The Petroleum Technology Development Fund took delivery of an Ultra-Violet Walk Through Disinfection Chamber (UV-WTDC) developed and donated by one of its ex-scholars Major Dr. Abubakar Surajo Imam. The disinfection chamber will serve as an additional supportive layer to the protective measures already put in place by the Fund against the dreaded Corona virus.
Maj. Dr. Imam who has also developed and donated a temperature monitor and hand sanitizer dispensing stand, is one of many PTDF ex-scholars practically applying the knowledge and experience acquired during their studies overseas under the Fund’s Overseas Scholarship Scheme, to develop home grown solutions to the problems confronting Nigeria.
Speaking at the formal presentation event, he said “I was sponsored for both my Masters and PhD by PTDF and that is why I am trying to use what I learnt in the UK during my programme to help the country and actually contribute to solving the current problem of COVID-19 in Nigeria”.
He further explained that under the COVID-19 Solution he has developed other products which includes a ventilator, Touch Free hand wash station which dispenses clean water and soap, Pedal-Manual hand wash station which dispenses hand sanitizer, Temperature Monitor and Hand Sanitizer Dispensing Stand, Ultra-Violet Walk Through Disinfection Chamber and he is currently working on a smart solution that can work with temperature monitoring camera for large crowds.
The UV-WTDC uses ultraviolet light as its primary disinfecting agent which he said provides “rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms… when bacteria, viruses and protozoa are exposed to the germicidal wavelengths of UV light, they are rendered incapable of reproducing and infecting” .
The disinfection chamber is equipped with UVC light (200-280nm energy) in the germicidal range, a touch-free body temperature sensor capable of measuring body temperature within 2 seconds, touch-free sanitizer dispensing unit, 2 KVA inverter unit with 2 x Lithium-ion batteries, 60 MPPT charge controller, and 4 x 80 Watts solar panels.
Responding to the kind gesture, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, thanked him and called him “one of the best advertisement for PTDF”. The Executive Secretary said that because the Fund’s staff and thousands of visitors will benefit from the gift, he had succeeded in giving to society and not just PTDF. Speaking further he said “we have seen how you and other scholars who return from their studies say we have benefited so much and we want to share it, not just with a few individuals but with Nigeria as a whole, I really want to thank you for this gesture”.
Major Dr. A.S. Imam whose area of specialization is on unmanned Aerial Vehicles, is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Mechanical Engineering, Nigerian Defence Academy. He leads the research group for mechatronics and robotics and has embarked on a number of researches to solve local problems in Nigeria. A major focus of his research work is the development of machines that will be brought in to do certain operational jobs that are hazardous and dangerous to humans. Amongst his researches are the developments of de-mining robot for clearing of planted mines in the North East, development of unmanned aerial vehicle, a convertible version that can take off as a normal helicopter and then converted to a fixed wing aircraft. Some are already deployed and are being tested to ensure their applicability in the field.
