Browsing by Author "Lating, Peter O."

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    Erosion Features on Gravel Roads in Uganda–Formation and Effects
    (International Journal of Applied Physics and Mathematics, 2013) Semwogerere, Twaibu; Lating, Peter O.; Kucel, Samuel B.
    In the event of erosion flows, the road is one unique surface with various flow and deposition characteristics. Earlier studies focus on erosion features on shores and coasts and sometimes on desert plains as a result of wind erosion, but hardly on roads. Erosion features are detrimental to road designers, constructors, and users. This paper focused on gravel roads which constitute a larger percentage of the rural roads. These are a key to accumulation of wealth for developing countries. It also looked at the identification, formation, and extracting effects of features as a result of erosion on the road surface pertaining to various road surface characteristics. Rills and dunes on roads are active features which gully up bigger parts of the roads causing flooding and other dangerous effects. Various experiments like sieve analysis, runoff speeds and measuring road rill/dune sizes with respect to slope size, rain intensity, and road sizes were considered for this study. The main data analysis tool used was STATA V11. Findings included higher runoff speed on roads than other erosion fields, determination of the rate of road reduction, flooding by rills or dunes and provision of good background to modeling erosion on roads.
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    Modeling the „Second‟ Soil Erosion on Non-Paved Roads
    (International Journal of Applied Physics and Mathematics, 2014) Semwogerere, Twaibu; Kucel, Samuel B.; Lating, Peter O.
    A mathematical model is constructed to describe erosion from the features formed after the ‘first’ erosion on gravel or dirt roads. The model was based on parameters such as the nature or make of the road, erosion effect, and the effect of repairs. The rill/dune effects on the road were assumed to be proportional to the repairs that are necessary to neutralize them. The repairs model was first analyzed then the general erosion model. Finally, an erosion model that combines all the parameters was developed and analyzed with a numerical example. The main methods used included experimental designs and numerical techniques for the formulation and analysis. Results show that the approximate time required for road repairs given a remarkable effect, reduces with the size of the initial effect. A bigger initial effect reduces the time required to initiate a repair on such roads. Results further showed that erosion effects resulting from the rill/dune development effects are tremendously reduced. Once correct measurements are taken and historically followed, good road maintenance may be experienced in order to enhance economic development in developing countries.
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    Quantification and characterization of cocoa pod husks for electricity generation in Uganda
    (Sustainability and Society, 2019) Kilama, George; Lating, Peter O.; Byaruhanga, Joseph; Biira, Saphina
    Due to limited coverage, the electricity power supply in Uganda is an obstacle to the country’s economic development. Utility firms in Uganda either lack the financial capacity to expand their grids to isolated rural areas or choose not to do so due to the low return on investment. Therefore, connecting households to minigrids represents an effective solution to providing power to remote/rural areas. This study evaluates the resource and technology of generating electrical energy from cocoa pod husks (CPHs), an agricultural residue/waste, generated in Uganda. The use of agricultural waste for energy generation is the most suitable option for the rural population in Uganda because of the availability of a raw material (biomass) for its production, which is pollutionfree (renewable and clean) and does not have competition for use. The inability to convert these solid wastes into useful products culminates into environmental related challenges, such as landfilling, climate change, pests, and diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to quantify the amount of generated CPHs and evaluate its potential for electricity generation in Uganda. Subsequently, we have been looking into the potential of CPHs as a feedstock for a thermochemical conversion process and the feasibility of a direct combustion technology. Results: The amount of CPHs generated in Uganda has been estimated. The physiochemical analysis has shown that the proportion of CPHs in the fresh pods is about 74%, which is nearly the same as in other studies. The dry matter content of CPHs has been found to be on an average of 19%, whereas ash content, moisture content, and the gross caloric value have been recorded to be 12.3%, 12.58%, and 17.5%, respectively. It seems therefore likely that 41.7 GJ of energy might be produced each year from CPHs in Uganda. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the CPHs are an important energy source. As there is an increasing trend in cocoa and CPH production in Uganda per year, the electricity production based on CPHs is sustainable and can be upgraded. The use of CPHs for energy conversion is therefore feasible, cost-efficient, and a solution to some environmental challenges.