Papers by Dr. Vincent A . Ani
Journal of Energy and Power Technology , 2024
Energy is a prerequisite to running health facilities and is, therefore, key to the success of th... more Energy is a prerequisite to running health facilities and is, therefore, key to the success of the service. Karshi primary healthcare centre (PHC) facility is confronted with an unreliable power supply that leads to a high cost of generating power from diesel to operate its equipment. This facility needs a sustainable and reliable electricity supply and therefore a change in their energy system to enable it improve its quality of healthcare delivery services. A solar energybased electricity generation system that would make the PHC to become resilient and contribute to climate mitigation was selected. A step by step on the design of solar powered system for the health facility was demonstrated, and therefore a grant to develop, install and train health workers on how to use the solar powered system effectively is needed. This program will measure the increased availability of energy, and there is a need for a follow-up program to measure the improvement in healthcare delivery. It was suggested that a data logging system and energy metering equipment should be installed to monitor the function and performance of the solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Monitoring and evaluation is specifically for project installation and management, and recommend that monitoring and evaluation team be set up by the Ministry of Health to collect data that will be used to measure these improvements. This project is aimed at providing 24 hours green and reliable electricity supply to the facility, and reduce CO 2 emissions compared to diesel generator. The
Sustainable Engineering and Innovation, 2022
This paper presents an algorithm for the study, sizing, simulation, and data analysis of complete... more This paper presents an algorithm for the study, sizing, simulation, and data analysis of complete integrated PV/wind/hydro-battery systems. It is a computer program developed for determining and sizing renewable-based energy systems that can be used for electric power supply at any given time. This tool is used in sizing the integrated PV/wind/hydro-battery for sustainable power supply at Nkanu-West local government secretariat. The proposed sizing tool is verified with HOMER software. The program calculates the best configuration of the system according to the period of operation of solar cells as well as the weather data, and the structural analysis of the program is described in detail through data flow diagrams. From the simulation results, it was shown that the source and load attributes are effectively sized and the supplied energy is efficiently utilized. The developed program could be used during the process of design and analysis of the electrical power process in the integrated system (PV/wind/hydro-battery) for sustainable power supply for daily needs in any area.
Renew. Energy Environ. Sustain., 2021
Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) remain the populations’ first point of contact when seeking med... more Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) remain the populations’ first point of contact when seeking medical help. Women and children, whose health status decides the fate of the country, are the predominant users of primary healthcare centres which means they (the PHCs’) must function as high quality health providers. Karshi Primary Healthcare Centre (KPHC) is one of the health facility that need reliable electricity to improve their healthcare delivery. Due to unreliable power supply, they rely on a diesel powered solution as a primary source of power supply. This negatively impacts patients and the environment, and has been a burden on their operational budgets. Change in energy system is the solution to this unreliable, costly, and unsecure power supply in Karshi, and its objective is to improve and enhance the quality of healthcare delivery services. The assumption is that with better energy source, there will be better healthcare services. A solar powered system with battery storage was proposed as the solution and the simulation results demonstrate that except for the initial cost of investment, the solar PV generator performs better than the diesel generator, in terms of the life cycle costs and the cost per unit energy. The life cycle cost and the cost of energy show a decrease of 75% each. The environmental analysis implies that the solar PV energy system has the potential to avoid the 9371 kg of carbon dioxide if the system is implemented in the future at KPHC. The proposed powered system will supply electricity for the laboratory equipment (centrifuges, microscopes, blood chemical analyzer, hematology analyzer, CD4 machine), vaccine-refrigeration, general purpose refrigerator, computer and telecommunications, while being able to cater to a greater number of patients than in the past.
Electronic Journal of Energy & Environment, 2013
The design is presented of an optimized mix of renewable (PV/Wind) energy system for an Informati... more The design is presented of an optimized mix of renewable (PV/Wind) energy system for an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Center in Rural environments in Kauru (Kaduna State), Northern Nigeria with a daily load of 24 kwh d-1. Solar radiation and wind speed for the design of the system were obtained from the NASA Surface Meteorology and solar energy website at a location of 10° 39' N latitude and 8° 09' E longitude, with annual average solar radiation of 5.64 kWh m-2 d-1 and annual average wind speed of 2.5 m s-1. The patterns of load consumption by the ICT Centre were studied and suitably modeled for optimization using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software. The proposed PV/Wind system was simulated using the model resulting in two different topologies: PV/Wind and PV only. From the simulation results, the PV/Wind system solution was considered to be the best energy option (solution) for the ICT Center. This optimization study indicates that energy requirements to provide electricity for an ICT center in Kauru with the least cost could be accomplished by a combination of 8 kW PV array, 1 unit 7.5 kW BWC Excel-R wind turbine, 1.5 kW inverter and 24 Hoppecke 24 OPzS 30000 batteries. The system configuration suggested also benefits from 33% excess electricity supply which allows for future ICT network expansion and power needs. This system also saves $6,341 for the project lifetime when compared with PV only system due to reduced number of battery unit. A detailed design and description of expected performance of the PV/Wind system are also presented.
Electronic Journal of Energy & Environment, 2014
There is the need for the provision of an alternative sustainable electric power supply system to... more There is the need for the provision of an alternative sustainable electric power supply system to provide electricity for Community Service Facilities (CSF) such as Information Communication Technology (ICT) for e-service to rural communities, rural banking, hospitals, and supply of potable water if the social and economic lives of rural citizens in Nigeria are to be improved. This paper presents the feasibility study of a stand-alone Photovoltaic (PV)/Hydro power system for CSF in Ogologo-Eji Ndiagu Akpugo in Nkanu-West L.G.A located in SouthEastern Nigeria on Latitude 6°35'N and Longitude 7°51'E with annual average solar daily radiation of 4.73kWh/m²/d. The river used for the study is Atavo stream also located in Ogologo-Eji Ndiagu Akpugo. In carrying out the flow measurement of the stream, the length, width, and depth of the stream were measured, while a floating object was used as the technique for the determination of the surface speed. The readings were taken over a period of 2 years (2010-2012) with an average stream discharge of 26.42 M 3 /s. Load estimates of a typical rural ICT infrastructures, banking and hospital were estimated. The simulation results show that the renewable energy system (RES) is capable
Electronic Journal of Energy & Environment, 2013
Hybrid power systems were used to minimize the environmental impact of power generation at GSM (g... more Hybrid power systems were used to minimize the environmental impact of power generation at GSM (global systems for mobile communication) base station sites. This paper presents the comparative environmental impact assessment of a diesel gas (DG) and hybrid (PV/wind/hydro/diesel) power system for the base station sites. The assessment was based on theoretical modeling of the power stations using Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software. The model was designed to provide an optimal system configuration based on hour-by-hour data for energy availability and demands. Energy source, energy storage and their applicability in terms of performance are discussed. The proposed hybrid (solar, wind & hydro) + DG system was simulated using the model which results in eight different topologies: hybrid (solar, wind & hydro) + DG, hybrid (solar & hydro) + DG, hybrid (wind & hydro) + DG, hydro only + DG, hybrid (solar & wind) + DG, solar only + DG, wind only + DG, DG. From the simulation results, it is shown that a 69% renewable energy penetration in the designed hybrid PV/wind/hydro/diesel system reduces the quantity of different air pollutants relative to the case of a diesel-only system. Details of the comparisons are presented.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH, 2014
There are cases of disenfranchising eligible voters during registration exercises due to unreliab... more There are cases of disenfranchising eligible voters during registration exercises due to unreliable power supply or no access to electricity in powering the Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) that is used for the registration of voters in polling stations or registration centres. This paper proposes to design an optimized PV-Battery energy system with an energy management system that will be used to control the operations of power supply (supply the load and charge the Battery) at the registration centres in Nigeria. This research is focused on the simulation of Photovoltaic power generation system with energy storage and management system for off-grid voter registration centres in two locations-Nkanu-West (Enugu State-which covers the southern part of the nation) and Kaura (Kaduna State-covering the northern part of the nation). The developed power control system was used to study the operations of the PV-Battery energy system. From the control output results, it was shown that the load and the supplied energy is efficiently and rationally utilized. A simulation analysis was performed using hybrid optimization model for electric renewables (HOMER) software and the results indicate that the most optimized PV-Battery power system for energy consumption of 2.3kWh/day with a 235W peak demand load consists of 0.9 kW solar PV array, 9 Hoppecke 24 OPzS 300 Battery and a 1kW DC/AC inverter. This energy system can be used in any other registration exercises such as the National Identity Registration or Examination registration etc., and may also be applied to other regions of the country.
International Journal of Energy Optimization and Engineering, 2012
This paper explores the best energy options by which the choice of the most energy optimized solu... more This paper explores the best energy options by which the choice of the most energy optimized solution for a given GSM Base Station Site and location in any rural area in Nigeria can be made. The patterns of load
consumption by mobile base stations at various geographical locations in rural areas are studied and suitably modeled for optimization using HOMER software. Simulation results show the optimized energy options to be superior to conventional solutions whereby diesel generators are currently used to power GSM Base Station Sites around Nigeria. Total Net Present Cost (NPC) and total impact on the environment are used as indices for measuring the optimization level of each energy solution. The solution with the highest optimization value is considered to be the best energy option for that Base Station Site.
International Journal of Energy Optimization and Engineering, 2013
Renaissance University, Agbani has a research institute with internet facility that accommodates ... more Renaissance University, Agbani has a research institute with internet facility that accommodates 200 computers for student training, research and browsing. This facility becomes impossible to run due to the inability of the public utility to provide steady, reliable and efficient power. A 250KVA generating set was denoted by the school Administration and latter installed for this facility. After the installation, the facility cut off from public utility and depends wholly on Diesel generator. From experience with the performance of the existing generating sets as regards emissions and operating costs due to high cost of maintenance and diesel, a hybrid system (Diesel-Solar PV) was proposed. This paper investigates and analyzes the economic and environmental benefits of the proposed project to existing diesel generator. From the analyses, the proposed system (solar PV-diesel) has less total net present cost and less emission as a result of less fuel consumption and higher efficiency operation of the diesel genset when compared to the existing system (diesel only).
Local Administration Journal, 2021
Local government (LG) is the tier of government that is closest to the people. The quest for LG a... more Local government (LG) is the tier of government that is closest to the people. The quest for LG administration and governance still generates exciting and healthy debate in Nigeria. This study examines the opportunities and problems, which confront the Nigerian LG system in its efforts to establish itself as a true tier of government. The main objectives of the study are to find out why, in practice, complete LG autonomy and governance is difficult in Nigeria; to investigate the level of autonomy in Nigeria's LG system; and to suggest measures that could be adopted to reduce interference in the LG affairs in Nigeria. The theoretical framework adopted in this study is the Marxist theory. The proponents of this theory see LG as an instrument of the central government, which works as a direct means of securing proletarian compliance through suppression. A survey of 300 employees in the Nkanu West LG Area was conducted. A five-point Likert scale was used in data collection. The findings revealed that there were constitutional loopholes or contradiction that tend to provide the impetus for the unethical state government officials to nurse the inordinate desire for hedging in LG left, right, and center. This study recommends that the autonomy of LG should be based on a better income base, respect for constitutional provisions, political stability, accountability, and transparency.
International Journal of Energy for a Clean Environment, 2021
The provision of reliable electricity to health facilities is a new focus of interventions to imp... more The provision of reliable electricity to health facilities is a new focus of interventions to improve the quality of health care services. This is because many modern interventions, such as improving maternal and child health and reducing mortality, need modern medical technologies that operate with electricity. The Nigerian government, through the federal ministry of health, has been providing funding for community-based, evidence-based, and cost-effective interventions aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in remote areas. However, the lack of electricity remains a neglected barrier to effective intervention at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and provision of health services. Many people in rural Nigeria lack access to basic modern health care, as health facilities serve them without electricity, and this creates a barrier to the attainment of key health-related goals. Ensuring 24/7 access to electricity in primary health care facilities [a part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)7] can significantly contribute to improving the quality of life, by providing better health care services (SDG3). But, most of the primary health care facilities are confronted with an unreliable power supply that leads to the high cost of generating power from diesel to operate their equipment, and this adds significantly to the cost of the public health system. Based on the literature, comparative case studies and success in similar settings, in which a solar system has been used as a replacement and had positive outcomes, installation of solar-powered systems for the health care centers will drastically reduce the facility energy costs and this, in turn, will increase the quality of health care delivery in Nigeria.
International Journal of Energy Optimization and Engineering, 2014
Telecommunications industry requires efficient, reliable and cost-effective hybrid power system a... more Telecommunications industry requires efficient, reliable and cost-effective hybrid power system as alternative to the power supplied by diesel generator. This paper proposed an operational control algorithm that will be used to control and supervise the operations of PV/Wind-Diesel hybrid power generation system for GSM base station sites. The control algorithm was developed in such a way that it coordinates when power should be generated by renewable energy (PV panels and Wind turbine) and when it should be generated by diesel generator and is intended to maximize the use of renewable system while limiting the use of diesel generator. Diesel generator is allocated only when the demand cannot be met by the renewable energy sources including battery bank. The developed algorithm was used to study the operations of the hybrid PV/Wind-Diesel energy system. The control simulation shows that the developed algorithm reduces the operational hours of the diesel generator thereby reducing the running cost of the hybrid energy system as well as the pollutant emissions. With the data collected from the site, a detailed economic and environmental analysis was carried out using micro power optimization software homer. The study evaluates savings associated with conversion of the diesel powered system to a PV/Wind-Diesel hybrid power system.
Global Journal of Researches in Engineering: J General Engineering, 2021
Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) is one of the tools used by the World H... more Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) is one of the tools used by the World Health Organization (WHO) for designing renewable energy health facilities. This paper demonstrates the depth of the software application and instructs health workers (step by step) on how to model and simulate (design) renewable energy health facilities with HOMER by using hypothetical off-grid health facilities at various geographical locations which were chosen to reflect the various climatic conditions in Nigeria as the case studies. This tool (HOMER software) was used to design an optimal hybrid power system based on comparative economic and environmental analysis. Simulation was run on each of the case study sets of data and results (both the graphical and tabular output) were provided. The findings of the study were organized and presented as a supplementary data, and the results could aid in the planning of energy system for health facility projects in Nigeria.
Sustainable Energy Systems and Policies, a section of the journal Frontiers in Energy Research, 2021
The objective of this work is to develop a power management system that will control the power fl... more The objective of this work is to develop a power management system that will control the power flow of an integrated renewable energy system with the focus on solar energy and wind energy and dual energy storage systems (batteries are used as the primary energy storage system for short to moderate storage term, whereas hydrogen fuel cell is used as a backup and long-term energy storage). These storage systems are needed to provide high reliability and control systems are necessary for the stable and optimal operation of the whole system. An Intelligent Power Management System (IPMS) is developed to handle various changes in power supply and power demand by managing erratic power and provide suitable control algorithm for the whole system. In order to test and validate the proposed IPMS model, simulations were conducted under various power supply and power demand using power system modeled in HOMER environment. The performed simulations confirm the ability of the IPMS to satisfy the load at all times using solar and wind power (which are unsteady renewables), through the support of batteries and hydrogen fuel cell without a reduction in the power quality or load supply.
This paper critically examines opportunities and problems confronting the Nigerian local governme... more This paper critically examines opportunities and problems confronting the Nigerian local government system. To assess why the practice of complete local government autonomy and governance is difficult in Nigeria and suggest measures that may help improve the collaboration between the federal, state, and local government authorities in Nigeria. Research methodology: 300 questionnaires were administered to the staff of the Nkanu-West Local Government Area in Enugu State, and 276 were returned giving a response rate of 92 percent. The Marxist theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. Results: Results show that state interference in local affairs contributes to a lack of local government autonomy and governance, and the constitutional provisions portend intractable intergovernment problems which make the local government a whipping child and less autonomous. Limitations: Nkanu-West local government is the only local government covered by the study. Contribution: The outcome of the study will be a contribution to the existing literature in the area of local government autonomy and governance.
RUDN Journal of Public Administration, 2022
This study was conducted to investigate the constraint to the effective application of due proces... more This study was conducted to investigate the constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. Four objectives and four research questions guided the study. A sampling technique was used in carrying out the work. A total number of three hundred (300) respondents were used for the study. The instruments for data collection were a questionnaire and observation checklist. Three hundred (300) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the staff of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Abuja and two hundred and seventy-six (276) were returned representing a 92% return rate. The frequency table and Mean were the statistical measures employed for the data analysis. The findings revealed that there were no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. However, the findings also revealed that practices such as political interference and corruption during recruitment and selection in federal civil service tend to undermine the principle of due process. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the federal civil service commission should formulate sound policies and practices that will minimize the degree of politicization and corruption in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service; make use of modern sources and techniques of recruitment and selection such as, E-recruitment process and Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-based selection resources as their source of recruitment and selection; and develop strategies or methods that will result in the effective application of due process in their recruitment and selection exercises.
RUDN Journal of Public Administration, 2021
This study was conducted to investigate the constraint to the effective application of due proces... more This study was conducted to investigate the constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. Four objectives and four research questions guided the study. A sampling technique was used in carrying out the work. A total number of three hundred (300) respondents were used for the study. The instruments for data collection were a questionnaire and observation checklist. Three hundred (300) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the staff of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Abuja and two hundred and seventy-six (276) were returned representing a 92% return rate. The frequency table and Mean were the statistical measures employed for the data analysis. The findings revealed that there were no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. However, the findings also revealed that practices such as political interference and corruption during recruitment and selection in federal civil service tend to undermine the principle of due process. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the federal civil service commission should formulate sound policies and practices that will minimize the degree of politicization and corruption in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service; make use of modern sources and techniques of recruitment and selection such as, E-recruitment process and Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-based selection resources as their source of recruitment and selection; and develop strategies or methods that will result in the effective application of due process in their recruitment and selection exercises.
Water treatment plants are likely to experience problems such as the water level both in the filt... more Water treatment plants are likely to experience problems such as the water level both in the filter cells and in the tanks tend to fluctuate widely. These create the potential for partial drainage, overflow, and potential initial turbidity breakthrough at the beginning of the filtration cycles. This paper presents a mathematical model for studying the process behavior of a water treatment plant. A state equation was developed as a mathematical model of the process. This mathematical model was used to simulate the effects of varying the parameters of the plant (R, C, and I) representing the restriction of the connecting pipes, the capacity of the tanks and the filteration of the water filter, respectively, on the state variables (height of tank, h, and flowrate, q). The results of the simulation are presented graphically in the study. From the analyses, it was observed that varying any of the values of the parameters of the model has an effect on the water levels in the various tanks and the flow of water through the filter. The analyses of this paper on modeling a water treatment plant is a very simple way of knowing from the beginning the various sizes of pipes, tanks and filter to be used and how these will affect the flow of water in the plant before going into the physical construction of the plant.
This paper explores the best energy options by which optimized energy solution for a given GSM ba... more This paper explores the best energy options by which optimized energy solution for a given GSM base station site locatied in Nembe can be made. The concept of hybridizing renewable energy sources is that the base load is to be covered by available renewable source(s) and other intermittent source(s) should augment the base load to cover the peak load of the base station site. The study is based on modeling, simulation, and optimization of the hybrid energy system located in Nembe (Bayelsa state), Nigeria. The patterns of load consumption by mobile base stations in Nembe are studied and modeled suitably for optimization using the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) soft ware. Various renewable/alternative energy sources, energy storage, and their applicability in terms of cost and performance, as well as a diesel generator were discussed. The proposed hybrid [(solar, wind & hydro) + DG] system was simulated using the model which results in eight different topologies: (solar, wind & hydro) + DG, (solar & hydro) + DG, (wind & hydro) + DG, hydro only + DG, (solar & wind) + DG, solar only + DG, wind only + DG, and DG. Total economic costs [net present cost (NPC)] and the environment impact (pollutant emissions in tons of CO2) generated are used as indices for measuring the optimization level of each energy solution, and the option with the highest optimization value is considered to be the best energy solution for the base station site. The quantitative results of the study (as reported here) show that the hybrid power system can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly in providing energy to a GSM base station site than diesel generators.
This paper reports the experience acquired with a photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system simulated as an... more This paper reports the experience acquired with a photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system simulated as an alternative to diesel system for a residential home located in Southern Nigeria. The hybrid system was designed to overcome the problem of climate change, to ensure a reliable supply without interruption, and to improve the overall system efficiency (by the integration of the battery bank). The system design philosophy was to maximize simplicity; hence, the system was sized using conventional simulation tool and representative insolation data. The system includes a 15 kW PV array, 21.6 kWh (3600 Ah) worth of battery storage, and a 5.4 kW (6.8 kVA) generator. The paper features a detailed analysis of the energy flows through the system and quantifies all losses caused by PV charge controller, battery storage round-trip, rectifier, and inverter conversions. In addition, simulation was run to compare PV/diesel/battery with diesel/battery and the results show that the capital cost of a PV/diesel hybrid solution with batteries is nearly three times higher than that of a generator and battery combination, but the net present cost, representing cost over the lifetime of the system, is less than one-half of the generator and battery combination.
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Papers by Dr. Vincent A . Ani
consumption by mobile base stations at various geographical locations in rural areas are studied and suitably modeled for optimization using HOMER software. Simulation results show the optimized energy options to be superior to conventional solutions whereby diesel generators are currently used to power GSM Base Station Sites around Nigeria. Total Net Present Cost (NPC) and total impact on the environment are used as indices for measuring the optimization level of each energy solution. The solution with the highest optimization value is considered to be the best energy option for that Base Station Site.
consumption by mobile base stations at various geographical locations in rural areas are studied and suitably modeled for optimization using HOMER software. Simulation results show the optimized energy options to be superior to conventional solutions whereby diesel generators are currently used to power GSM Base Station Sites around Nigeria. Total Net Present Cost (NPC) and total impact on the environment are used as indices for measuring the optimization level of each energy solution. The solution with the highest optimization value is considered to be the best energy option for that Base Station Site.