Francis Inegbedion - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Francis Inegbedion
Turkish journal of engineering, Apr 15, 2023
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
Black sea journal of engineering and science, Apr 1, 2022
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
International Journal of Engineering Technologies IJET
Agricultural residue briquettes can be used as a fuel for heating, cooking and other domestic and... more Agricultural residue briquettes can be used as a fuel for heating, cooking and other domestic and industrial applications. This article explored the potential of using palm fruit shells to make briquettes as an alternative fuel for both domestic and industrial use. This will significantly reduce the problem of deforestation and excessive dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions generated by trees as a fuel for wood. Cassava starch was used in an amount of 100:15 by weight and the burning properties of the produced palm fruit briquettes were determined. The combustion characteristics of the palm fruit briquettes produced are 7.56% average moisture, 17.45% average volatiles, 6.68% average ash, 68.28% average bound carbon and 9717.74 kcal /kg of average calorific value. These results, compared with the literature, showed that briquettes made from palm husks have good combustion properties, which makes them suitable for domestic applications and small industries.
MANAS journal of engineering, Jun 30, 2022
Briquetting is one way of making efficient use of existing resources. It involves collecting comb... more Briquetting is one way of making efficient use of existing resources. It involves collecting combustible waste materials due to lack of density, and compressing them into solid fuels of convenient shape that can be burnt like wood or charcoal". "Biomass briquette is one of the proven ways of generating energy from waste". "The excessive use of fossil fuels, wood fuels and natural gas has led to serious environmental issues and deforestation". "This work focused on estimating the heating values of sawdust briquettes to ascertain its suitability for domestic use and small-scale industrial cottage application". The calorific value of the briquettes was determined using a bomb calorimeter. "The following heating values of sawdust briquettes were obtained: average percentage moisture content 5.04%, average percentage volatile matter 10.80%, average percentage ash content 3.85%, average percentage fixed carbon 80.95% and average percentage calorific value 26918.02KCal/Kg. These results indicate that the briquettes made from sawdust have high heating values enough for domestic use and small-scale industrial cottage applications Research article
Turkish Journal of Engineering
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
Black Sea Journal of Engineering and Science, 2022
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
Heat sealing is one of the most commonly used methods for sealing polyethylene of either a high d... more Heat sealing is one of the most commonly used methods for sealing polyethylene of either a high density or a low density. Local farmers either expose their products without sealing or use sealing machines that do not achieve a perfect seal. To prevent this problem, an affordable heat-sealing machine was designed and fabricated using locally available materials. The polyethylene sealing machine designed and fabricated could seal a package within 10 secs.
MANAS Journal of Engineering, 2022
International Journal of Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering, 2021
A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through i... more A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through it, this allows the fluid to move from one point to another. This paper reports the design, manufacture and testing of a centrifugal water pump having a circular casing. A single stage, end suction centrifugal pump designed and manufactured, using locally sourced materials. This pump finds application in homes, agriculture and industries. It consists of an impeller, shaft, suction, delivery pipes and an electric motor. Experiments performed with this pump shows that it can deliver 0.0045m3 of water per second with a pressure head of 34.7m. A 2.5kW electric motor running at a speed of 2900rpm was used to drive the pump.
Nigerian Journal of Technology, 2018
Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, Jul 13, 2018
Casting is a manufacturing process for making complex shapes of metal materials. Casting has two ... more Casting is a manufacturing process for making complex shapes of metal materials. Casting has two stages-filling process requiring a gating system and solidification process requiring a riser. The air in the mould cavity during casting is displaced through the riser by the molten metal in a very rapid manner necessitating the need to determine its compressibility as it exit through the riser. The finite element method and the stream function model were used to analyze the flow of air through the top risers of casting mould. Results show that the velocity profile at any cross section is parabolic in shape with the maximum velocity at the centre. Comparing the finite element solutions with the exact solutions showed that the solutions converged towards the exact solutions. Further comparing of finite element solutions and experimental results with the local speed of sound (Mach number) showed that the Mach number was greater than one, which established that the air in the mould cavity during casting is compressible as it is displaced by the molten metal. Before now all researches did was to develop empirical equations and optimized molten metal flow in casting mould. This work has gone further to establish the compressibility of airflow in casting mould.
Ikponmwen Emmanuel, 2022
A lot of attention has been on aluminum and its alloy due to its wide range of industrial applica... more A lot of attention has been on aluminum and its alloy due to its wide range of industrial applications and qualities likes low density, good formability, high conductivity, high specific rigidity, excellent corrosion resistance, high castability and attractive tensile strength. The most common problems associated with casting are some forms of imperfections which are voids, cracks, and inclusions with varying degree of relative stiffness. Optimizing squeeze casting parameters will eliminate these forms of imperfection which forms the basis of this study. An optimization technique for squeeze casting process parameters based on Taguchi method is reported in this project. Squeezed casts were prepared using three different parameters at three different levels. The settings of these parameters were determined using the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array giving nine runs and squeezed cast specimens were tested to obtain their hardness and tensile strength. The optimum parameter combination was obtained using the analysis of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. The optimized process parameter obtained for hardness was A2-38.79, B3-38.88, C2-38.80 corresponding to pouring temperature at 650 0 C, mould temperature at 700 0 C and squeeze pressure at 2000Pa. While that of tensile strength was A1-40.15, B2-40.89, C1-40.89 corresponding to pouring temperature at 650 0 C, mould temperature at 700 0 C and squeeze pressure at 3000Pa. Finally based on the tensile strength and hardness test carried out the optimum level process parameters was found to be 40.89N/mm 2 and 38.88HB.
In this work a simplified model that can be used to analyze compressible axisymmetric flow of air... more In this work a simplified model that can be used to analyze compressible axisymmetric flow of air through the risers of casting mould was developed. Two fluids are involved in the casting process but casting engineers and researchers has focused on the flow of molten metal developing general casting design rules and empirical equations for the gating ratio, pouring time, and gating system dimensions, and consideration has not been given prior to now to the air flow behaviour in the casting mould. The model was developed from the basic equations governing fluid flow, the irrotationality flow conditions and the stream function. The model developed can be used to analyze fluid flow using any numerical method.
Nigeria has a history of indigenous rice production with an increasing domestic demand and its pr... more Nigeria has a history of indigenous rice production with an increasing domestic demand and its prominent role among staple food crops has given it a growing importance. However, there is poor acceptance of local rice in Nigeria due to its processing, which introduces foreign particles and leads to breakage of the rice kernel. Therefore, the authors in this
research designed and developed a simple rice mill machine capable of milling 25kg of paddy rice per hour that is safe for human consumption and with minimum breakage of the rice kernels. The developed machine was fabricated using 100% local content. During the testing locally produced and parboiled rice grains were fed through the hopper. The test was carried out by feeding 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000 and 5500 grains into the milling machine at different times. The performance test carried out on the machine was to ascertain if the machine would run and also mill the rice grains at the expected milling capacity of 25kg per hour. The
efficiency of the machine was determined by randomly taking some quantity of the milled rice grains and finding the percentage of the milled rice grains, from the total number of rice grains milled. Results revealed that the average efficiency of milling is 85%.
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
This work focuses on the analysis of the air flow through the top risers of casting using the str... more This work focuses on the analysis of the air flow through the top risers of casting using the stream function model. Casting is a method of producing complex shapes out of metal resources. Casting has two stages: the filling process, which necessitates the use of a gating system, and the solidification phase, which necessitates the use of a riser. The molten metal rapidly displaces the air in the mould cavity during casting, needing a thorough understanding of the air flow behaviour as it exits the riser. The axisymmetric flow of air through the top risers of casting was studied using the finite element method and the stream function model. The velocity profile at any cross section is parabolic in shape, with the maximum velocity at the centre, according to the results. The finite element result converged towards the exact solution when compared to the exact solution.
A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through i... more A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through it, this allows the fluid to move from one point to another. This paper reports the design, manufacture and testing of a centrifugal water pump having a circular casing. A single stage, end suction centrifugal pump designed and manufactured, using locally sourced materials. This pump finds application in homes, agriculture and industries. It consists of an impeller, shaft, suction, delivery pipes and an electric motor. Experiments performed with this pump shows that it can deliver 0.0045m3 of water per second with a pressure head of 34.7m. A 2.5kW electric motor running at a speed of 2900rpm was used to drive the pump.
Briquettes from agro-residues are been used as replacement for firewood, charcoals and fossil fue... more Briquettes from agro-residues are been used as replacement for firewood, charcoals and fossil fuels for heating, cooking and for other domestic and industrial applications. This research investigates the potentials of using palm fruit shell to produce briquettes as an alternative to firewood, charcoals and fossil fuelswith the intention ofreducing the menace of deforestation and excessive dependence on fossil fuels which depletes the ozone layer and mitigating the effect of greenhouse gas emission generated by the use of fallen trees as fuel wood. The binder used wascassava starch in proportions of 100:15 by weight. Selected heating values of the palm fruit shell briquettes produced: moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon and calorific value were determined. Results indicated that the average percentage moisture content, the average percentage volatile matter, the average percentage ash content, the average percentage fixed carbon and the average calorific value for the palm fruit shell briquette produced are 7.56%, 17.45%, 6.68%, 68.28%, 9717.74KCal/Kg respectively. These rresults indicate that the briquettes made from palm fruit shell have high heating value enough for domestic, small-scale industrial cottage applications. This research has established the potential ofpalm fruit shell briquettes as alternative material for firewood, charcoals and fossil fuels.
Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through a gating system to fil... more Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through a gating system to fill a mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters chosen by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines. These have forced foundry-men to carry out a number of trial and error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. This has resulted in defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. The authors aimed at determining the critical height and critical velocity of molten metal flow in the mould sprue. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the molten metal flow and the finite element method was used for the analysis. The authors established the critical flow velocity of molten metal down the sprue as 2.755 x 10 3 mm/s. The results obtained were compared with the Reynolds number and literature. Various casts were produced and it was observed that sprue height below the critical drop height prevented casting defects.
Turkish journal of engineering, Apr 15, 2023
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
Black sea journal of engineering and science, Apr 1, 2022
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
International Journal of Engineering Technologies IJET
Agricultural residue briquettes can be used as a fuel for heating, cooking and other domestic and... more Agricultural residue briquettes can be used as a fuel for heating, cooking and other domestic and industrial applications. This article explored the potential of using palm fruit shells to make briquettes as an alternative fuel for both domestic and industrial use. This will significantly reduce the problem of deforestation and excessive dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions generated by trees as a fuel for wood. Cassava starch was used in an amount of 100:15 by weight and the burning properties of the produced palm fruit briquettes were determined. The combustion characteristics of the palm fruit briquettes produced are 7.56% average moisture, 17.45% average volatiles, 6.68% average ash, 68.28% average bound carbon and 9717.74 kcal /kg of average calorific value. These results, compared with the literature, showed that briquettes made from palm husks have good combustion properties, which makes them suitable for domestic applications and small industries.
MANAS journal of engineering, Jun 30, 2022
Briquetting is one way of making efficient use of existing resources. It involves collecting comb... more Briquetting is one way of making efficient use of existing resources. It involves collecting combustible waste materials due to lack of density, and compressing them into solid fuels of convenient shape that can be burnt like wood or charcoal". "Biomass briquette is one of the proven ways of generating energy from waste". "The excessive use of fossil fuels, wood fuels and natural gas has led to serious environmental issues and deforestation". "This work focused on estimating the heating values of sawdust briquettes to ascertain its suitability for domestic use and small-scale industrial cottage application". The calorific value of the briquettes was determined using a bomb calorimeter. "The following heating values of sawdust briquettes were obtained: average percentage moisture content 5.04%, average percentage volatile matter 10.80%, average percentage ash content 3.85%, average percentage fixed carbon 80.95% and average percentage calorific value 26918.02KCal/Kg. These results indicate that the briquettes made from sawdust have high heating values enough for domestic use and small-scale industrial cottage applications Research article
Turkish Journal of Engineering
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
Black Sea Journal of Engineering and Science, 2022
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
Heat sealing is one of the most commonly used methods for sealing polyethylene of either a high d... more Heat sealing is one of the most commonly used methods for sealing polyethylene of either a high density or a low density. Local farmers either expose their products without sealing or use sealing machines that do not achieve a perfect seal. To prevent this problem, an affordable heat-sealing machine was designed and fabricated using locally available materials. The polyethylene sealing machine designed and fabricated could seal a package within 10 secs.
MANAS Journal of Engineering, 2022
International Journal of Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering, 2021
A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through i... more A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through it, this allows the fluid to move from one point to another. This paper reports the design, manufacture and testing of a centrifugal water pump having a circular casing. A single stage, end suction centrifugal pump designed and manufactured, using locally sourced materials. This pump finds application in homes, agriculture and industries. It consists of an impeller, shaft, suction, delivery pipes and an electric motor. Experiments performed with this pump shows that it can deliver 0.0045m3 of water per second with a pressure head of 34.7m. A 2.5kW electric motor running at a speed of 2900rpm was used to drive the pump.
Nigerian Journal of Technology, 2018
Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, Jul 13, 2018
Casting is a manufacturing process for making complex shapes of metal materials. Casting has two ... more Casting is a manufacturing process for making complex shapes of metal materials. Casting has two stages-filling process requiring a gating system and solidification process requiring a riser. The air in the mould cavity during casting is displaced through the riser by the molten metal in a very rapid manner necessitating the need to determine its compressibility as it exit through the riser. The finite element method and the stream function model were used to analyze the flow of air through the top risers of casting mould. Results show that the velocity profile at any cross section is parabolic in shape with the maximum velocity at the centre. Comparing the finite element solutions with the exact solutions showed that the solutions converged towards the exact solutions. Further comparing of finite element solutions and experimental results with the local speed of sound (Mach number) showed that the Mach number was greater than one, which established that the air in the mould cavity during casting is compressible as it is displaced by the molten metal. Before now all researches did was to develop empirical equations and optimized molten metal flow in casting mould. This work has gone further to establish the compressibility of airflow in casting mould.
Ikponmwen Emmanuel, 2022
A lot of attention has been on aluminum and its alloy due to its wide range of industrial applica... more A lot of attention has been on aluminum and its alloy due to its wide range of industrial applications and qualities likes low density, good formability, high conductivity, high specific rigidity, excellent corrosion resistance, high castability and attractive tensile strength. The most common problems associated with casting are some forms of imperfections which are voids, cracks, and inclusions with varying degree of relative stiffness. Optimizing squeeze casting parameters will eliminate these forms of imperfection which forms the basis of this study. An optimization technique for squeeze casting process parameters based on Taguchi method is reported in this project. Squeezed casts were prepared using three different parameters at three different levels. The settings of these parameters were determined using the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array giving nine runs and squeezed cast specimens were tested to obtain their hardness and tensile strength. The optimum parameter combination was obtained using the analysis of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. The optimized process parameter obtained for hardness was A2-38.79, B3-38.88, C2-38.80 corresponding to pouring temperature at 650 0 C, mould temperature at 700 0 C and squeeze pressure at 2000Pa. While that of tensile strength was A1-40.15, B2-40.89, C1-40.89 corresponding to pouring temperature at 650 0 C, mould temperature at 700 0 C and squeeze pressure at 3000Pa. Finally based on the tensile strength and hardness test carried out the optimum level process parameters was found to be 40.89N/mm 2 and 38.88HB.
In this work a simplified model that can be used to analyze compressible axisymmetric flow of air... more In this work a simplified model that can be used to analyze compressible axisymmetric flow of air through the risers of casting mould was developed. Two fluids are involved in the casting process but casting engineers and researchers has focused on the flow of molten metal developing general casting design rules and empirical equations for the gating ratio, pouring time, and gating system dimensions, and consideration has not been given prior to now to the air flow behaviour in the casting mould. The model was developed from the basic equations governing fluid flow, the irrotationality flow conditions and the stream function. The model developed can be used to analyze fluid flow using any numerical method.
Nigeria has a history of indigenous rice production with an increasing domestic demand and its pr... more Nigeria has a history of indigenous rice production with an increasing domestic demand and its prominent role among staple food crops has given it a growing importance. However, there is poor acceptance of local rice in Nigeria due to its processing, which introduces foreign particles and leads to breakage of the rice kernel. Therefore, the authors in this
research designed and developed a simple rice mill machine capable of milling 25kg of paddy rice per hour that is safe for human consumption and with minimum breakage of the rice kernels. The developed machine was fabricated using 100% local content. During the testing locally produced and parboiled rice grains were fed through the hopper. The test was carried out by feeding 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000 and 5500 grains into the milling machine at different times. The performance test carried out on the machine was to ascertain if the machine would run and also mill the rice grains at the expected milling capacity of 25kg per hour. The
efficiency of the machine was determined by randomly taking some quantity of the milled rice grains and finding the percentage of the milled rice grains, from the total number of rice grains milled. Results revealed that the average efficiency of milling is 85%.
Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting i... more Critical drop height Critical velocity Gravity sand casting Finite element method Sprue Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through the gating system to fill the mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines, which have forced Foundry Engineers to carry out a number of trial-and-error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. These variations in guidelines have led to defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. This work aimed at determining the critical drop height and critical flow velocity of a certain molten aluminum alloy as it flow down the mould sprue in gravity sand casting. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the aluminum alloy as it flows down the sprue. The mathematical tool used in this research is the finite element method. It involves the discretization of the domain of interest into smaller finite elements. The weak form of the governing equation was obtained and integrated over the domain of interest. The results obtained, established the critical flow velocity of aluminum alloy, down the sprue, as 2.565 × 10 3 mm/s and the critical drop height as 377mm. Results obtained were compared with literature and were also used to produce various casts, it was observed that casts produced, using sprue height below the critical drop height obtained prevented casting defects, while at sprue height above the critical drop height, the danger of casting defects could not be avoided.
The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. ... more The die-casting process is a metal casting processes that utilize metal molds or permanent dies. In this work, the effect of varying percentage increase in reinforcement on some mechanical properties of aluminum alloy composites was obtained by the die cast process. The process was applied to produce various casts using aluminum alloy as the metal matrix and sawdust as the reinforcement at 5%, 10% and 15% by weight. Aluminum Scrap was sourced and sent for elemental characterization at Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure Nigeria. Tensile and hardness test were the mechanical tests carried out on the different samples of the cast. The elemental characterization test result showed that, the composition of the aluminum alloy used is Al-8.1%Mg-0.4%Fe-0.2%Zn. Results showed that at 10% by weight of reinforcement, the average tensile strength of the composite had the highest value while the lowest tensile strength was recorded at 15% by weight of reinforcement. At 15% by weight of reinforcement, the average hardness of the composite had the highest value while the lowest hardness was recorded at 5% by weight of reinforcement. Results were compared with the works of Ranjit et al. (2020) and Belete et al. (2013) and it was concluded that the results obtained from this work are adequate and significant for use.
This work focuses on the analysis of the air flow through the top risers of casting using the str... more This work focuses on the analysis of the air flow through the top risers of casting using the stream function model. Casting is a method of producing complex shapes out of metal resources. Casting has two stages: the filling process, which necessitates the use of a gating system, and the solidification phase, which necessitates the use of a riser. The molten metal rapidly displaces the air in the mould cavity during casting, needing a thorough understanding of the air flow behaviour as it exits the riser. The axisymmetric flow of air through the top risers of casting was studied using the finite element method and the stream function model. The velocity profile at any cross section is parabolic in shape, with the maximum velocity at the centre, according to the results. The finite element result converged towards the exact solution when compared to the exact solution.
A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through i... more A Centrifugal water pump is a machine that imparts mechanical energy to a fluid flowing through it, this allows the fluid to move from one point to another. This paper reports the design, manufacture and testing of a centrifugal water pump having a circular casing. A single stage, end suction centrifugal pump designed and manufactured, using locally sourced materials. This pump finds application in homes, agriculture and industries. It consists of an impeller, shaft, suction, delivery pipes and an electric motor. Experiments performed with this pump shows that it can deliver 0.0045m3 of water per second with a pressure head of 34.7m. A 2.5kW electric motor running at a speed of 2900rpm was used to drive the pump.
Briquettes from agro-residues are been used as replacement for firewood, charcoals and fossil fue... more Briquettes from agro-residues are been used as replacement for firewood, charcoals and fossil fuels for heating, cooking and for other domestic and industrial applications. This research investigates the potentials of using palm fruit shell to produce briquettes as an alternative to firewood, charcoals and fossil fuelswith the intention ofreducing the menace of deforestation and excessive dependence on fossil fuels which depletes the ozone layer and mitigating the effect of greenhouse gas emission generated by the use of fallen trees as fuel wood. The binder used wascassava starch in proportions of 100:15 by weight. Selected heating values of the palm fruit shell briquettes produced: moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon and calorific value were determined. Results indicated that the average percentage moisture content, the average percentage volatile matter, the average percentage ash content, the average percentage fixed carbon and the average calorific value for the palm fruit shell briquette produced are 7.56%, 17.45%, 6.68%, 68.28%, 9717.74KCal/Kg respectively. These rresults indicate that the briquettes made from palm fruit shell have high heating value enough for domestic, small-scale industrial cottage applications. This research has established the potential ofpalm fruit shell briquettes as alternative material for firewood, charcoals and fossil fuels.
Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through a gating system to fil... more Casting is a manufacturing process in which molten metal is poured through a gating system to fill a mould cavity where it solidifies. Variations in casting parameters chosen by different researchers have led to significant variations in casting guidelines. These have forced foundry-men to carry out a number of trial and error runs to create guidelines based on their own experience. This has resulted in defects occurring in casting during the mould filling process. The authors aimed at determining the critical height and critical velocity of molten metal flow in the mould sprue. The continuity equation was used to describe the velocity distribution of the molten metal flow and the finite element method was used for the analysis. The authors established the critical flow velocity of molten metal down the sprue as 2.755 x 10 3 mm/s. The results obtained were compared with the Reynolds number and literature. Various casts were produced and it was observed that sprue height below the critical drop height prevented casting defects.