Browsing by Author "Simeon, Meshack Imologie"

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Aerodynamic and Thermal Properties of Melon (Citrullus Lanatus) Seeds Under Varying Drying Temperature for Separation from Shells and Processing
(ARID ZONE JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT, 2018-12) Asoiro Felix; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; I. C. Ezugwu
Application of urine as fuel in a soil-based membrane-less single chamber microbial fuel cell
(AgricEngInt: CIGR Journal, 2019-04-30) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Otache, Matins Yusuf; Ewemoje, Temidayo Abayomi; Raji, Abdulganiy Olayinka
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is a promising bio-technology that utilizes the microorganisms in organic wastes to generate electricity. Although human urine has been identified as a suitable substrate in MFCs, its possible utilization in a soil-based membrane-less single chamber microbial fuel cell (MSCMFC) for constant power generation has, hitherto, not been reported. In this study, an MFC was set up with mud as inoculum in a plastic cylindrical vessel using carbon felt electrodes. It was operated for 19 days (456 hours) without extra substrate. Then, the MFC was treated with human urine (as substrate) four times (Days 19, 24, 32, and 36), each time the MFC output stabilized across external loads. A control MFC (MFCcontrol) was made the same way and operated under the same conditions, but without the addition of urine. Both MFCs were operated for 40 days. The initial open circuit voltage (OCV) of the MFC treated with urine (MFCurine) was 227 mV, and that of the MFC control was 219 mV. Both MFCs produced overlapping OCVs to the point of adding urine. The maximum OCVs of MFC control and MFCurine prior to treatment were 729 mV and 740 mV, respectively. The OCV of MFCurine increased to a maximum value of 755 mV, four days after the initial treatment (day 23). At the final stage (Day 40), the OCV of MFCurine was 474.64 mV; whereas the corresponding value for MFCcontrol was 7.31 mV. A microchip was used to amplify the output of the MFCs to power a light-emitting diode. In addition, MFCurine was used to power a digital clock/thermometer. This study showed that human urine can be successfully utilized as fuel in a soil-based MSCMFC for the production of electrical energy, which can be boosted to power low-energy utility devices in farms or homes.
Bio-electrochemical response to selected experimental treatments of a soil-type microbial fuel cell for sustainable bioelectricity generation
(International conference on sustainable development and technology-Elsevier, 2021-11-02) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Alfons, R. Weig; Freitag Ruth
The need to protect the environment has triggered a search for alternative and sustainable energies to replace or drastically reduce the world's dependence on fossil fuels. Bio-electrochemical systems (BES) are among the leading research topics in alternative energy sources due to their multi-functional potential. However, their low energy production rate limits their application in the real world. Therefore, architectural and biological optimization is required to take BES beyond laboratory-scale experiments. In this study, we investigated the interactive influence of electrode materials, electrode spacing, and frequent substrate feeding on microbial community diversity and electrochemical behavior of a soil BES for sustainable power generation. Two electrode materials (carbon felt (CF) and stainless steel/epoxy/carbon black composite (SEC) were tested in a soil microbial fuel cell (S-MFC) under three levels of electrode spacings (2, 5, and 8 cm) and treatment frequencies (4, 6, and 8 days). After 30 days of operation, all MFCs achieved an Open-circuit voltage of 782+12.2 mV regardless of the treatment. However, the maximum power of the CF-MFCs was 12.19 + 1.6 mW/m2 at a current of 15.8 mA/m2, while the SEC-MFCs produced 125.69 + 9.3 mW/m2 at a current of 277.4 + 19.3 mA/m2 under the same experimental conditions. The overall best and sustainable performance (145.3 + 8.03 mW/m2) during the 66-day operating period was obtained with SEC-MFC at 5 cm electrode spacing and treatment frequency of 8 days. 16S rDNA gene amplicon sequencing of DNA samples from the anode, cathode, and point of maximum power (MPP) revealed complex microbial diversity that showed significant compositional changes at the electrodes and MPP. The results showed that too small or too large electrode spacing and frequent substrate loading were not suitable for the MFC configuration in this study, and the electrode material had the greatest impact on S-MFC performance.
Biogas Production from the Co-digestion of Cow dung and poultry Droppings Using a Plastic Cylindrical Digester
(2017-07-13) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Edache, Julius; Eyeowa, Adegoke
This study was carried out to compare the rate and amount of gas produced from the codigestion of two different substrates of cow dung and poultry droppings under anaerobic conditions. Biogas production from three(3) cylindrical bio-digesters containing cow dung, poultry droppings, and a mixture of cow dung and poultry droppings under an average temperature of 28 oc and a pH of 6.2 was examined. In each case, the feedstock was diluted with an equal volume of water to form a slurry. The digestion took place for 35 days. The biogas produced during this period was collected by the balloon method and subsequently measured and recorded. The results obtained from this study show that the co-digestion of cow dung and poultry droppings yielded a maximum volume of 2.62 cm³, while poultry droppings yielded 2.50 cm³ and cow dung yielded 1.78 cm³. Thus, the co-digestion of the feedstocks gave a better gas production, and the mean biogas yield was found to be significant (P<0.05) compared to each of the single substrates. This study has demonstrated that the co-digestion of cow dung and poultry droppings in a plastic cylinder could be a cheap method for locally producing biogas for domestic purposes. It is, however, recommended that gas production can be enhanced during hot seasons where higher temperature is easily attained.
Comparative evaluation of the performance of a capacitive and a non-capacitive microbial fuel cell
(IEEE, 2021-03-25) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; A. L. Imoize; Freitag, Ruth
Electrode materials play a critical role in the performance of microbial fuel cells. This study investigates the contribution of capacitive bio-electrodes to sustainable power production in a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). The capacitive electrodes consisted of a stainless-steel wire mesh with an activated carbon layer, while the non-capacitive control electrodes were made of graphite felt with a wound current collector. The MFCs were constructed using a glass vessel with the anode completely buried in biologically active soil and the cathode placed above the soil to form a single-chamber configuration. The performance of the MFCs was investigated using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the performance of the capacitive MFC was three times better than that of the non-capacitive MFC. While there was no significant difference in the Ohmic resistances of the MFCs, there was a significant difference in charge transfer resistance and capacitance of the MFCs. The capacitive MFC had a double layer capacitance of 8.282 µF in addition to the diffuse layer capacitance at the layer/metal interface of 2.012 F, while the non-capacitive MFC had a double layer capacitance of 5.034 µF with no diffuse layer capacitance. The results show that the capacitive characteristics of both cathode and anode improve the performance of a single-chamber MFC.
Comparative study of BQ2557 and LTC3108 as efficient ultra-low bioelectricity harvesters from soil microbes using microbial fuel cells.
(IEC, 2023-03-23) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Mohammed, A. S; Freitag, R.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are attractive bio-electrochemical transducers that can convert waste and organic substrates into usable energy through the metabolic activity of electroactive microbes. However, the power generated by MFCs is relatively low compared to other types of fuel cells. This poses a serious problem for the practical application of MFCs. Commercially available voltage boosters are not suitable for use with MFCs due to the low current capacity of the MFCs. Therefore, special amplifiers are needed to boost the power of MFCs. In this study, two ultra-low harvesters (BQ25570 and LTC 3108) were configured and tested for their efficiency in extracting usable energy from soil MFCs. The result showed that the BQ could harvest bioelectricity from three MFCs connected in series to charge a 0.22 F supercapacitor up to 3.5 volts, which in turn was used to power a light-emitting diode (LED). The LTC, on the other hand, boosted the voltage of a single MFC from 0.72 V to 3.3 V. The increased voltage was used directly to supply a white LED operating at a constant voltage of 2.5 V. The voltage at the LED remained constant even when the MFC voltage dropped to 20 mV. These results demonstrated the potential of soil microbes to generate free energy that can be harvested, amplified and used for practical applications. Compared to the BQ, the LTC performed better with the soil MFC, boosting the voltage of a single MFC unit to a usable level without the need for a battery or supercapacitor.
Design, Construction and Performance Evaluation of a Rice Winnowing Machine.
(2013) Balami, A. A.; Fadiji, S. T.; Suleiman, A.; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Muhammad, I. A.; Hussani, M. S; Mshelia, Z. A.
Design, Fabrication and Testing of a Tractor Drawn Soybean Planter
(FUW Trends in Science & Technology Journal, 2017-04) Agidi, Gbabo; Andrew, I.; Simeon, Meshack Imologie
A tractor drawn Soybean drum planter was designed, fabricated and tested in the DESFABENG Company Limited, Bida, Niger State. The project was undertaken because most of the imported planters usually have maintenance and repair problems in addition to high costs of procurement that are not affordable to an average farmer. The major components of the developed planter are three drums with predetermined hole sizes at the exterior ends, a central rectangular shaft, spring soil openers, roller soil coverers, tractor hitching points, two wheels, and power transmission mechanism, and a frame. All these components were fabricated with locally available materials. Using three test speeds, the planter was preliminarily assessed for seed rate, soil opening, covering, and germination efficiencies. Results obtained indicate that desirable seed rate values of 47.7 and 61.2 kg/ha were observed for tractor/implement speeds of 20 and 16 km/hr, respectively. The highest germination efficiency of the planter was 81.3% at a tractor/implement speed of 16 km/hr with a corresponding soil opening efficiency of 94%.
Determination of the Suitability of Urine as Substrate in a Power Generating Soil Microbial Fuel Cell
(2016-08-18) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Raji O. A.; Musa J. J.; Kuti I.
Urine has been identified as a suitable substrate in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). However, its possible utilization in a soil-based Membrane-less Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MSCMFC) has, hitherto, not been reported. This study used the mud-watt MFC vessel inoculated with mud prepared from topsoil, and was operated across seven external loads for 19 days (456 hours) without adding any substrate to the soil. Urine was fed into the cell in four durations of time, after the MFC output stabilized. For comparison, a fresh setup (control MFC) was made and operated under the same conditions of temperature (27+3°C), but without the addition of urine. The performances of the MFCs were examined over seven external loads of resistance: 4670 , 2190 , 1000 , 470 , 220 , 100 , and 47 . The Urine-treated MFC and the control MFC both produced an initial peak power output of 5.62μW. Both MFCs produced close values of power outputs up to the point of adding urine. At the final stage, the peak power output of the MFC treated with urine was 246.77μW; whereas the corresponding values for the control MFC were 0.007μW. This study showed that fresh (untreated) human urine can be successfully utilized as fuel in a soil-based MFC for the production of electrical energy for varied external loads.
Development and Preliminary Testing of an Electronic Pest Repeller with Automatic Frequency Variation
(International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology-Springer, 2013-01-01) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Mohammed A.S.; Adebayo S. E.
This study presents the development and preliminary performance evaluation of an improved electronic pest repeller with automatic frequency variation. The study is aimed at developing a device that is capable of emitting ultrasonic energy of varied frequencies. These frequencies do affect the auditory senses of pests such as rodents, avian, and nocturnal insects by making them uncomfortable in their abode. However, these frequencies do not affect the hearing ability of humans. An Astable Multi-vibrator (AMV), timer NE555, was used to generate the required ultrasonic frequency and automatically varied in five steps by a pulse generating IC (CA3130) and a counter (CD4017). A D-type flip-flop IC (CD4013) was used to obtain a symmetrical output signal, which was amplified in push-pull mode by 2-NPN Transistors (BD-139) and 2-PNP transistors (BD140). Five variable resistors (each 100KΩ) were used to control the different frequencies. Two transducers (tweeters) were employed to produce an efficient sound. The unit was tested with three groups of white foot mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and a female house mouse Mus musculus which all responded positively from a distance of up to fifteen (15) meters from the source. The average designed efficiency was found to be 86.5%. The device can be utilized by both small and large-scale farmers for repelling pests. The performance of the device could be greatly improved with little modifications, for instance, using microcontrollers and ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic sound in a special frequency band.
Drying kinetics, Energy requirement, Bioactive composition, and Mathematical Modeling of Allium Cepa Slices
(2022-09-24) Asoiro, Felix; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Azuka, Chinenye E.; Harami, Solomon
Effect of floral locations on physicochemical and thermal honey bee properties.
(AgricEngInt: CIGR Journal, 2022-03-30) Asoiro, Felix; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Azuka, CE
The effects of floral location on the physicochemical and thermal parameters of honey bee samples from Enugu North senatorial zone were evaluated. For physicochemical properties, a 14×5×10 completely randomized design (CRD) with a total of 700 observations (14 physicochemical properties as responses × 5 levels of floral location as treatment × 10 replications) was conducted. For thermal properties, a 3×5×10 CRD with a total of 150 observations (3 thermal properties as responses × 5 levels of floral location as treatment × 10 replications) was also conducted. Floral location had significant effects (P≤0.05) on viscosity, electrical conductivity, sugar content, free acidity, ash content, moisture content, density, pH, colour, thermal heat conductivity and thermal heat diffusivity except, fructose/glucose (F/G) ratio and specific heat capacity. Viscosity of honey decreased as temperature increased with samples from Igbo-Eze South more viscose than those from other floral locations. Fructose had the highest mean value (35.26 g/100g), followed by glucose (31.92 g/100g) and sucrose (1.47 g/100g). All samples were generally acidic and of very high quality standard as Udenu, Igbo-Eze South and Nsukka honeys were adjudged extra white in colour, while Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Etiti were white honey. Values for thermal heat conductivity and thermal heat diffusivity were 0.44 W m-1oC-1 and 3.51 m2s-1; 0.43 W m-1oC-1 and 3.84 m2s-1; 0.44 W m-1C-1 and 2.43 m2s-1; 0.44 W m-1oC-1 and 2.84 m2s-1; and 0.45 W m-1oC-1 and 2.69 m2s-1 for Igbo- Eze North, Udenu, Igbo-Eze South, Igbo-Etiti and Nsukka respectively. Honey is a promising food rich in essential minerals. Knowledge of its physicochemical and thermal properties is inevitable to facilitate its postharvest processing.
Effects of blending on the phytochemical, functional and proximate properties of Mucuna solannie-based composite flour
(2022-09-30) Asoiro, Felix; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Azuka, CE; Orji, Precious Chimaraoge
Brachystegia eurycoma (BE), Afzelia Africana (AA) and Mucuna solannie (MS) flours were blended (%, w/w) at varying proportions: 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 and 100:0, with 100% of flours as the control; then analyzed based on the phyto-chemical, functional and proximate compositions. Tanin, saponin, alkaloid and flavonoid values were 4.19, 1.47, 1.49 and 1.15 mg 100 g-1 dm; 3.44, 0.45, 1.34 and 1.13 mg 100 g-1 dm; and 4.1, 0.61, 1.36 and 1.18 mg 100 g-1 dm in MS, AA and BE flours respectively. Increased AA and BE proportions in MS flour increased the swelling index (1.49% -1.76%) whereas AA and BE inclusions (%) resulted in significant (P≤0.05) increase in the moisture content of the composite flours (8.3% - 14%). Increase in % AA flour inclusion resulted in significant improvement in carbohydrate content while % BE flour inclusion recorded a decrease. As % BE flour inclusion increased from 20% to 40%, % protein content in the blends significantly improved (15.65% - 16.25%) while % AA inclusion, increased protein content by 30%. The study could help to optimize the products made from MS, AA and BE flour blends, in terms of their properties than products made solely from single flour.
Electrochemical Characterization of Stainless-Steel Mesh and carbon-felt Electrodes for Enhanced Power Generation in Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells.
(School of Physical Sciences, FUTMINNA, 2024-04-24) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Alaka, Amarachi C.; Daniela, P.; Olalekan, D. Adeniyi
Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) represent a promising avenue for sustainable energy production, leveraging microbial metabolism to convert organic matter in the soil into electricity. Crucial to MFC performance is selecting electrode materials, which directly interface with electroactive microbes for electron transfer. This study conducts a comparative analysis of surface-modified stainless-steel mesh (SMS) and carbon felt (CF) electrodes in terrestrial MFCs, evaluating their performance metrics and impedance spectroscopy. The SMS electrode, fabricated using the pasting and reinforcement process, demonstrated superior performance with a maximum power of 859 µW compared to the 234 µW power of the commercially available CF electrode. This better performance of the SMS electrode was attributed to its pseudocapacitive behavior, enhancing internal charge storage capacity and overall MFC efficiency. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed a substantially higher charge transfer resistance (Rct) in the CF electrode, impeding electron transfer processes. Conversely, the SMS electrode exhibited lower Rct and improved diffusion characteristics, facilitating efficient electron transfer and mass transport. Notably, the Rct of the CF electrode was over 40 times higher, while its diffusion coefficient was approximately six times greater compared to the SMS electrode. These findings underscore the significance of tailored electrode materials in optimizing MFC performance and emphasize the utility of impedance spectroscopy in elucidating complex electrochemical processes within MFC systems, thus guiding future advancements in sustainable power production in terrestrial MFCs.
Electrochemical evaluation of different polymer binders for the production of carbon-modified stainless-steel electrodes for sustainable power generation using a soil microbial fuel cell.
(Chemical Engineering Journal Advances-Elsevier, 2022-01-11) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Herkendell, Katharina; Pant, Deepak; Freitag, Ruth
In this study, four different polymeric binders - polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), two-component epoxy (epoxy), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) - were used to fabricate a surface-modified stainless-steel electrode. The polymeric binders were used to bond highly conductive carbon-black to a stainless-steel support using a simple fabrication method. The electrodes' performance in sustainable power generation was tested in a soil microbial fuel cell (SMFC). PTFE showed the fastest and best initial response in no-load operation, reaching a voltage of 370 mV after 7 days, compared to epoxy, PVA, and PVDF, which had 163, 151.7, and -26.7 mV, respectively. Electrochemical measurements showed that epoxy and PVDF have similar redox potentials when operated as anode and cathode in an SMFC. Evaluation of the long-term performance of the binders showed that epoxy gave 2.2-, 3.4-, and 4.9-fold higher performance than PVDF, PTFE, and PVA, respectively, under intermittent polarization. Although PVDF did not perform well in open circuits, it produced the highest current density in continuous operation with external loads. The most sustained performance was obtained with epoxy. This study has shown that epoxy can be a suitable and eco-friendly substitute for other binders using a simple fabrication method to produce high-performance anodes and cathodes for sustainable bioelectricity generation with a SMFC.
Evaluation of the Electrical Performance of a Soil-Type Microbial Fuel Cell Treated with a Substrate at Different Electrode Spacings
(Proceedings of ICEESEN2020, 2020-11-21) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Imoize, Agbotiname L.; Freitag, Ruth
The effect of electrode spacing on the performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) under batch treatment with a substrate was investigated with three single-chamber MFCs built with biologically active soil. The electrodes consisted of a stainless-steel mesh with layers of activated carbon catalyst. The MFCs were fed with artificial urine after reaching a stationary phase. After the initial treatment, the cell with the smallest electrode gap produced the maximum peak power under polarization. At 2 cm, 5 cm and 8 cm electrode spacing, the maximum power was 726.2 µW, 547 µW, and 520.3, respectively; while the average power of the MFCs from the first point of treatment with substrate to the last point was 297 + 259.2, 505.43+ 42.5, and 433.81+ 64, respectively. A significant decrease in internal resistance of the MFCs was observed during batch treatment. The impedance analysis of the MFCs showed that the reduction in internal resistance was largely due to a significant decrease in ohmic resistance compared to the charge transfer resistance.
Evaluation of the physicochemical and thermal properties of honey samples from different floral locations in Enugu North senatorial zone, Nigeria.
(The proceedings 12th CIGR Section, 2018-10-25) Asoiro, Felix; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Ugochukwu Christian Abada; Chukwuemeka Jude Ohagwu
This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical and thermal properties of natural honey collected from different floral locations in Enugu North senatorial zone. The physicochemical and thermal parameters like moisture content, pH, sucrose, glucose, fructose, acidity, density, thermal conductivity, thermal heat diffusivity, specific heat capacity, viscosity, ash content, colour, and electrical conductivity were analyzed. The results obtained show that the pH values of the samples ranged from 4.7 to 5.7. The maximum and minimum moisture content were 22.5 and 16.59% (wb), respectively, with the sample from Igbo-Etiti having the lowest moisture content. The density value ranged from 820-1250 kg m-3, with honey samples from Igboeze-South recording the highest density. It was also observed that the sucrose content of the samples ranged from 1.037- 1.78g/100g, which is considered good and within the internationally acceptable value for honey. Electrical conductivity values for Igboeze-North, Udenu, Igboeze-South, Igbo-Etiti and Nsukka were 16.5, 6.0, 25.4, 3.5 and 11.4μS/cm, respectively, Fructose values were 34.339, 33.484, 34.515, 39.434 and 33.136 g/100g respectively and glucose contents were 31.361, 30.856, 31.639, 35.224 and 30.621 g/100g respectively It was also observed that honey from Igbo-Etiti is more viscous than all the samples. The honey samples from the different floral locations in Enugu North Senatorial zone were acidic. The colour of the sample is classified as Amber for samples from Igboeze-North, Igboeze-South, and Igbo-Etiti, while that of Udenu is Light Amber and that of Nsukka is Extra White. The thermal properties fell within the internationally acceptable range of values. Thermal heat conductivity ranged from 0.4358-0.4490 Wm-1K-1, specific heat capacity was from 1.3024-1.6355 kJkg-1K-1, and thermal heat diffusivity ranged from 2.4252× 10 -3.8313× 10 m2s-1. Honey is a promising source of food, raw material, and essential minerals. Knowledge of its physicochemical and thermal properties is essential to facilitate its postharvest processing.
Experimental Utilization of Urine to Recharge Soil Microbial Fuel Cell for Constant Power Generation
(2017-02-20) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Raji O. A
The simplicity of the soil-based microbial fuel cells (MFCs) makes them very attractive, as perhaps the only natural components they need to run are nutrient-rich soil combined with water to form mud. However, the MFC will cease to produce electricity when the soil runs out of its nutrient-rich characteristics and bacteria. It is against this background that this study was designed to investigate the possible utilization of urine to recharge soil MFCs that have run out of their nutrient-rich characteristics. The mud-watt MFC was utilized for this study. It was run continuously for forty days until the power output was nearly zero. Fresh urine was then introduced into the soil, and the power output was determined. The initial (24 hours after set-up) open circuit voltage (OCV) was 219 mV. A maximum OCV of 731 mV was obtained on day 14 of the study. The OCV of the MFC was 7.31 mV on day 40 before the injection of urine into the soil. Twenty-four hours after the ejection of urine, the OCV was 360 mV and rose to 407 mV forty-eight hours later. The OCV remained constant at this value for fifteen days, after which urine was reinjected. The voltage drop across seven external loads also showed a similar trend. This study has demonstrated that fresh urine can be successfully utilized to recharge a soil-based MFC that has run out of its nutrient-rich characteristics.
Extraction and Characterization of Cashew Nut (Anacardium Occidentale) Oil and Cashew Shell Liquid Oil
(Academic Research International, 2014-05) Idah, P. A.; Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Mohammed M. A.
This study was carried out to extract oils from cashew shell and its kernel and to characterize the oils, with the view to ascertaining their suitability for consumption and other uses. The Soxhlet apparatus was used for the extraction using hexane as solvent. The physical and chemical properties of the extracted oil were analyzed. The percentage of oil extracted from the shell of the cashew was found to be 25.5%, while that extracted from the kernel was 11.8%. The results of the physical analysis showed that the cashew kernel oil (CKO) is light yellow, while the Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) is dark brown. The boiling points for shell and kernel oil were 92 0c and 95 0c, respectively. The cashew kernel oil is non-toxic, and the properties of CNSL conformed, to a greater extent, to those exhibited by linseed oil. This suggests its application in the processing and manufacturing industries. The kernel oil confirmed both in its physical and chemical properties to those of groundnut and melon oil, and thus could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Influence of electrode spacing and fed-batch operation on the maximum performance trend of a soil microbial fuel cell
(International journal o f hydrogen energy-Elsevier, 2021-12-04) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Freitag, Ruth
The effect of electrode spacing on a soil microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance under fed-batch treatment with synthetic urine medium (SUM) was investigated at 2, 5, and 8 cm electrode spacing. The electrodes consisted of stainless-steel mesh with coarse layers of carbon-black. The MFCs were fed with SUM when the natural substrate of the medium was exhausted. Initial feeding resulted in 79.6, 108.7, and 103.1% increase in OCV with a proportional percentage increase in power at 2, 5, and 8 cm electrode spacing. Six days after the first feeding, the power was 189.9, 150.7, and 108. 5 mW/m2 in ascending order of electrode spacing. With more extended treatment, the overall maximum power was obtained at 8 cm spacing. In ascending order of electrode spacing, the highest power (207.92, 263.38, and 271.1 mW/m2) was obtained on days 39, 42, and 93, respectively. The study shows that a larger anode-to-cathode distance requires a longer time for the soil MFC to achieve stable and maximum performance in fed-batch operation.