THIRD TERM E-LEARNING NOTE

SUBJECT: BASIC TECHNOLOGY CLASS J.S 3

SCHEME OF WORK
WEEK TOPIC
1. ENERGY SOURCES- SOLAR CELLS AND ELECTRICITY
2. ENERGY SOURCES- BIOGAS PRODUCTION
3. ENERGY SOURCES- WINDMILL
4. DEVICES FOR PLANTING, HARVESTING AND STORAGE OF AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS.
5. SANITAION
6. REVISION
7. JSCE! JSCE!!

Reference Materials:
1. EVANS, Introductory Technology For JSS, Book 3.
2. NERDC, Introductory Technology For JSS, Book 3.

WEEK 1 DATE_________________
TOPIC: ENERGY SOURCES- Solar Cells and Solar Electricity

CONTENT
 Solar Energy
 Solar cell
 Solar Electricity

INTRODUCTION
Solar energy produces heat energy along with light energy reaching the earth from the sun. The
sun, with a surface temperature of about 67620C radiates about 353 kW of solar power to an area
of 1m2 on the earth’s atmosphere.

SOLAR CELL
While the STPP utilizes the heating effects to produce steam, which drives the turbine to generate
electricity, there is a device called PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL OR SOLAR CELL, which converts
the sunlight directly to electricity. Photovoltaic cells are capable of converting from 3% to 20% of
the incident solar energy into DC (direct current) electricity. It behaves very much like a low –
voltage (≈ 0.65V) battery.

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 Principle of operation
The working principle of photovoltaic cell is quite simple. Sunshine comes in little bundles of
energy called photons. This photons enters the semi-conducting material (e.g. high purity silicon),
it is absorbed. The absorbed photon breaks the electronic bond of the material to release electron.
The entity which is left after the electron is releases is called a hole. It is positively charged. Thus,
the absorbed photons create free electrons (negative charges) and holes (positive charges), which
move freely in the semiconductor material. By carefully a small quantity of another material
called the dopant to the semiconductor material, free electrons in the semiconductor material are
separated to one side and holes to the other side. Thus, the ends of the semiconductor material
serve as the positive and negative terminals respectively. These semiconductor materials can be
connected in parallel and series as required.

Evaluation
1. State the two forms of energy emitted from the sun
2. Define the following: (i) Dopant (ii) hole (iii) pole
3. Explain the principle of operation of a solar cell

SOLAR ELECTRICITY
Solar electricity is the electricity generated from the energy beamed from the sun to the earth.
Solar electricity utilizes the heating effect of the sun to generate electricity. This is called thermal
collection.

Principle of operation
In the thermal collection process, the solar heat is used heat a fluid such as water, Freon etc, to a
very high temperature. The high temperature fluid at high pressure uses its appreciably
mechanical energy (just like the mechanical energy possessed by the falling water from a dam) to
turn, for example, the turbine of an electric generator, which operates in this manner is called
Solar Thermal Power Plant (STPP) One of the major. To attain a high temperature, concentrating
system is used to concentrate the solar energy at a point, so that the temperature of the point will
be very high.

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 Solar Thermal Power Plant

Evaluation
1. What form of energy is used by solar electricity?
2. Explain the principle of operation of a solar electricity

Reading Assignment
Read “RENEWABLE ENERGY –SOLAR ENERGY”
Reference Materials:
 EVANS, INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY FOR JSS, BOOK 3, pages 185-190

Weekend Assignment
1. _____ converts solar directly to electricity (a) Generator (b) Fan (c) Photovoltaic cell (d)
inverter
2. Photocells are made from _______ materials (a) hydrogen (b) oxygen (c) semiconductor
(d) proton
3. Photocell absorbs ____ from the sun (a) holes (b) poles (c) photons (d) electrons

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 4. Solar electricity uses the following devices except (a) turbine-generator (b) concentrating
system (c) boiler (d) photocell
5. Sun generates both (a) light and heat energy (b) mechanical and light energy (c) sound
and heat (d) light and kinetic energy

Theory
1. Explain the principle of operation of a solar cell
2. Explain the principle of operation of a solar electricity

Week 2 DATE________________
TOPIC: ENERGY SOURCES- BIOGAS PRODUCTION
CONTENT:
 Introduction to biogas technology
 Biogas
 The production of biogas from waste
 Biogas plant

Introduction
Cooking gas used as domestic fuel is a liquidified-petroleum gas (LPG) from oil refineries. This is
main source of our cooking gas. However, it is possible to get cooking gas from other sources. One of
such sources is biogas.

BIOGAS
Biogas is produced from the fermentation of animal wastes by bacteria in an oxygen-free atmosphere.
The wastes, which can be used to produce biogas, are human excretion, dungs (from cow, goat, sheep
and pigs), poultry dropping, urban refuse, and agricultural wastes. The process of releasing gas fuel by
bacterial digestion of wastes is scientifically referred to as biosynthesis. Hence, the gas released from
the process is called biogas.

Evaluation
1. State main source cooking gas.
2. Briefly explain biogas

The Production of Biogas from Wastes.

Biogas plant consists of two parts namely:
1. The digester and
2. The floating gas storage tank.

The digester contains the wastes to be digested. The waste is mixed properly into slurry, and then fed
into the digester through the waste inlet. The waste is then left in the digester to ferment from a period
ranging from 7-14 days. As a result of fermentation, biogas is released, and collected in the floating
storage tank which floats in the digester.

As fermentation progresses, more gas is released and collected in the floating storage tank. The gas
rises up in the digester as the gas pressure increases. The biogas flows out under its own pressure
through the gas outlet. If such a digester is situated at the back of a kitchen, biogas is connected
directly to the gas stove to be used as cooking gas.

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 Biogas plant
Evaluation
1. Explain the importance of bacteria in the biogas production
2. Briefly discuss activities in the following during biogas production (i) the digester (ii) the
floating gas storage tank.

Reading Assignment
Read “RENEWABLE ENERGY –BIOGAS”
Reference Materials:
 EVANS, INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY FOR JSS, BOOK 3, pages 190-191

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Weekend Assignment
1. Cooking gas used as domestic fuel is a (a) hydrogen gas (b) carbon dioxide gas (c)
liquidified-petroleum gas (d) neon gas
2. Another source of cooking gas is ____ (a) biogas (b) chemgas (c) physogas (d) mathgas
3. Which of the following is not a waste used for biogas production (a) dung from cow (b)
poultry dropping (c) urban refuse (d) oil spillage
4. Biogas plant consists of two parts namely (a) the digester and the floating gas storage tank.
(b) mixer (c) gas jar (d) porous pot
5. The waste is then left in the digester to ferment from a period ranging from (a) 7-14 days (b)
28- 35 days (c)14-21 days (d) 21-28 days

Theory
1. Define biogas
2. Explain the operation of biogas plant

Week 3 DATE_________________
TOPIC: ENERGY SOURCES- WINDMILL

CONTENT
 Wind energy
 Windmill
 Windmill power plant

WIND ENERGY
Wind is another form of energy just like the solar radiation beamed from the sun, the water behind a
dam, the stored energy in fuel.

When wind blows through open windows and doors into our rooms, we sometimes notice that ceiling
fan can start to rotate even though it is not switched on.

Children make propeller with paper and broom stick. The blades revolve freely on the main shaft. As
you hold the ma in shaft in your hand and run fast, the blades rotate at a speed that depends on how
fast you can run.

Evaluation
1. Define wind energy
2. Demonstrate the power of wind energy.

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Thus, if a propeller with the blades firmly attached to its main shaft is installed on top of a mast.
When the wind blows, it will rotate the blades and hence the shaft to which they are firmly connected.
Thus, this system has converted the wind energy to the mechanical energy of the rotating blades and
the shaft. Such mechanically energy can be used directly for grinding, pumping water e.t.c. To
generate electricity, the above system is joined to an electric generator, which converts its mechanical
energy to electrical energy.

Evaluation
1. Explain how wind can be classified as a renewable energy source
2. Give practical examples that proved that wind could be strong.

How to generate electricity using a windmill

Wind mill receives its source of energy from the wind blowing. Therefore, the blades of the windmill
must be placed in such a way it come receive maximum wind. The blades begin to turn converting the
wind energy to mechanical energy. A turbine-generator is connected to the blades by a drive
mechanism. The generator, will in-turn, produce electricity.

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 Wind power plant
Evaluation
1. State the important components of a wind power plant
2. Briefly explain the operation of a wind power plant

Reading Assignment
Read “RENEWABLE ENERGY –WIND ENERGY”
Reference Materials:
 EVANS, INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY FOR JSS, BOOK 3, pages 191-192

Weekend Assignment
1. A windmill converts the kinetic energy of wind into the ___ of a rotating shaft (a) mechanical
energy (b) solar energy (c) nuclear (d) wind energy
2. Energy from the windmill can be used for the following except (a) grinding (b) pumping (c)
generating electricity (d) ploughing
3. The speed of the shaft of a windmill depends on the (a) length of the shaft (b) strength of the
wind (c) power of the turbine (d) solar energy
4. When the wind blows, the blade will (a) rotate (b) revolve (c) slant (d) slope
5. Generator converts (a) electrical to mechanical energy (b) mechanical to electrical energy (c)
kinetic to potential energy (d) electrical to potential energy

Theory
1. Briefly explain wind energy as renewable energy source
2. Describe how windmill can be used to generate electricity.

WEEK 4 DATE__________________
TOPIC: DEVICES FOR PLANTING, HARVESTING AND STORAGE OF AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS.

CONTENT
 Introduction to mechanized farming
 Ploughing
 Planting and Seeding
 Harvesting
 Storage

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INTRODUCTION
Good agricultural activities in the nation will enhance the social, economic and political development
of the nation and make the nation independent on other nations.
One major problems confronting us in agriculture is the stark reality that our agricultural practice has
not changed that much from the labour-intensive and backbreaking practice it used to be.
Through mechanization, new lands and wild lands are being tamed: old lands are better tiller and
tended with new forms of farming techniques. Through simple mechanization, a man is able to plant
on many hectares of land per day; a task which may requires many men using ordinary cutlasses. Our
farms can be larger with fewer farmers producing more to feed the people.

Tractor
Our food processing industries will become viable due to the availability of locally produced raw
materials.

Mechanized farming
 Tractor is an agricultural machine acting as power house to drive other agricultural
implements hooked to it.
 Ploughing: The process of pulverizing, aerating and loosening the soil to supply good
nutrients to new plant seedlings.
 Checkrow planting This an accurate and indexed placement of hills or groups of seeds to
give rows in two perpendicular directions
 Picker-Sheller: A machine that cuts picks dehusks and shells corn
Evaluation
1. Define farm mechanism
2. State 4 mechanized farming equipment
Ploughing pulverizes, aerates and loosens the soil, to provide unused plant nutrients for new plant
seedlings. Ploughing provides new and unused plant nutrients near the surface of the soil for the new
plant seedling.
Ploughing can be done locally by using hoes, animal-driven ploughs. It can be done mechanically
tractor-driven ploughs. Ploughing can be done by using animal power or machine power, which
typically involves hooking a plough to a tractor. Ploughing is about the hardest work that the farmer
has to do. Ploughing is labour-intensive operation. The energy required to plough depends upon the
soil. It varies from the smallest value for the sandy soil to highest value for dry heavy clay soil.

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Planting and Seeding
The main objective of planting is to deposit seeds or tuber in the soil at predetermined depth, and
make sure the seeds are properly covered. Seed planting follows different patterns include:
1. furrow planting
2. flat planting
3. bed planting
4. Bed planting-two per bed

A simple mechanical planter called auto-feed job planter designed and fabricated at the International
Institute for Tropical Agricultural, Ibadan. Apart from planting seed, the system also applies fertilizer.
The working components consist of spine, handle, fertilizer/seed funnel, spring, jaw arm, compactor
arm and bracket, compactor pad, jaws and depth gauge

Evaluation
1. State 4 planting patterns
2. State the functions of auto-job planter
Harvesting
The method of harvesting depends greatly on the crop.
Corn harvesting involves picking dehusking and shelling. These processes can be done manually or
by using machines such as picker-husker or picker-Sheller.
Harvesting of root crops such yam, groundnuts, cassava e.t.c. typically involves digging the soil and
scooping it together with the crop, shaking to remove the clinging soil, stones and other debris, and
finally retrieving the crop.

Storage
Storage of most crops usually requires pre-drying to certain moisture content.
Factors affecting the storage
The moisture content of a freshly harvested crop is usually high. Freshly harvested corn contains
about 20% of moisture, while fresh yam tuber contains more than 65% moisture.
Factors affecting the storage of a crop are: moisture content, temperature and oxygen. For proper
storage a crop must be kept dry and cool.

Evaluation
1. state the factors affecting the storage of farm products

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AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SOME LOCALLY PRODUCED CROPS
Crop Average moisture content Required moisture content for
during harvest (%) safe storing for 1 year
Corn 20 - 30 13
Beans 20 - 28 17
Rice 16 - 24 14
Yam 65 - 75
Grain 10 - 20 12

System for drying crops

In natural drying, air movement is by free convection. It is susceptible to losses arising from attack
by insect and damage by weather. It is not also hygienic whereas in artificial drying, the air is forced
over the product by a fan. In a heated air drier, the air is heated to certain temperature and then blown
uniformly over the product. The temperature of the air must be kept below some maximum value
depending upon the end-use of the product. For example, if the product is to be used for seed, it is
usually recommended that a maximum temperature of 430C be used for drying.

There are two basic types of storage system ventilated and non-ventilated systems.

Storage devices
In a refrigerated storage system, the material is stored either in cold storage or frozen storage.

There are two basic types of storage system: ventilated and non-ventilated .Non-ventilated systems
are workable in dry climate where the m.c of the product is at, below, safe storage level. In a
controlled atmosphere storage oxygen is replaced by inert gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide e.t.c.
.
Frozen storage: this is the process of storing a product at a temperature at or below its freezing
Storage devices include the following
1. Gourds for storing maize
2. Silo for air-tight storage of grains
3. Nitrogen atmosphere tank for storing maize
4. Barns for storing yams
5. Cribs for storing maize

Evaluation
1. State the reasons for using nitrogen atmosphere storing tank
Reading Assignment
Read “DEVICES FOR PLANTING, HARVESTING AND STORAGE OF
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
Reference Materials:
 EVANS, INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY FOR JSS, BOOK 3, pages 194- 204

Weekend Assignment
1. Good agricultural activities in the nation will enhance the following except (a) the social,(b)
economic (c) political (d) sport
2. The following are machine for farming except (a) Tractor (b) Plough (c) Picker-Sheller (d)
solar cell
3. _____is an agricultural machine acting as power house to drive other agricultural implements
hooked to it (a) Tractor (b) Plough (c) Picker-Sheller (d) Auto-job planter
4. The process of pulverizing, aerating and loosening the soil to supply good nutrients to new
plant seedlings is called (a) Tractor (b) Ploughing (c) Picker-Sheller (d) solar cell
5. For proper storage, a crop must be kept (a) dry and cool (b) dry and hot (c) cool and wet (d)
cool and frozen

Theory
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 1. Define mechanized farming and state 4 machines for farming.
2. copy and complete the table below
Crop Average moisture content Required moisture content for
during harvest (%) safe storing for 1 year
Corn
Beans
Rice
Yam
Grain

WEEK 5 DATE___________________
TOPIC: SANITAION

CONTENT
 Sanitation
 Non-Network Disposal System
 Other Non-Network
 Aqua Privy

Introduction
Sanitation can be defined as the equipment and system that keeps places clean, especially by
removing human wastes.
The success of any sanitation programme does not depend on the provision of sanitary facilities rather
upon collective responsibility through individual discipline for the good of all. Therefore, the
importance of good sanitation to the health and general well-being of people cannot be over-
emphasized
Poor Sanitation has been linked to the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid e.t.c.
Pathogens are disease-producing organisms e.g. mosquito, housefly and tsetse fly.
The design of a sanitary system should have the following factors in focus:
Health factors
1. Fresh excreta should not be handle nor exposed to flies
2. Soil surface and ground water should not be contaminated
Cost factors
1. The construction cost should not be exorbitant
2. Local materials and expertise should be employed for the purpose of construction and
maintenance.

The basic objectives of any sanitary system are to reduce the BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)
and achieve the reduction and control of pathogens. Biochemical Oxygen Demand is a measure of
organic pollution. It is usually expressed milligrams/litres of solution

Non-Network Disposal System

The common latrines, the aqua privy system, the septic tank system are referred to as the non-network
systems.
The different types of latrine are the bucket latrine, pit latrine and incineration latrine.
Bucket latrine
The success of the bucket latrine depends critically on organization.
The bucket latrine is an example of what is called a removal method. It involves storing human waste
in containers from where night-soil men evacuate them. The bucket consists of four main elements,
namely:
1. The defecation area- The latrine and the container to hold the excreta.
2. The removal of excreta to some other container or the replacement of a full container by an
empty one

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 3. Transportation system for moving excreta to some depot.
4. Treatment processes, disposal and/or utilization.
The evacuated waste can be disposal of in any of the following ways:
 Burying underground
 Depositing into water
 Burning
 Composting with refuse
 Sending to digester for biogas production
Problem with bucket latrine is the need for the night-soil men to regularly and carefully remove the
buckets to ensure that there is no spillage, which leaves the area very unsightly and full of odour.

Pit latrine
The pit latrine consists of the pit, the floor slab or the squatting plate and the superstructure. It is
recommended that the floor slab be constructed with concrete reinforced with steel bars. The pit
latrines can be made more popular by providing vents as well as water seals.
In the construction of pit latrine the following factors should be considered at the design stage:
1. Cost
2. Reliability and comfort
3. Fly control
4. Superstructure which must be supported properly so that it is not blown away in any storm.
A pit latrine should be deep as possible to ensure long life. It will dark and thereby prevent breeding
of flies and also reduce odour. It is supported particularly in areas where the soil is weak or where the
ground water is likely to rise above the bottom of the pit latrine. In such cases, pit latrines should be
lined.1:3:6 concrete mix is recommended for the base. The concrete floor should reinforced and inter
locked in between. It should also be vented, as vented latrines have been shown to be odourless and to
have less number of flies, due to air circulation.

Aqua Privy
The aqua privy is a device whereby faeces are stored in a water-tight pit, floor slab, and soak away
pit. It is not as expensive as the septic tank, while having many advantages over the ordinary pit
latrine.
In aqua privy, excreta are deposited directly into a tank rather being flushed along a pipe network as
in the case of a septic tank system. For septic tank system, digestion of excreta by anaerobic bacteria
takes place in the tank. Faeces enter the tank from the above the squatting plate through a vertical
drop pipe, with an optimum diameter of 15cm, whose tip should be at least 10cm deep in the water.

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Advantages over pit latrine
1. The water seal makes aqua privy to eliminate odour
2. The water seal makes aqua privy to eliminate flies
3. It takes longer period to fill ( since the bacteria digest the faeces more efficiently in the water
medium)
4. It requires a small amount of water for daily maintenance

Advantages over septic tank

1. It is easier to construct
2. it is less expensive
3. It requires less operation

Cautions
The water level in the tank must be maintained by topping it up daily with about 14 litres of water.
This quantity of water can be used initially to wash the floor and wall of the inlet drop pipe into the
tank every morning.
Other Non-Network
1. Chemical Toilet: A chemical toilet as the name implies consists of a container, which holds a
strong solution of bactericidal liquid (liquid capable of killing bacteria) such as sodium
hydroxide and formaldehyde. The chemical toilet is ideal for people I boats, buses and trains.

2. Incineration Latrine: In incineration latrine, excreta are deposited in latrine equipped with
an incineration for immediate combustion. The ashes have to be removed. One of the
drawbacks of this method is the need to provide fuel energy.

3. The Composting: In this method, excreta, garbage, and paper are put into a container, which
is resistant to corrosion. Air is admitted and provision is made for gases to escape. The
contents of the container are turned regularly, as they are subjected to biological destruction.
Humus is product; water vapour, carbon dioxide and other gases are allowed to escape.

Reading Assignment
Read “SANITATION”
Reference Materials:
 EVANS, INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY FOR JSS, BOOK 3, pages 206-214

Weekend Assignment
1. _________can be defined as the equipment and system that keeps places clean, especially by
removing human wastes.(a) Sanitation (b) latrine (c) aqua privy (d) soak away
2. The common examples of latrines include the following except (a) pit (b) bucket (c)
incineration (d) sewage
3. Latrines, the aqua privy system, the septic tank system are referred to as the ______ (a) non-
network systems. (b) network systems (c) revolutionary system (d) non-revolutionary systems
4. A device whereby faeces are stored in water-tight tank with constant water level is called __
(a) Sanitation (b) latrine (c) aqua privy (d) soak away
5. The objective of any sanitary system are as follows except (a) to reduce the BOD (b) to
reduce the activities of pathogens (c) to control micro-organism (d) to increase government
revenue

Theory
1. Define sanitation. State 3 types of latrines
2. Draw and explain the operation of Aqua privy toilet.

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