Mudiame University, based in Irrua, Edo State, has emerged second best in the country for innovation aiming at addressing the high cost of diesel in the country.
The university developed the research in partnership with Fuel Technology, LLC, USA, to help businesses in Nigeria reduce their operating expenses by over 50 per cent.
The product, exhibited at the just-concluded Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Yearly Exhibition in Abuja, emerged the second best university research at the event.
Speaking on the development, Chancellor of the University and Managing Director of Mudiame International Limited, Prof. Sunny Eromosele, decried the impacts of the Ukraine-Russia war, especially in the energy sector, adding that countries across Africa which rely on import of petroleum products have seen the cost rise by over 200 per cent.
He disclosed that the diesel formula became sacrosanct to reduce the cost of running business in the country and by extension the prices of goods and services.
“Today in Nigeria, the cost of energy is over 50 per cent of the operating expenses of organisations. This has forced some small businesses to close down while others are struggling to survive.
“As an educational institution, we have built a world-leading University for technological innovation that addresses the challenges of Oil and Gas, Agriculture, Food and Safety, Energy, Health, Manufacturing, Security and Transportation in the immediate and global environments,” Eromosele said.
According to him, the Aqua-diesel was a testament to the university’s vision and mission, especially in ensuring that Africa adds value to resources instead of merely focusing on export of raw materials.
Eromosele said while the rest of the world was focusing on energy transition, countries like Nigeria cannot be left out, stressing that the institution would assist in ensuring that Nigeria transit to cleaner energy gradually and sustainably.
For his part, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ernest Izevbigie, decried the rising price of diesel in the country, stressing that the cost has gone up by over 300 per cent in the past two years.
Izevbigie said the new solution would address the challenges businesses are currently facing, noting that companies who currently require about 100 litres of diesel would only require half of the cost of the same quantity at less cost to the generator as well as the environment.
“Everyone will benefit from this. Prices of food and other products in the market are going up because of the cost of diesel for transportation. It reduces operating temperature and reduces pollution of the environment. The product also align with sustainable development goals,” the VC stated.
Prof. Izevbigie, who put daily consumption of diesel in Nigeria at about 10.3 million, said the production of the aqua-diesel would begin in the country with about one per cent of the country’s total demand and scale up gradually.
Chief Operating Officer at Fuel Technology, LLC, USA, Dr. Sina Davani, said the adoption of the diesel would lead to lower emissions, cleaner carbon footprint, and an improvement in engine performance.
The diesel, according to him, transforms the soot shell formation with the assistance of water vapor/steam.
The water vapor/steam, Davani said converts the soot/char into carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas, through the “Micro-Explosion Phenomenon” an increase in fuel burn is now possible during the combustion cycle.
The formation of the soot shell during the combustion cycle of a diesel engine regulates the diesel fuel in the shell to fully combust, thus reducing the fuel efficiency, Davani noted.
He disclosed that water aids in an increased heating rate by a factor of about 1.5 times causing the piston to descend much quicker in a naturally aspirated diesel engine (non-turbo equipped).
For a turbocharged diesel engine, Davani said the heating rate is increased even more by a factor of two times.
