Agric & Bioresources Engineering

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.211.34.35:4000/handle/123456789/72

Agric & Bioresources Engineering

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Start date: 2014End date: 2019

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    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.
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    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.
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    Performance of a Single Chamber Soil Microbial Fuel Cell at Varied External Resistances for Electric Power Generation
    (Journal of Renewable Energy and Environment, 2017-02-14) Simeon, Meshack Imologie; Raji O. A.; Agidi Gbabo; Okoro-Shekwaga
    Soil is beginning to attract research attention as a suitable inoculum for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) designed for remediation and electricity generation, probably due to its high microbial load. However, not much has been done in this aspect beyond laboratory-based experiments. This study was aimed at generating electricity from agricultural soil, utilizing the microorganisms present in the soil, and investigating the performance of the soil MFC across varied external loads. The study used the MudWatt MFC kit inoculated with mud prepared from topsoil collected from a garden. The electrodes, made from carbon felt material with conducting wires made from graphite, were housed in the same chamber and placed 4cm apart. Voltage drops across seven external resistances of 4670, 2190, 1000,n470, 220, 100, and 47 Ω were measured every 24 hours, with a digital multimeter, for 40 days. The maximum open-circuit voltage from this study was 731 mV, whereas the maximum power density was 65.40 m/Wm2 at a current density of 190.1mA/m2. The optimum performance of the MFC was achieved with the 470Ω at an internal resistance of 484.14 Ω. This study revealed that MFCs constructed from agricultural topsoil are capable of producing electrical power continuously, across different external loads, without the addition of any substrate. However, there is a need for further studies to keep the MFC output constant at the maximum achievable power.