ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Design of a portable environmental monitoring device and dosage counter for asthmatic children

Asthma remains one of the most common respiratory diseases that affect many people all around the world, however, there is no cure or standard for identifying the causes since it differs for each person. Certain factors remain constant for most asthmatic patients such as very high or low temperatures and humidity, smoke, and pollen grains. These conditions are very difficult to detect unless the patient has the resources which would help with the measurement and detection of these conditions. Additionally, it is difficult for doctors to determine if the patient would require more dosages based on their environment when there is no data to work with. This project focuses on monitoring the environmental conditions of asthmatic patients for effective management and the development of a dosage counter to keep track of how often their inhaler is used. The data from the environmental system would be sent to the database and the count from the database counter would be sent to the patient's device.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a power converter for wind turbines at a wind farm in Ningo Prampram

This paper analyses wind energy conversion system topologies, converter types, and the various machinery and equipment that are chosen for each system. It references works done to build Ghana's first wind farm, a project proposed in 2017 based on wind patterns observed in Ningo Prampram. This paper suggests a Wind Energy Conversion Topology suitable for the Ningo Prampram area, outlines the design and analysis of a back-to-back power converter and filter to meet the standard harmonics requirements. All design and implementations will be carried out using the MATLAB Simulink environment. In this paper, the use of PI controllers and the control of the d-q currents are used to achieve the conversion of mechanical energy obtained from the wind to electrical energy transmitted to the grid to obtain 51% efficiency.

Source: Ashesi
Design Of A Precision Nutrient Application System For Sustainable Farming Using Aiot

Sustainable agriculture is needed for ensuring food security and cutting down on the depletion of essential resources in the environment. Unfortunately, many farming practices still rely on inaccurate methods of nutrients that lead to waste, high costs and destruction of the ecosystem. The goal of this project is to address the need for efficiency and precision in nutrient management by the design and implementation of a precision nutrient application system for sustainable farming using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IOT). The system integrates a network of soil sensors to continuously monitor essential parameters such as moisture content, nutrient levels, and pH. Data from the sensors is processed using AI algorithms capable of analyzing real-time conditions and determining optimal nutrient delivery strategies. Nutrients are applied precisely through the foliar application method, targeting specific crop needs rather than relying on traditional uniform field treatment. This approach minimizes resource wastage, enhances nutrient uptake efficiency, and reduces the environmental footprint of farming activities. The system includes sensor networks for data collection, a subsystem for local storage of database and analysis of the data and a user-friendly mobile application which provides real-time soil health reports along with recommendations. Through the automation of these processes, the guesswork which is common in traditional farming systems is reduced. Overall, this project aims to promote responsible agricultural practices among farmers, whiles increasing yield. This project demonstrates that combining AI and IoT technologies in farming can make traditional practices more efficient to boost productivity whiles protecting the environment from environmentally damaging practices such as, excessive fertilizer use and water wastage.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a reliable but low-cost wireless industrial network system using a bluetooth low energy Mesh network

Many modern industrial plants have sensor actuator networks that allow operators on an industrial plant to receive data from sensors and send information to Actuators to operate plants efficiently. Most energy plants in Ghana such as Sony Asogli and Volta River Authorities Tema Thermal complex use guided media as a means of data communication. Guided media which is wired data communication has a couple of drawbacks. Problems with guided media include flexibility in re-arranging the sensor actuator topology in the plant. Another issue is the initial cost of wiring an entire plant. To make data communication between sensor actuators and operators on a plant more flexible in deployment the use of some suitable unguided media must be applied. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh was the selected wireless media protocol due to its wide range, low power consumption constraints and interoperability due to a good number of devices having Bluetooth capability. My setup included multiple ESP 32 node MCU microcontrollers and a BLE compatible phone. Data from sensors could be received over long distance in real time using a flood mesh hopping algorithm. The experiment was a success and proved that BLE mesh can be used as a replacement for the traditional wired sensor networks.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a semi-active damper for comfortable ride on all roads

In Ghana, the deplorable state of roads means that passengers do not ride comfortably for most of the time spent on roads. Dampers are mechanical components that are intended to isolate the vehicle from road conditions. Most vehicles in Ghana use passive dampers, which means that the damping on any road type is not the best in comfort, but it is a decent compromise between tyre grip and comfort. Solutions to enhance the comfort of vehicle occupants through damper innovation are in the form of semi-active dampers such as the magnetorheological damper, which can have varying damping responses for a given road input and can pick the best response for passenger comfort. Another solution is the active damper, which effectively cancels out road input by supplying or removing forces from the damper. The driver feels nothing as a result, as in the case of Porsche's active body control technology. Given these solutions' high cost and complexity, this project designs a less complex semi-active damper that is competitively priced with existing passive dampers, which are common in the Ghanaian market. The project achieves this by introducing a variable orifice area design for the valves in the damper, which should allow for different damping responses for the same road input. The project achieves its objectives of designing and producing a proof-of-concept of a semi-active damper for a 2022 Honda CR-V with an adjustable damping ratio ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 during the rebound phase. The reaction time of the damper is under 100ms. High-fidelity simulations and mechanical analysis predict that the damper should operate safely for over 50,000km, if used on Ghana's rough roads, though performance may take a dip.

Source: Ashesi
Design Of A Semi-Automated Waste Segregation System For Smallscale Waste Collectors In Ghana

In Ghana, small-scale waste collectors, locally called rained on images of the suitable waste type and deployed to a Raspberry Pi with a webcam attached. A SCARA robotic arm, controlled by an ESP32, does the picking. The system is tested on a sample of household waste to test its suitability for real-world application.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a thrust vectoring system for an underwater ROV

Underwater remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) are highly useful in aquatic research and underwater operations. Unfortunately, unsteady, and unpredictable conditions underwater make it difficult for underwater vehicles to maintain steady attitude during motion. Existing underwater vehicles make use of multiple thrusters positioned at specific positions on their frame to maintain a certain pose. This study proposes a new way of maintaining steady attitude during horizontal motion at low speeds by making use of a thrust vector-controlled propulsion system. The study began by carrying out some preliminary calculations to get an idea of a suitable shape and form factor. Flow simulations were carried out to ensure that enough thrust can be generated to move the system. Using the Lagrangian approach, a mathematical system was developed for the ROV, and this model was used to design a control system. A PID controller was selected for the control system. However, after tuning, it was realized that a P controller satisfied the design specifications. The designed control system produced an overshoot of 2.28% and had a settling time of 0.328s. To achieve the effect of thrust vectoring, an inverse kinematics synthesis was carried out to determine what angle the actuators need to move to. After building the system, intermittent angular displacements of 10 , 15 , and 20 were given and the response of the control system as well as the servo motor angle was plotted.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a water filtration system for particulate adsorption, heavy metal removal, and water quality analysis

Through activities such as illegal mining, improper waste disposal and improper farming practices, sediments, organic matter, and Heavy Metals (H.M.) eventually find their way into human food and water. With the aid of the SolidWorks Computer-Aided Design software (2020 package) and mechanical testing, a cost-effective water filtration system design was proposed, approved and built for particulate adsorption and heavy metal removal from contaminated water bodies. After studying the stress, fatigue and strain values from SolidWorks simulations, the filtration system was built and galamsey-contaminated water samples from River Pra in Ghana was passed through the filtration system to test its effectiveness. The filtration system proved to be very effective in the removal of zinc, cadmium, and copper as well as suspended particulates from contaminated water samples.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a weather station without moving parts using machine learning

Modern weather stations contain mechanical, thermal and ultrasonic anemometers that suffer from a variety of flaws such as mechanical wear, vulnerability to challenging weather conditions, complex signal processing circuity, and so on. This work seeks to remedy these flaws through the design of a weather station without moving parts. The project succeeds in developing a machine learning model capable of inferring wind speed from wind noise, as well as a well-designed data collection system for the further development of a model capable of inferring both wind speed and direction from wind noise.

Source: Ashesi
Design of a window cleaning robot for high rise buildings.

An analysis report compiled by the OSHA lists eighty-eight (88) window cleaning accidents over the past 15 years of which sixty-two (62) resulted in fatalities [1]. Despite these statistics and the potential for injuries and deaths, the industry considers these numbers to be artificially low. Window cleaning is still not effectively regulated, and numerous people undertake this activity in a way that endangers both themselves and the public. This project aims at removing the human component in this life-endangering task by building an autonomous window cleaning robot, The Wall-C, with the capability of scaling walls and skyscrapers with windows. The main task undertaken by this system is to efficiently clean windows on buildings such as glass skyscrapers while systematically moving from glass section to glass section. The focus of this paper though is the manufacturing processes undertaken in the creation of the Wall-C. These included the casting, finishing and assembly operations in bringing the skeletal frame of the window cleaning robot together. The weight of the Wall-C was recorded to be approximately 15 kg, and it had a cleaning rate of 6.156 m2/hr.

Source: Ashesi
Design of an Automated, Low-Cost Paper Bag Making Machine

Shopping bags play an essential role in our daily lives by making it convenient to carry groceries. Plastic shopping bags are most common and affordable. However, they pose a great deal of danger to our environment since they are non-biodegradable. Paper and cloth bags are alternatives to the use of plastic bags however, manufacturing paper and cloth bags are relatively expensive and less energy efficient. Thus, the aim of this project is to design a low-cost and an automated machine to make paper bags. The machine designed in this project uses raw brown paper to make a squarebottom paper bag. The Paper Bag Making machine is modeled in SolidWorks and simulations are run on the critical components to predict its shelf life. Also, based on the cost analysis performed on this machine, this project is termed as successful, as the overall estimated cost is lower than the price of the existing paper bag making. Inspiration, however, was drawn from existing research and models.

Source: Ashesi
Design of an automatic cake icing machine

The small-scale baking industry in Ghana faces significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for intricately decorated cakes. Despite Ghana's abundant cocoa resources, many small businesses struggle with limited access to affordable and efficient cake decorating equipment. High-cost industrial solutions, such as those from Unifiller Systems Inc., are financially unattainable for small-scale and home bakers. Efforts by groups such as Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and the University of Wolverhampton have underscored the need for innovative, cost-effective solutions. This study proposes the design and implementation of a cost-effective prototype to address the lack of affordable industrial cake decorating equipment. The project aims to develop a functional prototype with a mobile application offering preset design options, a custom-designed PCB board, and an economical mechanical structure. The machine will accommodate cupcakes in mini, standard, and jumbo sizes and will use buttercream icing to prevent melting. With a fouraxis movement system, the prototype will enhance precision in cake decoration. This project is significant for increasing productivity and sales among home bakers in Ghana, contributing to the growth of the home baking sector, and offering scalable solutions for various cake sizes and icing types.

Source: Ashesi
Design of an automatic meal-dispenser for household dogs

Pet popularity has increased in recent years. Predominant among these pets are dogs, and they serve as a means of companionship and security. These domesticated dogs have become key members of numberous familiers, both locally and globally. It is estimated that about 95% of dog owners, consider their pets a member of the family. This statement is appreciated when one considers the extensive care and attention, given to these furry creatures. Averagely, dogs must be fed twice a day - although a three-square meal is equally a great option. In 2020, Americans collectively spent $38.4 billion on dog food - a testament to the lengths people will go, to ensure optimum pet nourishment. Pets must also be given monthly tablets to fight off worms, ticks, and certain susceptive infections. It is worth nothing that the time spent for these activities are multiplied by the number of dogs a keeper has. The time owners spend in: feeding, replacing water, and other complications (tolerating a pet that is uneager to take their medication), could be drastically reduced. Today the obsolete pet-food disensrs on the market, lack a proper preservation system. In this project, an automatic meal-spenser was designed and built. This essentially: dispensed food to dogs with voice command/button control, it also provided dogs with water, and finally, sneaked drugs into their meals - at preset times. Moreover, the automated sysem was coupled with online monitoring software - Gmail notifier being one of the them. Hence, users could monitor pet's food and water levels. This will free up owners' time, and further decrease the likelihood of starving pets. The product offers versatility and satisfaction for keepers and their dogs, an idea that was worth exploring.

Source: Ashesi
Design of an electric vehicle with regenerative systems and solar integration

This project focuses on designing and developing an innovative electric vehicle (EV) that incorporates regenerative braking and solar energy integration. The primary objective is to create a solar-powered electric vehicle that enhances energy efficiency and sustainability, aiming to extend the drive time of EVs in areas lacking charging stations. The vehicle is equipped with a 48V 500W BLDC motor and an advanced regenerative braking system to recapture kinetic energy during braking, thereby extending the vehicle's range. Additionally, the EV features an onboard solar tracker, which optimises solar panel orientation to maximise energy capture throughout the day. Integrating electrical and mechanical engineering principles aims to provide a practical and eco-friendly transportation solution.

Source: Ashesi
Design Of An Industrial Automation Testbed

Industrial automation systems require reliable testing and validation before field deployment, but the high cost of industrial equipment often limits access to realistic training platforms. This project developed a cost-effective industrial automation testbed for training and testing purposes, integrating PLCs, HMI, sensors, actuators, and SCADA. Two processes were implemented: a box height sorting station using a Siemens S7-1200 PLC within a Factory I/O virtual environment, and a water level regulation system using a Delta DVP-SA2 PLC with PID control. The sorting station achieved 99% sorting accuracy with an average response time of 6.43 seconds, while the water regulation system maintained levels within +5% of set points. Results demonstrate that the testbed successfully replicates industrial processes, providing a practical platform for skill development and system validation.

Source: Ashesi
Design of an industrial wireless sensor network for process monitoring and PLC control

Sensors are used in industry to collect data from the field to regulate and monitor processes. Traditionally, these sensors have been wired from the field to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) in a control room, which presents problems such as high cost of installing and maintaining cables and cable trays, as well as the necessity for large panels to house sensor wiring to PLC input-output (PLCs). A wireless sensor network was built for this project to collect sensor data from the field and wirelessly send it to a base station interfaced to a PLC in a control panel. Temperature, pressure, and level are all measured as part of the process. The latency, coverage range, and received signal strength indicator (RSSI), all critical wireless network performance characteristics, are assessed. A user web dashboard is created to visualize sensor readings over time for monitoring purposes. Finally, the data acquired by the sensors at the base station is used to control PLC output devices using ladder logic programming.

Source: Ashesi
Design of automated nutrient delivery system for nutrient film technique hydroponics

No abstract available. Brief paragraph below is extracted from chapter 1. The central idea of hydroponics is to grow plants without soil. This process was development off the back of two major pressing concerns: the increasing scarcity of arable land the increasing demand for crops. Nutrient Film technique hydroponics is an efficient system that reduces the use of water, but this can also involve channel blockage and an uneven distribution of nutrients. The system was designed, but unfortunately not fully tested.

Source: Ashesi
Design of health monitoring and analysis system for pets (cats) - KelPet

Pet health is a concern for most pet owners. Recently, the number of pets has increased, and the most popular ones among us are cats and dogs. They serve as companions. These pets have become part of most people's families, whether in Africa or outside Africa. However, it was documented that about 98% of households have pets as family. However, one issue the owners faced was their health during COVID-19, as most pet owners needed help to send their sick pets to veterinary hospitals and know their current health status. This problem showed that they needed such a smart health system for pets. However, the issue was that those systems were not primarily found in Africa, especially in Ghana. As importation fees and other levies have risen, the amount owners must pay before they will even get the system. Additionally, those systems were expensive for some owners to purchase. Therefore, they needed a low-cost smart pet health monitoring system. The system should be able to analyze and monitor pet health and activity levels. In this project, a smart pet collar was designed to monitor the pet's heart rate, temperature, activity level, and GPS location, in addition to a mobile app for monitoring these metrics. The software had an online notifier informing pet owners about their health. Health tips to guide them on the things to do as they try to contact a veterinarian and a map to locate all veterinary hospitals in their area. Including extra features to add up to 5 pets. The product offers pet owners satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and versatility for their health.

Source: Ashesi
Design of Internet of Things (IoT) based wearable electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart. It is a crucial technology for the early detection and diagnosis of heart-related issues such as heart arrhythmia and other abnormalities in the heart. Most ECG machines, both the handheld single lead devices and standard 12 lead ECGs found in hospitals make use of adhesive gel electrodes which are uncomfortable for long periods among other issues. These devices are also quite expensive for the average Ghanaian. The standard ECGs found in hospitals also lack remote capability and the ability to transfer and store results instantly over the internet. This project explores the design of a wearable, low-cost, IoT device that will cater to each of these limitations. Textile electrodes sewn into a shirt are used in place of the gel electrodes to avoid irritability and the wearing off of electrodes in long-term usage. A design based on a low-cost microcontroller, the esp8266 together with other circuit components, is employed to ensure the system is affordable and has remote capability. Digital processing techniques are also implemented both in real-time and through post-processing in MATLAB to provide means of processing the signal from the electrodes.

Source: Ashesi
Design of robust mechanical mounts for test models in wind tunnel

A Wind tunnel is a device that analyses airflow behaviour and its effects on small-scale objects. Using a wind tunnel, one can simulate real-life conditions influencing the test object's forces. One of the wind tunnel's uses is to see how air interacts with the still model. Results from the model's interaction in the air can be used to predict how real-life-sized models will respond. Obtaining data from the small-scale model can inform users on data for a large-scale test object. Wind tunnels are used in automotive testing, rocket and propulsion tunnels, and smoke tunnels for flow visualization. This project aims to complete the functioning of an existing wind tunnel to help students appreciate theories and principles in fluid mechanics and aerodynamics at Ashesi University. The project's focus was the test section that holds the test model mount and pressure mount. In the test section, the test model mount and pressure mount must be compatible with specific sensors. This report gives a detailed outline from ideation to testing and results. After conducting statistical analysis, results show different shape geometries of objects yield significant variations in force, pressure and velocity measured.

Source: Ashesi