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AFRICAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN TECHNOLOGY
(AUSTECH)
A maiden edition of AUSTECH 2015 International Conference Book of Abstracts
Organized by
African University of Science and Technology
Venue: African University of Science and Technology Campus
At km 10, Off Airport road, Galadimawa,
Abuja, Nigeria.
October 12-13th, 2015
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(Copyright) African University of Science and Technology International Conference (AUSTECH Conference),
2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, electorastatic, and magnetic tape, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners or the publisher.
Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the President, African
University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
African University of Science and Technology,
Km 10 Airport Road, Galadimawa, PMB 681, Garki
Abuja, Nigeria
URL: www.aust-abuja.org
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Preface
This maiden edition of the “Book of Abstracts” contains the abstracts of the various presentations in the 2015
AUSTECH International conference by distinguished professors in the fields of Computer Science, Materials
Science & Engineering and Petroleum Engineering.
Each field as a track has different activities which includes poster presentations, PhD paper contests,
technical sessions and panel discussions. These presentations were done by distinguished experts in the field
from within Nigeria and across the globe.
AUSTECH is an annual event by AUST. It focuses on current developments in Engineering technologies,
scientific and industrial applications for development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Table of Contents
Welcome from the General Chair .................................................................................................................................. X
Computer Science International Program Committee ................................................................................................ XI
Materials Science and Engineering International Program Committee .................................................................. XII
Petroleum and Engineering Symposium International Program Committee ......................................................... XII
Conference Sponsors ................................................................................................................................................... XIII
ABSTRACTS .................................................................................................................................................................... 1
COMPUTER SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM IN AUSTECH ............................................................................................... 1
BIG DATA & HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING .............................................................................................. 2
Four Components of Big Data ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Massive Scale Scientific Computing in the Era of Big Data.......................................................................................... 2
Machine Learning in the Era of Big Data - Old Methods Revisited and the Development of New Methods ............... 3
Heterogeneous Computing for future Systems .............................................................................................................. 4
MOBILE & TELECOM .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Advances in Video Production, Application Generation and Telecommunications ...................................................... 4
COMPUTER GRAPHICS ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Cyberspatial Media: 3D Computer Graphics & Audio .................................................................................................. 5
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Application of Scientific Visualization Tools to Medical Imaging – a Demonstration using 3D Slicer ........................ 5
SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................................................... 8
How Can Modeling and Simulation help Engineering Systems of Systems? ................................................................ 6
Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Federations in Support of New Medical Simulation
Concepts – Harmonics for the Music of Life ................................................................................................................. 7
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Applying Scientific Computing to Development ........................................................................................................... 7
Nanotechnologies, Biotechnologies Information Technology, Cognitive Science (NBIC) and Simulation .................. 8
WORK IN PROGRESS ................................................................................................................................................. 10
Development of a Plate Number Recognition System: Especially for the Nigerian Automobile Space. ...................... 9
Simulation Graph Implementation Framework using Model Transformation ............................................................... 9
Towards A Unified Framework for Holistic Study and Analysis of Discrete Events Systems .................................... 10
An Integrated Approach to the Specification, Simulation, Formal Analysis and Enactment of Discrete Event Systems
..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Modelling of the Back Propagation Neural Network for Medical Diagnostic Systems ............................................... 11
A Generic Approach for Initializing Complex Models ................................................................................................ 12
Model Driven Engineering, Applied to Observation Problems of Socio-environmental Models ................................ 13
Centralized and Distributed Scheduling Schemes for Coverage and Lifetime Maximization in Wireless Sensor
Networks ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Introducing Hills: High Level Language for System Specification ............................................................................. 14
Uppercase Yoruba Character Recognition using Bayesian Decision Theory under a Decision Tree. ......................... 15
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM IN AUSTECH ..................................................... 16
The Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI) of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) ........ 17
MATERIALS FOR ENERGY ....................................................................................................................................... 17
Moroccan Rock Suitability for Temperature Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Tower Power Plants ......................... 17
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Performances Enhancement of Thin Film A-Si:H Photovoltaic Devices by Incorporating Ag Nanoparticles (Ag Nps)
..................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Energy Performance of Different Silicon Photovoltaic Technologies under Hot and Harsh Climate ......................... 19
The Role of Nanostructured Metal Hydrides in Energy Storage ................................................................................. 20
Assessing the Intersection between Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development and the Challenges of
Environmental Justice in Nigeria. ................................................................................................................................ 20
Effects of Aluminium Layer Thickness on the Transparent Conductive Properties of Zno/Al/Zno Electrodes .......... 21
New Frontiers in Organic Photovoltaics and Organic Light Emitting Devices ........................................................... 22
BIOMATERIALS ........................................................................................................................................................... 23
A Treatise on Biomaterials Research Efforts at African University of Science and Technology (AUST) .................. 23
Magnetic Nanocomposite Structures for Elimination of Residual Breast Cancer ....................................................... 24
Silica Coated La0.7sr0.3mno3 Magnetic Nanoparticles for Anticancer Therapeutics: Synthesis, Characterisation and
Ph-Responsive Controlled Drug Release Studies ........................................................................................................ 25
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS ........................................................................................................................ 26
Multifunctional Composites Technologies in Intelligent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (IUAV) ..................................... 26
Exploration of Pozzolanic Material from Waterworks Sludge: Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals27
Microstructure and Corrosion Behaviour of Al-Based Coatings in Nacl Solution: Roles Chromium and Nitrogen ... 27
Aquasolar-Maroc Project: Brackish Water Desalination by Coupling Solar Energy with Reverse Osmosis and
Membrane Distillation Process .................................................................................................................................... 28
MINERAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSING ........................................................................................................... 29
Thermoelectric Properties of (Bisb) 2te3/Te Eutectic Structure in a New Composition of Bisbte Alloy: Naturally
Grown Multi-Layered Structure in Large Quantities via a Simple Flame Melting Route. .......................................... 29
Gold Cyanidation and Characterization of Itagunmodi Gold Deposit Using Cyanide from Cassava .......................... 30
FOOD PRESERVATION AND AGRO PROCESSING ............................................................................................. 33
Promoting Value Addition of Biomaterials and Capacity Building for Economic Transformation in Africa through
Innovations in Postharvest Technology and Agro-Processing: A Case Study on the Impact of the South African
Research Chair in Postharvest Technology .................................................................................................................. 31
Engineering Properties of Biomaterials of African Origin: Measurement, Applications and Research Needs ........... 32
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INSTRUMENTATION AND SOFTWARE APPLICATION .................................................................................... 35
Development of Table-Top Three Dimensional Production System ........................................................................... 33
A Unique and Versatile Furnace Set up Combining in Situ X-Ray Imaging Modes for Potential Breakthrough in Mc-
Si Solidification Mechanisms ...................................................................................................................................... 33
Multi-Technology Photovoltaic Module Test Bench on the Sirta Meteorological and Climate Observatory ............. 34
RFID TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. 35
Metamaterial-Based Chipless RFID Transponders ...................................................................................................... 35
PHD PRESENTATION ................................................................................................................................................. 38
Surface Passivation for High Efficiency Solar Cells using Ultrathin Aluminium Oxide Layers ................................. 36
Advances in Organic Fibre Reinforced Kaolinite Matrix Geopolymer Composites .................................................... 37
Effect of Liquid Stabilizers on some Tropical Soils .................................................................................................... 37
Comparison of the Coagulant and Antimicrobial Activity of the Moringa Seed Extract (Biocoagulant) and Alum
(Synthetic Coagulant). ................................................................................................................................................. 38
On the Reliability and Performance of Solar Powered Street Lighting Systems in Nigeria: Taking AUST-Abuja as a
Case Study ................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Comparative Analysis of Metakaolin and Tincal Ore Waste as Materials for Hydraulic Barrier System ................... 40
Nano-Mechanical Studies and Deformation of Layered Structures (Tortoise Shell) ................................................... 40
Geopolymer Materials: Metakaolin and Fly Ash as Potential Alternatives to Ordinary Portland Cement, a Review . 41
Effects of Ph on the Pitting Behavior of a Low Carbon Steel ...................................................................................... 42
N-Vitro Release Studies of Prodigiosin Encapsulated into Chitosan Microspheres .................................................... 43
Loaded Prodigiosin Released from Degradable PLGA-Based Composites: for Extended Localized Drug Release ... 44
Utilization of Cassava (Manihot Spp.) Waste for Surface Hardening of Aisi 8620 Steels .......................................... 45
Architectural Design and Study of a Two-Storey Multipurpose Building ................................................................... 45
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM IN AUSTECH................................................................................ 47
Quantifying Uncertainty in Infill Well Placement Using Numerical Simulation and Experimental Design: Case Study
..................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Reservoir Characterization for Improved Petro physical Properties Predictability & Validations: Capillary Pressures
and Permeability (N. Delta Province as Case Study) ................................................................................................... 48
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Modeling Crude Oil Production Outlook: A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria ............................... 49
Improved Data-Driven Models for Forecasting Production Performance with Uncertainty Analysis ......................... 50
Mechanistic Model for Predicting Sand Production: A Case Study of Niger Delta Wells .......................................... 51
TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................................. 55
Maximizing Energy Utilization for Sustainable Development in Africa: Energy Security Potential .......................... 52
Determining Two Mobile Phase Saturations with Single Well Chemical Tracer Test Using Method of Moments .... 53
Progressive Fiscal Terms for Offshore Petroleum Development: Empirical Evidence from the Gulf of Guinea ........ 54
Approximate Bayesian Computation for Probabilistic Decline Curve Analysis in Unconventional Reservoirs ......... 55
TECHNICAL SESSION II: TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT .................................................................... 56
Environmental Impact of Hydrocarbon Exploitation in the Niger Delta ..................................................................... 56
Selection of the Abandonment Pressure Computing Methods of the Gas Field —A Horizontal Comparison of
Numerical Simulation against Deliverability Equation................................................................................................ 56
Prediction Method of Flow Guarantee System for Deep-Water Gas Well’s Test. ....................................................... 57
Technical Session III: Energy, Gas Utilization and Environment Africa and Energy Security ................................... 57
An Evaluation of Domestic Gas Utilization on the Nigerian Economy ....................................................................... 58
Assessing the Intersections between Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development and the Challenges of
Environmental Justice in Nigeria. ................................................................................................................................ 59
PANEL DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................................... 59
Education for the Next Generation of Petroleum Engineers & Geoscientists; Research & Capacity Building in Sub
Sahara Africa ............................................................................................................................................................... 59
Petroleum Engineering and Geoscience Education, Research and Capacity Building in Sub-Saharan Africa ............ 60
TECHNICAL SESSION IV: RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................... 61
Splines Application on Recovery Mechanism ............................................................................................................. 61
Surfactant and Surfactant Polymer Flooding for Optimum Oil Recovery ................................................................... 62
A Study of Composition Change during Condensate Dropout in a Horizontal Gas Well............................................ 62
PHD PAPER CONTEST ............................................................................................................................................... 66
Non-Ideality in Material Balance History Matching .................................................................................................... 63
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Economic Analysis of Petroleum Drilling Productivity in Onshore Niger Delta of Nigeria ....................................... 64
Estimating Fraction of Sulphate Mineral Scales that Occupied Pore Spaces and their Corresponding Formation
Damage around the Well Bore ..................................................................................................................................... 65
Integration of Conceptual Modeling, Experimental Design and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System for Infill
Well Placement and Optimization ............................................................................................................................... 65
Optimization of Wax Deposition in a Sub-Sea Pipeline using Response Surface Methodology ................................. 66
Genetic Units Based Permeability Prediction for Clastic Reservoirs using Normalized Pore Throat Radius (Niger
Delta as Case Study) .................................................................................................................................................... 67
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Welcome from the General Chair
Welcome to the African University of Science and Technology (AUST)!
As the General Chair, and on behalf of the Organizing Committee, I am delighted and honoured to welcome
you to the 1st AUST International Conference in Technology (AUSTECH 2015), the henceforth annual
event organized by AUST to cover state-of-the-art developments in Engineering technologies, as well as
scientific and industrial applications for development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The members of the
Organization Committee have worked hard to make these two days very exciting.
AUSTECH has a multi-Conference format, with 3 symposia reflecting the core technological areas
developed at AUST:
• Petroleum Engineering Symposium (PES)
• Materials Science and Engineering Symposium (MSES)
• Computer Science Symposium (CSS)
AUSTECH 2015 program includes a world-class selection of invited speakers and panels. It also promotes a
Ph.D Colloquium and Poster sessions, fora where opportunity is given to students to showcase their work in
progress and link with their peers.
My thanks go to all members of the Organization Committee for their tireless efforts to make AUSTECH
2015 successful. They are:
• Program Chairs: B. Okonkwo and I. Osoba
• Proceedings Chair: B. Ekpolomo
• Communication Chairs: B. Adesuyan and O. Atulomah
• Logistics Chairs: N. Abdullahi and M. Dyeris
• Sponsorship and award Chairs: O. Babatunde and T. Ofoegbu
• Secretary: V. Agbo and L. Morgan
My sincere appreciation goes to the symposia chairs, whose invaluable efforts in their respective sections
were key to the success of the overall multi-Conference. This year’s symposia chairs are:
• Prof D. Ogbe for PES
• Prof P. Onwualu for MSES
• Prof M.K. Traoré for CSS
I extend my appreciation to all members of the International Program Committee for their work and
diligence in evaluating the extended abstracts accepted for presentation. I also express my gratitude to
authors and presenters that we received contributions from Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
My final thanks go to ACBF (African Capacity Building Foundation) for their financial support to the event.
I hope you enjoy AUSTECH 2015
Mamadou Kaba Traore
General Chair, AUSTECH 2015
AUST, Abuja, NIGERIA & Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand, FRANCE
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Local Organizing Committee
General Chair: Mamadou Kaba Traore
Programme Chairs: Ben Okonkwo, Inegbenose Osoba
Proceedings Chair: Onyebuchi Ekpolomo
Communication Chairs: Bobby Adesuyan, Obioha Atulomah
Logistics Chairs: Nafisa Abdullahi, Murna Dyeris
Sponsorship and Award Chairs: Jide Babatunde, Tracey Ofoegbu
Secretary: Victoria Agbo, Leo Morgan
Computer Science Symposium Chair: Mamadou Kaba Traore
Materials Science and Engineering Symposium Chair: Peter Onwalu
Petroleum Engineering Symposium Chair: David Ogbe
Computer Science International Program Committee
Abderazak Ben Abdallah, Professor, University of Aizu, Japan
Andreas Tolk, Chief Scientist SimIS Inc., Portsmouth VA, United States
Bernard P. Zeigler, Chief Scientist RTSync, Washington, United States
Christophe Bobda, Professor, University of Arkansas, United States
Ousmane Thiare, Professor, Gaston Berger University, Senegal
Omololu Akin-Ojo, Dr, African University of Science and Technology, Nigeria
Navonil Mustafee, Dr, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Michael Adeyeye, Dr, University of West Australia, Australia
Mbwana Alliy, Managing Partner, Savannah Fund, Kenya
Mamadou Kaba Traore, Professor, Universite Blaise Pascal, France
Kola Babalola, Research Associate, Manchester Metropolitan University
Gregory Zacharewicz, Dr, Universite de Bordeaux, France
David Hill, Professor, Universite Blaise Pascal, France
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Materials Science and Engineering International Program Committee
Peter Azikiwe Onwualu, Professor, Africa University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
Abdulkarim S.Ahmed, Professor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and President Materials Society of
Nigeria
Shola Odunsanya, Shetsco Science and Technology Complex, Abuja.
Marcel Hochet, President Greenelec, Paris, France
Esidor Ntsoenzok, Professor, CNRS-CEMHTI, Orleans, France
Douglas J. Buttrey, Professor, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
Zebaze Kana, Kwara State University, Ilorin, Nigeria
Oscar Komla Awitor, Professor, Universite d’Auvergue, France
Babaniyi Babatope, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Peter Ngene, Utrecht University/ Deft University of Technology, the Netherlands
Mohamed Haruna, Executive Vice Chairman, National Agency for Science and Energy Infrastructure
(NASENI), Abuja
Danladi Slim Matawal, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Nigeria
A.R. Adetunji, Prototype Engineering Development Institute (PEDI), Nigeria
H. Ibrahim, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Abuja
Dr. S.O. Olosunli, M.D. Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Nigeria
Petroleum and Engineering Symposium International Program Committee
David O. Ogbe, Professor, African University of Science & Technology (AUST), Abuja
Mukhtar Abdulkadir, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
Michael Adewumi, Professor, Penn State University, USA
Joseph Ajienka, Professor & Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Anil Ambastha, Chevron, Lagos, Nigeria
Dawari D. Charles, Chevron, Lagos, Nigeria
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Abhijit Dandekar, Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Dimitrios Georgios Hatzignatiou, Professor, International Research Institute of Stavanger, IRIS, Norway
Alpheus Igbokoyi, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, Nigeria
Wumi Iledare, Professor, University of Port Harcourt and AUST, Abuja, Nigeria
Saka Matemilola, First E&P Company, Lagos, Nigeria
Chikezie Nwosu, Addax Petroleum, Lagos, Nigeria
Michael Onyekonwu, Professor, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
David Preye Orodu, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
Shirish Patil, Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Michael Prohaska, Professor, University Leoben, Austria
Xingru Wu, University of Oklahoma, USA
Conference Sponsors
African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
Pan-African Materials Institute (PAMI)
RFID Research Centre
Hotel Quo VADIS
Habibu Engineering (Nig) Ltd
Knowledge Investments Limited
Cannon Projects
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COMPUTER SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM IN AUSTECH
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Four Components of Big Data
Kunle Olukotu,
Stanford University, USA
Big data analytics is the process of examining large data sets to uncover hidden patterns and unknown
correlations to accelerate scientific discovery or to analyze market trends and customer preferences to
develop business insights. This talk will describe four of the key components of big data analytics (1)
Extraction Transform and Load (ETL) which takes unstructured data and translates it to structured (tabular)
data, (2) Query processing which executes queries over structured data (3) Graph analytics for exploring
complex relationships in big data, and (4) Machine learning for building statistical models from big data. For
each of the four components we will look at example applications and Domain Specific Language (DSL)
technology that enables these applications to execute on heterogeneous hardware architectures (CPU, GPU,
clusters). We will introduce new big data analytics applications that have the potential to accelerate
development in Africa.
Massive Scale Scientific Computing in the Era of Big Data
Ekpe Okorafor, PhD
(Texas A&M University)
Many scientific instruments required to continually advance knowledge are all critically dependent on
computing for sensor control, data acquisition, processing, access, analytics and collaboration. Unlike other
scientific tools, computational modeling and data analytics are uniquely applicable to all areas of science and
engineering. Modeling and analytics enable researchers to validate theories and understand nuanced
predictions, as well as shape experiments more efficiently. They also help capture and analyze the deluge of
experimental data being produced by a new generation of scientific instruments made possible by advances
in computing and microelectronics.
BIG DATA AND HIGH PERORMANCE COMPUTING
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Similarly, Big Data, machine learning, and predictive data analytics have been hailed as the fourth paradigm
of science, allowing researchers to extract insights from both scientific instruments and computational
simulations. Machine learning has yielded new insights into health risks and the spread of disease via
analysis of social networks, Web-search queries, and hospital data. It is also key to event identification and
correlation in domains as diverse as high-energy physics and molecular biology.
Each new generation of computing instrument brings with it new capabilities, along with technical design
challenges and economic trade-offs. At present, data-generation capabilities in most science domains are
growing more rapidly than compute capabilities, causing these domains to become data-intensive. High-
performance computers and big-data systems are now tied inextricably to the broader computing ecosystem.
They also support national-security needs and economic competitiveness in ways that distinguish them from
most other scientific instruments.
This "dual use" model, together with the rising cost of ever-larger computing and data-analysis systems,
along with a host of new design challenges at massive scale, are raising new questions about advanced
computing research investment priorities, design, and procurement models, as well as global collaboration
and competition.
This talk examines some of these technical challenges, the interdependence of computational modeling and
data analytics, and the global ecosystem and what the future holds for massive scale scientific computing in
the era of big data.
Machine Learning in the Era of Big Data - Old Methods Revisited and the Development of
New Methods
Lehel Csato
Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics
BBU Cluj-Napoca
Big data is the availability of various data-sets collected for very different purposes using many different
sensors. The technology for big data encompasses the various uses of the data-sets available. This includes
the techniques related to handling the enormous amount of data: storing and retrieval. Equally important in
this new era is the search for methods -- and methodology -- that will let the information extraction from
these data-sets be (1) meaningful and (2) fast.
In my talk I will stress the importance of mathematical models in providing the framework for information
extraction. I argue that a successful method will have a precise model of the data collection mechanism and
will allow -- aside from assessing the free parameters of a model -- for a successful fusion of the data and
information coming from different sources. At the same time I will try to suggest families of mathematical
models that are able to cope with the size of the data-sets.
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Heterogeneous Computing for future Systems
Abderazak Ben Abdallah
University of Aizu, Japan
Heterogeneous computing systems use more than one type of CPU. They gain performance not just by
adding the same type of CPUs, but by adding different kinds of processors, usually incorporating specialized
processing capabilities to handle particular tasks. However, the design of these heterogeneous systems
present new challenges not found in homogeneous systems. This talk discusses prospects and challenges of
heterogeneous computing for future low-power and high-performance systems and also presents our findings
in the area. The talk will also present emerging heterogeneous interconnects design for these systems.
Finally, the talk will present future prospects on heterogeneous computing systems and their impacts on
future computing systems.
MOBILE & TELECOM
Advances in Video Production, Application Generation and Telecommunications
Michael Adeyeye
University of West Australia, Australia
The next century, referred to as the new world, is an era, when most human jobs will be replaced by
machines. It is the era, when most devices and appliances will be identified by addresses that will make them
communicate with one another. In addition, software will increase the passivity in Homo sapiens through
advanced image and video editing, virtual reality and next generation mobile & desktop applications. Human
beings will become machines with chips in them and they having machine parts. The technologies of now
will be phased out for the next generation technologies. The globe is slowly evolving into such a phase.
This talk will introduce the audience to some immediate technologies in (1) the film industry used for
producing computer generated images, (2) the software industry used for developing and deploying
platform-agnostic applications for mobile devices and (3) the communication industry used for offering high
QoS(Quality of Service) and QoE(Quality of Experience) in telecommunication services.
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The talk will be wrapped up by exploring the basics and principles of operation of the existent
telecommunication infrastructure in the advanced countries. In addition, the audience will be pointed at
references and resources for better understanding in their choice areas.
Cyberspatial Media: 3D Computer Graphics & Audio
Michael Cohen
University of Aizu, Japan
This introduction to cyber spatial media reviews dimensions of expression, including physical
degrees-of-freedom and sensory modalities, as a warmup to explanations about spatial hearing and
binocular vision.
The theoretical background informs live demonstrations, featuring smartphones and tablets used as
remote controls, directional wands for steering panoramic (360 degree) photorealistic imagery as
well as virtual and mixed reality and virtuality scenes and distributed displays.
"Mobile-ambient" media systems feature personal control of public display, which characterizes
multimedia instances of spatial sound for semi-immersive "desktop virtual reality and panoramic,
photo spherical, and stereographic imagery.
Finally a quick review of colour theory motivates presentation of colour-encoded stereography ("3D
imagery").
Handheld chromastereoptic viewers will be presented to all attendees, which they can take home to
enjoy continued virtual depth sensation.
Application of Scientific Visualization Tools to Medical Imaging – a Demonstration using 3D
Slicer
Kola Babalola
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
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The quote "A picture is worth a thousand words" is aptly suited to scientific research. In an age where the
amount of data available is increasing at near exponential rates, the ability to quickly make sense of large
amounts of data is essential. In the medical imaging field device manufacturers provide visualization tools
for clinicians and researchers to use with their machines.
However, many of these tools do not leverage cutting edge techniques in visualization - especially when the
intention is to use them in research. Commercial packages for visualizing medical images are available, but
these are expensive, and given the limited resources of many African institutions we should leverage open
source tools and use them to create customized visualization applications relevant to the problems of our
environment.
A number of good quality open source tools for visualizing medical images are available, and this talk will
introduce a leading one called 3D Slicer. The talk will give an overview of the software libraries 3D slicer is
built upon (ITK and VTK) and details of how it can be applied to visualization for both clinical and research
purposes - with particular relevance to our Nigerian environment. The talk will also give a brief overview of
a companion tool to 3D Slicer called Paraview - which allows visualization of large datasets from a number
of fields including mathematics, physics, petroleum engineering and materials science.
How Can Modeling and Simulation help Engineering Systems of Systems?
Bernard P. Zeigler,
RTSync, USA
Socio-technological systems can be characterized as System of Systems. Typically they are not anywhere
near optimal performance for societal objectives. While individual component systems are capable their
organization into an overall system is lacking. The System of Systems Engineering problem is to design and
implement a coordination mechanism that can provide the organization needed to move the overall system
toward more optimal performance. In this talk, we show how computational Modeling and Simulation
Integrated Development Environments can support development of models of such systems that enable
design and testing of coordination mechanisms with built in capability to improve over time in order to
overcome inevitable social barriers. Examples will be discussed, including healthcare systems which have
been called chaotic, disorganized, expensive, and in need of “team sport” approach. A demonstration of the
MS4 Modeling Environment will help potential users and researchers of this novel computational
technology.
SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS
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Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Federations in Support of New
Medical Simulation Concepts – Harmonics for the Music of Life
Dr. Andreas Tolk,
Chief Scientist SimIS Inc., Portsmouth VA, United States
Denis Noble’s book “The Music of Life – Biology beyond the Genome” helped to introduce the idea for
Systems Biology worldwide to biologist, including the medical simulation community. The traditional
reductionist’s view is reducing the organism into finer and finer components to understand the interactions
on the lowest levels and reconstruct the system back from this new insight. Noble shows that this approach
falls short when looking at complex organism, such as the human body, made up of several levels: organs,
tissue, cellular, sub-cellular, pathways, proteins, and gene. There are feed-downs and upward feeds between
all these levels, so that a systemic approach is needed to understand the organism.
The cognitive challenge is, that several disciplines have to be brought together to support these
activities. In multidisciplinary approaches, the disciplines remains more or less as they are, they just share
information which each other that is integrated into the knowledge base of each discipline. In
interdisciplinary research, a certain challenge is approached by two or more disciplines as a common
problem that needs to be solved. Data and functionality is shared and creates domains in which the
participating disciplines are highly interwoven. Finally, transdisciplinary approaches are creating new
common knowledge that is transcending and transforming, creating a new approach that systemically
integrates the knowledge components, and even creating new knowledge.
Recent research on interoperability and composability of simulation systems is based on the
mathematical rigor of Model Theory. Using the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM) and its
mathematical interpretation this contribution shows how data can be aligned and processes synchronized to
create a set of tools that enable multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary federations in support of multi-level,
multi-scope, and multi-resolution simulations supporting the system biology approach envisioned by Denis
Noble.
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE
Applying Scientific Computing to Development
Omololu Akin-Ojo
AUST, Nigeria
Page | 8
Constant electric power supply is, arguably, the most critical need for African development as it will open up
the vista to many key development possibilities. One way to attain constant power supply is by the use of
photovoltaic cells. Unfortunately, the manufacturing cost of the most popular solar cells, namely, crystalline
silicon cells, is high. There is, thus, a need to invent new solar cells that are cheap to produce and that have
high efficiencies and long lifetimes. The recent discovery of Methlyammonium Lead Iodide (MAPbI3)
perovskite solar cells opens a window to achieve these goals since these cells are cheap to produce and have
high efficiencies (> 15%). MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells are, however, unstable when exposed to the
atmosphere. In addition, its lead (Pb) content poses a health hazard and there is a need to use a more
environmentally friendly element, e.g., Tin (Sn). In this work, using computational modeling tools, we shed
light on the mechanism of degradation of MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells when exposed to water and high
temperatures (30 - 80 degrees Celsius). This information could be useful in developing cells that are more
stable. Secondly, by simulations, we investigate how the efficiencies of the environmentally friendly
MASnI3 can be increased from its current experimental value of ~ 6% to that of its lead counterpart which
has an efficiency >~15%.
Nanotechnologies, Biotechnologies Information Technology, Cognitive Science (NBIC) and
Simulation
David R.C. Hill
Blaise Pascal University, France
At the initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States (US), a public report of the
US trade and finance departments (DOC/DOF) gave a significant boost in a research direction which is now
called the "great convergence" of NBIC (Nanotechnologies, Molecular Biology, Informatics and Cognition).
Although the progress made over the last 10 years or so could be considered to be the domain of science
fiction, this has already become reality. A "new MIT" was created in 2009 between NASA and Google: this
is the University of the Singularity. As the new saying goes, "the singularity is near", this singularity being
the point of no return, where, in a few decades, the human being will be so modified, enhanced, revised and
corrected, that he could become a "post-human": a creature of another species, of another kind... After a
presentation of the observable facts and real scientific developments, many involving simulations, ethical
issues will also be considered.
Page | 9
Development of a Plate Number Recognition System: Especially for the Nigerian Automobile
Space.
1Abdulrahman O. Ibraheem,
1Thomas K. Yesufu,
1Olusegun J. Adesoji
In this “on-going work,” we give a description of a prototype plate number recognition
system we have built with Nigerian license plates in mind, but which can easily be extended
to carter to license plates of several other countries as well. Like most pattern recognition
systems, our system’s pipeline begins with a pre-processing stage, wherein we use to
achieve some level of illumination invariance. Next, we employ k-means to segment the
image space firstly based on RGB values, and then based on object size. Next, in a feature
extraction stage, we extract fourteen simple intuitive geometric features from image-space
objects. Then we feed these features into a nearest neighbour classifier which computes
scores for individual objects in the segmented image space based on the features extracted
for them. We then use a constrained optimization-like heuristic rule to parlay these scores
into decisions about which objects most likely belong to the plate number string. Upon
testing on real world Nigerian license plate numbers, our prototype system yielded
encouraging results.
Simulation Graph Implementation Framework using Model Transformation
1Adedoyin Adegoke, Mamadou K. Traoré
1African University of Science and Technology,
Abuja, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]
WORK IN PROGRESS
Page | 10
2Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand 2 Campus des Cézeaux, 63173 Aubière,
E-mail: [email protected]
Simulation Graph Framework (SGF) is a conceptual framework that supports the development of DEVS
PDES implementation strategies. It has been abstractly described and thus needs to be made available to
modelers or practitioners as automated software components. To achieve this, in this paper, we describe the
software components that can help each builder of DEVS distributed simulation to obtain his own DEVS
implementation strategy
Towards A Unified Framework for Holistic Study and Analysis of Discrete Events Systems
1Hamzat Olanrewaju Aliyu,
2Mamadou Kaba Traoré
1School of Information and Communication Technology,
Federal University of Technology
Minna, Nigeria
2 LIMOS CNRS UMR 6158 Université Blaise Pascal
Clermont-Ferrand, France
Simulation-based and Formal Methods (FM) approaches are often used to provide solutions to complex
problems through analysis of system properties. Significant theoretical advancements have been made over
the years in the area of developing formalisms and solution algorithms for system-based computational
science; however, most existing system development environments are dedicated to certain analysis
methodologies thereby making it (almost) a necessity to always build separate models of the same system for
different analyses. Therefore, exhaustive analysis of systems often require more modelling efforts and skills
since no single method is sufficient to investigate all aspects of a system. In this research, we propose a
blueprint for developing an extensible multi-objective framework to harness the synergy of disparate
approaches for holistic analysis of Discrete Events Systems (DES). The proposed methodology relies on
model-driven development (MDD) techniques to derive models for disparate analysis objectives from a
unified reference model at the kernel of the framework.
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An Integrated Approach to the Specification, Simulation, Formal Analysis and Enactment of
Discrete Event Systems
1Oumar Maïga,
2Mamadou Kaba Traoré
1Université des Sciences, Techniques
et Technologies, Bamako, Mali
2LIMOS CNRS UMR 6158, Clermont-Ferrand, France
[email protected] [email protected]
This paper presents an integrated approach to discrete event systems specification and analysis.
The approach is based on the graphical language HiLLS (High Level Language for System Specification).
We defined HiLLS by using meta model composition techniques to consistently integrate complementary
constructs from System Theory and Software Engineering so that it can serve as a common denominator
whose instances can be used as resultant models from which equivalent models of Discrete Event Systems
can be automatically derived for simulation, enactment and logical reasoning using formal methods.
Precisely HiLLS integrates concepts for DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) and Object-Z.
Modelling of the Back Propagation Neural Network for Medical Diagnostic Systems
1Stephen Gbenga Fashoto,
2Michael Adeyeye,
3Olumide Owolabi and
4Odim Mba
1Kampala International University Kampala Uganda [email protected]
2Sheridan College, Western Australia, Australia
3University of Abuja Abuja Nigeria [email protected]
4Redeemers University Ede Osun state Nigeria [email protected]
Page | 12
This study explores a data mining technique to solve the problem associated with the medical diagnosis of
acute inflammations of urinary bladder and acute nephritises. Medical diagnosis is a complex classification
problem that lacks an analytic or algorithmic solution. The diagnosis problem considered is a classification
problem with two types of decision patterns. First, the pattern of the problem is irregular and therefore hard
to explicitly derive an analytical or algorithmic solution. Second, the pattern is to determine the classification
accuracy reached. However, the problem can be modelled. A Data Mining approach based on back
propagation algorithm is applied to the diagnosis problem. The Data Mining approach allows computers to
develop a mechanism to emulate the data based on knowledge gained from dynamic observations. Modelling
of the data is done using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). A feed forward neural network model using six
neuron input and varied numbers of hidden neuron is used. The model is trained and tested by partitioning
the data into a ratio of four to one (4:1). The four-fifth, which is eighty percent (80%) of the data, is then
used for training while the remaining one-fifth, twenty percent (20%), is used for testing the trained neural
network model. The output is compared to a known result until the network output error is significantly
reduced. The output shows the classification accuracy of the model to be approximately ninety percent
(90%), which implies that only one out of ten classifications is incorrect.
Keywords: Medical Diagnosis, Neural Network, Back Propagation, Multilayer Perceptron
A Generic Approach for Initializing Complex Models
1Hasina Lalaina Rakotonirainy,
2Jean-Pierre Müller,
1Bertin Olivier Ramamonjisoa
1LRAM, University of Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
2GREEN, CIRAD
Montpellier, France
Researchers are increasingly using complex models to understand socio ecosystems (SES) with biophysical
and social dynamics, and their interactions. The initialization and parameterization of these models require a
lot of data, and their semantics and support are heterogeneous. Despite various efforts, the proposed
approaches are fairly ad hoc and no general framework has been proposed to initialize complex SES models.
This paper aims at providing a generic framework for the initialization problem, bearing in mind that model
Page | 13
initialization is not only building the initial state of the model, but also specifying time series (for example,
climate series) and parameterizing processes. We propose to reformulate the model initialization issue as a
transformation of data (collected by thematicians) into data structures as used by computer programs. This
enables the use of Model Driven Engineering (MDE) concepts and the implementation of domain specific
languages (DSL) needed to initialize the model.
Model Driven Engineering, Applied to Observation Problems of Socio-environmental Models
1Hasina Lalaina Rakotonirainy,
2Jean-Pierre Müller,
1Bertin Olivier Ramamonjisoa
1LRAM, University of Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
2GREEN, CIRAD
Montpellier, France
Researchers need to use complex models to understand socio-ecosystems (SES). However, observing SES
models becomes a difficult task and no general framework exists to solve this problem. The aim of this paper
is to propose a generic framework to specify the observation of SES models in order to easily generate the
indicators that thematicians wish to monitor during simulation. To that end, we propose to reformulate the
observation process as a transformation problem between data structures. This enables the concepts of Model
Driven Engineering (MDE) to be used in the implementation of the domain specific languages (DSL). We
designed dedicated languages to enable specify of what to observe, define which observation strategy to use,
and decide how to generate the indicators.
Centralized and Distributed Scheduling Schemes for Coverage and Lifetime Maximization in
Wireless Sensor Networks
Page | 14
1Babacar Diop,
1Dame Diongue,
1Ousmane Thiare,
1Department of Computer Science
UFR SAT, University Gaston Berger
BP. 234 Saint-Louis, Senegal
When several low power sensors are randomly deployed in a sensing area for monitoring, managing the
network lifetime is useful as long as replacing battery of dead sensors is not often feasible. The most
commonly investigated mechanism for coverage preserving and maximizing the network lifetime is to design
efficient sleep scheduling protocols, so that sensors can alternate their state between being active or not.
Maximizing lifetime of a sensor network while satisfying a predefined requirement is an optimization
problem, which most of times cannot be optimally solved in polynomial time. In this paper, we present
centralized and distributed scheduling schemes for target coverage and lifetime maximization in wireless
sensor networks.
Introducing Hills: High Level Language for System Specification
Hamzat Olanrewaju Aliyu1, Oumar Maiga
2, Hajara Innyah Abdulwahab
3, Mamadou Kaba Traore
4
1School of Information & Comm. Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
2Universit´e des Sciences, Techniques et Technologies, Bamako, Mali
3African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria
4LIMOS CNRS UMR 6158, Universit´e Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
We introduce the High Level Language for system Specification (HiLLS), a graphical formalism to model
discrete events systems for simulation formal analysis and code synthesis for enactment. Simulation and
Formal Methods are often used in the study and development of complex systems. Though there has been
significant progress in the creation of formalisms and tools supporting individual methodologies, making
specifications amenable to analysis using disparate methodologies is still a challenge; hence, separate models
of the same system are often created for different solutions. In addition to the enormous modelling tasks,
extra work is required to maintain consistencies between disparate models. HiLLS proposes a multisemantics
modeling methodology through the integration of concepts from system theory and software engineering to
Page | 15
specify system models that are amenable to simulation, formal analysis and code synthesis for enactment.
This paper presents an introduction of HiLLS and a case study to illustrate its use.
Keywords
HiLLS, Simulation, Formal Analysis, Enactment, Formalism integration
Uppercase Yoruba Character Recognition using Bayesian Decision Theory under a Decision
Tree.
1Abdulrahman O. Ibraheem,
1Odetunji A. Odejobi
1Computing and Intelligent Systems Research Group,
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state, Nigeria.
In this paper, we present a system for the automatic classification of diacritically-marked handwritten
uppercase Yoruba letters in offline mode. Our approach involves six stages: a pre-processing stage; a
segmentation stage for isolating the roman letter from the diacritical marks; a feature extraction stage where
eight geometric properties of the roman letter are computed; a Bayesian classifier stage where the roman
letter is classified based on the extracted features; a decision tree stage where the diacritical marks are
recognized; and a result fusion stage where the results of the two latter stages are combined into a single final
class label. A recognition rate of 91.18% was obtained. Also, we introduce three new simple features and a
new criterion for comparing the efficacies of features, and show that one of the three features we introduced
outperforms some of the more traditional features, based on the criterion we introduced.
Page | 16
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM
IN AUSTECH
Page | 17
The Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI) of the African University of Science and
Technology (AUST)
O. Akin-Ojo and O. Odusanya
The concept of the Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI) was developed in order to explore ways of adding
value to Africa’s rich array of natural resources in ways that can impact the lives of African people. PAMI
aims to develop African capacity and add value to materials and mineral resources within the Western and
Central African regions. The institute will use a systems-based interdisciplinary approach to bring together a
team of scientists, engineers, industrialists, policymakers, and development stakeholders to engage in
training and research activities that employ a materials approach to develop effective solutions to African
needs in: electrical power; disease detection and treatment; water purification, affordable
housing/infrastructure and safer and more efficient mining practices. These solutions will be achieved by
engaging teams of mathematicians, physicists, materials scientists and engineers, computer scientists,
petroleum engineers, chemists, and biologists in interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research that will
result in the development of: Solar cells and light emitting devices; Biomedical devices for disease detection
and treatment; materials for water purification, housing infrastructure, and applications in the oil and gas and
mining industries. PAMI will coordinate the development of a critical mass of Africans by supporting the
training of a minimum of 200 MSc and 50 PhD graduates. In addition, at least 1200 people from industry,
government and business will take short courses at PAMI. These will be courses that can contribute to the
development of the materials’ potential in the Western and Central African regions.
MATERIALS FOR ENERGY
Moroccan Rock Suitability for Temperature Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Tower Power
Plants
Y.Jemmala,B, N.Zaria* , M.Maaroufib
1Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science Innovation and Research (MAScIR), Rabat. Morocco
2 Mohammed V Agdal University, Ecole Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs (EMI), Department of Electrical
Engineering, Rabat. Morocco* Corresponding author:[email protected]
Page | 18
The present research aims to identify a batch of Moroccan rocks which have optimal thermal properties and
high storage capacities as low cost materials for concentrated solar power plants. Within this work, a review
of literature has been conducted in order to define a methodology of rock selection. Those rocks are chosen
according to their particle size, shape, porosity, calorific capacity, thermal conductivity, mechanical
resistance and surface characteristics. All these properties must be taken into consideration to choose the
appropriate material storage. Thus, several Moroccan rocks have been identified as potential candidate
materials susceptible to be used in a packed bed storage system.
Performances Enhancement of Thin Film A-Si:H Photovoltaic Devices by Incorporating Ag
Nanoparticles (Ag Nps)
Peiqing Yu1, Jean-Philippe Blondeau
1, Esidor Ntsoenzok
1, Timothée Pingault
1, Perrine Dutheil
2, Anne
Lise Thomann2, Amael Caillard
2, Caroline Andreazza
3, Julien Roussel
4, Eric Millon
4 Elyaakoubi
Mustapha5, Jacque Meot
5, Christophe Longeaud
6, Alexandre Jaffré
6,
1CEMTHI UPR3079-Site Cyclotron, CNRS, 45071 Orléans, France
2CRMD FRE 35201, CNRS, 45100 Orléans, France
3PRISME UPRES 42298, Université d’Orléans, 45072 Orléans, France
4Gremi UMR7344, CNRS/Université d'Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
5SOLEMS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
6GeePs (LGEP-UMR 8507), Centrale SUPELEC-CNRS
Thin-film a-Si:H solar cells offer the benefit of reducing material consumption and fabrication costs.
Additional benefits include advantages of light-weight and possible flexible devices by roll-to-roll deposition
processing. However, such thin absorbing layer reduces the photovoltaic efficiency, due to the decrease in a-
Si:H layer optical path length and its poor light absorption at red and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Metal
NPs such as Ag can exhibit strong localized surface plasmon resonances (SPR) at UV, visible and NIR
wavelengths. Their optical properties can be tuned by changing their size, shape, or by altering the local
dielectric environment. They have been shown to increase the absorption in the active material and then the
cell performances. However, NPs size and position in such cells need to be optimized. Our work’s goal is to
understand NPs influence in such cells and to perform an optimal structure by increasing the light absorbed
within the cell using NPs scattering and luminescence.
Page | 19
Modeling based on Mie theory is first carried out with bhmie program using bulk Palik data. The SPR
proprieties of an Ag sphere are calculated for various diameters and refractive medium indexes. Using
simulation parameters, ultra-thin Ag layers were deposited on different SnO2 substrates by Plasma sputtering
magnetron at 300°C during 1 minute. We obtained NPs with diameters include from 10-100nm, with various
shapes.
UV-Visible spectroscopy displays localized SPR around 520nm and 580nm respectively for Ag layers on
different SnO2 substrates. Correlated with SEM images and simulation results, these SPR allow us to
assume: 1) Ag NPs were formed in air (n=1) and within Ag oxide (n=2.5) because of the oxidation
during/after the deposition; 2) Ag NPs shapes play an important role to SPR in such layers.
Thin films a-Si:H solar cells with Ag NPs based on these results were prepared. Characterized with Spectral
Response, the configuration in NIP junction with the Ag NPs in back contact optimizes the photovoltaic
properties with a performance improvement about 14%-19%. It is the best improvement induced by NPs in
such cells reported so far. This improvement observed at wavelength between 550~750nm is due to Ag NP
backscattering, based on one/both of two above assumptions. Our future work focus on the confirmation of
Ag oxide and Ag NPs shape influence (simulation).
Energy Performance of Different Silicon Photovoltaic Technologies under Hot and Harsh
Climate
Alain K. Tossaa, Y. M. Soro1, L. Thiaw
2, Y. Azoumah
3, Lionel Sicot
4, D. Yamegueu
5, Claude Lishou
6.
1LESEE-2iE, Laboratory for Solar Energy and Energy Savings, 01 BP 594 Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
1, 2 Ecole Supérieur Polytechnique de Dakar, Senegal,
3SIREA-AFRIQUE, BP11 Kamboinsé, Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso, 4 INES CEA/LITEN- Laboratoire des Modules Photovoltaïques (LMPV), BP 332 –Savoie
Technolac, France
[email protected] / [email protected]
Among all the available sources of renewable energy, the solar energy occupies a prominent place in Africa
because of its high potential. There are also several technologies of photovoltaic modules; and their
performances, ageing and lifetime strongly depend on the climate and the environment [1] of their
installation site. Therefore, it is difficult without investigation, to know for a given site, the technology which
is better suited with the real operating conditions [2]. This study presents a performance comparison study of
four photovoltaic modules considered from three silicon technologies: one monocrystalline silicon module
named VIC003, two polycrystalline silicon modules from different manufacturers (VIC006, SUN011) and
one tandem structure of amorphous (also named micromorph) silicon module (SHA017). The measurements
Page | 20
were carried out at Laboratory for Solar Energy and Energy Savings (LESEE/2iE) at Ouagadougou, the
capital of Burkina Faso located in the Sudano Sahelian climate. Such a study helps to defining the strengths
and weaknesses of various PV modules under Sudano Sahelian climate of West Africa.
The Role of Nanostructured Metal Hydrides in Energy Storage
Peter Ngene
Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science-Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Utrecht
University, the Netherlands
The development of efficient energy storage systems is a key ingredient that will facilitate the realization of a
future, more sustainable energy infrastructure based on renewable sources like solar and wind.
Nanostructured materials play a pivotal role in energy conversion and storage. In this presentation, I will
highlight the role of nanomaterials in energy storage, with a specific focus on nanostructured metal
hydrides as enabling materials for the realization of zero emission vehicle technology, and for large scale
stationary energy storage applications. The presentation will be focus on the light metals, such as
Li Mg, Na, and their composite materials. These materials are able to store large amounts (5-
20 wt%) of hydrogen by reversible formation of hydrides, thus making them attractive for
reversible hydrogen storage in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
In addition, their complex hydrides such as LiBH4, NaBH4, and MgBH4 possess high ionic conductivities
(Li+, Na+, Mg+) which make them also interesting as solid state electrolytes in high energy density
rechargeable batteries. However, the hydrogen storage properties, and ionic conductivities of these
materials in their macrocrystalline or bulk state are not sufficient for practical energy storage applications. I
will discuss how nanosizing and nanoconfinement fundamentally change the material properties,
and hence the thermodynamics, kinetics and reversibility of hydrogen storage, and ion mobility in
these materials. Finally I will show how nanostructured metal hydrides can be used to develop inexpensive
hydrogen sensors needed for
Easy monitoring of hydrogen leaks in the hydrogen economy.
Assessing the Intersection between Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development and the
Challenges of Environmental Justice in Nigeria.
Olanrewaju O. Adeojo1 and Olusegun Michael Osinibi
2
Page | 21
1Department of Business and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law
Olabisi Onabanjo University
Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State
2Department of Private Law
Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University
Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State
Energy is of utmost importance to the survival of man. Vosser (2012) illustrates this by the analysis that each
calorie of food we consume requires an average input of five calories of fossil fuel, and for high-end
products like beef this rises to an average of 80 calories. He also notes that the energy sector is the biggest
industrial user of fresh water, accounting for 40% of all freshwater withdrawals in the United States. In
essence, the energy industry significantly influences the vibrancy and sustainability of the entire economy –
from job creation to resource efficiency and the environment (Vosser, 2012). However, the main problem is
that the predominant energy source in the world today and particularly in Nigeria is fossil fuels which by
their nature are non-renewable and have significantly damaging effects on the environment, thus prompting
awareness on the need to develop renewable energy. The objective of this paper is thus to identify the main
problems associated with the continued over-dependence on fossil fuels in Nigeria and advance reasons why
massive investment in renewable energy sources is of utmost importance in attaining sustainable
development in Nigeria. The research methodology adopted is a qualitative one which involves analysis of
available relevant literature and statutes from socio-economic and legal perspectives.
Effects of Aluminium Layer Thickness on the Transparent Conductive Properties of
Zno/Al/Zno Electrodes
1Egidius Rutatizibwa Rwenyagila,
2Omololu Akin-Ojo,
3Martiale Gaetan Zebaze Kana,
4Benjamin Agyei-
Tuffour, 5Keyna Oluchuku Onogu,
6Winston Oluwole Soboyejo
1Physics Department, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35063, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2Department of Theoretical and Applied Physics, AUST, PMB 681, Abuja, Nigeria
3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, PMB 1530, Malete, Nigeria
Page | 22
4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Private Mail Bag, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra,
Ghana
5Advanced Physics Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), PMB 186, Nigeria
6Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering & the Princeton Institute of Science and Technology
of Materials, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, USA
This paper examines the effects of aluminium (Al) layer thicknesses on the transparent electrode (TE)
properties of multilayered ZnO/Al/ZnO (ZAZ) films. Numerical computations were used to predict the
optimal transmittances (Ts) of the stacks with mid-Al layer thicknesses between ~ 1 and 40 nm. Multilayers
with mid-Al layer thicknesses between ~ 1 and 10 nm are shown to have average optical solar T values
between ~ 75 and 90%, which decreased further to ~ 63 and 41% for the mid-layer Al thicknesses of 20 and
40 nm, respectively. The simulations are comparable with experimental measurements on multilayered ZAZ
films produced using the predicted mid-Al layer thicknesses. The electrical data are presented for multilayers
with optimum Al layer thicknesses. The results show that the best ZAZ multilayers have the highest Haacke
figure of merit of 4.72 and sheet resistances as low as ~ 7.25 these are also shown to be
comparable to the performance characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) anodes that are used currently in
organic solar cells (OSCs) and organic light emitting devices (OLEDs).
New Frontiers in Organic Photovoltaics and Organic Light Emitting Devices
V.C. Anye1,2 M.G. Zebaze Kana
3, and W.O. Soboyejo
4,5
1Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja,
FCT, Nigeria
3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria
4Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
5Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Princeton University, Princeton,
NJ, 08544, USA
Page | 23
Organic semiconducting devices have attracted much attention in recent years because of their increasing
potential in a wide spectrum of applications including lighting, display, and electricity production among
others. A simple organic semiconducting device is made up of an organic material such as a conjugated
polymer of known band gap sandwiched by two electrodes (a low work function cathode and high work
function anode). In an organic light emitting diode (OLED), charges are injected from the electrodes into the
active layer of the device. These form a quantum mechanically bound state called excitons which decay
radiatively to emit photons or light. The color of the light produced is dependent on the band gap of the
active layer material of the device. Running the OLED in reverse gives rise to a solar cell. In recent years,
different materials and processing techniques have been used in the fabrication of organic solar cells and
light emitting diodes. In this paper, we review some of the techniques, underlining the challenges involved
and how to surmount these. A major concern with these devices is degradation or life time issues. In this
paper, we also review a cost effective method to overcome this by encapsulation of the device with
polydimethyl siloxane. Progress in this technology will proffer solutions to the enormous global energy crisis
we are experiencing.
BIOMATERIALS
A Treatise on Biomaterials Research Efforts at African University of Science and Technology
(AUST)
O.S. Odusanya1, Danyuo Yiporo
2, S.O. Dozie-Nwachukwu
1,2, G.A. Euk-Udo
1, J. D. Obayemi
3. C. Ani
2,
Azeko Salifu2, N. Anuku
3, K. Malatesta
3, and W.O. Soboyejo
3
1Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex
(SHESTCO). P.M.B 186, Garki, Abuja. Nigeria.
2.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST).
Kilometer 10 Abuja Airport Road, Abuja. Nigeria.
3 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544, USA.
We have developed a robust capacity to generate nanoparticles of gold and silver from biological sources
including Bacteria, plants and their effluents as well as dairy. We have tethered the nanoparticles to
Molecular Recognition Units – (MRUs) such as luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as foliate. We have used drugs such as Prodigiosin, Paclitaxel, Taxol,
Doxorubicin and studied their interactions by force microscopy and in vitro cell death. In these studies,
Page | 24
thermotherapy and targeted drug delivery have been examined individually and in synergy. Some of the
plants we have used have folkloric associations with tumor tissue management in West Africa. Our results
have shown that Prodigiosin could be as effective as Paclitaxel in the management of breast cancer. In
another embodiment of our work, we have examined inductive heat and conducted heat application, singly
and in combination with drugs on temperature sensitive gels in BIOMEMS devices that are designed to
deliver drugs to areas previously excised of tumor. These efforts are discussed with a view of developing
breast cancer detection and treatment methods and reinforcing the teaching of Materials Science and
Engineering in an emerging centre of excellence.
Magnetic Nanocomposite Structures for Elimination of Residual Breast Cancer
Kwabena Kan-Dapaah1, Nima Rahbar
2, and Wole O. Soboyejo
3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA,
USA
3Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, USA
The treatment for early-stage breast cancer typically involves mastectomy or lumpectomy followed by
radiation therapy to remove any residual cancer cells. Although mastectomy leaves relatively less residual
cells, it is an aggressive form of treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Therefore, treatment modalities that
could enhance the use of lumpectomy are needed. In this work, a combination of experiments and models
was used to study the structural, magnetic and thermometric properties of magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-
filled PDMS nanocomposites. These are studied as a function of MNP (maghemite) weight fraction. In an
effort to investigate the in-vivo thermal doses, a 3D finite element method (FEM) model was used to
simulate the heating of breast tissue under alternating magnetic field (AMF) parameters safe for human use.
The properties of the nanocomposites are shown to be controlled by the properties and weight fraction of
MNPs. Furthermore, thermoseeds were shown to have the potential to achieve in-vivo hyperthermic or
ablative temperature levels. The results show that, by controlling the amount of MNPs, this simple
multifunctional nanocomposite system has the potential to achieve lesion sizes required to eliminate residual
cells under AMF parameters that are safe for human use.
Page | 25
Silica Coated La0.7sr0.3mno3 Magnetic Nanoparticles for Anticancer Therapeutics:
Synthesis, Characterisation and Ph-Responsive Controlled Drug Release Studies
Ehi-Eromosele, C.O.1, Ita, B.I.
1&2, Iweala, E.E.J.
3, Edobor-Osoh A.
1
1. Department of Chemistry, Covenant University, PMB 1023, Ota, Nigeria.
2. Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
3. Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, PMB 1023, Ota, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author E-mail and Phone: [email protected],
+234-8039576084
The present focus in nanomedicine is to create multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for a more
effective cancer therapy. The aim is to combine more than one of the cancer treatments in one therapy like
localized hyperthermia with controlled drug delivery at specific tumor sites. La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 MNPs were
synthesized by solution combustion synthesis and the optimized MNPs were coated with silica. The
synthesized MNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry-differential thermal
analysis (TG-DTA), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy dispersive absorption
spectroscopy (EDAX), fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating scanning magnetometer
(VSM), zeta potential measurements and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The XRD patterns
indicate that the crystalline structure is a single perovskite phase which was retained after silica coating.
Silica coating on La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 was found to reduce the nanoparticle crystallite and magnetic properties.
The magnetic measurement revealed unusually low saturation magnetization but near super paramagnetic
behaviour in bare and coated samples. The anticancer drug delivery of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 MNPs was carried
out. Silica coatings with improved surface area and high specific volume were utilized for the loading of 5-
Fluoro uracil (5-FU) – a well-known anti-cancer drug. The silica surface was functionalized with amino
propyl (LSMO-SiO2-NH2) to achieve charge reversal of the designed system from negative to positive as
pH varied from 7.4 to 5 which was used for the effective release of the cargo at endosomal pH 5. The high
drug loading, pH-sensitive release of 5-FU and the frequency dependent magnetic response suggest that
LSMO-SiO2-NH2 is a promising material targeted drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia applications.
Page | 26
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
Multifunctional Composites Technologies in Intelligent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (IUAV)
Leo Daniel
Provost, College of Engineering & Technology
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kwara State University, Ilorin
Email: [email protected] &
College of Engineering, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148 Email:
In recent years significant efforts have been made at national and international level to improve the
technologies needed for future Intelligent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (IUAV) systems. Innovative concepts,
smart structures (e.g. sensing and actuation linked through control algorithms), multifunctional materials and
manufacturing processes become of paramount importance to meeting these challenges posed for highly and
latent demand, yet untapped market niches, for IUAV technologies. One such technological challenge is the
ability to predict the functional behaviour of integrated multifunctional structures for a specific application
that depends largely on strength, toughness, wear resistance, fatigue, or impact damage tolerance, named it.
To accomplish this fit requires the understanding of variety of materials-related behavioral phenomena. The
application of multifunctional structures to IUAV have been explored to a large extent in existing
engineering structural systems, but most of the solutions provided have not achieved true application
technology readiness level (TRL), because much emphasis has been placed on traditional military and
commercial aircraft technologies. With an eye towards homeland defence needs, the growing use of smart
and intelligent structures for this vehicle has arisen from their ability to sense, target and disrupt very small
operation and changes in their environment. This paper addresses the use of these materials for a small size
and low weight IUAV primary structure with operated speed of 40-50 mph. Specific aspects related to nano
materials that can create multifunctional capability in such vehicle application is investigated. An example is
depicted below of Water Sampling and Treatment Delivery IUAV.
Page | 27
Exploration of Pozzolanic Material from Waterworks Sludge: Towards Achieving Sustainable
Development Goals
Anyakora, Nkolika Victoria
Research unit, R & P Department, Federal Capital Territory Water Board, Abuja, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
The transition from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) by the end of year 2015 has necessitated increase in research activities that can positively
affect the lives of citizens in developing countries. These involve the use of Materials Approach’ in
actualizing the quest for provision of potable water and affordable housing/infrastructure. An indication of
technical feasibility of resource recovery from Lower Usuma Dam Water Treatment Plant Abuja
(LUDWTP) sludge is elicited, as well as recommendations for further study. This paper
presents the necessary, but adequate information to assist sub-Sahara African countries in
attaining long-term approach in managing the risk of water security towards the actualization
of the SDGs agenda in the areas of water, sanitation and housing/infrastructure. It seeks to present a
strategic guide for collaborative research between stakeholders in the water industry, construction industry
and scientific research community; provide the science and engineering outlay necessary for the application
of Integrated Resource Recovery Approach (IRRA) in water and waste management in the
delineated area. The expected outcome is to promote a production-driven economy through production
of sustainable eco-materials for affordable buildings and related infrastructure. Additionally, it
seeks to encourage investments through Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), uplift the
economy, create and save millions of jobs, and address the long-neglected challenges often
experienced from the disconnect between the academia and the industry in executing solution-driven
research.
Microstructure and Corrosion Behaviour of Al-Based Coatings in Nacl Solution: Roles
Chromium and Nitrogen
Omoniyi Fasuba
Page | 28
Cadmium coatings offer excellent corrosion resistance to ferrous substrates, mainly fasteners components.
However, environmental, health and safety issues associated with cadmium have driven many users to seek
alternatives. Al-based coatings are potential candidates to replace cadmium because of their low toxicity
and high corrosion resistance in aggressive media.
Thus, the effects of chromium and nitrogen on the morphology and corrosion performance
of Al, AlCr and AlCrN coatings synthesised by Electron Beam Plasma Vapour Deposition
(EBPVD) technique were studied and compared with cadmium coating in 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution.
The optimization of these coating systems by means of tailoring the structure and composition to provide
improved corrosion resistance was evaluated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques were used to characterise the
structure and composition of the coatings whilst electrochemical corrosion techniques: open
circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were
used to classify the coatings pertaining to their mechanism of corrosion.
XRD and SEM results obtained for the coatings showed a denser coating structure for the
AlCr coating compared to the Al coating and an increased densification of the coating
morphology for the AlCrN coating with respect to other coatings investigated. In terms of mechanism of
corrosion, the Al coating showed significant pitting while the AlCr coating exhibited
combined effective barrier protection for the steel substrate as well as an evenly distributed
sacrificial dissolution. For the AlCrN coating, the current plateau observed at higher anodic
over potential in the polarisation test suggest significant passivation. Overall, results obtained for
the AlCr coating indicates that the coating may cathodically protect a typical ferrous steel substrate.
Aquasolar-Maroc Project: Brackish Water Desalination by Coupling Solar Energy with
Reverse Osmosis and Membrane Distillation Process
B. Belhorma1, K. Gourai
2, K. Allam
2, A. ElBouari
2, L. Bih
3, N. Cherai
4
1 National Centre for Energy, Nuclear Science and Technology, CNESTEN, B.P. 1382 R.P. 10001,
2Faculty of science Ben M'sik, University Hassan II Casablanca.
3Faculty of science, University Moulay Ismail Meknes
4 LSA Industries, 125 Rue Michel de l’Hopital Roches Noires, 20290, Casablanca
Page | 29
AquaSolar-Maroc project focuses on brackish water desalination using solar energy. This project is funded
by the Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New energies (IRESEN), and involves both scientists and
engineers from universities and private industrial companies.
The chosen technologies consist of a combination of reverse osmosis (RO) powered by photovoltaic (PV)
panels and membrane distillation (MD) powered by solar thermal panels. This pilot station is dimensioned to
produce on average 5m3 of drinking water per hour.
The solar potential of Morocco is among the most higher in the world, with an average irradiance of
2.8MWh/year. The solar field of the station is composed of 57 flat photovoltaic solar panels and 18 flat
thermal solar panels, producing respectively 10kWe and 14kWth necessary to supply autonomously the
whole station composed of the RO and MD processes as well as the accessories (air conditioning and
lighting).
Among the project work packages, we can cite:
• Study of hydrological and climatic conditions of the site
• Study of the technical performances of RO/PV and MD/thermal processes individually as well as
their coupling
• Study of perspective material for low cost water treatment
This paper gives an overview on the AquaSolar-Maroc project, and the main performances of the RO
system.
Thermoelectric Properties of (Bisb) 2te3/Te Eutectic Structure in a New Composition of
Bisbte Alloy: Naturally Grown Multi-Layered Structure in Large Quantities via a Simple
Flame Melting Route.
Olu Emmanuel Femi1, K. Chattopadhyay
1, N. Ravishankar
2,
1 Department of Material Engineering, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore-12
2 Material Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore-12
Email: [email protected]
MINERAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSING
Page | 30
Besides higher thermoelectric figure of merit, segmented thermoelectric generators (TEG) requires
compatible P and N type materials for optimum efficiency. We show that, tuning of composition during
melting and solidification of ternary Bi-Sb-Te alloys allows us to synthesis a range of microstructures
containing primary solid solution of (Bi, Sb)Te3 compounds with or without smaller amounts of Te solid
solution or (Bi, Sb)Te compound. Te exists as constituent of multilayer domain while (Bi, Sb)Te appears in
the thin intercellular regions of (Bi, Sb)Te3 dendritic cells. We show that the presence of Te impart an n-type
behavior for the thermoelectric properties while the (Bi, Sb)Te3 with smaller amount of (Bi, Sb)Te exhibit p-
type properties. A compatibility factor of less than 2 was obtained for pairs of p type Bi29Sb11Te60 and n-
type Bi20Sb12Te69 with a ZT value of ≈ 0.4 at 425K. This talk will enumerate the importance of
thermoelectric material as alternative energy source and their usefulness in conversion of waste heat into
useful energy. The physics of thermoelectric material and the underlining requirement for a good
thermoelectric generator shall also be discussed.
Gold Cyanidation and Characterization of Itagunmodi Gold Deposit Using Cyanide from
Cassava
1,3,4Adetunji, A.R,
2,3Ogundare, O.D.,
3Adeoye, M.O.,
1Prototype Engineering Development Institute,
Ilesa Nigeria.
2Engineering Materials Development Institute,
Akure Nigeria.
3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile Ife Nigeria
4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja,
Nigeria.
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
The cyanide content in cassava has been known to be harmful if not properly processed before consumption.
Harnessing this cyanide for gold beneficiation has been the major thrust of this work. Gold cyanidation and
characterization of Itagunmodi gold deposit using cyanide from cassava has therefore been investigated. The
gold ore was subjected to selective removal of associated minerals, treated to varied concentrations of
cyanide extracted from cassava and precipitation of the gold. The precipitated gold was characterized using
optical microscope, SEM - EDX, EDXRF and XRFS. The result showed that after 24 hours of cyanidation
using analar grade sodium cyanide of 60 mg/l, 10 g Itagunmodi gold ore concentrate yielded 0.096 g (96 mg)
Page | 31
gold. Also, under the same condition, using cassava based cyanide concentration of 60 mg/l, 10 g
Itagunmodi gold ore concentrate yielded 0.08 g (80 mg) gold. This work has shown that sourcing cyanide
from cassava waste for gold leaching is the appropriate alternative to the conventional cyanidation.
Promoting Value Addition of Biomaterials and Capacity Building for Economic
Transformation in Africa through Innovations in Postharvest Technology and Agro-
Processing: A Case Study on the Impact of the South African Research Chair in Postharvest
Technology
Umezuruike Linus Opara
DST-NRF South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]
In recent times, the prevailing economic narrative of Africa has changed from one of ‘hopelessness’ to the
new mantra of ‘Africa Rising’ that is characterised by optimism and hope. Increasing foreign direct
investment, particularly in the extractive industries, has contributed to high and consistent growth rates in
many African countries, with the continent accounting for the majority of the top ten fastest growing
economies in the world. However, there is also increasing realisation that for economic growth to lead to
improvements in the lives of the majority of people, it must be inclusive and deliver more jobs and income.
With rising human population and demand for food and other basic human needs, there is growing concern
about the ability of Africa to meet its food security needs and also contribute to the wicked problem of
feeding a rising global population that is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. While the continent accounts
for over 60% of global uncultivated land, the challenges of sustainable development and environmental
protection suggest limited opportunities for extensification as a strategy for future increases in agricultural
production. Furthermore, high incidence of postharvest losses of agricultural biomaterials – amounting to
over US$40 billion per year in Africa and very limited processing activities, present new opportunities for
value proposition that could spur the development of novel products and services, which in turn create new
employment and income opportunities. In this keynote address, we review the status of the postharvest sector
and value addition in Africa and globally, highlighting the incidence and magnitude of losses and waste.
Following a discussion on the impact of value-addition on economic development, we highlight the model
developed and applied by SARChI Postharvest Technology at Stellenbosch University to drive capacity
development and cutting-edge research and innovation in postharvest technology in South Africa. Recent
technological advances for improved handling and value-addition of pomegranate fruit will be used to
FOOD PRESERVATION AND AGRO PROCESSING
Page | 32
demonstrate both the economic impact and importance of investment in R&D. Examples of recent
innovations in cold chain management, packaging and preservation of harvested raw materials will be
presented. Potential frameworks for sharing and scaling out these experiences for impact on other African
countries will be presented and discussed.
Engineering Properties of Biomaterials of African Origin: Measurement, Applications and
Research Needs
A.F. Alonge1 and A.P. Onwualu
2
1Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering,
University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
2Materials Science and Engineering Department,
African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
Most governments in Africa and indeed development partners working in Africa agree that African
agriculture needs to be modernized through the deployment of machines for production, processing, handling
distribution and storage of agricultural and other biological materials. Most of the machines should either be
adapted imported technologies or endogenous technologies developed within the Nigerian innovation
system. Whether one is adapting imported machines, designing new ones or using any of the two, it is
important that the behaviour of the biomaterials under the influence of different types of stress are
understood. This behaviour is characterized by the engineering properties of the materials including:
physical, mechanical, frictional, thermal, aerodynamic, electrical, chemical properties. Research over the
years has generated such properties for most biomaterials that originate from developed economies and these
can easily be obtained from design manuals. For most biomaterials of African origin, such data are not
readily available.
The paper identifies and discusses concepts, methods and instrumentation requirements for measurement of
biomaterials properties and the effect of environmental and process conditions on such properties. The
applications of the materials properties in modelling and design of machines for handling, processing and
storage of agricultural products are discussed using the case study approach. A case is made for a
comprehensive and coordinated study of such properties for different biomaterials of African origin. The use
of the data to be generated in developing design manuals and an electronic materials selection system to aid
designers and operators of process equipment in Africa towards optimizing the performance of the machines
are discussed.
Page | 33
Development of Table-Top Three Dimensional Production System
Adetunji, A. R.; Olaoye, B. O.; Oduola, O. M.; and Odejobi, O. A.
Prototype Engineering Development Institute, Ilesa, Nigeria.
In the history of manufacturing, subtractive methods have often come first. The current industrial revolution
has been focussed on additive manufacturing where parts that formerly were the sole province of subtractive
methods can now in some cases be made more profitably via additive ones. The 3-D printing technology has
been developed to achieve this process. This paper presents the efforts of NASENI through one of its
development institutes- the Prototype Engineering Development Institute (PEDI) Ilesa at developing a table-
top 3-D production system that is affordable for the proliferation of this additive manufacturing technology
in Nigeria.
A Unique and Versatile Furnace Set up Combining in Situ X-Ray Imaging Modes for
Potential Breakthrough in Mc-Si Solidification Mechanisms
Thècle Riberi-Béridot1, Nathalie Mangelinck-Noël
1, Maria Tsoutsouva
1, Guillaume Reinhart
1, Gabrielle
Regula1, Amina Tandjaoui
2, José Baruchel
3,
1Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IM2NP UMR CNRS 7334, Campus Saint Jérôme, case 142, 13397
Marseille Cedex 20 (France)
2Laboratoire de Mécanique de Lille (UMR CNRS 8107), Ecole Centrale de Lille, CS-20048, F-59651
Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex (France)
3ESRF, 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)
email: [email protected]
INSTRUMENTATION AND SOFTWARE APPLICATION
Page | 34
Crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic cell technology is worldwide spread and currently represents about
90% of the PV market. However, grain structure, impurities and defects induced during the crystal growth
process can damp the performances of the PV cells manufactured on this very material.
Nucleation/germination of new grains, twining, grain competition, involve fundamental mechanisms that are
still not fully understood, preventing an efficient and reproducible control of the silicon crystallization by
industrial plants. To achieve mastering good crystalline quality of mc-Si in the next future, a Bridgman
furnace coupled with two X-ray imaging techniques was designed and settled down at the X-ray synchrotron
radiation at ESRF (Grenoble, France). This unique experimental device (GaTSBI set up) allows following
in-situ and in real time the formation of the grain structure either by X-ray radiography or X-ray diffraction
imaging. The X-ray radiography method provides information on the shape and kinetics of the solid/liquid
(S/L) interface. The X-ray diffraction imaging reveals the evolution of the grain shape and structure, the
twinning occurrence, the defect formation and the local level of crystal distortion during growth. The know-
how of the team makes possible starting a growth from a single or mc-Si seed with various grades and initial
defect density. Additionally, some ex-situ characterizations can be carried-out in Aix-Marseilles to get a
better insight on the effective role of each as-grown or intentionally-diffused impurity, or extended defects
on both the grain nucleation and competition (thus the final microstructure) and the electrical properties of
the material (such as EBSD, µPCD, µw-PS, APT, SIMS, etc…). The potentialities of GaTSBI will be shown
and discussed through few melting/solidification experiments.
Multi-Technology Photovoltaic Module Test Bench on the Sirta Meteorological and Climate
Observatory
Anne Migan1, Thomas Mambrini
1, Jordi Badosa
2, Martial Haeffelin
2, Joaquim Nassar
3, Marko Pavlov
4
and Vincent Bourdin4
1 Geeps, Umr 8507 Cnrs ; Centralesupelec, Upmc, Université Paris-Sud; 11 Rue Joliot-Curie,
91192 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France
2 Lmd, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Cnrs, Ecole Polytechnique,
91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
3 Lpicm, Umr 7674 Cnrs ; Ecole Polytechnique, Route De Saclay,
91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
4 Limsi, Bâtiment 508, Rue John Von Neumann,
Page | 35
91405 Orsay Cedex, France
E-Mail: [email protected] - Tel.: +331 69 85 16 42
A photovoltaic (PV) test bench was installed at SIRTA observatory in mid-2014, which allows the
continuous monitoring of the current-voltage characteristics and module temperatures of a range of
commercial PV modules of different technologies. The purpose of such a PV platform is (i) to help
understanding and assessing the yearly performance of various technologies of solar PV module in the local
climate; (ii) to set relationships between weather-related conditions and PV conversion efficiency; (iii) to be
able to precisely sort out ageing-related effects from climate-related effects; and also (iv) to test local
forecasts of PV power generation. The raw data are made available on an open-access platform for education
and research purposes.
Since SIRTA’s location is in an area where cloudiness and low-irradiance operation conditions are frequent,
we have compared the sensitivity of the efficiency of our different module technologies to the ratio of diffuse
irradiance at a given global in-plane irradiance and temperature.
The test bench also makes possible to extract the parameters of equivalent electrical models of the PV
modules from sets of current-voltage curves measured in a wide range of operating conditions, in order to be
able to translate meteorological forecasts into forecasts of power generation.
RFID TECHNOLOGY
Metamaterial-Based Chipless RFID Transponders
Omofoman Daniel
This paper presents a broad class of available RFID transponder or tag solutions developed without the
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) inherent in conventional RFID tags or transponders. Otherwise
referred to as Chipless RFID transponders or tags, this broad class of RFID solutions offer the added
advantages of low sensitivity to radio-frequency interference, low power requirements and characteristic
utilisation over a wider temperature range. Chipless RFID tags or transponders also termed as radio-
frequency (RF) fibers are broadly grouped into two based on the data encoding techniques: time domain
reflectometry (TDR) based and spectral (frequency) signature - based chipless RFID tags. The primary
challenges in the design and development of chipless RFID transponders are data encoding or carrying
capability and interrogation response. For both TDR based and spectral signature based chipless RFID
transponders or tags, the data encoding or carrying capability and interrogation response has been firmly
established to be a function of very broad bandwidth characteristic. This broad bandwidth characteristic is
Page | 36
attributable to the profile and parametric features of the antennas adopted for the Chipless RFID transponder
design. Generally defined as synthetic composite materials exhibiting unnaturally occurring refractive index
properties, metamaterials functioning as resonators have been shown to offer increased performance and
characterisation of antenna systems in terms of the band of operation. Metamaterial-based chipless RFID
transponders have been examined in this paper with the aim of establishing the state-of-the-art and
considerations for future work.
Surface Passivation for High Efficiency Solar Cells using Ultrathin Aluminium Oxide Layers
1Chukwuka Madumelu,
2Adel Gougam
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, P O Box
54224,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, P O Box
54224,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The discontinuity in the periodicity of the surface of crystalline silicon, results in the creation of dangling
bonds. These resulting dangling bonds are available states which act as recombination centres for charged
carriers (electrons and holes) in the semiconductor, leading to significant losses in solar cell devices. A
reduction in the surface recombination loses have been identified as one of the keys to increasing the
efficiency and hence lowering the cost of solar cells. Ultrathin deposition of nanoscale aluminum oxide
layers by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has been found to be very effective in reducing the surface
recombination associated with both p- and n- type crystalline silicon. Atomic layer deposition leads to highly
conformal layers with good repeatability, and gives the added advantages of a low thermal process (150oC).
The passivation effect as observed in Al2O3 layers is a combination of both chemical passivation (by a
reduction in the Density of interface traps, Dit) and field effect passivation (as a result of fixed charges
within the dielectric). This passivation effect leads to a reduction in recombination loses, evidenced by the
low surface recombination velocity, Seff deduced from the measured minority carrier lifetime. However, as
promising as Al2O3 is in achieving low Seff values, its injection level dependence in n-type crystalline
silicon, represents a challenge which ongoing research seeks to address.
Keywords: Atomic layer deposition, Aluminum oxide, passivation, solar cells
PHD PRESENTATION
Page | 37
Advances in Organic Fibre Reinforced Kaolinite Matrix Geopolymer Composites
Odette F. Ngasoh
Materials Science and Engineering Department
African University of Science and Technology
Km 10 Airport Road Galadimawa Abuja
Email: [email protected]
Materials for engineering application are selected based on cost, property, and availability amongst other
properties. The insight into using locally sourced and processed materials is the key to development. The use
of corn straw as a reinforcer has recently called the attention of the scientific body. In recent years,
significant research has been carried out on the use of corn straw as a reinforce. Corn straw is an example of
a green polymer. They are found suitably to reinforce geopolymers. They have relatively high strength and
stiffness, low cost of acquisition, low density, and are readily available. They are environmentally friendly.
This paper reviews some of the outstanding mechanical properties of corn straw that make it an innovative
novel approach to reinforce kaolinite matrix geoplomer composite.
Effect of Liquid Stabilizers on some Tropical Soils
Emeso B. Ojo, Danladi S. Matawal, Godwin L. Yisa, Adamu K. Isah
Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute
Plot 449 Samuel Ogedengbe Crescent
Jabi, PMB 5065 Wuse GPO, Nigeria
There is a large body of research on the effect of cement, lime, fly ash and other traditional materials as
stabilizers for road construction works in the country. However, there is a scarcity of information on the
effects of non-traditional stabilizers for stabilization of subgrades for road construction works. These non-
traditional stabilizers are presently being actively marketed for stabilization of soils for highway
construction. Independent testing is therefore justified to support the appropriate selection of stabilizer and
its optimum field application rate. In this study, two non-traditional stabilizers were selected to ascertain
Page | 38
their effect on the properties of five soil types. In the micro-characterization phase of the study, Scanning
Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the mechanism of soil modification at the particulate level
of the treated and the untreated soil samples. In the macro-characterization phase of the study, standard
geotechnical laboratory tests were conducted on the untreated and treated soil samples. Significant changes
were observed at the soil particle level from the SEM micrographs; comparison of the treated and untreated
soils showed that some treated samples appeared agglomerated while one soil appeared flocculated. The test
results show a significant soil improvement with the addition of the stabilizers, specifically with the strength
parameter (CBR value). This percent increase however, varied for each soil type from about 12 – 150%. The
effect of the stabilizers on the plasticity of the soils appeared to be inconsistent. The results of this
investigation further reveal the varied modification obtained from the application of these stabilisers on
different soil types. This further emphasizes the need to conduct standard laboratory tests to ascertain the
effectiveness of the stabilizer on a particular soil type prior to specifying its use on the field as compared to
adopting the manufacturer recommended application rate.
Comparison of the Coagulant and Antimicrobial Activity of the Moringa Seed Extract
(Biocoagulant) and Alum (Synthetic Coagulant).
K. Ejigeme1, P.U. Asonye
2, O. Oroke
3, F. Edeta
3, H. Salihu
4 G. Etuk-Udo,
5 S. O. Dozie-Nwachukwu.
5
1 Department of Biotechnology, Federal University of Technology Owerri,
Imo, State.
2 Department of Biochemistry,Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Umuahia,
Abia, State.
3 Department of Biotecnology, Ebonyi State University,
Abakiliki Ebonyi, State.
4 Department of Biology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai,
Niger, State.
5Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex
(SHESTCO) P.M.B 186, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria
Nearly one billion people in the World lack clean and healthy drinking water. In Africa, women and
children, walk miles to have access to readily available source of water, which in most cases turns out to be
unsafe for drinking. In this research, the effectiveness of mature dried Moringa oleifera seeds to purify water
was examined. Comparison was made on the coagulant and antimicrobial activities of dried crushed Moringa
seed (bio coagulant) and alum (synthetic coagulant) and their activity on the purification of highly turbid
Page | 39
stream water of randomized concentrations. The results showed that the Moringa seed extract was able to
clarify the stream water whose turbidity was above 1000 Formazin Turbidity Unit (FTU) to 21.6 FTU while
the Alum reduced the turbidity 45.3 FTU. Also, the pH of the water was lowered from 6.87 to 6.55 by
Moringa treatment and 4.4 by the Alum treatment. For the antimicrobial activity, the Moringa was able to
reduce the microbial load than the Alum.
On the Reliability and Performance of Solar Powered Street Lighting Systems in Nigeria:
Taking AUST-Abuja as a Case Study
K. Chattopadhyay1, B. Dandogbessi
1, A. A. Fashina
1,2, J. Asare
1,3, C. J. Ani
1,4, E. R. Rwenyagila
5, V. C.
Anye5,6
, S. T. Azeko5,6
, O. K. Oyewole1,7
, O. Oladele,8 and M. Dyeris
8
1Department of Theoretical and Applied Physics, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681,
Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.
2 Department of Physics, Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Plot 681, Cadastral Zone C, Abuja, Nigeria.
3 Department of Physics, Baze University, Plot 686, Cadastral Zone C, Abuja, Nigeria.
4 Department of Physics, Salem University, P.O. Box 1060, Lokoja, Nigeria
5 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, PMB
681, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.
6 Department of Civil Engineering, Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Plot 681, Cadastral Zone C, Abuja,
Nigeria.
7 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, PMB 1530, Malate, Nigeria
8 Operations Office, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.
*Corresponding Author: [email protected]
In recent time, more solar photovoltaic (PV) projects such as solar powered traffic lights and CCTV cameras,
solar water pumps, solar street lighting systems, and mini-grid solar PV project for rural electrifications are
been embarked upon in Nigeria, as a result of the high demand of electricity. However, most of these solar
projects have failed to meet up with the minimum life-span required, due to some identified factors that is
now seen as a problem in the country. In spite of the huge investments on these solar PV projects, their
performances and reliability appears not to be satisfactory and as such, some investors are beginning to get
Page | 40
appalled. This paper therefore, explains why some of the solar projects in Nigeria have failed, taking into
consideration some problems encountered during installation and operation, and the appropriate solutions,
with focus on solar street lighting systems. An in-depth analysis of the performances and reliability of the 35
solar street lighting systems that were installed in February 2012, at the African University of Science and
Technology, Abuja, Nigeria is reported. The maximum performance output can thus be achieved for the
various solar projects, if the best technical procedures, appropriate components and the best technical experts
are employed to design and execute solar projects in Nigeria.
Comparative Analysis of Metakaolin and Tincal Ore Waste as Materials for Hydraulic
Barrier System
Umar, Sa’eed Yusuf and Elinwa, Augustine Uchechukwu
Department of Civil Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, P. M. B. 0248,
Bauchi, Nigeria
The study investigates the potentials of metakaolin (MK) and tincal ore waste (TOW) as pozzolanic
materials for modification of engineering properties of lateritic soil for hydraulic barrier system for
municipal solid waste (MSW) containment. The soil was treated with various proportions of MK and TOW,
respectively and compacted using four energy levels namely: the Reduced British Standard Light (RBSL),
British Standard Light (BSL), West African Standard (WAS) and British Standard Heavy (BSH) over a
range of molding water contents. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and hydraulic conductivity tests
were conducted and the results obtained were used to evaluate whether the treated soil conforms to the
specifications for hydraulic barrier systems. Results of this study show a general improvement in UCS with
increase in percentage replacement of the additives and a decrease in hydraulic conductivity with increase in
compactive effort. Soil specimens permeated with leachate gave lower hydraulic conductivities than
specimens permeated with de-ionized water irrespective of additive used. Specimens treated with MK and
compacted using BSH compactive effort yielded hydraulic conductivities ranging from 3.6 x 10-11 m/s to
6.8 x 10-10 m/s while specimens treated with TOW yielded hydraulic conductivity ranging from 3.1 x 10-12
m/s to 2.1 x 10-10 m/s. These hydraulic conductivity values met the regulatory maximum hydraulic
conductivity of less than 1 x 10-9 m/s for hydraulic barrier systems. Comparison of the hydraulic
conductivity results for the two additive materials show that lateritic soil treated with TOW would perform
better as a liner material in hydraulic barrier system.
Nano-Mechanical Studies and Deformation of Layered Structures (Tortoise Shell)
T. O. Owoseni1, E. K. Ampaw
1, E. K. Arthur
1,
2,
2, A. I. Malik
1,
3, T. Tang
4 and W. O. Soboyejo
1, 5, 6
Page | 41
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST),
Abuja Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Nigeria.
3Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke St West, Room 270, Montreal,
Canada.
4Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vermont University, 215 Votey Hall, 33 Colchester
Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
5Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Bowen Hall 70 Prospect Street,
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
6Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 1 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ
08544, USA.
*Corresponding Author: Edward Kofi Ampaw ([email protected])
The nano-mechanical properties on tortoise shell will be elucidated in this paper. These materials
experiences, and has been designed to endure, very different loading conditions in their environment and
during their function. This work will explore the deformation and failure mechanisms of tortoise shell with
interfaces between relatively "hard" and "soft" layers. Nano-indentation experiments will be used to study
the hardness and deformation of the different layers. The work will also develop mechanics-based models for
the design of robust materials. Insights from this work will be explored for the design of energy-absorbing
materials such as helmets for motorcyclists and polo players which protect them from injury due to falls or
hammer impact.
Geopolymer Materials: Metakaolin and Fly Ash as Potential Alternatives to Ordinary
Portland Cement, a Review
Fru Juvet Nche
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja,
FCT, Nigeria
Page | 42
The search for low cost and environmental friendly binders has led to the development of geopolymer
materials as a potential alternative to Ordinary Portland Cements (OPC). Geopolymers are amorphous
inorganic aluminosilicate cementitious binders. They have a three dimensional structure and are formed by
mixing alkali silicate solution with an alumino silicate source material. They show unique mechanical,
thermal and chemical properties and have extensive range of applications. The precursors for the synthesis of
geopolymer are readily available in Africa. This paper reviews geopolymers, properties and applications of
geopolymer cement, materials for geopolymer cement, and compressive strength of geopolymer cement.
Effects of Ph on the Pitting Behavior of a Low Carbon Steel
S. K. Kolawole1, F.O. Kolawole
2, A. B. O. Soboyejo
3 and W. O. Soboyejo
1,4
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
African University of Science and Technology, (AUST),
Abuja, Nigeria.
2Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering,
Federal University Oye,
Ekiti State, Nigeria.
3Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio State,
United States of America.
4Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering &
Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM),
United States of America.
Page | 43
This paper presents the results of pitting corrosion experiments and statistical modeling of the effect of pH
on pitting behavior of low carbon steel. The effects of pH are elucidated via experiments on low carbon steel
exposed to various corrosive media. The corrosion rates for the steel samples immersed in respective
aqueous environments were determined by potentiodynamic polarization experiments. The microscopic
observations of the surfaces reveal clear evidence of the increase in size of the corrosion pits with increasing
exposure duration. The observed pit size distribution and the evolution of pit size are modeled using
statistical models. The implications of the results are used for the design and lifetime prediction of
engineering structures such as pipelines, pressure vessels, and storage tanks e.t.c.
N-Vitro Release Studies of Prodigiosin Encapsulated into Chitosan Microspheres
*S. O. Dozie-Nwachukwu,1,2
J. D. Obayemi,1 Y. T. Danyo,
1 J.C. Ani,
1 G. Etuk-Udo,
2 N. Anuku,
3
O.S. Odusanya,1,2
K. Malatesta,3 and W.O. Soboyejo
1,3,4
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST)
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
2Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex
(SHESTCO) P.M.B 186, Garki, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
3Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Olden Street, Princeton,
NJ08544, USA.
4Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Bowen Hall, 70 Prospect Street,
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Email:[email protected]
Encapsulation of drugs in polymeric materials has brought new hopes in the targeted delivery of
chemotherapeutic agents. These polymeric delivery systems are capable of maximizing the therapeutic
activity as well as reduce the side effects of anti-cancer agents. Prodigiosin, a secondary metabolite extracted
from the bacteria, Serratia marcescens, exhibits anti-cancer properties. Prodigiosin loaded Chitosan
microspheres were prepared by water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion technique using glutaraldehyde as a cross linker.
The morphology of the microspheres was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The average size
range of the microspheres was 40µm to 60µm, the percentage yield ranged from 42±2% to 55.5±3%, while
the encapsulation efficiency was between 66.7±3% to 90±4%. The in vitro drug release was measured with
UV-Vis spectroscopy and the results were fitted into zero order, first order and Korsemeyer-Peppas models.
Page | 44
Loaded Prodigiosin Released from Degradable PLGA-Based Composites: for Extended
Localized Drug Release
Y. Danyuo 1,2
, O. Oberiafor 3, O. S. Odusanya
3 and W. O. Soboyejo
1,4,5,
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University (KWASU),
Malete-Ilorin Nigeria.
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST),
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
3Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex
(SHESTCO), Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
4Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 1 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
5Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), 70 Prospect Street, Princeton, NJ
08544, USA. [email protected]
In this paper, anticancer agents were loaded into biodegradation polymers by solvent casting. The rate of
drug release and biodegradation of PLGA-based drug delivery systems of different polymer ratios were
presented (immersed in PBS, pH “7.4” under a mechanical agitation (60 revolutions per minute (rpm)
incubated at 37˚C). Paclitaxel (PT) and prodigiosin (PG) were the drugs candidates considered in this study.
Polymer degradation rates and drug release profiles differed greatly with pulsated drug release profiles
though the same polymer matrix and drug loading (8% by weight) were considered. The rates of polymer
degradation were significantly affected by the polymer ratio and molecular weight. Proscope HR 640
equipment and proscope image analyzer software were used to observe and monitor structural changes.
Ultraviolet Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis) was used to determine the amount of drugs released at 535
nm for PLGA-PG samples and 210 nm for PLGA-PT samples. The percentage release of PG from PLGAs
ratios; 50:50, 65:35, 75:25, 85:15 gave cumulative releases of 91, 96, 92 and 93.5 %, respectively. On the
other hand, the percentage release of PLGAs 65:35, 75:25, 85:15 loaded with PT were 84, 98 and 94,
respectively. Thermal analyses were carried out with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) equipment.
The results show that, a novel device can be fabricated with programmed delivery to achieve pulsatile drug
delivery over an extended time. Such devices may ensure a programmed off period followed by a prompt
and transient drug release in a cycle until the device is completely degraded. The release of PG from PLGA-
based composites has shown the possibility of fabricating devices with multi-pulse delivery because of its
tunable properties. The implications of the results are then discussed for the design of biodegradable
polymeric devices for extended localized breast cancer drug delivery.
Page | 45
Utilization of Cassava (Manihot Spp.) Waste for Surface Hardening of Aisi 8620 Steels
E. K. Arthu1,2
, E. Ampaw1, M. G. Zebaze Kana
3, S. O. O. Olusunle
4,O. O. Adewoye
1 and
W. O. Soboyejo1,5,6,
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST),
Abuja.
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin-Nigeria.
3Department of Research and Development, Prototype Engineering Development Institute (PEDI), Ilesha,
Nigeria.
4Department of Research and Development, Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure,
Nigeria.
5Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, NJ, USA.
6Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Bowen Hall, 70 Prospect Street,
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
This study presents the results of an experimental study of the utilization of cassava (Manihot spp.) for
surface hardening of AISI 8620 steels. The work explores the effect of bio-processed waste (B-PW) on the
microstructure, micro-hardness and wear properties of AISI 8620 steel.
Surface hardening of AISI 8620 steel was achieved using B-PW powder derived from cassava leaves
(Manihot spp.) and mixed with BaCO3 energizer. The powder mixture was diffuse (by heat treatment) into
the surfaces of AISI 8620 steel using four different powder sizes (212, 300, 600 and 850 µm) of the B-PW
and four different temperatures (750, 800, 850 and 900oC). The resulting microstructures and micro-
hardness profiles were then characterized along with the behavior of the “cases” that were formed.
Superficial hardness and wear resistance were observed to decrease with decreasing particle size of B-PW
and decreasing pack cyaniding temperature (PCT). Finally, the wear mechanisms were also investigated by
using scanning electron observations of the worn surfaces of the disks.
Architectural Design and Study of a Two-Storey Multipurpose Building
Philbert Nshimiyimana 1 2
, Fabrice Ntimugura 2, Pacifique Nsabimana
2, Brahim Mahamat O. A.
2
Messan Adamah 2
Page | 46
1 African University of Science and Technology (AUST),
Galadimawa,
Abuja, Nigeria.
2 International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Rue de la Science, Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso.
This paper investigates how we can cater for the growing population in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Currently, in most developing countries, especially in Africa, the rural-urban migration emerges, mostly due
to availability of infrastructures and other opportunities in cities. In order to reverse this trend, we are
looking at how we can attract people to leave the city for rural area. Kamboinsé, a sector in the outskirt of
Ouagadougou presents potentials to exploit for this cause. This region has basic infrastructures and larger
space. We intend, in first place, to implement in this region a two-storey building which will serve for
habitation, shop and restaurant purposes. This paper makes use of ArchiCAD 16, GRAPHISOFT software,
and other software to design this building. We want to offer necessary comfort at an affordable price to the
users by using sustainable materials. We believe that the success of this initiative will attract the attention of
investors to develop new building in this region. By doing so, the town will not only become lesser
populated but also it will keep expanding toward remote area. The building materials to be used must be
structurally, architecturally, and energetically efficient to cope with not only the load of the structure but also
the climatic condition in the area. By this initiative, we are convinced that people will tend to move out of
centre of Ouagadougou, where living conditions are harsh, to kamboinsé where life is a bit livable.
Page | 47
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM IN AUSTECH
Page | 48
Quantifying Uncertainty in Infill Well Placement Using Numerical Simulation and
Experimental Design: Case Study
Akeem Arinkoola, Haruna M. Onuh and David Ogbe.
The risky nature of petroleum exploration and production requires that the decisions on reservoir
management must consider uncertainties and risks associated with all proposed development programmes.
The primary objective of the case study was to evaluate infill drilling potentials. However, the selection of
type and placement of the proposed infill wells has been a challenge due to the presence of large number of
uncertainty. The study utilized numerical simulation, pressure, and saturation maps to determine infill well
location and its optimal placement within the reservoir. Evaluation and selection of infill opportunity was
carried out by simulating reservoir incremental oil production and water breakthrough time from vertical and
horizontal wells completed within the reservoir sub-regions. For proxy modeling, Placket–Burman and
uniform design were integrated. Quadratic response surface was developed and validated. For uncertainty
quantification, a full Bayesian treatment of uncertainty was performed using Markov Chain Monte Carlo.
The posterior summaries of the parameters alongside their uncertainties given by P2.5 %, P10 %, P50 %,
P97.5 %, and P90 % quartiles were identified for investment decisions. The methodology is straight forward,
easy and can be applied in other fields for the assessment of infill opportunity involving infill location,
selection, and placement as well its associated risks for optimal return on investment.
KEYWORDS: Sensitivity analysis, Experimental design, Response surface methodology, Proxy model,
MCMC, Numerical simulation
Publisher: J Petrol Explore Prod Technology DOI 10.1007/s13202-015-0180-z. Open access at
Springerlink.com
Reservoir Characterization for Improved Petro physical Properties Predictability &
Validations: Capillary Pressures and Permeability (N. Delta Province as Case Study)
Haruna Onuh, David Ogbe and Chike Nwosu.
Permeability and initial saturation are two key reservoir parameters to be defined in subsurface reservoir
models. The prediction of these parameters is particularly challenging since they are not obtained directly
Page | 49
from downhole well logs. In this paper, we focus on characterization of pore systems at core plug scale to
provide improved models for permeability and saturation prediction. The wider implication of the workflow
presented is that they offer better integration between methods used for saturation prediction and methods
used for permeability prediction.
We examine the use of Mercury Injection Capillary Pressures (MICP) for genetic unit classification and for
predicting permeability and saturation. The method is based on a NORMALIZED PORE THROAT
APPROACH () with Niger Delta as case study. Petrographic observations of pore types are analysed
alongside MICP data and air permeability for a number of genetic reservoir units. A correlation coefficient,
R2 of 0.81 is obtained for permeability - plot compared to R2 of 0.56 for the porosity-permeability plot. We
also investigated Volotikin's method for generating primary drainage capillary pressure curves from NMR
logs, to generate pore throat radius as input to.
Model Validation with reference to existing Flow Zone Indicator (FZI) based approach, NMR based methods
by SDR and Coates, and the existing core derived permeability correlation for an Offshore Niger Delta Field.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/165958-MS
Document ID: SPE-165958-MS
Publisher: Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source: SPE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference and Exhibition, 16-18 September, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
Publication Date: 2013
Modeling Crude Oil Production Outlook: A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Industry in
Nigeria
Chiamaka Kingsley-Akpara
Omowumi O. Iledare.
In the past four decades, Nigeria has made impact on the global oil and gas exploration and production
industry. As one of the lead exporters of crude oil and natural gas in Africa, an oil production model which
tracks oil exploitation process is imperative to facilitate good national economic planning and industry
strategy. The impact of technological advancement, policy incentives and economics can be estimated from
such petroleum production model.
Page | 50
This paper reviews historical crude oil production in Nigeria; develops an empirical model to describe and
explain the competing factors underlying its production patterns. The production model equations are
formulated; with a non-linear curve fitting method to estimate the Hubbert’s model parameters for Nigeria.
The model is used to forecast future production outlook for Nigeria.
At the currently estimated reserves of 37.2 billion barrels, the model results suggest that production rate
should have peaked at 2.70 MMSTB/D in year 2010, and forecasted that the estimated ultimate recovery, at
year end 2050, will be 65 billion barrels (~ cumulative production of 31.25 billion barrels up till 2012 plus
current proven reserves of 37.2 billion barrels). It suggests that the nation had just produced 50% of its
currently estimated proved reserves. The Hubbert model was accurate for forecasting US crude oil
production, but its strict symmetry has received criticism from experts (Lynch, 2002) (Cavallow, 2004)
(Iledare, 2000) who believe that the model underestimates future production which our experiences also
confirm. We specified the nature of the errors which resulted in considerable deviations of production trends
from the Hubbert model.
We suggest however, alternative model for analysing the exploitation process in Nigeria in the form of
successive curve re-fitting of Hubbert model to new production data from time to time to check the effect of
new technology, economics or policy implementation on Nigeria’s crude oil production.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/172381-MS
Document ID: SPE-172381-MS
Publisher: Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source: SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, 5-7 August, Lagos, Nigeria
Publication Date: 2014
Improved Data-Driven Models for Forecasting Production Performance with Uncertainty
Analysis
Lekan Ladipo
David Ogbe.
Data-driven analytical models are important tools employed in the petroleum industry to forecast production
rates and reserves of petroleum assets. Studies have shown that existing rate-forecasting models project
future performance trends by averaging the observed production history data with little or no preferential
Page | 51
consideration of the influence of the trends of most recent historical production data. It is also understood
that existing empirical data-driven rate forecast models do not account for the uncertainties involved in such
future predictions.
In this work, new statistically-based data-driven models for production performance forecasting are
developed. These models forecast future production performance trends using statistical-exponential
smoothing of the historically-observed data, attributing more weights to the most recent historically-observed
performance trends. Both linear-exponential and double-exponential smoothing algorithms were considered
in the study. The uncertainty analysis of these predictions is evaluated using the history-fit errors derived
from the observed data and fits to the history. The models’ accuracy depends on the segment of the observed
historical data selected for the initial data fitting and the trends of most recent historical production data—the
tail end of the observed data.
The application of the proposed statistically-based data driven models was demonstrated on several data sets.
The results obtained from the proposed data-driven models compare favourably with the base forecasts
derived from existing models such as the Arps’ Decline Curve Analysis techniques. The major advantage of
the proposed models over existing models is that predicted forecasts include a range of possible performance
trends honouring the observed production history with the associated probabilities and confidence intervals.
The major contribution of this work is that coherent statistically-based models have been developed for
forecasting production rates and reserves of petroleum assets with uncertainty analysis.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/178412-MS
Document ID: SPE-178412-MS
Publisher: Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source: SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, 4-6 August, Lagos, Nigeria
Publication Date: 2015
Mechanistic Model for Predicting Sand Production: A Case Study of Niger Delta Wells
Dickson O. Udebhulu
David O. Ogbe.
Niger Delta Province is predominantly a friable, unconsolidated sandstone terrain suggesting the expectation
of sand production while developing hydrocarbon reserves in such terrain. In this study, a simple and easy-
to-use mechanistic model for predicting sand production rate (SPR) in Niger-Delta wells was developed by
coupling the static sanding criteria and the dynamic requirement for fluidization of the produced sand. A
Page | 52
generic mechanistic model that incorporates the concept of dimensionless quantities associated with sanding
was developed; the quantities considered include the loading factor, Reynolds Number, water cut and gas
liquid ratio, GLR. The output from the proposed model is a dimensionless sand production rate (SPR)
correlation index. Results indicated that every reservoir has a unique SPR correlation index which represents
its propensity to produce sand or its sanding identity.
The developed model was validated by comparing its predictions with field data and the results showed an
acceptable maximum deviation of less than 6% in the wells of an onshore asset investigated in the Niger
Delta. Compared to existing models, the proposed model predicts better results especially when GLR is
significantly high. The applications of this study include reservoir management, completion design,
perforation design, sand monitoring strategy, design of surface facilities and pipelines, and analysis of field
development plans and economics.
KEYWORDS: mechanistic model, loading factor, Reynolds Number, water cut, gas-liquid ratio, sand
production rate (SPR); SPR correlation index.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/178279-MS
Document ID: SPE-178279-MS
Publisher: Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source: SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, 4-6 August, Lagos, Nigeria
Publication Date: 2015
Maximizing Energy Utilization for Sustainable Development in Africa: Energy Security
Potential
Joseph C. Echendu
Wumi Iledare.
With the current geopolitics of oil creating a new energy supply/demand mix and the advent of
unconventional shale production leading to energy glut in the market thereby resulting in current downturn in
oil prices, the micro/macroeconomic implications on resource based economies – especially in sub-Sahara
Africa (SSA) - whose revenues rely heavily on oil need to be analyzed. Designing a pragmatic and functional
model for petroleum supply is vital for sound policy design and analysis. It helps to answer questions such as
what appropriate energy security policy to have given forecasts of domestic oil and gas production and
TECHNOLOGY
Page | 53
imports? It is also used to assess the impacts of various options and strategies for meeting future energy
needs in an optimal manner and advise government on how to surmount their energy challenges and prosper
their economies.
The aim of this work is to evaluate and analyze the petroleum value chain in SSA and examine the
challenges and opportunities of energy security and sustainable development in the region. Empirical data
are incorporated to understand the resource base trend in SSA, dynamics of global energy demand and
supply, and consequently, proffer future energy development strategy to maximize the region’s potentials.
Estimated aggregate internal petroleum demands will form input parameters that help refinery business
model. Comparative economic implications in the balance of trade reveal enormous revenue recapture
opportunities for balance of budget. It is expected that this paper will produce an economic and pragmatic
policy and strategy blueprint for oil and gas economy.
Determining Two Mobile Phase Saturations with Single Well Chemical Tracer Test Using
Method of Moments
1Wei Tian,
2Xingru Wu,
3 Tong Shen
1University of Oklahoma 100 E Boyd. St Norman, OK, 73019, U.S [email protected]
2University of Oklahoma 100 E Boyd. St Norman, OK, 73019, U.S [email protected]
3University of Oklahoma 100 E Boyd. St Norman, OK, 73019, U.S [email protected]
The single well chemical tracer test (SWCTT) has been applied for decades and many successes have been
declared in estimating residual oil saturation in near wellbore locations. The information obtained from
SWCTT is critical for designing enhanced oil recovery. However, a key assumption in traditional SWCTT is
that only single phase (water) is mobile. In reality, this is often not the case, and significant error can occur if
the traditional SWCTT analysis algorithm is used when multiple phases flow at the same time. The problem
of this study is to improve the accuracy and precision of SWCTT interpretation in multi-phase flow
condition.
In this paper, we propose an innovative procedure and analysis of SWCTT under the condition for two
mobile phases based on the method of moments. In the development of the algorithm, a ratio parameter is
introduced to adjust the calculated swept volume difference between conservative tracers and partitioning
tracers. In addition, a mixture injection of oil and water is required, instead of pure water injection in
SWCTT.
The proposed method is verified through numerical simulation on synthetic cases with known input
parameters. The models being simulated consist of a radial flow regime with a single vertical well in the
Page | 54
center, and the reservoir has homogeneous and isotropic petrophysical parameters. Our results show the new
analytical solution matches the simulation input data of saturations. Moreover, the new method can be
extended to a single mobile phase condition and it is in agreement with the previous analytical method.
Keywords SWCTT • Two Mobile Phases • Method of Moments • EOR
Progressive Fiscal Terms for Offshore Petroleum Development: Empirical Evidence from the
Gulf of Guinea
1Onwuka Emmanuel,
2Wumi Iledare
1World Bank African Center of Excellence, University of Port Harcourt.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The Gulf of Guinea (GOG) holds about 9% of crude reserves in the world and the highest in Africa. It is a
clime bestowed with very high success rate compared to the world average. Regions with high success rates
try to tighten their hydrocarbon fiscal policies. Gulf of Guinea is not different. The host government desires
policies that would accrue reasonable rent, develop human capacity and technology to support economic
growth. This can only be realized through formulation of progressive fiscal policies. This is the focus of this
study. GOG countries are grouped based on the respective final investment decisions (FID) recorded in the
past 10 years. FID and the respective fiscal regimes are examined by considering front loaded obligations in
the offshore lease. A correlation is developed tying economic objective functions to the fiscal terms under
consideration. Discounted cash flow models for select GOG countries are developed in the study. Front end
loading index (FLI) is evaluated to define the average regressive index. Average proposed fiscal terms are
obtained by tweaking the more sensitive front loaded payments enshrined in the existing fiscal instruments.
Preliminary results show that royalty rates deep offshore when reduced from 4% to 0% induced a fall in the
average FLI by about 10% keeping other crypto taxes constant. This also meant a 10% increase in the NPV
as well as 7% rise in the IRR of the prospective investor. This way the fiscal policies in the Gulf of Guinea
cannot be less progressive.
Page | 55
Approximate Bayesian Computation for Probabilistic Decline Curve Analysis in
Unconventional Reservoirs
1Mohit Paryani,
1Mohabbat Ahmadi,
1Obadare Awoleke,
1Ronald Barry and
1Catherine Hanks
1University of Alaska Fairbanks 732 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, 99775, USA
In this work, we developed a methodology that integrates Decline Curve Analysis (DCA) models with an
approximate Bayesian probabilistic method based on rejection sampling in order to quantify the uncertainty
associated with DCA models. Traditional Bayesian computation requires the calculation of three important
components, namely the likelihood function, prior and posterior distributions. In Approximate Bayesian
Computation (ABC), the posterior is approximated by substituting the estimation of likelihood by simulating
large number of production profiles and then comparing the summary statistics (mean, standard deviation)
between the simulated and observed production data.
The proposed Bayesian model was tested by history matching the simulation results with the observed
production data of 100 gas wells from the Barnett shale and 21 oil wells from the Eagle Ford shale. For
example in Karnes County, the ABC P90-P50-P10 average interval per well was 170-184-204 MSTB, while
the true average cumulative production per well was 183 MSTB. The overall results imply that the estimates
from the ABC methodology are well calibrated.
With recent hydraulic fracturing developments from shale resources in the United States, discovery of
abundant shale deposits in Benue, Adamawa and other south-eastern parts of Nigeria have opened new
opportunities for exploration and production of vast shale hydrocarbons. The proposed ABC methodology is
one of the potential techniques to quantify the enormous uncertainty related with the shale reserves
estimates. The ABC methodology coupled with any deterministic DCA model will help in long-term
planning of operations necessary for optimal field development which will lead to increased production.
Page | 56
TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Impact of Hydrocarbon Exploitation in the Niger Delta
Naomi A. Ogolo
Mike O. Onyekonwu.
Fossil fuel which is the world’s major source of energy derived from hydrocarbon reservoirs are desperately
sort for globally. The economic and social benefits of exploiting this natural resource sometimes relegate the
environmental effects to the background. In the Niger Delta, oil and gas has been produced for more than
half a century and a review of its environmental impact to host communities is alarming. The level of land,
water and air pollution in this area is very severe and environmental recovery from these impacts can last
several years assuming further pollution is prevented.
The environmental degradation in the Niger Delta emanating from oil and gas exploitation is discussed in
this paper. These primarily include health issues, damage to infrastructure, destruction of the ecosystem, loss
of productive land and water bodies, greenhouse effect and noise. The secondary impacts include social
problems and economic losses to host communities that depend on the environment to eke out a livelihood.
There is therefore a need to strike a balance in evaluating the economic benefits and environmental problems
created by exploiting hydrocarbon resources in a community. Responsible hydrocarbon exploitation cannot
be over emphasized because environmental preservation for future generations is a duty and every one’s
business.
Selection of the Abandonment Pressure Computing Methods of the Gas Field —A Horizontal
Comparison of Numerical Simulation against Deliverability Equation
Chen Zhongliang and Wang Nutao.
Many methods to determine the abandonment pressure of gas reservoir, but lack of deep compared to the
different methods. Aiming at the same gas reservoir model in reservoirs with different permeability
conditions, namely uses the buried depth method, binomial deliverability equation method and numerical
simulation method of three methods to calculate abandonment pressure, comparison and analysis of different
calculation results, think of the numerical simulation method is more sensitive to changes of reservoir
permeability and predict abandonment pressure more accurately.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
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Prediction Method of Flow Guarantee System for Deep-Water Gas Well’s Test.
Yonggang Duan, Mingqiang Wei
Quantang Fang.
Due to giant resource of deepwater oil and gas reservoirs, its exploration and development has become a hot
topic in the recent years. The formation of gas hydrate during the deepwater gas well test will cause serious
jobs and security issues, so the flow guarantee system of the well testing in deepwater is vital. Compared
with onshore well testing, the flow guarantee system of the well testing in deepwater gas well is more
complex due to the convective heat exchange of sea water, flow in riser pipe and well testing pipe. At
present, most conventional prediction methods which predict hydrate formation are only suitable for gas well
with stable production; there is a big deviation for gas testing well with unsteady flow using the routine
method to estimate the borehole temperature. Thus, the model coupling transient flow in reservoir, unsteady
heat transfer in the wellbore pipe and gas choke is established in the paper and the wellbore temperature and
pressure and hydrate formation profile with different testing schemes are predicted by test simulator which is
developed independently. The simulation results demonstrate that the wellbore temperature change is not
linear when the deepwater well test is with different flow rates; the wellbore temperature is higher and
pressure is lower at the same depth with the increase of test well rate. Furthermore, the method is verified by
the practical test data of South China Sea deepwater well. It will provide a theoretical basis for the well test
program development of deepwater gas well.
Energy, Gas Utilization and Environment Africa and Energy Security
Alpheus Igbokoyi
African University of Science and Technology, Km 10 Airport Road,
PMB 681 Garki
Galadimawa, Abuja Nigeria.
[email protected]; [email protected]
Africa is a diverse continent, blessed with abundant natural resources. Hydrocarbon production in Africa
started several decades ago. Recent discoveries spread across West and East African countries. New
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discoveries are mainly oil in the West Africa and gas in East Africa. While it is relatively easy and more
attractive to develop the oil discovery, the contrary is the case with the gas discovery. This is because of the
infrastructure and investment needed to develop and export the gas. On the other hand, Africa lacks adequate
electricity to support the dreamed industrial and economic growth. This problem can easily be solved by
consuming the gas locally and thus diversifying the economic. Bulk of the hydrocarbon is being exported
without taking into account what is needed locally to support the industrial and economic growth in Africa.
Energy Security is a major concern for developed nations. International Energy Association was born in
1974 because of Energy Security when Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America (USA)
called for energy less independent in 1970. USA has been producing oil for decades without export, in order
to support the industry and socio-economic life in the country. Presently, China and India are the major
emerging economy, and the two countries, most especially China already have strategic reserve to take care
of their Energy Security. It is high time Africa developed strategic policy around its Energy Security for the
anticipated industrial and economic growth. This work thus analyse the need for Energy Security in Africa.
Keywords: Energy Security, Industrial and Economic growth.
An Evaluation of Domestic Gas Utilization on the Nigerian Economy
S.O. Isehunwa, A. Adenikinju, R.U. Onolemhemhen and T.J. Laniran
University of Ibadan. [email protected]
Domestic natural gas utilization should be the primary goal of Nigeria's petroleum and energy policies.
Natural gas has continued to experience high patronage over the years, largely due to its efficiency as an
energy source. Economic growth literature posits that there is a relationship between energy consumption
and growth. More recent literatures have argued for the efficiency of the form of energy used. The robustness
of this relationship is however often questioned. Indeed natural gas remains one of the most efficient forms
of energy source, and it is found in abundance in Nigeria with a proven reserve of over 180 trillion cubic feet
of natural gas and the ninth country in the world in terms of proven natural gas reserves. Hence, given the
significant outlays of natural gas to the economic growth, this study attempts an evaluation of domestic gas
utilisation in Nigeria. Key macroeconomic variables with theoretical potential of influencing the level of gas
utilized in Nigeria were subjected to econometric model testing using time series data from 1980 to 2013.
The result in conformity with literature reflected that gas plays a pivotal role in the Nigerian economic
advancement.
Keywords: Natural gas; Economic growth, Gas consumption, Capital, Labour, Domestic Utilization,
Reserves.
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Assessing the Intersections between Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development and the
Challenges of Environmental Justice in Nigeria.
Olanrewaju Adeojo and Olusegun Osinibi.
One of the greatest challenges besetting Nigeria is the excessive dependence on fossil fuels for energy and
economic sustenance. The non-renewable nature of fossil fuels and the degradation it wreaks on the
environment has raised doubts about the attainment of sustainable development in Nigeria unless there is a
move towards renewable energy. This is imperative due to the advent of hydraulic fracturing in the United
States, the instability in the global oil market and the inevitable depletion of fossil fuels. This paper thus
examines the prospects of sustainable development in Nigeria in view of the government’s over-dependence
on fossil fuels as well as the implications of such over-dependence on environmental sustainability and the
attainment of environmental justice in Nigeria. The paper further argues for a shift towards the stable
utilization of renewable energy to avoid further damage to the environment caused by reliance on
conventional energy sources.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Education for the Next Generation of Petroleum Engineers & Geoscientists; Research &
Capacity Building in Sub Sahara Africa
Professor Adewale Dosunmu
Shell Chair & Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Dean, School of Advanced Engineering Technology
University Of Port Harcourt
The role of oil and gas in the development of the African economy has continued to grow. Recent findings
have indicated that hydrocarbons have been discovered in many parts of Africa which hitherto had no oil and
gas. The need for local manpower to drive the industry has never been more urgent in order to domesticate
the industry and reduce capital flight which otherwise will be spent on foreign labour. Research is key to
development of the industry but this aspect of industry has been lacking in Africa as most technologies are
imported. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the imperatives of the manpower that will be
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required to propel the industry in the foreseeable future and strategies that will be necessary to achieve the
next generation of Petroleum Engineers and Geoscientists to drive the oil industry in Sub Saharan Africa.
Petroleum Engineering and Geoscience Education, Research and Capacity Building in Sub-
Saharan Africa
Centres of Excellence as a Veritable Strategy for Capacity Development and Research
Dr. Kehinde O. LADIPO (FNAPE; FNMGS; FAS)
The demands for indigenous qualified professionals by the oil and industry has always met with several
challenges, in spite of several Government initiatives and programs to bridge the gaps. Tertiary institutions
that are charged to produce national manpower needs and as well drive research and innovation need to
develop the right strategies to address and overcome some key challenges to achieve the goals even if
partially. Some of these include: designing an appropriate curriculum that is largely driven by technology, an
effective delivery framework, including an efficient ICT infrastructure backbone, the knowledge base within
the institutions that is able to keep up with rapidly evolving research and innovative trends demanded by
industry, funding, as well as attitudinal and institutional barriers.
Centres of Excellence provide a good way forward and should be fostered to grow by recognition and strong
collaboration amongst all stakeholders who contribute to the process of Capacity Development aimed at the
industry of today and the future. Establishment of Centres of Excellence is now seen a global best practice.
The Centre of Excellence in Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering and Production Studies, University of
Benin is an example where the participation of several stakeholders to define a strategic framework and
plans have yielded results within a relatively short time since inception.
Industry drives technological and should define research directions by academia if the results are to create
value for all. A mind set focused on delivery, team working and integration of discipline experts from
various fields, and deliberate push by academia to change are key enablers and will encourage industry to
support academic institutions including Centers of Excellence. The results of these efforts will ultimately
impact on the curriculum which will mean that new young professionals from these Centers are well trained
and equipped with the right skills to meet on-the-job demands on which to grow their competencies with
experience and new knowledge.
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Splines Application on Recovery Mechanism
1 Mamudu Abbas,
2Olafuyi Olalekan,
3Taiwo Oluwaseun
1SPE, Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin [email protected],
Benin City, Nigeria.
2SPE, Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin [email protected],
Benin City, Nigeria.
3SPE, Department of Petroleum Engineering University of Benin [email protected]
Benin City, Nigeria.
The application of cubic spline numerical modeling concept significantly unravels some issues posed by the
commonly used IOR evaluation techniques.
This research paper presents the formulation and application of a highly sophisticated numerical model to
model the incremental oil recovery curve in order to obtain improved values of the incremental oil recovered.
Rate-time curves from surfactant and polymer flooding data were used.
The methodology used was cubic spline numerical modeling. "OUR" algorithm was used as the solution
method to tridiagonal system of equations formed. Different and continuous equations were derived for each
interval between successive data points (knots) and then joined together piecewise to form the composite
equation to represent the EOR process. The incremental oil recovered was then obtained by applying the
cubic spline to quadrature (numerical integration).
The results show that the incremental oil obtained by the cubic spline model was 2.7% and 5.6% more than
that obtained by the trapezoidal rule in the surfactant and polymer flooding respectively. The trapezoidal rule
would always give less amount of the incremental oil because the exactitude of its results is dependent on the
linearity of the function being approximated. This suggests that the cubic spline model gives better results.
The distinction between the results obtained by the cubic spline model and that of the trapezoidal rule might
represent the error incurred in trapezoidal rule if the boundary conditions are properly applied. The value of
the second derivative at each interior knot depends on the curvature of the function.
Key Words: Cubic interpolant formulation, Cubic spline, Equation of curvature, First derivative,
Incremental oil recovered, Linear or Natural Spline Boundary Condition, piecewise curve, Second derivative
and Tridiagonal system of equations
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
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Surfactant and Surfactant Polymer Flooding for Optimum Oil Recovery
1 Taiwo Oluwaseun Ayodele,
2Olafuyi Olalekan,
3Mamudu Abbas
1,2,3 Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
In this paper presents the outcome of experimental works to formulate an optimum surfactant Polymer slug
for tertiary oil recovery (TOR) of the Niger Delta oil. Firstly, the displacement efficiency of gum Arabic, a
local polymer with the same molecular structure as Xanthan gum, was tested in eight beads pack flood
experiments for both light and heavy oil at concentrations of 5%wt, 10%wt, 15%wt and 20%wt of gum
Arabic. Also the rheological properties for a wide range of concentrations were measured. Secondly, three
surfactants, Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate, (SDS), Polysorbate 80 and Teepol were screened in three beads pack
flood test at the same concentration.
Thirdly, the optimum surfactant concentration and optimum surfactant injection rate were investigated in
twelve beads pack flood tests using a range of SDS concentration and flow rate. The fourth set of
experiments investigated the effect of flood process design in a three beads pack flood tests to select an
appropriate scheme. Using the best flood scheme, the formulated SP slug was then used to recover oils of
viscosity range from 3.5cp to 140cp. Advanced mathematical methods were used to analyze and model the
experimental results. The experimental results show that better displacement efficiency can be achieved
within a range of polymer concentration for the light and heavy oil. Also the performance of SP flood
program is dependent on the right slug formulation, the injection rate and the overall project design.
Furthermore, the slug with SDS shows a better performance by yielding highest incremental oil.
Keywords: Chemical flooding, Surfactant Polymer Flooding, Niger Delta, Gum Arabic, Enhance Oil
Recovery. Improved oil recovery, Heavy Oil, Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate
A Study of Composition Change during Condensate Dropout in a Horizontal Gas Well
1Seteyeobot Ifeanyi,
2Orodu D. Oyinkepreye
1Covenant University Km 10 idiroko road, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
This paper presents a mathematical model describing the behaviour analysis for a two-phased gas-condensate
system narrowing down on the three zone method.
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The three zone method accounts for the composition change in the reservoir and is based on modeling the
depletion by three main flow regions:
• A near wellbore region (Region 1) where the oil saturation is important allowing phase, vapour and liquid
to be mobile.
• Region 2 where condensate and gas are present but only the gas is mobile.
• An outer Region 3 exists when the reservoir pressure is greater than the initial gas dew point and contains
only gas.
This research proposed a fourth region (Region I) which is the immediate vicinity of the well where
accumulation of liquid buildup at high rates which yielded from an increase of liquid saturation and a
probable decrease in gas relative permeability. The existence of the fourth region or flushed zone is
particularly important as it represent the total skin effect: mechanical skin, rate dependent two-phase skin
and skin due to gas condensate blockage. The calculated well deliverability rate using the modeled equation
for gas condensate reservoir showed a relatively high difference when compared to other known equations.
This significant difference is as a result of the effects of the proposed Region I. The developed correlation
confirms that as the pressure drops below dew point there occurs condensate banking which when the critical
saturation is reached becomes mobile and leads to a reduction in gas flow rate in the reservoir.
Non-Ideality in Material Balance History Matching
1Ottah, Daniel G.,
2Ikiensikimama, Sunday S.,
3Matemilola, Saka A.
1World Bank African Centre of Excellence for oil Field Chemicals Research
University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2Department of Petroleum Engineering & Institute of Petroleum Studies - IPS
University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
3First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited, Ikoyi, Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria
PHD PAPER CONTEST
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Uncertainties in rock and fluid properties proffer engineers and analyst with atypical challenges in historical
reservoir performance matching yielding ambiguous results occasionally. Contemporary history matching
process generates an ensemble of solutions contrary to the traditional method which generates a single
solution. Both methods employ minimization of an objective function as the latter assumes the ‘correct’
reservoir model has a single minimum (the least sum of square error) and the former assumes a ‘tolerance’
and not a single minimum. In this paper we highlight several flaws in material balance history matching
(with water influx) that can emanate from the traditional and contemporary method. Using weighted sum of
square errors for the objective function, we find that each method generate contradicting original
hydrocarbon in place as key aquifer parameters (reservoir-aquifer radius and aquifer permeability especially)
are assumed unknown. The model with the least sum of square error is not essentially the ‘correct’ model
which can thus lead to a bad reservoir performance forecast. We further discuss the notion that the “working
model” is not likely to be generated using the traditional history matching process.
Keywords: Material Balance, History Matching, Particle Swarm Optimization, Non-Deterministic Algorithm
Economic Analysis of Petroleum Drilling Productivity in Onshore Niger Delta of Nigeria
1Chiamaka Kingsley -Akpara and
2Omowumi Iledare
1. African University of Science and Technology, Abuja,
2. Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Some Nigerian oil industry experts disagrees that Niger Delta is a mature basin in the waning days of its
productive life, especially on the onshore depobelt. The argument is that only 2% of Niger Delta wells have
reached deeper than 15,000ft in Total Depth. 70% of the wells in the basin have not gone deeper than 9,000ft
in True Vertical Depth. Thus, there is a perception that if the government policy incentive such as “rent-a-
depth”, the oil and gas companies can still find significant proved reserves by drilling deeper than 10,000 ft.
However, the extraction of additional reserves will be increasingly costly as deeper wells are drilled.
Over time, drilling productivity has been widely used in the industry to benchmark drilling performance.
Drilling productivity can be measured by drilling speed- time taken to reach total depth, rig up and down
time, mechanical integrity of the well- minimum damage to the formation, and reserves additions- the
finding rate. Decrease in drilling productivity is one of the major drivers of increasing drilling cost trend.
This paper empirically analyses changes in drilling productivity measured in foot per day, to ascertain how
this measure is affected by economic and technical parameters. While increase in well depth is expected to
have a negative effect on productivity, decrease in drilling productivity will be a major driver of drilling cost
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dynamics. However, it is not only about drilling fast, but also about drilling correctly and safely. A trade-off
of speed can come at the expense of the primary objective of gathering well information.
Estimating Fraction of Sulphate Mineral Scales that Occupied Pore Spaces and their
Corresponding Formation Damage around the Well Bore
Adesina Fadairo, Preye Orodu
Churchill Ako.
Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state, Nigeria
Mineral sulphate scale deposition is one of the most difficult flow assurance problems during water flooding,
if the injected and formation waters are incompatible. The characterization and remediation of scale
deposition requires description and classification of mixing, precipitation, build-up and formation damage
scenarios. The algorithm and models used in development of oil field scale prediction software is the most
efficient systematic approach for predicting scale formation during water-flooding scheme. The software is
capable of predicting and expressing the effect of different variables such as pressure, temperature, ions, and
pH on the behaviour of mixture of incompatible waters, scaling tendency, amount of scale precipitates. It
also assumed that all the occurring scale precipitation render havoc to the flow near the well bore however,
only a fraction of the precipitated scales escape through the pore spaces to render havoc to flow in
production string. Successful flow assurance of reservoir fluids during water flooding when the injected and
formation waters are incompatible, demands for accurate prediction of the fraction of scale that occupies
pore spaces around the wellbore
The present work demonstrates the use and applicability of the existing thermodynamics based algorithm and
model for predicting sulphates saturation around the wellbore and their correspondence formation damage.
The innovative feature in this paper is the integration of thermodynamics, kinetics and mass transfer models
for the prediction of fraction of scale that occupied pore spaces around the production wells. The key
variables that governing the fraction of scale that occupies near wellbore pore spaces are not limited to
thermodynamic and brine chemistry parameters. Operational, fluid and reservoir parameters including fluid
velocity, formation volume factor, viscosity, initial porosity, and initial permeability are identified as
paramount variables which promote sulphate scale deposition.
Integration of Conceptual Modeling, Experimental Design and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy
Inference System for Infill Well Placement and Optimization
Akeem Olatunde Arinkola 1
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David O. Ogbe2
1. African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja
2. African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja and Flowgrids Ltd, Port Harcourt
Infill drilling is an important strategy for reservoir management and development of reserves. However,
petroleum engineers have to grapple with the problems of infill well placement; prediction of well
performance and risks associated with location uncertainties. In this study numerically-based conceptual
model, experimental design are integrated to determine the optimal infill well locations, forecast well
production rates and run uncertainty analysis using a predictive model. The proposed methodology was
applied to a reservoir in the Niger Delta. The reservoir was delineated into four different sub-regions (A, B,
C and D) bounded by faults. To drain each fault block, a set of only vertical wells, only horizontal wells and
combination of vertical and horizontal wells were drilled. Reservoir characterization of Infill well locations,
number and type of infill wells, horizontal well length, perforation intervals and inter-well spacing were
considered as uncertainty parameters. In all the simulations, cumulative oil production, water cut and water
breakthrough time are the responses calculated and analyzed. For uncertainty analysis, Placket-Burman,
Fractional (FRD) and Relative variation (RVD) designs were examined to identify the key parameters
controlling the response. Then, Box-Behnken (BBD), Central Composite (CCD), D-Optima and Full
Factorial designs (FFD) were examined also to select the best response surface model for Monte Carlo
simulations. Alternative design, Uniform design of experiment was also applied and predictive model
developed using polynomial averaging method.
The results show that highest cumulative oil recovery and longest delay in water breakthrough time are
obtained by drilling two 600 meter-long horizontal wells in fault blocks B and D. Statistical error analysis
indicated that Box-Behnken performed better in all cases. Although, both CCD and FFD are adequate for
evaluating future infill development, the uniform design of experiment however offered a wider coverage of
design points with minimum experimental runs.
Optimization of Wax Deposition in a Sub-Sea Pipeline using Response Surface Methodology
Olusiji Ayoade Adeyanju and Oyekunle, Layioye Ola
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Lagos
Key factors affecting wax deposition in sub-cooled pipelines were studied in a series flow loop experiments.
Three crude oils samples (A – C) from different Nigerian sub-sea oil fields were investigated in the study. A
new method of evaluating the effectiveness of wax inhibitors is proposed. The Response surface
methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of five variables: coolant
temperature (Tc), bulk oil temperature (Tb), percentage of wax inhibitor in the oil sample (Iw), flow rate (Q)
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and the wax content (Wc) on the wax deposits process using central composite design (CCD). An empirical
model that relates the individual and interactive effect of these variables to the wax deposition rate was
developed.
It was observed that the experimental data highly fitted to the predicted data as the predicted R-square of
0.9751 is in reasonable agreement with the adjusted R-square of 0.9918. In the formulation of optimal wax
deposits inhibitor mixture, addition of a demulsifier (Butyl-acrylate) to the solution of each of the crude oil
sample and the inhibitors (mixture of Acrylate ester polymers (AEP) and xylene) were observed to provide
an avenue for the enhancement of the wax inhibitors performance at low temperature range. The overall
average wax inhibition (OAWI) values of between 67 – 82 % by a solution of the demulsifier, the inhibitors
and the oil were obtained compared to an OAWI value of 46 – 65 % by the mixtures without the demulsifier.
The demulsifier term and its interaction with other terms also had P-values of less than 0.05 (P < 0.05) in the
optimum AEP/Xylene/Butyl-acrylate formulations. In the laminar-turbulent transition flow regimes (2000 <
Reynolds number (Re) < 3000), Tc, Tb, Iw, Q, TcTb, TbIw, TbIw, Tc2, Tb2, and Iw2 have significant
influence on the wax deposit rate, as their individual P-values were less than 0.05, while the effect of TcQ,
TbQ, IwQ and Q2, were insignificant as their P-values were more than 0.05. While in the laminar flow
regime (Re < 2000) the results were similar to that observed in the laminar-turbulent transition flow regime
except the effect of flow rate term (Q) on wax deposit thickness was insignificant (with P-values of more
than 0.05) due to insignificant effect of shear dispersion and removal in the laminar flow region.
Experimental verifications of the predicted optimum conditions showed that the wax deposits were more in
the light crude oils grade (APIo > 30), ranging between deposition rates of 6.2 cm3/hour to 9.1cm3/hour in
the laminar flow regime, and 6.3 cm3/hour to 8.6cm3/hour in the laminar-turbulent transition flow regime,
compared to the wax deposition rates in the medium grade crudes (20 < APIo < 30) which was between 5.0
cm3/hour to 6.1 cm3/hour in the laminar flow regime, and 4.4 cm3/hour to 5.8cm3/hour in the laminar-
turbulent transition flow regime. The small error within and outside the studied range between the predicted
and actual volume of wax deposit: with average absolute deviation (AAD) of 2.60 % within the studied
range and 3.91 % outside the studied range confirmed the models validity in predicting the inhibition of wax
deposit.
Genetic Units Based Permeability Prediction for Clastic Reservoirs using Normalized Pore
Throat Radius (Niger Delta as Case Study)
Haruna M. Onuh1, David O. Ogbe
2 and Chikezie Nwosu
3
1. African University of Science and Technology, Abuja 2. African University of Science and Technology, Abuja and Flowgrids Ltd, Port Harcourt
3. Adddax Petroleum, Lagos
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One of the major challenges in exploration and development of the vast amount of hydrocarbon reserves in
the Tertiary Niger Delta Petroleum System is building a realistic model that accurately describes the dynamic
flow paths and production performance of the field. This implies description of extreme values of
connections of petrophysical properties, mainly permeabilities and subsequently the transmissibilities. The
prediction of these parameters is particularly challenging within the clastic system, due to their diagenetic
overprint.
The study proposes a normalized pore throat ( totR ) genetic units based approach for characterizing these
complex pore systems at core scale to provide improved models for permeability prediction, for the clastic
reservoirs with Niger Delta as case study. Petrographic observations of pore types are analysed alongside
capillary pressures and air permeabilities.
A major input parameter for the proposed totR permeability model is the pore throat radius at any given
pressure step (Rpi). This is an intrinsic component of capillary pressures obtained from Mercury Injection
(MICP) test.
The study also proposes the development of genetic unit averages of pseudo normalized pore throat radius as
input parameter to the totR model for improved permeability modeling.
We also present an upscaling from core plug scale to well log scale–pseudo normalized pore throat radius for
application in uncored well intervals for various depositional environments.
The statistical significance of the coefficient of the proposed model depicts the sample statistic to be too
unlikely to have occurred by chance, with their p-values strictly below the α-level of 0.05. The proposed
models were validated for permeability prediction and hydraulic flow zones delineation with reference to
existing Flow Zone Indicator, Leverett J-function and Stratigraphic Modified Lorenz Plot methodologies.
Models demonstrate excellent adjusted correlation coefficient and lower errors based on analysis of variance
(ANOVA) from the four distinct environments of deposition.
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