INTRODUCING EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR CASSAVA PROCESSING

1. INTRODUCING EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR CASSAVA PROCESSING OLUWAGBEMI ODUBELA by Oluwagbemi Odubela

2. SUB-URBAN EMPLOYMENT BOOM • Can cassava processing be mechanized in such a way to give a boost to sub-urban employment generation, and reduce rural to urban migration drift ? • The answer is a positive yes. This proposal addresses some of the fundamental areas key to the mechanization of cassava processing: -Transportation -Rural mobile Processing -Upgrade mechanization for harvesting etc, (not included ) • These technology solutions also address production growth directly by adding value to the farmer’s product without encouraging inflation of prices. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

3. SUB-URBAN EMPLOYMENT BOOM • Cassava remains the central crop for food security in several countries in Africa, and a provider of commercial opportunities for some countries in Asia. • This implies that cassava already has a large flourishing market. • Employment will be created by the positioning of processing vendors and the associated vocations such as mechanics, three wheeler carriage builders, and encouragement of more people to produce cassava tubers. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

4. WHY THE MOBILE CASSAVA PROCESSING MACHINE • A closer look at a cassava processing plant, reveals how quickly the plant runs out of the raw material (cassava). • To keep the processing plant operational requires a constant search for the raw material farther and farther away, to obtain the cassava at an economically viable price. • This increases transportation costs, and hence the final cost of production. • Experience in the processing of cassava related goods, shows that less than 25% weight of the cassava tubers carried is converted to the final product. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

5. WHY THE MOBILE CASSAVA PROCESSING MACHINE • Any effort to increase cassava product payload during transportation makes a lot of economic sense. • By processing the cassava on the farms, more value added product can be transported straight to the consumer market. • An inexpensive three wheeler motorcycle designed to carry processing machines can be operated from farm to farm thereby effectively reducing transportation costs. • The three wheeler motorcycle could be used to convey the cassava processing machine to farm sites with large cassava plantation and on return carry back to urban centers processed tubers from the farm site. Thereby allowing the processor to remain on farm as long as needed. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

6. WHY THE NEW IMPROVED PEELING MACHINE • Most of the mechanical peelers available are generally wasteful, inefficient and sometimes cumbersome to use. • Manual peeling by use of knives is very slow and labour intensive. • Efficient use of a mechanical peeler will add value and bring down significantly the cost of production of cassava based products. • The fact that the peeling can be done on the farm means there will be a reduction in the refuse at sub-urban centers for composting as fertilizer. • The new improved peeling machine is designed to work efficiently on heavy duty conditions and can work independently on or off the carriage three wheeler. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

7. TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION • The transportation solution is based on the most economical mode of individual transport. • A motor cycle chassis redesigned with a second powered wheel to run on the rough terrain obtainable on sub-urban farms, with adequate space to accommodate reserve fuel tanks, a peeling, grating, spinner/dryer, frying, sifting and chipping machine. • Maintenance consideration include availability of spare parts, maintenance personnel, and maintenance locations. • The choice motorcycle are the Japanese /Chinese 4-stroke, 125cc series. • Most motorcycle mechanics are familiar with these series. • The fuel economy and endurance of these motorcycles are also very significant . • The employment gain is in the production of processing entrepreneurs or vendors and added value to the farmer’s life by bringing processing closer. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

8. PROCESSING SOLUTIONS • The new improved cassava peeling machine operates on the principles of the circular nature of the cross section of the cassava tuber for effective circular peeling of the tuber. • The irregular tapered shape of the tuber is catered for by slicing the cassava into approximate cylinders or better still discs before carrying out the peeling operation. • A grating disc and a chipping disc are included in the motion train of the design to take care of the grating and chipping needs of cassava processing. • A spinner/dryer for removing excess fluid/moisture, sifter and a fryer to complete the processing on farm sites are also included in this solution package. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

9. PROCESSING SOLUTIONS • The peeling of the cassava by this improved machine is such that the cassava can be taken from the soil directly and fed into the machine without rinsing the dirt with no adverse effect to the peeled tuber. • The operator only needs a little water to clean before and after grating operation. • The power to drive the peeling, grating, frying, spinner/dryer and chipping machines is independent from the motor cycle engine thereby enabling combined or separate use of transporter or processor at all times for maximum utility of the equipment. • The processed cassava can be transferred from one process to another with bags. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

10. COST IMPLICATIONS Each unit of a complete processor, consisting; (a) Transport three wheeler (b) Cassava peeler (c) Grater (d) Chipping machine (e) Spinner/dryer (f) Fryer (g) Sifter is N350,000 naira only by Oluwagbemi Odubela

11. CURRICULUM VITAE OLUWAGBEMI ODUBELA PLOT 34, KUDIRAT ABIOLA WAY, OREGUN, IKEJA, LAGOS, NIGERIA. TELEPHONE: +234(0)8023374279 by Oluwagbemi Odubela

12. CURRICULUM VITAE email: oluwagbemiodubela@yahoo.com Telephone:+234 (0) 8023374279 Oluwagbemi Odubela obtained a certificate in Hungarian Language from MAGYAR NYELVI ELOKESZITO(HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOL) BUDAPEST in 1978. Early in life he had a passion for vertical take-off and landing (V.T.O.L.) machines, like Igor Sikorsky. In 1979 he became consumed with the idea of designing and constructing the ultimate gas turbine engine with maximum power to weight ratio for general public use. In 1980 he proceeded to the Polytechnic Ibadan, Nigeria to study Mechanical Engineering, from where he gained valuable mechanical machines construction experience. Having gained manufacturing experience both at the Polytechnic and other private workshops, he designed and constructed a Cassava peeling machine while working on the Flying car to solve a constraint in the cassava processing industry in 1988. He further progressed in his training needs in 1994 on the flying car by enrolling in the Nigerian College of aviation Technology, Zaria as an Aircraft maintenance engineer, and obtained the relevant airframe and engine licenses. This introduced him to the study of possibilities of the efficient use of spinning cylinder aerodynamics on V.T.O.L. Aircraft. He worked with Nigeria Airways Limited as a Systems Engineer monitoring the fleet aircraft engine condition. Having spent time in the local aviation industry, he moved to R.T.BRISCOE Marine as chief engineer of the marine division in 1999. He then proceeded to Gent in Belgium on service training in Johnson Outboard Engines with OMC EUROPE. by Oluwagbemi Odubela

13. CURRICULUM VITAE From his experience with R.T.BRISCOE Marine, which later became RTB Marine Limited, he broadened his research on the Flying car to include ability to land on water safely. The flying car project is now ready for prototype development. Oluwagbemi Odubela may D.V. in September 2005 go for a masters in Aeronautical Engineering for which an admission has been obtained at Cranfield University UK. by Oluwagbemi Odubela