ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Design and implementation of the electronic mosquito repellent circuit using 555 astable multi-vibrator circuit

Control of mosquitoes is something of utmost importance in the present day with rising number of mosquito borne illnesses. The effect of mosquito bites cannot be overlooked considering how many deaths it has caused over the years. Specialty products like mosquito repellent used to combat mosquitoes are required but most of the repellants available use chemical means to repel or kill the mosquitoes which in a long run also becomes detrimental to ourselves and the environment. This project presents the design and testing of an electronic mosquito repellent. The project aims at developing a device that is capable of emitting ultrasonic energy of varied frequencies. These frequencies do affect the auditory senses of pests such as mosquitoes, rodents, avian and nocturnal insects by making them uncomfortable in their abode. However, these frequencies do not affect the hearing ability of humans. This electronic mosquito repellent is based on the 555 timer IC. This is a simple and useful mosquito repellent. The mosquito repellent circuit generates an ultrasonic sound with a high output frequency that spreads within a wide radius. The circuit is quite simple and require few external components. The oscillation frequency is given by the value of resistors and capacitors and can be modified by changing the value of the capacitors or replacing the fixed resistors with a variable resistor (potentiometer). The actual oscillation frequency of this electronic mosquito repellent is above 20 kHz so what is needed is a good high frequency piezo speaker. The electronic mosquito repellent circuit can be supplied from a 12 V DC power supply. The method is to generate a high ultrasonic sound output capable of repelling mosquitoes within a wide range with minimum electronic components. In order to achieve this, the 555 timer is connected. The 555 timer has the ability to convert an analog signal input (voltage) to digital signal output (frequency). The result is that the 555 timer can produce or generate frequencies between 20 and 60kHz. This frequency can repel

Source: UEW
Design and production of a 2d animation on Asebu Amenfi the giant

This project work is the outcome of the study’s intervention of countering the influx of foreign tales dominating the Ghanaian audio-visual media space; with an audio-visual content that reflects and projects traditional Ghanaian characters, settings and values. Mythical stories are major means of entertaining, educating, preservation of cultural heritage, norms and values as well as character molding. This is because the content, characters, plots and settings have a strong influence on its listeners or viewers. Unfortunately, traditional story telling which is a key instrument in instilling moral values and revering heroism, is on the decline in most Ghanaian homes. This has resulted in children being ignorant of most of the heroic characters in their cultural jurisdiction and their legacies. To this effect, the study considered it appropriate to animate the story of one cultural hero (Asebu Amenfi) to help socialize it onto younger generation. This will expose them to their traditional orientation, cultural heroes and their legacy, and also, revive their interest in traditional mythical stories. To arrive at this aim, the study considered a traditional 2Danimation as a medium of projecting and preserving traditional Ghanaian mythical tales, specifically the story of Asebu Amenfi the Giant. The study reviewed several scholarly works relating to the subject from various authors to aid the study. This was followed by interviewing some members of the traditional authorities and natives of Asebu in the Central region to gather more information or narrations on the subject. The qualitative research approach and the historical research method were employed. The scope of the study covered the main character that is Asebu Amenfi the Giant while the population for the study were indigenes and members of the traditional council of Asebu. Based on the principles of design, the traditional 2D animation was successfully executed with the aid of hand drawings, software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Cubase and Fl Studio. The animation was then premiered to gather views and reactions from children as well as selected arts and culture experts as a form of evaluation. The final stage of the study was the summary of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the study.

Source: UEW
Design and production of selected Akan mythological narratives through animation

The study contextually analysed three selected Akan mythological narratives to ascertain their philosophical meanings and the moral lessons embedded in the stories and translated them into digital content for the purpose of promoting art and culture. The researcher employed qualitative research approach. Historical, descriptive and design-based research designs under the qualitative research were used. The accessible population for the study constituted Chiefs, Heads of families, and elderly people of the Akan ethnic groups in Ghana who gave further explanations to the mythical narratives documented in primary schools’ textbooks published in the 1990s. The researcher employed design-based researched approached to translate one of the narratives documented into animation using 2D animation technique. Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere Pro were chiefly used in executing the animation project. The story was x-rayed through textual analyses and the result was converted into a script; outlining the various scenes, camera angle and the visual transitions that best communicate the theme. The animation created was subjected to evaluation by primary school pupils. In all 120 pupils from three schools participated in the evaluation process. The experimental method and the Learning Object Resource Instruments were the evaluation schemes employed. The results indicate that, Akans mythical narratives contain the traditional beliefs, moral and ethical components of the people’s culture and philosophy and these were used as the foundation for imparting some critically examined culturally relevant concepts to pupils. The findings of the study show that the use of culturally relevant visual elements, socially meaningful characters and the use of the animation production technique and sound, help children to easily recollect visual messages, decode and understand abstract or philosophical concept in animated format.

Source: UEW
Design and thermal analysis of aluminium alloy piston using finite element method

Piston is one of the most important moving components in an internal combustion engine. Because of its proximity to the burning flames in the engine, its material must be able to withstand the high temperature in the engine. There are some known materials which are used for piston design of which aluminium alloy is part. The known aluminium alloys for piston design have been classified into three main categories, namely: eutectic, hypereutectic and special eutectic aluminium alloys. The main objective of this research was to examine the suitability of an aluminium alloy which is not part of the three classifications to design a piston for an internal combustion engine. The piston was modelled using Autodesk Inventor 2017 software. The modelled piston was then imported into Ansys for further analysis. Static structural and thermal analysis were carried out on the piston of four different materials namely: Al 413 alloy, Al 384 alloy, Al 390 alloy and Al332 alloy to determine the total deformation, equivalent elastic strain, equivalent Von Mises stress, maximum principal stress and the safety factor. It was found that, aluminium 332 alloy piston deformed less compared to the deformations of aluminium 390 alloy piston, aluminium 384 alloy piston and aluminium 413 alloy piston. The induced Von Mises stresses in the pistons of the four different materials were found to be far lower than the yield strengths of all the materials. Hence, all the selected materials including the implementing material have equal properties to withstand the maximum gas load. All the selected materials were observed to have high thermal conductivity enough to be able to withstand the operating temperature in the engine cylinders. It was found that the thermal conductivitie of the materials were far higher than the induced total heat flux. Hence, all the pistons made with the four different materials will be able to withstand the operating temperature in engine cylinders. It was therefore concluded that, all the pistons made with the four different materials have equal qualities to withstand the fatigue stress induced in the pistons.

Source: UEW
Design modification and simulation of four posts lifting device for light duty vehicles

The value of human life and equipment cannot be under estimated as far as growth and development of every establishment is concern. In many institutions, workshops, garages and companies, there are safety protocols and precautions governing the movement of theworkers and equipment. Once most of our repairs and preventive maintenance inspections (PMI) cannot be done without the assistance of vehicle lift, there is the need to re-engineer and re-packaged the trend in which some of this lift is designed so that it will provide the needed safety and reduce financial burden on its users. This research has come as a result of the challenges and concerns some researchers and users of these lifts had encountered; this has called for improving on the existing four poles lifts so that it can contribute in finding a lasting solution to the practical problems regarding the use of the said lifts. Also, this study is not to condemn the work of previous inventors but to display innovative ideas, ameliorate and redesign the unit so that it will perform the desired functions and become useful to others. The new design is focused on improving on lift frames and other components. It comes with four specific functions as follows; capable of lifting the entire vehicle, lifting the front end of the vehicle alone, tittered from the front end, lifting the rear end alone or tittered from rear end, a lift with a simple/physical/exclusive mechanical lock at each pole and finally a lift which is movable. Other accessories such as wheel chocks and stop switches have been incorporated. All the analysis and results under static structural analysis, have been discussed. The required load capacity and preferable material selection have been determined. Several tests were carried out to determine the effectiveness of the device in lifting loads of 1 ton, 2 tons, 3 tons, 4 tons up to 7 tons respectively. This study will help to overcome drudgery, injuries, increase timeliness and efficiency in the work places while carrying out maintenance works, would also help in reducing size, space occupied, cost employed in maintenance operations.

Source: UEW
Design of a microprocessor based prepaid energy meter with inbuilt communication technology

This project presents a design of a microprocessor based prepaid energy meter which is equipped with GSM communication technology. This energy meter has features which conveniently addresses the above stated problems; thus, allowing consumers to comfortably purchase energy units remotely. It also has features that allow utilities to detect felonious tampering activities in real-time as well as transmit consumer notifications. This improved prepaid energy meter design is also proven to be of low-cost making it a suitable choice of replacement for most Ghanaian Utilities such as Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). Prepaid energy meter is a new concept in the measurement of electrical energy consumption on periodic basis. This method of measurement and data collection discards the conventional method of taking the meter reading manually. This project report presents a GSM based prepaid energy meter credit loading system comprising two microcontrollers, a single phase energy meter IC and a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) modem. The energy consumption is calculated using the output pulses of the energy meter chip and the internal counter of microcontroller (ATmega32). A microcontroller (ATtiny13) is used as a smart card and the numbers of units recharged by the consumers are written in it. A relay system has been used which either isolates or establishes the connection between the electrical load and energy meter through the supply mains depending upon the credit present in the smart card. Energy consumption (kWh), maximum demand (kW), total unit recharged(kWh) and rest of the units (kWh) are stored in the ATmega32 to ensure the accurate measurement even in the event of an electrical power outage that can be easily read from a (16x2) LCD. As soon as the supply is restored, energy meter restarts with the stored values. Cost analysis of the design resulted in GH₵264.00. Low power consumption, greater accuracy, greater convenience, easy maintenance and affordable cost were achieved by the design.

Source: UEW
Design of a mini-grid solar photovoltaic electricity system for Mpahin, village in central region

The aim of this research was to design a mini-grid solar photovoltaic electricity system for Mpahin village in the Central Region of Ghana. The researcher adopted the mixed method approach. The study is organized into two parts. In the first part of the study, a comprehensive interview was performed on respondents to know their economic conditions, their means of getting light and cooking, their preferred energy, their knowledge about solar energy and its impact on their lives as well as its sustainability. The researcher also made personal observations of the various facilities available in the community and the perception of the people with regard to solar energy. In the second part, a feasibility study to estimate the total space (area) required for the installation of the system and access the economics of the whole project. The study also identified various building roofs and car parks that can be used for the project based on a minimum roof area. Additionally, site analysis and meteorological analysis was undertaken to determine the energy usage capacity of Mpahin. Also solar PV information from various solar dealers both locally and internationally were contacted to determine the economic feasibility of the project. A survey was conducted to know the end-user appliances and power consumption to set an appropriate limit for the loads. The total energy consumption per day and the peak power demand was estimated and subsequently the system voltage determined. A mini grid system was designed for the community. PVbased mini-grid can contribute to increasing access to modern energy services for rural communities. This manual provides a step-by-step guide for the planning, the design, installation, operation and maintenance, testing and commissioning of PV-based minigrid systems. The manual also incorporated some safety issues as well as financial

Source: UEW
Design of a single phase grid connected photovoltaic (PV) system using matlab-simulink

There is much concern about the fossil fuel exhaustion and the environmental problems associated with conventional power generation. PV systems are the most direct way to convert solar radiation into electricity and are based on the PV effect, which was first observed by Henri Becquerel in 1839. It is quite generally defined as the emergence of an electric voltage between two electrodes attached to a solid or liquid system upon shining light onto this system. Practically, all PV devices incorporate a PN junction in a semiconductor across which the photo voltage is developed. These devices are also known as solar cells. Light absorption occurs in a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material has to be able to absorb a large part of the solar spectrum. This thesis is primarily focused on grid connected photovoltaic systems with the functionality of harmonic compensation is introduced in this thesis. Increasing interest and investment in renewable energy gave rise to rapid development of high penetration solar energy.. PV systems have the advantage of requiring little or no maintenance as well as being pollution-free but their installation cost is high and, in most applications; they require a power conditioner (DC/DC or DC/AC converter) for load interface. The simulation developed in this thesis provides a better understanding and significance of PV systems. Solar cells have a complex relationship between solar irradiation, temperature and total resistance that produces a non-linear output efficiency which can be analysed based on the I-V curve. As a result, maximum power point techniques have been employed to get the maximum power possible out of the solar cells.

Source: UEW
Design of piezoelectric power supply unit from air traffic system

This dissertation describes an approach to harvesting electrical energy from a mechanically excited piezoelectric element. A power supply unit is designed from electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric harvester through various stages to producing significant output voltage. The stages include piezoelectric generator, voltage doubler circuit and voltage regulator circuit. The piezoelectric crystal used in this design is ‘Crystal Unit – HC 49/U 80MHZ which is able to generate about 7.942fv and subsequently doubled to about 14.483fv. The voltage regulator ensures the output from voltage doubler is maintained constant. Experimental results reveal that voltage from the harvester was 82% by the voltage doubler. The results indicate the viability of the piezoelectric power supply unit when compared to conventional power supply unit of the same output range in the market. A stabilize piezoelectric power supply unit with output voltage of14.483fv, and a stabilized voltage of 14.483fv has been successfully designed.

Source: UEW
Design of ultrasonic brake pad wear detection system for cars

Road accidents in Ghana are re-occurring phenomenon. According to the National Road Safety Authority, most accidents can be attributed to brake pad failure or worn-out brake pad. Vehicle safety can be sought through the use of proximity sensors to alert the drivers/owners before the occurrence of any failure due to worn-out brake pad. Hence brake pad wear detection sensor serves as an effective way to enhance vehicle safety in order to reduce rear end-collision accidents. In this study, ultrasonic brake pad wear detection sensor with alert signals was designed to give precautionary measure as a means to reduce road accidents. This study involved the development of software in C language and incorporated into Arduino pro mini (ATmega328p) and microcontroller for sensing and comparing wear status to preloaded value of 1.6mm for hydraulic brake for prediction. The control aspect of the system (sensor) was developed by using proteus virtual system modeling (VSM). The designed circuitry was fabricated and tested in simulated environment. The test results indicated that, during normal operating condition, the led emits green colour signifying that, the brake pad is in good condition. Result also shows that, yellow led emitted signifying approaching danger zone and needed replacement. Furthermore, result predicts that red led indicate interruption of fuel supply line leading to jerking and shutting down of the engine for worn-out brake pad to be replaced. Therefore, it is recommended that every vehicle must be installed with ultrasonic brake pad wear detection system with alert to reduce road accidents caused by worn-out brake pad.

Source: UEW
Design, fabricate and test okra slicing machine

Okra is one of the most essential nutrition food item needed for human consumption from which high quality minerals and essential vitamins are derived. However, certain categories of consumers such as the children and elderly might not be able to patronize the delicacies made from okra due to the following reason; contamination and improper slicing of the okra. In order to address these problems, It has becomes necessary to have an okra slicing machine, to ensure that the problems can be eliminated, A slicing machine was developed base on four concepts generated and using the design and functional requirements. The circular cutter which will be operated manually was selected. The fabrication was done using locally available materials such as wood, stainless steel and galvanized steel The machine can slice 900 grames of okra within three minutes at an efficiency of 90%. The machine can be used both domestically and also be used for roots and tubers such as plantain. Potatoes etc.

Source: UEW
Designing for strength and aesthetic; effect of dowel dimension on the strength of rattan furniture.

Although research on rattan care furniture joints has received significant attentions i.e. nailed, nailed and bound with rattan rops, screwed and screwed and bound, little research has been performed with respect to dowel connection, particularly in the area of rattan cane chair. Nine chairs from rattan with dowel joints were manufactured. Using questionnaire, the chairs were evaluated for aesthetic, functionality, environmentally friendliness, purchased intention durability and strength. The questionnaire was administered to 100 sandwich students from University of Education Winneba – Kumasi. Personal observations were also used in the data collection, photographs of the products were taken for more understanding of the manufacturing processes. The result showed that product aesthetic, functionality, environmentally friendliness and purchased intention supported the innovation of the rattan cane chair, whereas mixed result emerge from durability and strength of the chair. The most important drive of preference for the rattan cane chair was aesthetic followed by functionality, environmentally friendliness, purchase intention, durability and strength as the lowest. Recommendations were made to draw attention of rattan furniture industries in Ghana to improve on the use of rattan cane to help arrest the current situation of depending solely on our local wood resources in producing wooden artifacts. The study concluded that further research should be geared towards improving the design in the near future, the focus should be on durability and strength that could meet international standards to enhance trade.

Source: UEW
Designing of communication strategies for civic education delivery A case study of the National Commission for Civic Education

Communication strategy has become an essential component of the success of organisations. The efficacy of an organisation's communication, on the other hand, is based on the technique it uses to communicate information to its constituents. This study examines the communication strategies employed by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in their civic education delivery and further identifies the issues they consider in designing their communication strategies during their civic education campaigns. Employing the qualitative research approach anchored on the single case study design, the study purposively selected four interviewees from the head office of the NCCE and analysed sixty-five documentary evidence to find answers to the research questions. Analysing the data through the lens of the message design and compliance gaining theories, the study established that the NCCE employs interpersonal community engagements to gain entry and acceptability in rolling out educational campaigns in communities. The findings also revealed that the NCCE consider political, economic and exigency issues in designing their communication strategies for their campaigns. The study recommends that NCCE should increase the level of participation by members of the public in the planning, and developing process of the message design for their civic education campaign.

Source: UEW