Unreliable Power Supply Research Articles

Exploring the Didactics of Learning in Technology-Rich Environments for Teacher Educators amidst Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda

This study was conducted on Teacher Educators in National Teachers’ Colleges found in the Northern (West-Nile) and South-Eastern Uganda. It focused on didactical questions to help teacher educators explore what it is that creates technology-rich environments to trainees. It was also anchored on a wide range of literature review. It adopted a phenomenological design with a qualitative approach of using interviews and Focus Group Discussions. Three specific objectives were used, namely to: (i). Assess how teacher educators implement technology-enhanced learning (ii). Establish the availability of Technology-enhanced learning tools used (iii). Identify challenges of Technology-enhanced learning in NTCs in Uganda. Participants were Sixty-four (64) in the study. Data was collected and analysed qualitatively using verbatim statements backed with direct quotations of participants. The findings of the study revealed that majority were short of ICT skills to conduct online teaching. The commonest tools were mobile phones because majority could access them as compared to Desktop and Laptop computers. In addition, blending of content and pedagogy was highly challenging, there was inadequate prior knowledge and skills in using ICT applications, coupled with network and unreliable power supply. Institution-based training through CPDs and peer mentorship are recommended in addition to the paradigm shift from teacher-centredness to learner-centredness

Design and fabrication of biomass densification machine for teaching and research purposes

In developing nations, research output is limited due to factors like unreliable power supply and inadequate laboratory equipment. The high cost of purchasing completed laboratory equipment and the unavailability of accessories for imported equipment further contribute to this issue. A biomass densification machine was designed and constructed to address these challenges for teaching and research purposes. The machine was tested at five different compaction pressures (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 kPa) using gelatinized cassava starch as a binder. The physical and mechanical characteristics of the produced fuel briquettes were investigated following ASTM standards and procedures reported in the literature. The results show that the physical and mechanical properties of the fuel briquettes increase with compaction pressure. The compressive strength, durability, and water resistance of the briquettes varied between 55 and 101 kN·m−2, 89–99%, and 20–120 min, respectively, while the compressed and relaxed densities range from 0.780 to 1.220 g·cm−3 and 0.670 to 0.990 g·cm−3, respectively. The machine performed satisfactorily because the briquettes’ characteristics were found to meet the specified ISO Standard (17225). The development of this machine will enable academic institutions, researchers, and students to harness the potential of biomass through the densification process without the challenges posed by imported equipment. The creation of the machine will also facilitate students’ hands-on learning. By providing an easily accessible and reliable platform, academic and research institutions can integrate biomass solid fuel production experiments into their curricula, fostering a thorough understanding of renewable energy solutions and supporting sustainable practices. Therefore, it can be recommended for teaching and research in developing nations. Incorporating an electronic component, such as a digital pressure gauge and electric hydraulic jack, is recommended for future research to enhance the performance.

Smart power management strategy controlling domestic solar solutions in sub-Saharan countries

AbstractLimitations such as maximum power consumption during peak hours, scheduled load shedding and unplanned brownouts are problems of weak and stressed electricity grids. To compensate for such shortage of energy, the usage of renewable energies is a solution delivering increased reliability for consumers. Although sub-Saharan African countries suffer from unreliable grids, they benefit from large amounts of solar radiation throughout the year. Therefore, domestic solar systems including photovoltaic panels, battery storage and solar water heating are attractive solutions to supply affordable and reliable energy and hot water for consumers. However, to deliver the best management of the electrical loads in the face of unplanned brownouts, a smart power management strategy is required. Consequently, the proposed strategy relies on the predicted values of power generation and power consumption to autonomously control the system in both on-grid and off-grid modes. This method is evaluated using a case study relying on the measured electrical load and the hot water consumption data of a low-income house in Botswana. Results show that in addition to delivering sustainable support for the utility grid by decreasing the power consumption in peak hours, the proposed method reduces annual consumer electricity bill by 64% and increases the reliability of electricity supply from 95.5 to 99.5%. Thereby providing affordable and reliable solution to unreliable power supply due to stressed grids.

Comparison of methods for monitoring icing of high-voltage power lines and an overview of measuring equipment used to diagnose such lines

The low structural reliability of overhead lines, due to continuous climatic influence, becomes the cause of electrical network accidents and unreliable power supply. Ensuring the trouble-free operation of overhead lines is a complex task, the solution of which is of the utmost importance for the normal functioning of the entire infrastructure. In the autumn-winter period, difficult weather conditions almost completely exclude the quick completion of repair works. A fairly large share of accidents occurs during the formation of icy deposits on wires and lightning protection cables. Today, visual inspections of high-voltage power lines remain the main way of diagnosing icy deposits. In practice, it is necessary to equip overhead lines with ice load telemetry devices, which will allow monitoring the formation of ice deposits on wires in real time. The following diagnostic methods are used in modern ice monitoring devices: strainometric, fiber-optic, aerodynamic, locational, and instrumental-parametric. The tensiometric method of diagnosis is implemented by means of direct measurement of the icy load on the wire with subsequent comparison of the measured values with predetermined values of the threshold loads. To implement this diagnostic method, magnetoelastic force measuring sensors are used. Such a sensor is connected between the traverse of the U-shaped support and the upper end of the corresponding garland of insulators with a phase wire. Ice, wind and ice-wind loads are measured separately. This method has a limited scope of application, namely for diagnosing the formation of ice on the phase wires of intermediate spans of single-circuit lines with two-post U-shaped resistances. The fiber-optic method of strain gauge measurements is implemented in object control systems under difficult operating conditions, at nuclear power plants. The mechanical effort sensor (fiber-optic strain sensor) implements the fiber-optic method of strain measurement. Fiber-optic strain sensors are characterized by high accuracy due to resistance to interference and complexity of execution.

Experimental Study on the Efficiency of Dynamic Marine Thermal Energy Generator Based on Phase Change Compensation

Miniaturized detection devices in the ocean generally experience problems such as short endurance and unreliable power supplies. This article aimed to develop a dynamic ocean temperature difference energy collection device to capture ocean temperature difference energy and provide objective electricity for stable detection devices. The main focus was to conduct experimental research on the effectiveness of a dynamic ocean temperature difference energy power generation device. During the research process, the fact that ammonia gas in a working fluid is easy to liquefy and vaporize was utilized. By utilizing the increase in seawater temperature during the floating process of the device, it vaporized and drove the turbine to rotate for power generation. In the structural design, multiple sets of small air chambers were creatively proposed, which could effectively control the air pressure and improve the stability of the airflow. By charging the airflow to impact the turbine, multiple sets of power generation fans were used to form a stable current. Further, the buoyancy of the device could be changed by adding phase change materials between the air chamber and the device shell, and the temperature difference between the two ends of the phase change materials could be used to change the electron density of the material to form a weak current. In this experimental study, concepts such as the structural design of multiple small gas chambers, miniaturization of energy collection devices, compensation power generation of phase change materials, and application scenarios of devices combined with Argo buoys were all proposed for the first time. The results of this experimental study indicate that the overall power generation of the device is about 2A, and its maximum output power amplitude is about 22 W. The cyclic thermal efficiency of the power generation device can be increased from +0.19% to +0.88%. The development of this thermoelectric power generation device can provide a considerable stable power supply for ocean observation devices, especially the buoy device represented by Argo, which can extend the endurance of deep-sea exploration devices.

Power Failure and Entrepreneurial Behaviour in Akwa Ibom State

Reliable electricity supply is a vital tool for successful operations of entrepreneurial businesses. However, unreliable power supply is one of the greatest problems confronting business activities in Nigeria. Although several research works have been done on the subject, none of such studies have examined power failure and entrepreneurial behaviour of entrepreneurs in Akwa Ibom State. It is therefore the aim of this study to investigate power failure and entrepreneurial behaviour of entrepreneurs in Uyo metropolis of Akwa Ibom State. Using a descriptive design, 120 entrepreneurs were examined purposively for the study. Findings revealed that frequent power failure in terms of power outage adversely affect the operations of the businesses in the state with high and low voltage damaging the machineries used by the entrepreneurs to operate their businesses leading to constant repairs, replacement, loss of patronage and impeding the growth of their businesses. Hence, it is recommended that the government should do more to arrest the issue of unreliable energy supply in the state to boost businesses and reduce high cost of operation due to the usage of personally sourced alternative power supply.

Usage of Reference Management Software by Postgraduate Students at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This paper presents the of a study conducted at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania on the usage of Reference Management Software (RMS) by postgraduate students and guided by TAM and DIT theories. The study employed a descriptive research design and both. One hundred and four (The study Findings further revealed that most respondents have a favourable attitude toward RMS and perceive RMS as useful and easy to use, even though few actually use RMS mainly totechnical services support, lack of internet connectivity and unreliable power supply. The study concluded that the usage of RMS by postgraduate students at UDSM is low.

A Flow-through Passive Sampler for Microplastics in Air.

Microplastics (MP) in air have attracted increasing attention because of their ubiquitous presence. Accurate atmospheric concentrations of MP are essential for evaluating their capacity for long-range transport and for assessing human inhalation risk. In order to sample airborne MP in locations with limited power supply, we adapted a flow-through passive sampler by placing a glass fiber filter in the inner sampling tube. To test the new sampler's performance under field conditions, two sizes of the flow-through sampler (with diameters of 20 and 10 cm) and a conventionally pumped high-volume air sampler were co-deployed on the Lhasa campus of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research. Accurate sampling volumes could be estimated from a relationship between wind speeds recorded outside and inside of the flow-through sampler. Atmospheric concentrations and compositions of MP that compared favorably with those obtained by active sampling indicate that the larger version of the flow-through passive sampler can provide reproducible and quantitative information on atmospheric MP at sites with limited or unreliable power supply. This capability should be useful in large-scale and high-temporal resolution air monitoring networks for MP.

Artificial Intelligence Based Smart Home Energy Management System

Recently, countries are faced with an unreliable electric power supply to homes and the industry due to insufficient supply from the utility, causing load shedding. With the power utilities struggling to keep the lights on, there are initiatives to invest in backup power solutions and home energy management systems (HEMS) to manage this development. This paper analyzes energy consumption with the existing infrastructure of typical equipment used in homes. An approach called smart home energy management systems (SHEMS) is implemented to balance the power demand and the supply more effectively throughout the smart micro-grid by utilizing control algorithms simulated using MATLAB Simulink. This is achieved by utilizing real data from a home with commercial and residential load features in an urban area. The SHEMS revealed greater management and efficiency in electric power savings by reducing the utilities power demand. The framework adopts a local information management terminal as the core of data storage and scheduling in the home. Based on the timely purchase of electricity from the grid and the generation of electricity in combination with PV systems, an optimized simulation model for the scheduling of a new home energy management system is established. In addition, the application prospects of artificial intelligence in the HEMS are overviewed. Key Words: Balance of Power Demand, Energy efficiency, Smart Distribution Board (SDB), Smart Home Energy Management System (SHEMS), Artificial Intelligence.

Nursing Students Knowledge About Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies Facilities at Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan

Technology is basically the scientific use of knowledge to solve problems practically, which also includes the invention of modern and useful tools and techniques. Objectives: To check the Nursing Students Knowledge About Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies Facilities. Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students. Questionnaire comprised of different question regarding the factors influencing ICT usage and nursing students knowledge towards the use of ICT. The questionnaire was distributed among hundred nursing students. Results: Students have good knowledge about ICT, but their use is limited. ICT facilities like photocopier, printer, E-library and functional ICT laboratories were lacking. Unreliable power supply, a lack of ICT technical support, and a lack of managerial encouragement were identified as the culprits. Conclusions: ICT resources were scarce, and there were no basic amenities. The use of ICT is largely impacted by unstable power supplies, a lack of technical assistance for ICT, and a lack of management motivation and support.

Artificial Intelligence Based Smart Home Energy Management System: A Review

Recently, countries are faced with an unreliable electric power supply to homes and the industry due to insufficient supply from the utility, causing load shedding. With the power utilities struggling to keep the lights on, there are initiatives to invest in backup power solutions and home energy management systems (HEMS) to manage this development. This paper analyzes energy consumption with the existing infrastructure of typical equipment used in homes. An approach called smart home energy management systems (SHEMS) is implemented to balance the power demand and the supply more effectively throughout the smart micro-grid by utilizing control algorithms simulated using MATLAB Simulink. This is achieved by utilizing real data from a home with commercial and residential load features in an urban area. The SHEMS revealed greater management and efficiency in electric power savings by reducing the utilities power demand. The framework adopts a local information management terminal as the core of data storage and scheduling in the home. Based on the timely purchase of electricity from the grid and the generation of electricity in combination with PV systems, an optimized simulation model for the scheduling of a new home energy management system is established. In addition, the application prospects of artificial intelligence in the HEMS are overviewed. Key Words: Balance of Power Demand, Energy efficiency, Smart Distribution Board (SDB), Smart Home Energy Management System (SHEMS), Artificial Intelligence.

Development of Wind and Diesel Generator Hybrid Power System Model for Urban Electrification

The progress and prosperity of any nation depend on the amount of electrical energy consumed in the country. But African countries produce and consume the lowest amount of electricity in the world. This has led to the present incessant, unstable and unreliable power supply system in African Countries which has grounded many activities and has destroyed many industrial processes. This has also increased unemployment rate and increased crime rates in the continents. In order to satisfy the high energy demand in the residential and industrial environments in this continent, and provide solution to these problems, electrical energy should be reliable, affordable, effective, and sustainable.

A mechano-driven multi-ion sensor based on piezo- ionophoretic coupling for real time perspiration monitoring

Studying various electrolyte concentrations in body fluid plays a vital role in health monitoring. Presently body fluids are not explored well in health monitoring. At the same time, it consists of many biomarkers, including electrolytes, metabolite-proteins, antigens, and cytokines which can play an essential role in health monitoring. Inadequate material and unreliable power supply methods restrict its applications. In this work, a fully flexible Mechano-Driven Ion-Selective (MDIS) perspiration sensor was fabricated from a highly electroactive β-PVDF with a simple phase inversion method to address these issues. The prepared PVDF-based piezoelectric nanogenerator, attached on medical adhesive tape, gives an electrical output of ∼2.5 V and ∼10 nA under bending conditions and acts as the power source. The MDIS consists of an ionophores cross-linked polymer (ICP) that acts as a sensor for selective detection of ions in perspiration. This sensor quantitatively analyses potassium, and sodium contents in perspiration to the sensitivities of 0.024 mM−1, and 0.059 mM−1, respectively. The MDIS perspiration sensor response varied as a function of the concentration of the ions. This mechano-driven biosensor with enhanced stability, flexibility, sensitivity, and selectivity furnishes real-time monitoring of ion concentration levels during perspiration.

A Comprehensive Review on Small Satellite Microgrids

The small satellite (SmallSat) industry has recorded incredible growth recently. Within this class, among mini-, micro-, and nanosatellites, the cube satellite (CubeSat) is primed for an explosion of growth. These satellites are fascinating for remote sensing, Earth observation, and scientific applications. Remarkable attention from the space operators makes it valuable because of its low cost, cubic shape, less manufacturing time, lightweight, and modular structure. Among the various subsystems comprising the SmallSat, the electrical power system (EPS) is the most crucial one because unreliable power supply to the rest is most of the time detrimental to the mission. The EPS is formed by electrical sources, storage units, and loads, all interconnected via different power converters, the operation of which must be closely orchestrated to accomplish efficient use of photovoltaic power, optimal battery management, and resilient power delivery. At the same time, the EPS design must address a series of challenges such as size restrictions, high power density, and harsh space environments (e.g., atomic oxygen, radiation, and extreme temperatures), which significantly impact the EPS electrical and electronic equipment. In terms of power systems, a SmallSat EPS can be considered a space microgrid owing to coordination and control of distributed generation, storage, and loads in a small-scale electrical network. From this point of view, this article reviews and explores SmallSat microgrid's research developments, energy transfer and architectures, converter topologies, latest technologies, main challenges, and some potential solutions, which will enable building a more robust, resilient, and efficient EPS. The research gaps and future developments are underlined before this article is concluded.

Design and construction of smart solar powered egg incubator based on GSM/IoT

Due to the low access rate of electricity in Africa and unreliable power supply in the grid. It is difficult for smallholder farmers that have incubators to use their egg incubators for reproduction, which constrains their businesses and imports day-old chicks from other continents. Farmers who have incubators face low productivity due to poor performance in their hatcheries that have human beings monitoring and controlling processes in incubation. Minimizing human contact in incubation can boost the income levels of smallholder farmers. Remote monitoring and control of the egg incubator parameters from a distant location may be cost-effective and efficient for bird reproduction in modern times. The abundant solar resources on the continent can eliminate the challenge of low access rates and unreliable power supply farmers face and guarantee income from hatcheries. The main objective of this paper is to design and construct an intelligent solar-powered egg incubator based on GSM/IoT that limits human contact in the incubation cycle to meet global protein needs. The paper seeks to build an innovative egg incubator whose supply is from a standalone photovoltaic system. After the physical product construction, several tests were conducted on the developed incubator to evaluate its performance. The recorded hatchability rates were 97.14%, 95.45%, 95.6%, and 95.24%.

Are Biometric Attendance Registers a Panacea for Workplace Absenteeism in Tanzania? A Lesson from Public Secondary Schools in Nyamagana Municipality

Teachers’ workplace absenteeism is widely reported in countries like Tanzania. Left unaddressed, the problem negatively affects institutions and students’ academic excellence. In response, use of digital technology, including deployment of biometric fingerprint attendance registers is thought to bring a novel opportunity for mitigating the problem. However, the extent to which biometrics is effective in managing employees’ attendance in countries like Tanzania is yet to be known. This study draws experience from Nyamagana Municipality to ascertain the effectiveness of biometric fingerprint attendance registers in addressing teachers’ workplace absenteeism. The findings unveil challenges that blur the effectiveness of biometric fingerprint attendance registers in the studied district. With ICT, teachers can still falsify their workplace attendance. More so, unreliable power supply and COVID-19 pandemic have heightened the challenges related to effective utilisation of the fingerprint machines in managing teacher absenteeism. The study recommends that an effective design and use of digital technology in managing teachers absenteeism should take into account the sociological aspects in educational industry.

Stretchable Triboelectric Self‐Powered Sweat Sensor Fabricated from Self‐Healing Nanocellulose Hydrogels

AbstractThough visualizing perspiration constituents is crucial for physiological evaluation, inadequate material healing and unreliable power supply methods restrict its applications. Herein, a fully flexible self‐powered sweat sensor is fabricated from a cellulose‐based conductive hydrogel to address these issues. The hydrogel electrode is composed of a cellulose nanocomposite polymerized in situ with polyaniline and cross‐linked with polyvinyl alcohol/borax. The cellulose nanocomposites furnish the sweat sensor with tensile and electrical self‐healing efficiencies exceeding 95% within 10 s, a stretchability of 1530%, and conductivity of 0.6 S m−1. The sweat sensor quantitatively analyzes Na+, K+, and Ca2+ contents in perspiration, to sensitivities of 0.039, 0.082, and 0.069 mmol–1, respectively, in real time via triboelectric effect and wirelessly transmits the results to a user interface. This fabricated sweat sensor with high flexibility, stability, and analytical sensitivity and selectivity provides new opportunities for self‐powered health monitoring.

An Assessment of Computer and ICT Skills at Botswana Open University: Implications of ICT in Business Subjects

This paper presents a study that focused on assessing computer and ICT skills of business subjects’ learners at Botswana Open University (BOU). The study explored the levels of computer skills; existence of ICT skills and perception of business subject learners on the adoption and use of ICT skills for teaching and learning. A sample size of 223 participants from BOU’s five regions was studied and data was collected quantitatively using survey questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The results showed that most of the respondents had average ability to navigate on the e-learning school platforms (E-library, portals, websites, etc.) and average awareness of the business learning software and applications; they were familiar with most MS package elements, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher. They were familiar with the use of emails, social sites and blogs as well as internet searching and browsing. Results also showed that the respondents understood the basic functions of computer hardware. The study also revealed that respondents needed improvement in the use of ICT tools for learning their business subjects, and that the improvement of the use of ICT tools would enhance their understanding of the subject matter. Respondents cited poor internet connectivity and unreliable power supply, as well as slow internet connectivity, as some of the reasons for their poor ICT skills in teaching and learning ICTs.

Design and Feasibility Study of Biomass-Driven Combined Heat and Power Systems for Rural Communities

Abstract Meeting energy demands at crucial times can often be jeopardized by an unreliable power supply from the grid. Local, onsite power generation, such as combined heat and power (CHP) systems, may safeguard against grid fluctuations and outages. CHP systems can provide a more reliable and resilient energy supply to buildings and communities while it can also provide energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solutions compared to centralized power systems. With a recent increased focus on biomass as an alternative fuel source, biomass-driven CHP systems have been recognized as a potential technology to bring increased efficiency of fuel utilization and environmentally sustainable solutions. Biomass as an energy source is already created through agricultural and forestry by-products and may thus be efficient and convenient to be transported to remote rural communities. This paper presents a design and feasibility analysis of biomass-driven CHP systems for rural communities. The viability of wood pellets as a suitable fuel source is explored by comparing it to a conventional grid-connected system. To measure viability, three performance parameters—operational cost (OC), primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emission (CDE)—are considered in the analysis. The results demonstrate that under the right conditions wood pellet-fueled CHP systems create economic and environmental advantages over traditional systems. The main factors in increasing the viability of biomass-driven CHP (bCHP) systems are the appropriate sizing and operational strategies of the system and the purchase price of biomass with respect to the price of traditional fuels.

Integrated techno-economic-environmental design of off-grid microgrid model for rural power supply in India

The non-availability of the grid and unreliable power supply from utility drastically affects the socio-economic development of the rural areas of India. In this research, a techno- economic-environmental (TEE) design of an off-grid microgrid (OGM) is presented to improve power reliability in a rural village. To address TEE design problem of OGM, a novel objective function is formed and optimization is done by the slime mould algorithm (SMA). The results are compared with the famous PSO algorithm. The considered parameters namely technical (loss of power supply probability (LPSP), a renewable fraction (RF)), economical (cost of energy (COE), total net present cost (TNPC)), and environmental (carbon emission (CE), particulate matter (PM)). Various combinations of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), diesel generators (DGs), methanol generator (MG), battery, and converter are formed, and compared in TEE aspects, to find the most viable and reliable OGM model. The obtained result shows that the PV-WT-MG-DGs-battery-converter system has superiority and optimal TEE performance over other considered cases with SMA. In comparison to the PSO, SMA shows the best value of TEE parameters, greater capacity to break free from local minima, higher ability to come close to the global optimum, and shorter computational time.