Agro-residues for clean electricity: in-lab trial of power generation from blended cocoa-kolanut wastes.

As a way of wastes-to-voltage conversion, experimental benchtest trial of electricity generation from a blend of cocoa and kolanut harvest by-products is presented in this study. Bioethanol obtained from the blend, through a process of alcoholic fermentation, was mixed with gasoline at specific proportion and employed to fire a spark ignition engine that served as a prime-mover in driving a four-pole three-phase salient-pole synchronous machine. Performance of the driving machine, as the fuel-mix proportion and its speed of rotation varied, was studied. Likewise, the electric power output characteristic of the driven machine, when operated at its rated synchronous speed, was examined. It was found that the driving machine performed better on mixed fuel than pure gasoline. There were gradual increases in the torque and the power developed by the machine as the proportion of ethanol in the fuel-mix and the rotational speed increased. While the highest values of torque and power developed on using pure gasoline were 12.4 Nm and 2574 W respectively at 1900 rpm, 13.1 Nm torque and 2953 W power were obtained from the machine when ignited with 10%-bioethanol fuel-mix at the same speed. Also, with 90 Vdc excitation voltage and rotation at 1500 rpm synchronous speed, the driven machine continuously generated electricity at 207.6 Vrms (line-to-line), 1.169 A, 0.698 power factor, 48.17 Hz, 0.294 kW output. This study demonstrated the possibility of continuous generation of electric power from cocoa and kolanut wastes. Result obtained from the laboratory-based trial indicates that at such agricultural regions that are advantaged in the production of the two crops, harvest residues of the crops can be explored as a steady source of biofuel for off-grid microgrid electrification.

Comprehensive data on the mechanical properties and biodegradation profile of polylactide composites developed for hard tissue repairs.

Polylactide (PLA), a biopolymer, was reinforced with three fillers (two organic reinforcements and one inorganic filler). The processing technique used to fabricate the composites was the melt-blending technique. The composites and the unreinforced PLA were subjected to microhardness, compression and biodegradation characterisations. Data obtained are presented in this article as raw data. Data from microhardness and compression tests were used to predict the fracture toughness. The biodegradation of the composites was also examined, and the data obtained reported in this article. The data presented in this article allow for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical behaviour and the biodegradation profile of three composites of PLA with respect to their applications as biodegradable implants. It also helps in the selection of fillers for biopolymers such as PLA.