Papers by Salihu A H M E D Abdulkadir
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2020
subsurface water quality of the alluvial deposit at Kwanan Kuka Bus stop along the Upper Benue Ri... more subsurface water quality of the alluvial deposit at Kwanan Kuka Bus stop along the Upper Benue River flood plain was investigated through strategic sampling and standard laboratory methods. The refuse waste dump was also investigated concerning heavy metals concentrations. Heavy metals and physicochemical properties of groundwater were thus evaluated. Parameters assessed include total dissolved solids, pH, Calcium, Magnesium, chloride, potassium, electrical conductivity, and magnesium. Heavy metals were analyzed for copper, iron, zinc, manganese, chromium, mercury and lead using standard laboratory procedures. The pH values ranged from 7.15-8.05 indicating alkalinity and lies within the WHO standard of acceptable limit. The turbidity values were between 0-2.5 NTU. Zinc, manganese, and chromium ranged from 0.08-4.5 mg/l, 0.43-0.15mg/l and 1.61-2.61mg/l respectively and all are slightly above WHO standard limit. Iron and copper ranged from 0.43-0.68 mg/l and 0.03-0.05 mg/l respectively, which are within the acceptable limit of WHO drinking water quality standard. Lead and mercury were not detected in all the samples. The result showed that the groundwater water at the site I, is less polluted, but site II requires good waste management and disposal strategies as well as remediation in terms of further monitoring over a longer period. The waste disposal and management system of the Adamawa State Ministry of the environment must be strategized to prevent the discharge of solid and liquid waste to avoid contamination of the shallow aquifer of the alluvial deposit.
Sarhad Journal of Agriculture,., 2020
Pruning produces large quantities of waste from oil palm fronds (OPFs). During mulching of oil
p... more Pruning produces large quantities of waste from oil palm fronds (OPFs). During mulching of oil
palm fronds, lifting angles of mulcher’s blades affect the mulching depth and may damage the shallow roots
of oil palms. This study investigates the influence of blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s
PTO speed in predicting mulching depth. Four blades with lifting angles of 0°, 60°, 120°, and 150°; 02
tractor’s PTO speeds of 540 and 1000 RPM and 03 tractor’s forward speeds of 1, 3, and 5 km/h were assessed
for determining the effect on mulching depth in oil palm plantation. The results show that about 79 % of the
mulching depth variance is explained by blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s PTO speed.
Blade lifting angle of 120° at tractor’s PTO speed of 1000 RPM and tractor’s forward speed of 5 km/h offered
the most suitable mulching depth of 14.10 cm. Tractor’s PTO speed was a major predictor of mulching depth
in an oil palm plantation. Thus prescribed blade lifting angle and tractor’s forward speed must be adjusted
for the attainment of shallow mulching depth. This will minimize the damage to the roots of oil palm while
mulching oil palm fronds. Moreover, the developed multiple linear regression model can further be used for
the adjustment of blade lift angles and tractor’s speed to achieve the required mulching depth during the field
maintenance, replanting and access operation.
The amount of splash and aggregate stability of some agricultural soils were investigated with re... more The amount of splash and aggregate stability of some agricultural soils were investigated with respect to rainfall duration. The soil samples were graded in aggregate sizes of 2.36, 3.35 and 6.70 mm, respectively. Energy in the form of water drops (3 mm diameter) falling from a height of 2.65 m was applied, using rainfall simulators with rainfall intensity of 228.6 m/hr at an interval of 5 min. The amount of splash was found to vary for clay soil from 3.06 to 4.46 g/cm (2.36 mm), 4.08 to 5.38 g/cm 2 (3.35 mm), and 6.03 to 7.43 g/cm 2 (6.70 mm), while for sandy clay, it varies from 2.72 to 4.02 g/cm 2 (2.36 mm), 3.09 to 4.48 g/cm 2 (3.35 mm) and 5.06 to 6.62 g/cm 2 (6.70 mm), respectively. Aggregate stability was found to vary for clay at 11.02% moisture content from 4.44 to 3.04% (2.36 mm), 3.42 to 2.12%. (3.35 mm) and 1.47 to 0.07% (6.70 mm), while it varies for sandy clay at 10.68% moisture content from 4.78 to 3.48% (2.3 mm), 4.41 to 3.02% (3.35 mm) and 2.44 to 0.88% (6.70 mm), respectively.
Fertilizer placement distance at which sugarcane utilizes fertilizer optimally was determined in ... more Fertilizer placement distance at which sugarcane utilizes fertilizer optimally was determined in terms of its growth parameters (root distribution, stem height, stalk thickness, and leaf count). Three placement distances (4, 8 and 12 cm) were used as treatment and replicated four times. After subjecting the data obtained to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for Complete Randomized Design (CRD), the average means for a placement distance of 4 cm (for root distribution, stem height, stalk thickness and leaf count) are 3,910.75 cm 2 , 30.83 cm, 0.763 cm, and 9.5, while for 8 cm placement distance are 2,011.63 cm 2 , 27.70 cm, 0.699 cm, and 8.5. The values for 12 cm placement distance are 5,840.06 cm 2 , 34.55 cm, 0.788 cm and 11.25, respectively. These show that the effects of fertilizer placement distance on root distribution, stalk thickness and stem height are significant at 0.05 level of significance during three months of growth. It was highest at 12 cm placement and lowest was at 8 cm placement distance. Hence, fertilizer placement distance at 12 cm was recommended for the design and construction of a fertilizer applicator for sugarcane.
Sugarcane harvesting is a labor intensive operation and its mechanization is a recent development... more Sugarcane harvesting is a labor intensive operation and its mechanization is a recent development in Nigeria. The difficulties in providing the needed spare parts for the imported harvesting machines and labor shortages during harvesting periods impede the country's drive towards self-sufficiency in sugar production. To develop an effective and efficient machine for harvesting of sugarcane, a preliminary data on the energy requirement for the cutting and topping of sugarcane must be available to the designer. A simple apparatus was developed to calculate the energy requirement for cutting and topping of sugarcane. The apparatus consists of: crank, sprocket, chain, freewheel, flange, front hub, spindle, frame and the base support. The result of evaluation test reveals that 15.71 Joules and 23.83 Joules were needed for cutting the top and base of the sugarcane, respectively.
Journal of mechanical engineering research, 2013
Biogas is a renewable, alternative and sustainable form of energy from the action of bacteria whe... more Biogas is a renewable, alternative and sustainable form of energy from the action of bacteria when waste vegetable matter, organic waste and some industrial waste are fermented in the absence of oxygen. This study was conducted to find the effect of cow dung variety on biogas generation. Some samples of fresh cow dung (2 Kg for each breed of cow) of cows which were not exposed to treatment with antibiotics for some weeks, were collected from Sobere Farms and mixed with water in ratio of 1:1 volume and the mixture was loaded into a bio-reactor to ferment. The Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was 9 to 14 days. The reduction in retention time was achieved by adding human excreta and urine into the digester to increase microorganism and pathogenic activities. The biogas obtained after 11 days was gathered and analyzed in a 250-Gas Chromatograph and Integrator. The results showed the percentages and calculated energies (calorific values) of biogas from the cow dung of four (4) selected varieties of cows, namely, Holstein Friesian, Simmental, White Fulani and Jersey, which were fed with concentrates in equal proportions and at the same time for some weeks. The Holstein cow has methane (CH 4) , (84.916%) and 196.199 cal/m 3 of energy, Jersey cow (69.233%) and 159.963 cal/m 3 of energy, (60.459%) and 149.235 cal/m 3 of energy for Simmental cow and White Fulani cow has (85.331%) with 197.157 cal/m 3 of energy respectively. The results indicate that the White Fulani cow has the higher quantity of combustion energy than the other breeds of cows.
International. Jornal of Science and Research, 2014
An evaporative cooler was developed and assessed with locally available materials. The materials ... more An evaporative cooler was developed and assessed with locally available materials. The materials were outsourced and constructed locally within the study area. A daily monitoring of temperature and relative humidity for both ambient and the cooler were recorded using the wet bulb and dry bulb thermometer and digital humidity-temperature meter. The weight loss was measured using a digital weighing balance. The performance of the evaporative cooler was evaluated in terms of drops in temperature, weight loss and increased relative humidity and evaporative effectiveness. From the results it showed that the evaporative cooler can lessen the daily maximum ambient temperature, the average temperature inside the cooling chamber varied from 20 to 23.5 0 C while the ambient air temperature varied from 25 to 28 0 C for tomatoes and an average of 20.5 to 26.5 0 C inside the cabinet while the ambient air temperature was from 28 to 30.5 0 C for hot pepper. The mean relative humidity of the cabinet during the period of the experiment was about 51 to 93%, respectively, while the mean relative humidity of the ambient environment was from 47 to 58% for tomatoes, and the mean relative humidity for hot pepper was from 49 to 95% of the cabinet and the mean relative humidity of ambient was from 47 to 57%. The effectiveness of the evaporative cooler was higher during the day between the periods of 12-14 hrs.local time when observed. The evaporative cooler was able to preserve freshly harvested tomato and hot pepper for 8 days before color changes and mold spotting appeared and the weight was drastically reduced.
MSAE, 2018
Pruning generate large amount of oil palm fronds (OPFs) waste. Mulchers are expensive and damage ... more Pruning generate large amount of oil palm fronds (OPFs) waste. Mulchers are expensive and damage estate infrastructures during mulching. A tractor-mounted mulcher produced by Howard Company has not been evaluated. Three different blades were developed using Solid Works. They were compared with original blade in terms of mulching depth. Data acquisition were done at Universiti Putra Malaysia oil palm by four blades with lifting angles 60 o , 90 o , 120 o , and 150 o , two tractor PTO speeds (540 and 1000 rpm) and three tractor forward speeds (1, 3, and 5 km/h). ANOVA test in CRBD showed significance at (P<0.05). Tukey's Studentized Range (HSD) test showed significant difference between the means (P<0.05). Analysis of multiple linear regression on mulching depth showed significant results, where p = 0.0435, R 2 = 0.5792 indicating the model was significant. Based on interaction, blade with 120 o lifting angle at tractor forward speed of 5 km/h and tractor PTO speed of 1000 rpm gave the best depth of mulching with mean value of 14.10 cm.
Nigeria Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Research, 2018
Fundamental element of planning an experiment in the laboratory is assessing the hazards and pote... more Fundamental element of planning an experiment in the laboratory is assessing the hazards and potential risks associated with the chemicals and laboratory operations to be used. It is important for laboratory user to use understanding and the sources of information to assess the risks associated with potential hazards. The objective of this study was to reduce the problem of irregular assessment of risk in the food safety and quality laboratory University Putra Malaysia. Data from the survey were collected by an open ended questionnaire inspecting risk that will lead to occupational hazards. It was analyzed and ranked using Friedman test, the results showed that occupational hazards was significant in Physical, Chemical, Ergonomics, and Biological hazards with Kendall's Coefficient concordance(W) of 0.054, 0.057, 0.072 and 0.075 at the 5% (p<0.05) level with p values of 0.013, 0.009, 0.0009, and 0.001. The Kendall's mean rankings for occupational hazards also established that constant time pressure to do a job, Long exposure to chemical hazards, Biological hazards affects health, and exposure to physical hazards is harmful effects to health were ranked as the highest in Physical, Chemical, Ergonomics, and Biological hazards with a mean of 6.36,6.45, 6.14 and 6.79, while noise extremely high, chemical as viewed as dust particles, metal or metalloid, exposure to radiation is high and lifting heavy object are involved in workplace with lowest mean ranking of ranking of 4.20, 4.74, 3.88, and 4.24 respectively. The control measures adopted were provision of tong to grasp objects. Protective suits to protect chemical contacts, while awkward posture was proposed to be controlled by designing an ergonomic chair with the application of engineering approach.
The application of anthropometry and ergonomics in chair design contributes in improving human ef... more The application of anthropometry and ergonomics in chair design contributes in improving human efficiency in performance, minimize hazards, lower back pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Improper use of anthropometric data application can result to chronic back pain, injuries and illness due to occupational health related problems. This paper focused on the design of chair, using anthropometric data of students taken in relax state of standing and sitting posture. Data were collected from subsample of students in the University Putra Malaysia. The body size of each student was assessed using standard anthropometric measurement tools. All anthropometric measurement where done in a relaxed and erect posture and without shoes, the dimensions were estimated. The anthropometric data was analyzed using average, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, 5th percentile, 50th percentile and 95th percentile. The seat height was 47.3cm, the 5th percentile of the buttock-popliteal and thus the seat depth was 44.2cm. The 95th percentile of biacromial breadth of 37.7 cm was used with an allowance of 15 percent of the value (5.65 cm) which translates to a seat width of 43.3 cm. In the design of the armrest height the sitting elbow rest height was the deciding factor, which was taken as 19.8cm. Shoulder Height dimension was averaged 42.3cm, the backrest width was the 50th percentile of biacromial breadth with an average of 44.0 cm.
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Papers by Salihu A H M E D Abdulkadir
palm fronds, lifting angles of mulcher’s blades affect the mulching depth and may damage the shallow roots
of oil palms. This study investigates the influence of blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s
PTO speed in predicting mulching depth. Four blades with lifting angles of 0°, 60°, 120°, and 150°; 02
tractor’s PTO speeds of 540 and 1000 RPM and 03 tractor’s forward speeds of 1, 3, and 5 km/h were assessed
for determining the effect on mulching depth in oil palm plantation. The results show that about 79 % of the
mulching depth variance is explained by blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s PTO speed.
Blade lifting angle of 120° at tractor’s PTO speed of 1000 RPM and tractor’s forward speed of 5 km/h offered
the most suitable mulching depth of 14.10 cm. Tractor’s PTO speed was a major predictor of mulching depth
in an oil palm plantation. Thus prescribed blade lifting angle and tractor’s forward speed must be adjusted
for the attainment of shallow mulching depth. This will minimize the damage to the roots of oil palm while
mulching oil palm fronds. Moreover, the developed multiple linear regression model can further be used for
the adjustment of blade lift angles and tractor’s speed to achieve the required mulching depth during the field
maintenance, replanting and access operation.
palm fronds, lifting angles of mulcher’s blades affect the mulching depth and may damage the shallow roots
of oil palms. This study investigates the influence of blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s
PTO speed in predicting mulching depth. Four blades with lifting angles of 0°, 60°, 120°, and 150°; 02
tractor’s PTO speeds of 540 and 1000 RPM and 03 tractor’s forward speeds of 1, 3, and 5 km/h were assessed
for determining the effect on mulching depth in oil palm plantation. The results show that about 79 % of the
mulching depth variance is explained by blade lifting angles, tractor’s forward speed and tractor’s PTO speed.
Blade lifting angle of 120° at tractor’s PTO speed of 1000 RPM and tractor’s forward speed of 5 km/h offered
the most suitable mulching depth of 14.10 cm. Tractor’s PTO speed was a major predictor of mulching depth
in an oil palm plantation. Thus prescribed blade lifting angle and tractor’s forward speed must be adjusted
for the attainment of shallow mulching depth. This will minimize the damage to the roots of oil palm while
mulching oil palm fronds. Moreover, the developed multiple linear regression model can further be used for
the adjustment of blade lift angles and tractor’s speed to achieve the required mulching depth during the field
maintenance, replanting and access operation.