Ibrahim Ahmad Rufai | Bayero University, Kano (original) (raw)

Papers by Ibrahim Ahmad Rufai

Estimation of methane gas emission from four municipal solid waste dumpsites in Kano, Nigeria was... more Estimation of methane gas emission from four municipal solid waste dumpsites in Kano, Nigeria was carried out. The amount of methane gas emissions from the four dumpsites from the year 2012- 2040 were predicted using LandGEM landfill gas emission model. The maximum methane emission from Court road dumpsite is 4.655E+05 m 3 /year which would be generated in the year 2016 and would decline to 1.786E+05 m

BIMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (2536-6041)

The numerous thermal comfort models developed for air-conditioned and free-running spaces areunsu... more The numerous thermal comfort models developed for air-conditioned and free-running spaces areunsuitable for accurate prediction of thermal comfort of buildings equipped with hybrid downdraftevaporative cooling (HDEC) systems. This study attempts to develop a thermal comfort model foroffice buildings equipped with the HDEC in the new campus of Bayero University Kano. Thewindows of the office buildings were optimized using Taguchi analysis. The 3D model of thebaseline office building using the optimum window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of 25% was developedand numerically analyzed using DesignBuilder CFD simulation. The numerical PMVopt resultswere employed for training the thermal comfort model using the statistical software packageMinitab 19. The validation shows a good agreement between the predicted results and theexperimental data. The developed model could help building designers and engineers to makeappropriate decisions at design stage regarding the thermal comfort of office buildings ...

The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and th... more The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and their suitability for use as solar cell material. Thin films of cadmium sulphide with thicknesses ranging from 0.8-3.26 µm were deposited on microscope glass slides using the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The paper also presents some findings on how to optimize the chemical bath deposition technique to achieve improved quality of CdS thin films deposited on glass substrates. Some of the samples were annealed while others were left unannealed. All the samples were tested to investigate the physical, electrical and optical characteristics of the deposited thin films. The physical properties measured were the thickness and surface morphology of the samples. The electrical properties were the resistivity, conductivity type and charge carrier mobility while the optical property was the band gap energy. The resistivity of the samples was measured using the four point probe method while ...

Applied Thermal Engineering, 2011

Surge in petroleum prices, its drying sources and degradation in air quality focused interest on ... more Surge in petroleum prices, its drying sources and degradation in air quality focused interest on renewable energy sources as substitute for existing fuels for internal combustion engines. This study highlights the combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of diesel engines fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) as primary fuel and castor (Ricinus communis) oil methyl ester (COME) as pilot fuel. COME was produced from non-edible grade Ricinus communis oil. The biodiesel fuel properties and characterization was done as per ASTM D6751 specifications. The CNG was inducted through inlet manifold fumigation at a consistent flow rate of 15 l/min under dual-fuel mode. It is evident from the test results that B20-CNG yields brake thermal efficiency of 23.6% when compared to 25 and 27% for D-CNG and diesel fuel, respectively. The peak cylinder gas pressure was lower in dual-fuel mode when compared to conventional diesel. The emission results show increase in NO x emission by 24.5 and 28.4% for D-CNG and B20-CNG, respectively when compared to baseline diesel fuel at full engine load. There was increase in HC emission by 6.7 and 11% whereas CO emissions decreased by 31.6 and 37.4% for B20-CNG and D-CNG, respectively at similar operating conditions. Reduction in smoke opacity by 49.4 and 59.6% was achieved respectively for D-CNG and B20-CNG under dual-fuel mode. On the whole, COME exhibits a better pilot fuel choice for dual-fuel combustion mode in comparison to conventional fossil petroleum diesel in terms of combustion, performance, and emissions characteristics.

The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) ... more The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) as a new engineering raw material in Nigeria. A study of a large volume of literature on generation of rice husk and its combustion using different types of equipment has been presented. Nigeria is currently the highest rice producer in West Africa, producing an average of 3.2 million tons of paddy rice or 2.0 million tons of milled rice. Rice husk makes up 20% of paddy, therefore Nigeria has the potential to produce about 400,000 tones of rice husks annually. Biosilica is produced from rice husk through chemical and thermal extraction processes. The silica in the ash undergoes structural transformations depending on conditions (time, temperature etc) of combustion. At temperatures of 500-800 o C amorphous ash is formed and at temperatures greater than this (>800°C) crystalline ash is formed. The desirable physico-chemical and mechanical properties of amorphous silica, notably their h...

There is a huge gap between demand and supply of energy carriers, which needs to be met through i... more There is a huge gap between demand and supply of energy carriers, which needs to be met through increased production of biodiesel using non-edible oil plants, without jeopardizing national food security. The study was conducted to investigate the fuel properties of desert-date (Balanites aegyptiaca)-based biodiesel for possible use as fuel for internal combustion engines. Biodiesel was produced from Balanites aegyptiaca oil using alkali catalyzed trans-esterification method. The fuel properties were determined in accordance with the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC 1990), American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM D6751) and European standard methods. The average oil yield was 396 g/kg, while the oil extraction efficiency was 88%. Trans-esterification of Balanites aegyptiaca oil revealed high biodiesel yield of 82.7%, 15.9% glycerol with 1.4% stir loss. Analysis of biodiesel fuel properties revealed a kinematic viscosity of 4.7mm2/s at 40°C, higher heating valu...

Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2010

The paper is a study of the discovery of anaerobic digestion and its development from waste treat... more The paper is a study of the discovery of anaerobic digestion and its development from waste treatment to biogas-for-energy production technology. Anaerobic digestion dates back to 4000 BC when the Sumerians discovered the process of fermentation. Anecdotal evidences date the use of biogas back to the 10 th century BC when the Assyrians used it for heating bath water. The Persians, also, used biogas for the same purpose during the 16 th century. In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy determined that methane was present in the gases produced during the anaerobic digestion of cattle manure. The first biogas digester was built at a leper colony in Bombay, India in 1859. Anaerobic digestion reached England in 1895 when biogas was recovered from a sewage treatment facility and used to fuel street lamps in Exeter. Advances in microbiology led to research by Buswell and others in the 1930s to identify anaerobic bacteria and the conditions that promote methane generation. From the 20 th century, anaerobic digestion technology has been identified as the most appropriate means of treating and processing agricultural wastes, especially in the area of animal production , where increased volume of manure and effluents poses an environmental hazard. Anaerobic digestion technology is being integrated into cogeneration (generation of heat and power) and trigeneration (genera-tion of heat, power and cold) systems. SIGNIFICANCE: The knowledge of evolutionary development of anaerobic digestion will change the mindset of some skeptics that the technology could contribute, significantly, to so-cio-economic development.

The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and th... more The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and their suitability for use as solar cell material. Thin films of cadmium sulphide with thicknesses ranging from 0.8-3.26 µm were deposited on microscope glass slides using the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The paper also presents some findings on how to optimize the chemical bath deposition technique to achieve improved quality of CdS thin films deposited on glass substrates. Some of the samples were annealed while others were left unannealed. All the samples were tested to investigate the physical, electrical and optical characteristics of the deposited thin films. The physical properties measured were the thickness and surface morphology of the samples. The electrical properties were the resistivity, conductivity type and charge carrier mobility while the optical property was the band gap energy. The resistivity of the samples was measured using the four point probe method while the band gap energy was measured using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The unannealed samples were found to have an average resistivity of 1.01217 ×10 3 Ωcm and average band gap energy of 2.493 eV. The average charge carrier mobility of the unannealed samples was 2209.4 cm 2 v-1 s-1 measured based on the Hall Effect principle. From the galvanometer deflection as measured against standard using the hot probe method was observed that CdS is an n-type semiconducting material. Comparing results obtained for both annealed and unannealed samples, it was observed that there is a decrease of 4.63% on resistivity and 0.72% on band gap energy of the annealed samples. The charge carrier mobility increased by 12.3% for the annealed samples as well. The quality of CdS thin film can be improved through annealing. This implies that the thin film developed in the current study could be used as a window layer for heterojunction solar cells of the types; Cadmium sulphide/ Cupper Indium Selenide (CdS/CuInSe 2) or Cadmium Sulphide/ Cadmium Telluride (CdS/CdTe).

The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) ... more The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk)
as a new engineering raw material in Nigeria. A study of a large volume of literature on
generation of rice husk and its combustion using different types of equipment has been
presented. Nigeria is currently the highest rice producer in West Africa, producing an average of
3.2 million tons of paddy rice or 2.0 million tons of milled rice. Rice husk makes up 20% of
paddy, therefore Nigeria has the potential to produce about 400,000 tones of rice husks
annually. Biosilica is produced from rice husk through chemical and thermal extraction
processes. The silica in the ash undergoes structural transformations depending on conditions
(time, temperature etc) of combustion. At temperatures of 500-800oC amorphous ash is formed
and at temperatures greater than this (>800°C) crystalline ash is formed. The desirable physicochemical
and mechanical properties of amorphous silica, notably their high reactivity, excellent
binding properties, relatively high purity and excellent mechanical strength makes biosilica a
prospective raw material in a wide range of technologies. Silica from rice husk can be used as a
pozzalanic material in building industry, as a catalyst in chemical industries, as a material for
making glass, and as a material for the production of solar cells in Nigeria.

The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable... more The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable transportation system in Nigeria. Biofuels may be in the form of bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biomethane, bioalcohols including biopropanol, biobutanol and biomethanol, produced from different biological feedstocks. The rationale for conceiving the production of biofuels for blending with gasoline and diesel in Nigeria emanates from environmental, energy security and socioeconomic factors. A study of the variety of energy crops grown in Nigeria shows that cassava, sugarcane and jatroph curcus are the most prospective. A study of the effect of biodiesel on the exhaust emissions from the public transport buses shows that the on-road exhaust emissions decreased with the increase in biodiesel blend level for CO, SO 2 , and CO 2 while the NO X emissions increased. If used as a biofuel, biogas may considerably contribute to GHG emission reductions. As presented in this paper, innovation (in the form of application of biofuels as energy carrier in the transport sector) is one of the most effective tools that can facilitate development of a sustainable transportation system in the country. As suggested in this paper, development of a realistic regulatory mechanism that will require a renewable content of 5% in gasoline and a 2% renewable content in diesel fuel by 2020 may be most appropriate for the country. Development of prospective biofuels in the country and their promotion as energy carrier in the transport sector would be successful if the efforts of the Government, Universities and Research Institutions, as well as the Industry complement each other in a sustainable way.

The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable... more The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as
prospective energy carrier for a sustainable
transportation system in Nigeria. Biofuels may be
in the form of bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas,
biomethane, bioalcohols including biopropanol,
biobutanol and biomethanol, produced from
different biological feedstocks. The rationale for
conceiving the production of biofuels for blending
with gasoline and diesel in Nigeria emanates from
environmental, energy security and socio-economic
factors. A study of the variety of energy crops
grown in Nigeria shows that cassava, sugarcane
and jatroph curcus are the most prospective. A
study of the effect of biodiesel on the exhaust
emissions from the public transport buses shows
that the on-road exhaust emissions decreased with
the increase in biodiesel blend level for CO, SO2,
and CO2 while the NOX emissions increased. If
used as a biofuel, biogas may considerably
contribute to GHG emission reductions. As
presented in this paper, innovation (in the form of
application of biofuels as energy carrier in the
transport sector) is one of the most effective tools
that can facilitate development of a sustainable
transportation system in the country. As suggested
in this paper, development of a realistic regulatory
mechanism that will require a renewable content of
5% in gasoline and a 2% renewable content in
diesel fuel by 2020 may be most appropriate for the
country. Development of prospective biofuels in the
country and their promotion as energy carrier in
the transport sector would be successful if the
efforts of the Government, Universities and
Research Institutions, as well as the Industry
complement each other in a sustainable way.

The paper provides an evaluation and mapping of hydropower potentials in Niger State. The aim of ... more The paper provides an evaluation and mapping of hydropower potentials in Niger State. The aim of the study was to evaluate and map the renewable energy potentials in Niger State with the objective of assessing the hydro energy that can be harnessed for national development. An automated interpolation computer program (Surge) was used to produce hydropower potential maps. The Hydro power potential data were obtained from Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency NIHSA), Abuja. The analysis of the data indicates that the existing large Dams in the state have a total capacity of 22,880 Mm 3 and total output power of 1840 MW. The proposed large dams in the state have a total capacity of 30,232 Mm 3 with output power of about 2431MW, while the proposed medium and small Dams indicate a total capacity of 750 million Mm 3 and output of 60 MW. The hydro potential map produced using the software shows the locations of the prospective medium and small dams.

Performance and emission characteristics of compression ignition (C.I.) engines were reviewed in ... more Performance and emission characteristics of compression ignition (C.I.) engines were reviewed in this work. This study was conducted by reviewing works that were carried out using biodiesel derived from the oils of: cotton seed, mahua, rice-bran, canola, Shea butter and Jatropha; and biodiesel from waste frying oil, waste palm oil, blend of ethanol and biodiesel, and diesel-biodiesel-ethanol fuel blend. The results showed that while using biodiesel and its blends; brake power was reduced by 4-5% and brake specific fuel consumption increased by 5-10%. CO 2 emissions were reduced by 5-8% and NOx increased by 11-22%. Neat biodiesel was better up in CO 2 reduction by about 22.5% at higher loads when compared to B20. However, the increase in NOx emission and power losses resulting from neat biodiesel suggest that low blend biodiesel such as B20 has the potential of becoming optimum blend. The works under review revealed that biodiesel exhibits similar performance on diesel engine when compared to fossil diesel and possesses better emission characteristics. These findings identified biodiesel as a renewable and prospective future fuel that will protect our environment.

This paper presents an investigation into the corrosive behaviour of biodiesel on the injector of... more This paper presents an investigation into the corrosive behaviour of biodiesel on the injector of the fuel system of a diesel engine. The experimental study was based on the methods of weight loss and scanning electron microscopy. Test specimens prepared from the injector of a diesel engine were exposed to different blends of Jatropha biodiesel for a period of 28 days under ambient conditions. Corrosion rates were determined in accordance with Callister (1997). Jatropha biodiesel blends B100, B50 and B5 exhibited corrosion rates of 0.017 mmpy, 0.013 mmpy and 0 mmpy respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed some stains on the surfaces of the specimens corresponding to corrosive effects of the media and weight loss within the immersion period. The study has shown that Jatropha biodiesel blends with up to 5% biodiesel content can be used as motor fuel without any modification to the engine fuel system. The findings of the current research can serve as a guide in identifying the blends of Jatropha biodiesel that could suitably be used on a long term basis on a diesel engine without modification. This will surely promote the use of biodiesel as engine fuel and consequently help in protecting our environment.

Estimation of methane gas emission from four municipal solid waste dumpsites in Kano, Nigeria was... more Estimation of methane gas emission from four municipal solid waste dumpsites in Kano, Nigeria was carried out. The amount of methane gas emissions from the four dumpsites from the year 2012- 2040 were predicted using LandGEM landfill gas emission model. The maximum methane emission from Court road dumpsite is 4.655E+05 m 3 /year which would be generated in the year 2016 and would decline to 1.786E+05 m

BIMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (2536-6041)

The numerous thermal comfort models developed for air-conditioned and free-running spaces areunsu... more The numerous thermal comfort models developed for air-conditioned and free-running spaces areunsuitable for accurate prediction of thermal comfort of buildings equipped with hybrid downdraftevaporative cooling (HDEC) systems. This study attempts to develop a thermal comfort model foroffice buildings equipped with the HDEC in the new campus of Bayero University Kano. Thewindows of the office buildings were optimized using Taguchi analysis. The 3D model of thebaseline office building using the optimum window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of 25% was developedand numerically analyzed using DesignBuilder CFD simulation. The numerical PMVopt resultswere employed for training the thermal comfort model using the statistical software packageMinitab 19. The validation shows a good agreement between the predicted results and theexperimental data. The developed model could help building designers and engineers to makeappropriate decisions at design stage regarding the thermal comfort of office buildings ...

The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and th... more The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and their suitability for use as solar cell material. Thin films of cadmium sulphide with thicknesses ranging from 0.8-3.26 µm were deposited on microscope glass slides using the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The paper also presents some findings on how to optimize the chemical bath deposition technique to achieve improved quality of CdS thin films deposited on glass substrates. Some of the samples were annealed while others were left unannealed. All the samples were tested to investigate the physical, electrical and optical characteristics of the deposited thin films. The physical properties measured were the thickness and surface morphology of the samples. The electrical properties were the resistivity, conductivity type and charge carrier mobility while the optical property was the band gap energy. The resistivity of the samples was measured using the four point probe method while ...

Applied Thermal Engineering, 2011

Surge in petroleum prices, its drying sources and degradation in air quality focused interest on ... more Surge in petroleum prices, its drying sources and degradation in air quality focused interest on renewable energy sources as substitute for existing fuels for internal combustion engines. This study highlights the combustion, performance, and emission characteristics of diesel engines fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) as primary fuel and castor (Ricinus communis) oil methyl ester (COME) as pilot fuel. COME was produced from non-edible grade Ricinus communis oil. The biodiesel fuel properties and characterization was done as per ASTM D6751 specifications. The CNG was inducted through inlet manifold fumigation at a consistent flow rate of 15 l/min under dual-fuel mode. It is evident from the test results that B20-CNG yields brake thermal efficiency of 23.6% when compared to 25 and 27% for D-CNG and diesel fuel, respectively. The peak cylinder gas pressure was lower in dual-fuel mode when compared to conventional diesel. The emission results show increase in NO x emission by 24.5 and 28.4% for D-CNG and B20-CNG, respectively when compared to baseline diesel fuel at full engine load. There was increase in HC emission by 6.7 and 11% whereas CO emissions decreased by 31.6 and 37.4% for B20-CNG and D-CNG, respectively at similar operating conditions. Reduction in smoke opacity by 49.4 and 59.6% was achieved respectively for D-CNG and B20-CNG under dual-fuel mode. On the whole, COME exhibits a better pilot fuel choice for dual-fuel combustion mode in comparison to conventional fossil petroleum diesel in terms of combustion, performance, and emissions characteristics.

The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) ... more The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) as a new engineering raw material in Nigeria. A study of a large volume of literature on generation of rice husk and its combustion using different types of equipment has been presented. Nigeria is currently the highest rice producer in West Africa, producing an average of 3.2 million tons of paddy rice or 2.0 million tons of milled rice. Rice husk makes up 20% of paddy, therefore Nigeria has the potential to produce about 400,000 tones of rice husks annually. Biosilica is produced from rice husk through chemical and thermal extraction processes. The silica in the ash undergoes structural transformations depending on conditions (time, temperature etc) of combustion. At temperatures of 500-800 o C amorphous ash is formed and at temperatures greater than this (>800°C) crystalline ash is formed. The desirable physico-chemical and mechanical properties of amorphous silica, notably their h...

There is a huge gap between demand and supply of energy carriers, which needs to be met through i... more There is a huge gap between demand and supply of energy carriers, which needs to be met through increased production of biodiesel using non-edible oil plants, without jeopardizing national food security. The study was conducted to investigate the fuel properties of desert-date (Balanites aegyptiaca)-based biodiesel for possible use as fuel for internal combustion engines. Biodiesel was produced from Balanites aegyptiaca oil using alkali catalyzed trans-esterification method. The fuel properties were determined in accordance with the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC 1990), American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM D6751) and European standard methods. The average oil yield was 396 g/kg, while the oil extraction efficiency was 88%. Trans-esterification of Balanites aegyptiaca oil revealed high biodiesel yield of 82.7%, 15.9% glycerol with 1.4% stir loss. Analysis of biodiesel fuel properties revealed a kinematic viscosity of 4.7mm2/s at 40°C, higher heating valu...

Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2010

The paper is a study of the discovery of anaerobic digestion and its development from waste treat... more The paper is a study of the discovery of anaerobic digestion and its development from waste treatment to biogas-for-energy production technology. Anaerobic digestion dates back to 4000 BC when the Sumerians discovered the process of fermentation. Anecdotal evidences date the use of biogas back to the 10 th century BC when the Assyrians used it for heating bath water. The Persians, also, used biogas for the same purpose during the 16 th century. In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy determined that methane was present in the gases produced during the anaerobic digestion of cattle manure. The first biogas digester was built at a leper colony in Bombay, India in 1859. Anaerobic digestion reached England in 1895 when biogas was recovered from a sewage treatment facility and used to fuel street lamps in Exeter. Advances in microbiology led to research by Buswell and others in the 1930s to identify anaerobic bacteria and the conditions that promote methane generation. From the 20 th century, anaerobic digestion technology has been identified as the most appropriate means of treating and processing agricultural wastes, especially in the area of animal production , where increased volume of manure and effluents poses an environmental hazard. Anaerobic digestion technology is being integrated into cogeneration (generation of heat and power) and trigeneration (genera-tion of heat, power and cold) systems. SIGNIFICANCE: The knowledge of evolutionary development of anaerobic digestion will change the mindset of some skeptics that the technology could contribute, significantly, to so-cio-economic development.

The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and th... more The paper presents an investigation of the properties of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) thin films and their suitability for use as solar cell material. Thin films of cadmium sulphide with thicknesses ranging from 0.8-3.26 µm were deposited on microscope glass slides using the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The paper also presents some findings on how to optimize the chemical bath deposition technique to achieve improved quality of CdS thin films deposited on glass substrates. Some of the samples were annealed while others were left unannealed. All the samples were tested to investigate the physical, electrical and optical characteristics of the deposited thin films. The physical properties measured were the thickness and surface morphology of the samples. The electrical properties were the resistivity, conductivity type and charge carrier mobility while the optical property was the band gap energy. The resistivity of the samples was measured using the four point probe method while the band gap energy was measured using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The unannealed samples were found to have an average resistivity of 1.01217 ×10 3 Ωcm and average band gap energy of 2.493 eV. The average charge carrier mobility of the unannealed samples was 2209.4 cm 2 v-1 s-1 measured based on the Hall Effect principle. From the galvanometer deflection as measured against standard using the hot probe method was observed that CdS is an n-type semiconducting material. Comparing results obtained for both annealed and unannealed samples, it was observed that there is a decrease of 4.63% on resistivity and 0.72% on band gap energy of the annealed samples. The charge carrier mobility increased by 12.3% for the annealed samples as well. The quality of CdS thin film can be improved through annealing. This implies that the thin film developed in the current study could be used as a window layer for heterojunction solar cells of the types; Cadmium sulphide/ Cupper Indium Selenide (CdS/CuInSe 2) or Cadmium Sulphide/ Cadmium Telluride (CdS/CdTe).

The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk) ... more The paper aimed at presenting an overview of the potentials of biosilica (silica from rice husk)
as a new engineering raw material in Nigeria. A study of a large volume of literature on
generation of rice husk and its combustion using different types of equipment has been
presented. Nigeria is currently the highest rice producer in West Africa, producing an average of
3.2 million tons of paddy rice or 2.0 million tons of milled rice. Rice husk makes up 20% of
paddy, therefore Nigeria has the potential to produce about 400,000 tones of rice husks
annually. Biosilica is produced from rice husk through chemical and thermal extraction
processes. The silica in the ash undergoes structural transformations depending on conditions
(time, temperature etc) of combustion. At temperatures of 500-800oC amorphous ash is formed
and at temperatures greater than this (>800°C) crystalline ash is formed. The desirable physicochemical
and mechanical properties of amorphous silica, notably their high reactivity, excellent
binding properties, relatively high purity and excellent mechanical strength makes biosilica a
prospective raw material in a wide range of technologies. Silica from rice husk can be used as a
pozzalanic material in building industry, as a catalyst in chemical industries, as a material for
making glass, and as a material for the production of solar cells in Nigeria.

The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable... more The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable transportation system in Nigeria. Biofuels may be in the form of bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biomethane, bioalcohols including biopropanol, biobutanol and biomethanol, produced from different biological feedstocks. The rationale for conceiving the production of biofuels for blending with gasoline and diesel in Nigeria emanates from environmental, energy security and socioeconomic factors. A study of the variety of energy crops grown in Nigeria shows that cassava, sugarcane and jatroph curcus are the most prospective. A study of the effect of biodiesel on the exhaust emissions from the public transport buses shows that the on-road exhaust emissions decreased with the increase in biodiesel blend level for CO, SO 2 , and CO 2 while the NO X emissions increased. If used as a biofuel, biogas may considerably contribute to GHG emission reductions. As presented in this paper, innovation (in the form of application of biofuels as energy carrier in the transport sector) is one of the most effective tools that can facilitate development of a sustainable transportation system in the country. As suggested in this paper, development of a realistic regulatory mechanism that will require a renewable content of 5% in gasoline and a 2% renewable content in diesel fuel by 2020 may be most appropriate for the country. Development of prospective biofuels in the country and their promotion as energy carrier in the transport sector would be successful if the efforts of the Government, Universities and Research Institutions, as well as the Industry complement each other in a sustainable way.

The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as prospective energy carrier for a sustainable... more The paper presents a study of the use of biofuels as
prospective energy carrier for a sustainable
transportation system in Nigeria. Biofuels may be
in the form of bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas,
biomethane, bioalcohols including biopropanol,
biobutanol and biomethanol, produced from
different biological feedstocks. The rationale for
conceiving the production of biofuels for blending
with gasoline and diesel in Nigeria emanates from
environmental, energy security and socio-economic
factors. A study of the variety of energy crops
grown in Nigeria shows that cassava, sugarcane
and jatroph curcus are the most prospective. A
study of the effect of biodiesel on the exhaust
emissions from the public transport buses shows
that the on-road exhaust emissions decreased with
the increase in biodiesel blend level for CO, SO2,
and CO2 while the NOX emissions increased. If
used as a biofuel, biogas may considerably
contribute to GHG emission reductions. As
presented in this paper, innovation (in the form of
application of biofuels as energy carrier in the
transport sector) is one of the most effective tools
that can facilitate development of a sustainable
transportation system in the country. As suggested
in this paper, development of a realistic regulatory
mechanism that will require a renewable content of
5% in gasoline and a 2% renewable content in
diesel fuel by 2020 may be most appropriate for the
country. Development of prospective biofuels in the
country and their promotion as energy carrier in
the transport sector would be successful if the
efforts of the Government, Universities and
Research Institutions, as well as the Industry
complement each other in a sustainable way.

The paper provides an evaluation and mapping of hydropower potentials in Niger State. The aim of ... more The paper provides an evaluation and mapping of hydropower potentials in Niger State. The aim of the study was to evaluate and map the renewable energy potentials in Niger State with the objective of assessing the hydro energy that can be harnessed for national development. An automated interpolation computer program (Surge) was used to produce hydropower potential maps. The Hydro power potential data were obtained from Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency NIHSA), Abuja. The analysis of the data indicates that the existing large Dams in the state have a total capacity of 22,880 Mm 3 and total output power of 1840 MW. The proposed large dams in the state have a total capacity of 30,232 Mm 3 with output power of about 2431MW, while the proposed medium and small Dams indicate a total capacity of 750 million Mm 3 and output of 60 MW. The hydro potential map produced using the software shows the locations of the prospective medium and small dams.

Performance and emission characteristics of compression ignition (C.I.) engines were reviewed in ... more Performance and emission characteristics of compression ignition (C.I.) engines were reviewed in this work. This study was conducted by reviewing works that were carried out using biodiesel derived from the oils of: cotton seed, mahua, rice-bran, canola, Shea butter and Jatropha; and biodiesel from waste frying oil, waste palm oil, blend of ethanol and biodiesel, and diesel-biodiesel-ethanol fuel blend. The results showed that while using biodiesel and its blends; brake power was reduced by 4-5% and brake specific fuel consumption increased by 5-10%. CO 2 emissions were reduced by 5-8% and NOx increased by 11-22%. Neat biodiesel was better up in CO 2 reduction by about 22.5% at higher loads when compared to B20. However, the increase in NOx emission and power losses resulting from neat biodiesel suggest that low blend biodiesel such as B20 has the potential of becoming optimum blend. The works under review revealed that biodiesel exhibits similar performance on diesel engine when compared to fossil diesel and possesses better emission characteristics. These findings identified biodiesel as a renewable and prospective future fuel that will protect our environment.

This paper presents an investigation into the corrosive behaviour of biodiesel on the injector of... more This paper presents an investigation into the corrosive behaviour of biodiesel on the injector of the fuel system of a diesel engine. The experimental study was based on the methods of weight loss and scanning electron microscopy. Test specimens prepared from the injector of a diesel engine were exposed to different blends of Jatropha biodiesel for a period of 28 days under ambient conditions. Corrosion rates were determined in accordance with Callister (1997). Jatropha biodiesel blends B100, B50 and B5 exhibited corrosion rates of 0.017 mmpy, 0.013 mmpy and 0 mmpy respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed some stains on the surfaces of the specimens corresponding to corrosive effects of the media and weight loss within the immersion period. The study has shown that Jatropha biodiesel blends with up to 5% biodiesel content can be used as motor fuel without any modification to the engine fuel system. The findings of the current research can serve as a guide in identifying the blends of Jatropha biodiesel that could suitably be used on a long term basis on a diesel engine without modification. This will surely promote the use of biodiesel as engine fuel and consequently help in protecting our environment.