This dissertation by KNUST student Benjamin Donkor evaluates the performance of a mixed mode solar dryer with a backup heater. The dryer was evaluated on the parameters of drying rate, efficiency, and drying time with and without the backup heater.
This dissertation by KNUST student Dickson Duah evaluated the performance of two rice threshers originally produced in a Creative Capacity Building training in Konongo, Ghana. The threshers were evaluated on the parameters of speed of threshing drum, rate of threshing, capacity, efficiency, losses and drudgery. The foot-operated thresher was found to outperform the hand-operated thresher on all parameters. The student also made recommendations to improve the design of the thresher for better performance.
This disseratation by KNUST student Priscilla Ama Dede Narh evaluates the performance of a manual two-row groundnut planter developed in a Creative Capacity Training in New Longoro, Ghana. The planter was evaluated on the parameters of seed damage, number of seeds discharged, seeding rate, planting depth, inter-row and intra-row spacing, effective field capacity and effective field effiiciency.
This dissertation by KNUST student Francis Achaab evaluates the performance of a precision peanut planter developed at a Creative Capacity Building training in New Longoro, Ghana. The planter was evaluated on the parameters of planting depth, field capacity, field efficiency and rates of seed damage.
This dissertation by KNUST student Gloria Baaba Aboagye investigates the potential of using charcoal briquettes produced from dried coconut husk as an alternative source of biomass fuel. The briquettes were evaluated along several physical and combustion properties, including calorific value, thermal efficiency, and emissions compared to traditional charcoal.
This dissertation by KNUST student Daniel Owusu evaluates the performance of a steel cocoa pod splitter originaly developed in a Creative Capacity Building training at Fomena in Ghana. It was evaluated on the parameters of splitting rate, percentage of beans damaged, and the force required to break one pod compared to the traditional method of using cutlass.
This dissertation by KNUST student Priscilla Mensah evaluates the performance of a cassava peeler developed in a Creative Capacity Building training in Adansi, Ghana. The peeler was evaluated on throughput capacity, efficiency, and safety compared to the traditional method.
In Ghana, about 73% of households rely on solid fuels for cooking. Over 13,000 annual deaths are attributed to exposure to indoor air pollution from inefficient combustion. In this study, assessment of thermal efficiency, emissions, and total global warming impact of three cookstoves commonly used in Ghana was completed using the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) Water Boiling Test (WBT) protocol. Statistical averages of three replicate tests for each cookstove were computed. Thermal efficiency results were: wood-burning cookstove: 12.2 ± 5.00% (Tier 0); coalpot charcoal stove: 23.3 ± 0.73% (Tier 1–2); and Gyapa charcoal cookstove: 30.00 ± 4.63% (Tier 2–3). The wood-burning cookstove emitted more CO, CO2, and PM2.5 than the coalpot charcoal stove and Gyapa charcoal cookstove. The emission factor (EF) for PM2.5 and the emission rate for the wood-burning cookstove were over four times higher than the coalpot charcoal stove and Gyapa charcoal cookstove. To complete the WBT, the study results showed that, by using the Gyapa charcoal cookstove instead of the wood-burning cookstove, the global warming impact could be potentially reduced by approximately 75% and using the Gyapa charcoal cookstove instead of the coalpot charcoal cookstove by 50%. We conclude that there is the need for awareness, policy, and incentives to enable end-users to switch to, and adopt, Gyapa charcoal cookstoves for increased efficiency and reduced emissions/global warming impact.
