Post by Honorebu on Jul 23, 2016 9:07:21 GMT
Reports have shown that small and medium-sized enterprises account for over 60 per cent of jobs in developing nations. Unfortunately, due to very poor power supply in Nigeria, many businesses have closed shops, with many job losses. To help small businesses, researchers at Covenant University, Otta, Ogun State, led by Prof. Samuel Wara of the Dept of Electrical & Information Engineering, developed a functional support technology for small businesses.
They developed temperature retention bags of various shapes and sizes similar to the wonder bags. In this report, Vanguard Learning presents the innovation, uses and target industry. Excerpts: MOTIVATION: According to Prof. Wara, the unimpressive performance of small businesses drew research interests on their challenges and prospects. “In Nigeria, small businesses (street/highway hawkers, food vendors), dairy product distributors and caterers have devised various techniques to improve upon their service delivery for cold products and to keep processed food hot. Their greatest challenge is the non-availability of an effective and efficient temperature retention vessels/containers and the very high cost of existing effective ones. Also, there is the challenge of non-availability of electricity, and the high cost of ice blocks.” These factors have made business operations costly, ineffective and strenuous, with reduced profits and possible health hazards. Design/uses The innovation which made use of stylish executive pouches/bags to promote heat and coldness retention technology, is a simple low-tech solution to our energy needs. It can slowly cook food until it is ready to be eaten by placing semi-cooked warm food from the stove into the bag.
The heat retention capabilities of these bags then allow the food to continue cooking. The power challenge, non- availability of effective retention (cold, heat) vessels, high cost of effective retention vessels need be dealt with and the solution rests in the provision of a cost-effective retention efficient vessel that is capable of dealing with the challenges, thus supporting small businesses and possibly other ventures like vaccine transportation. Components The major components of the bag include durable cotton-based thick cloth, zippers, and processed expanded polystyrene.
The developed pouch was tested and results showed that it could meet the challenges encountered by some small businesses as it would reduce the amount of energy needed for cooking, save money, reduce emission rate, create employment for youths/women and allow for waste to wealth conversion. On the global scene, vaccine administration in the field and rural farms could be enhanced by using the bags as well as the general transportation of frozen products.
Target industry
Agric/Agribusiness: Vaccine transportation and administration to animals; transportation/preservation/sale of agro products like frozen fish/chicken/beef.
Health industry: Vaccine transportation and administration to children.
Hospitality/Catering Industry: To provide cold drinks and hot food or cook food for picnics and other catering services.
Small/Medium scale business: Hawkers/petty traders/vendors of bottled water/drinks.
www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/research-devt-cu-makes-temperature-retention-bags/
They developed temperature retention bags of various shapes and sizes similar to the wonder bags. In this report, Vanguard Learning presents the innovation, uses and target industry. Excerpts: MOTIVATION: According to Prof. Wara, the unimpressive performance of small businesses drew research interests on their challenges and prospects. “In Nigeria, small businesses (street/highway hawkers, food vendors), dairy product distributors and caterers have devised various techniques to improve upon their service delivery for cold products and to keep processed food hot. Their greatest challenge is the non-availability of an effective and efficient temperature retention vessels/containers and the very high cost of existing effective ones. Also, there is the challenge of non-availability of electricity, and the high cost of ice blocks.” These factors have made business operations costly, ineffective and strenuous, with reduced profits and possible health hazards. Design/uses The innovation which made use of stylish executive pouches/bags to promote heat and coldness retention technology, is a simple low-tech solution to our energy needs. It can slowly cook food until it is ready to be eaten by placing semi-cooked warm food from the stove into the bag.
The heat retention capabilities of these bags then allow the food to continue cooking. The power challenge, non- availability of effective retention (cold, heat) vessels, high cost of effective retention vessels need be dealt with and the solution rests in the provision of a cost-effective retention efficient vessel that is capable of dealing with the challenges, thus supporting small businesses and possibly other ventures like vaccine transportation. Components The major components of the bag include durable cotton-based thick cloth, zippers, and processed expanded polystyrene.
The developed pouch was tested and results showed that it could meet the challenges encountered by some small businesses as it would reduce the amount of energy needed for cooking, save money, reduce emission rate, create employment for youths/women and allow for waste to wealth conversion. On the global scene, vaccine administration in the field and rural farms could be enhanced by using the bags as well as the general transportation of frozen products.
Target industry
Agric/Agribusiness: Vaccine transportation and administration to animals; transportation/preservation/sale of agro products like frozen fish/chicken/beef.
Health industry: Vaccine transportation and administration to children.
Hospitality/Catering Industry: To provide cold drinks and hot food or cook food for picnics and other catering services.
Small/Medium scale business: Hawkers/petty traders/vendors of bottled water/drinks.
www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/research-devt-cu-makes-temperature-retention-bags/