ABSTRACT Cloud computing has not only emerged as an accepted computing paradigm, but is fast penetrating into major sectors of human endeavor. These include banking, human resources management, justice administration, investigation, academia/research, commerce, health administration etc. Based on the public and experts concerns about cloud applications in the mentioned sectors, preliminary investigations were carried out and it was found that security, and in particular, authenticating...
ABSTRACT Technology of milling and grinding machine is one of the simplest methods of processing agricultural raw materials alternative to the traditional methods of grain/tuber processing using stone, mortar and pestle. However, machines constructed using metal plates results in tearing and wearing away of the materials of construction. The effect of this is the contamination of the processed foodstuff. This is known to have negative health implications when accumulated and consumed in larg...
More recently, Solvent Extraction of Copper from aqueous solution has been an area for considerable research and development. The present programme has gone a stage further by investigating the separation of copper from mixed solutions cf copper and iron in Electrical fields. The work was carried out in a countercurrent column which gave differential as opposed to the stage contact of previous workers. Continuous transfer of material between phases occurs resulting in the differential change ...
ABSTRACT The traditional system of producing crops using soil (geoponics) is currently facing major challenges resulting in food deficits. An alternative is the adoption of soil-less culture (hydroponics) which is regarded as key in increasing production of vegetables, herbs and ornamentals. The study aimed at preparing a hydroponic medium from black cotton soil and rice husks. The process entailed moulding, firing, size reduction and performance evaluation. The aggregates were evaluated on ...
Research on the single pot green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was done using aqueous medicinal plant extract of Tithonia diversifolia and Acalypha wilkesiana. Characterization was carried out by spectroscopic techniques. Experimental optimization studies and the antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles were investigated. Bottom-up approach was applied for the synthesis of both Tithonia diversifolia silver nanoparticles (TD-AgNPs) and Acalypha wilkesia silver nanoparticles (AW-...
ABSTRACT Energy systems based on fossil oil products have witnessed increased demand all over the world with prices reaching new peaks, and continue to further weaken African economies. Potential biofuel oil sources, production and their optimization in standard to fossil equivalent should be sought. Sour plum (Ximenia americana L.) seed oil as one potential biofuel was extracted from plant seeds using screw press then tests were carried out to evaluate its properties as substitute for kerose...
ABSTRACT The facilities layout problem is an integral part of facilities planning that aims to systematically arrange and locate all production units within a facility with an objective of improving the production operations of a company. Numerical Machining Complex is planning to improve the production of its manufacturing operations in its machining and fabrication workshop. It seeks to enhance the performance of the existing workshop in terms of efficiency, productivity, and space utiliza...
ABSTRACT Risk-based approach in spare part inventory management and plant maintenance is essential for ensuring asset integrity in a process facility. The sugar industry in Kenya has been a victim of inefficient spare part inventory management resulting to unscheduled factory stoppages, factory breakdowns, obsolescence of plant and equipment whose maintenance costs are very high. This has been compounded by high maintenance costs and expensive spares which are also difficult to find and proc...
ABSTRACT The manufacturing sector today faces high competition and there is an increasing demand for customers to receive quality products, at the right time and at a competitive price. This then calls for manufacturing firms to improve productivity more so in automotive manufacturing industry. Master Fabricators Limited had in the past attempted to improve throughput time for the buses manufactured by increasing the number of employees and hiring highly qualified production personnel to ste...
ABSTRACT Surface studies done in Menengai field have indicated a huge geothermal potential and has led to the drilling of several wells. However, some of these wells have not produced as earlier projected and there are questions as to whether this field has enough permeability. The purpose of this study was to employ gravity method to understand density variations in the Menengai field by developing structural models and establishing whether there is enough permeability. Raw data received fr...
ABSTRACT Good maintenance planning and proper resources scheduling in corn milling industry are of fundamental importance for safe and efficient operation of corn milling plants. This leads to production optimization due to reduced cost of operation. The interactions of aspects of plant safety and reliability with issues related to economic performance, such as production revenues, repair and maintenance costs, renders the problem of managing maintenance and repair activities highly complica...
ABSTRACT Generator load is the key focus of a power plant which is significantly affected by its generating equipment which can be determined by both maintenance and the running parameters. The parameters of interest for this study were turbine inlet pressure, steam flow rate, steam chest pressure (Bowl pressure) and Generator Loading. The operation of Olkaria II power plant was started in the year 2002, with Unit I turbine taking steam at a flow rate of 62.5 Kg/Sec (225 ton/hr). After opera...
Steel plays a very key role in the transformation of an economy, as it is the key driver in any industrial revolution majorly being used in transport, building and construction, power generation and machinery. It is in this regard that the study of iron and steel in Kenya is important. This study sought to determine the viability of setting up an iron and steel processing plant in Kenya, develop a process design for such a plant and determine the plant's economic feasibility. This research em...
ABSTRACT Spinning mills in Kenya are operated by eight integrated textile industries to produce cotton yarns for internal use by their knitting and weaving departments and for sale to the local market. Fabric requirement estimated at 225 million square meters cannot be supplied by local domestic production and the gap is met through importation of fabrics and finished garments. Spinning mills play a very significant role in backward integration of the textile value chain by converting fibres...
Abstract Bioremediation has been proven to be the most effective method of cleaning up oil contaminated soils through the application of nutrients and microorganism to contaminated soils. Hence, this research was aimed at investigating the effects of particle sizes on bioremediation of crude oil polluted sandy soils. Six different soil samples were sieved using the B.S sieve sizes. The sieve sizes were classified into X and Y such that X is fine to coarse sand while Y is very fine to coarse ...