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A low-cost biogas reactor incorporating a hydro-pressurizing and gas dispensing unit which was able to deliver biogas at a rate of 6.25 x 10-5m3/s and calculated pressure of 58.7N/m2 was designed and fabricated for the purpose of this study.  The substrate loading intervals for the reactor were varied at 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17 and 33 days interval to determine which of the intervals gave the optimum yield in gas production. The fabricated unit had the highest average daily biogas production level and optimum total yield to substrate ratio at substrate feed interval of 13 days. Results obtained from the study were used to propose a biogas reactor sizing guideline for the low-cost biogas reactor design for domestic use. The proposed guideline would help in adequate deployment and management of resources for waste conversion and renewable energy production in rural areas.

It is believed that feedstock for biofuel production should not constitute any form of competition in terms of food security, therefore the study considered the bioethanol potential comparison of a particular breed of palm commonly referred to as nypa palm (Nypa fruticana) which is usually of environmental concern in mangrove vegetation zones with two other species namely the raphia palm (Raphia hookeria) and oil palm (Ealasis guinesis) which are considered as having economic value. A catalysed fermentation process was carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae over a periods of 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 hrs at room temperature. At peak production the bioethanol from Nypa palm specie had 38.6 and 37.9% more ethanol concentration than the oil and raffia palms respectively. The biomas concentration in the nypa palm sap sample after the fermentation period were about 26.7 and 29.5%  higher than what was obtainable in the oil and raffia palms.  The fermentation efficiency for the three samples was observed to be 90.2, 84.5 and 87.3% for nypa, oil and raffia palms respectively. It can be concluded from results obtained that nypa palm offered the highest bioethanol production potential, thus could offer a good source of non-competitive feedstock for renewable energy production in Nigeria where the plant is usually viewed as an environmental nuisance and in some extreme cases maritime hazard.Keywords— Alcoholmeter, Bioethanol, Fermentation Efficiency, Feed Stock, Nypa Palm

This study investigated the effect (attenuation of physico-chemical pollution characteristics) of carbon depth in vertical flow adsorption-filter system of the peroxide oxidation-aeration treatment process for cassava wastewater treatment. Results revealed that although the combined peroxide oxidation, aeration and adsorption-filter treatment process was successful in the reducing pollution characteristics of wastewater from cassava processing, the adsorption-filter part of the treatment process with carbon depths 0, 5, 10 and 15 cm carbon depths were observed to have been selective in removal of physico-chemical pollution characteristics. Parameters such as colour, SO 4 2-, NO 3-, Cl -, Ca 2+ , Zn 2+ , TDS and TSS were observed to have exhibited increased decontamination efficiency as the depth of carbon increased in the treatment process while Fe 2+ and CN ions exhibited delayed adsorption. Depth of carbon filter was however observed to have had no effect on Ni 2+ and Phenol content removal.

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