, and a detection time of 39.86 seconds. These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating chaotic sinusoidal dynamics into optimization processes to enhance CNN training efficiency and detection robustness in video forgery applications.

Development of bandwidth allocation scheme in wireless communication networks using the Shapley game theory

2025-07-14T00:25:49+00:00

ABSTRACT

Bandwidth allocation is essential for efficient wireless network performance and user satisfaction. Traditional methods like Minimum-Maximum, Proportional allocation, and Weighted Fair Queuing often fail under dynamic conditions, causing unfairness and inefficiency. This study introduces a new bandwidth allocation approach using non-competitive bankruptcy game theory. Users (nodes) request cache space and bandwidth based on their needs, treated as claimants in a system with limited bandwidth. When demand exceeds supply, the Shapley value allocates bandwidth fairly based on individual contributions. Network slicing was used to create virtual networks, each dedicated to specific services and allocated bandwidth using the bankruptcy model, guided by Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like delay, throughput, and reliability. Cache memory was allocated from the kernel to reduce latency and enhance performance. Simulated in MATLAB R2023a, the model’s performance was measured using QoS and bandwidth fairness and compared to Minimum-Maximum and Proportional methods. With bandwidth demands ranging from 500 to 6000 Mbps and 10 to 20 slices, the Shapley method showed 99.7% fairness, 97% QoS efficiency, and only 0.000315 variance. In contrast, Minimum-Maximum averaged 77% fairness with the highest variance of 0.075479. The Shapley method proved most effective, practical, and adaptable for modern bandwidth-limited wireless networks.

Geotechnical properties of lateritic soil stabilized with rice husk ash and potassium carbonate for pavement construction

2025-07-16T10:29:29+00:00

The production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is a significant source of CO? emissions, contributing approximately 7% of global CO? emissions. The high cost of OPC and the need for sustainable alternatives necessitate the exploration of waste materials like rice husk ash (RHA). This study investigates the effect of potassium carbonate as a chemical activator for RHA in stabilizing lateritic soil. Lateritic soil samples were collected from the Aroje, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, and stabilized with varying proportions of RHA and potassium carbonate. Standard laboratory tests including Atterberg limits, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) were conducted in accordance with BS 1377.Chemical and mineralogical analyses were performed using XRF, XRD, and SEM. Results showed that the optimal mix of 16% RHA and 4% potassium carbonate produced the most significant improvements in soil performance. The plasticity index reduced to 0.00%, indicating non-plastic behavior. The unsoaked CBR values increased from 16.3% to 71.8%. Similarly, the UCS improved from 96.5 kPa to 367.9 kPa. Maximum Dry Density (MDD) decreased from 1.87 g/cm³ to 1.75 g/cm³, while Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) increased from 13.2% to 18.6%. XRF confirmed the high pozzolanic activity of RHA, with silica content exceeding 65%, and SEM images revealed a denser, cementitious matrix formation in the stabilized soil. In conclusion, the combination of rice husk ash and potassium carbonate significantly enhances the geotechnical properties of lateritic soil, making it an eco-friendly alternative to cement for road construction.