Papers by Author: A.C. Igboanugo

Abstract: A corporate manpower planning study, seeking to gain insight into, and hence, attempt tounwrapthe wider meanings of a long-run manpower practice inherent in a set of data obtained from one of the 774 Local Government Organizations in Nigeria, was conducted. The data which spanned over a period of twenty years, relate to six states recruitment, staff stock, training, interdiction, wastage, and retirement and, in particular were found to possess Markov properties, especially stochastic regularity, and therefore had absorbing Markov Chain model fitted into the set. Our results suggest that staff habituate substantial number of times (47) among non-absorbing states before subsequent absorption into any of the two absorbing states. And, again, 52% of the workforce gracefully attain retirement while 48% regrettably get wasted. Agreeably, it seemed that the absorbing Markov Chain model employed has established a definite pattern of manpower flow in the organization as a sure-thing principle rather than a chance mechanism.

Abstract: There are several reasons why public power supply policy in Nigeria needs to be reviewed. This paper points out the justification based on the statistical inferences drawn from an elaborate nested experimental design model fitted to a 3-year historical life-data of power failure obtained from an electricity power agency in Nigeria. Our results suggest that energy crisis is at its threshold in Nigeria and it is therefore advocated that adequate and appropriate steps need to be taken to stave off the declining trend.

Abstract: Concerned that management of job-oriented accidents has remained a daunting challenge for all stakeholders in Nigeria oil-industry, a longitudinal study was made to appraise the patterning of episodic incidence of industrial accidents in a typical oil and gas company operating in the Nigeria flank of the oil-rich Niger Delta Basin. A 10-year historical accident data were characterized and found to have absorbing chain properties. Four open-and-shot transition states namely : fatality, accident, near-miss and unsafe act, that are subject to ergodicity, were identified and used to craft a value digraph which define the stable transition probability matrix. The results, which suggest that on the average, 59% of staff are wasted through fatality or severe accidents, also points to escalating rates of fatalities and disabilities stemming from accidents thus calling for the need to review the existing hazard operations studies (HAZOPS) and hazard identification schemes (HAZIDS) so as to assist in whittling down, as low as reasonably practicable, the perceived unpleasant trend. The author is of the opinion that industrial accident victims, unlike in road traffic accident (RTA), habituate several times before entering the absorbing state.

Abstract: The results of a study into the design for manufacture of a chemical batch reactor for the synthesis of alkyd resin destined for surface-coating production is presented. The procedures for determining the key geometrical parameters of the reactor are explained. This paper presents the application of fertile innovation to the design and development of chemical batch reactor that uses boiler steam in conjunction with heat from efficient wood stove to achieve constant supply of heat, sustained at about 2500C. The design concept is governed by an analytical model developed and which specifies the optimal reactor geometries that would afford efficient heat and mass transfer. Residence time for our reactor is five (5) hours as against eight (8) hours associated with laboratory scale reactors. The performance of the chemical batch reactor during a preliminary test-run was evaluated in terms of the well over 3000C processing temperature achieved and from the result rises hope eternal.

Abstract: Sorting of palm nuts from palm fruit cake, a byproduct obtained after palm oil has been extracted from the batch of digested palm fruit, is burdensome especially to small-scale entrepreneurs involved in palm oil processing business in Africa. This paper has triumphed over the perceived difficulties by using the knowledge of processing engineering to design pilot nut/fibre separator that can efficiently and speedily sort out nuts from nut/fibre mesh. Basic design considerations necessary to achieve reliability of the machine are discussed. Performance evaluation data from the machine obtained were related to its industrial correlate and, in particular, the van der Waerden Normal Scores test carried out inclined us to accept, at a p-value of 0.941, the null hypothesis of no significant difference in processing time between the pilot nut/fibre separator and its industrial counterpart.

Abstract: There are several reasons why industrial engineers need to optimize process layout designs. This paper points out the justification and discusses the qualitative and quantitative techniques involved in the determination of an optimal process layout for a pilot alkyd resin and its end products manufacturing system. It also spotlights practical decisions required for achieving optimality in the design process. It is the belief of the authors that with some improvements on the final layout, our proposed layout will be a ballpark of eco-factory moored on green manufacturing.

Abstract: This study reports on the development in road traffic accidents in Nigeria since 1994. The preliminary survey took Edo state, one of the 36 constituent States of Nigeria, as a case study. An intervention model, which is a combination of an ARIMA noise and dichotomous models, was employed in analyzing a seven-year monthly accident time series obtained from the Federal Office of Statistics and the Federal Road Safety Corps of Nigeria. The Durbin Watson’s test statistic, used to ascertain the adequacy of our ARIMA predictive model, suggested that the intervention model adopted has a good fit. The study points up a significant reduction in the rate of road traffic accidents through multiple policy interventions of Nigeria.