TTU develops oil and gas leakage detector for petroleum industry
The Faculty of Engineering of the Takoradi Technical University has developed an oil and gas leakage detector system to aid the detection and easy safeguarding of petroleum installations within the Ghanaian petroleum sector.
Speaking to Citi News at the maiden TTU Technology Fair where the oil leakage detector system was outdoored, the Vice Chancellor of the Takoradi Technical University, Rev. Professor John Frank Eshun said the innovation gives credence to Takoradi Technology University’s niche area of Petroleum training, hence the university will continue to come up with relevant technologies to support the petroleum industry.
He said it is the fulfilment of its core mandate as a Technical University expected to innovate the industry and socially relevant technology.
“It provides a platform for students and staff of the university to showcase the brilliant innovative ideas they had developed to make the world a better place and a more sustainable one. And to ensure that the ideas the students have acquired through their studies are transformed into viable projects with the intent of unearthing the entrepreneurial potential of the students thereby impacting positively on society. And among other things ensuring that students are challenged to think smart with their innovative ideas and create wealth for mankind”, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor added that one of the intentions of the fair is to check the commercial viability of projects.
“It is to identify a couple of the exhibited works, patent it and scale them up into business incubation hubs for commercial ventures which will eventually lead to wealth creation”, he noted.
Rev. Prof. Eshun however said Takoradi Technical University is moving more towards practical teaching and problem-solving method of teaching.
“The world has moved into the fourth revolution, which is characterized by innovation and high-end or cutting-edge industrial advancement. Ghana is no exception as the country has to adopt a new education curriculum that has a slant toward modern technological trends. TTU next academic year will move away from such education and adopt a new education that focuses more on innovation and industrialization.”
“TTU will launch into outcomes-focused national development activities toward a competitive, modern, and industrialized Ghana. It will be all about problem-solving for value creation. This will help retool and revive the industry using the latest technology”, he pointed out.
To help achieve that, he hinted that TTU will soon launch a Research and Innovation Fund.
“TTU is committed to seeing to it that the country’s education system spurs the country towards achieving upper middle-income status by riding upon technological advancements and industrialisation. Research and Innovation Fund will be created to support this agenda and we are appealing to the corporate world to also support TTU in this direction”, he emphasized.
The General Manager of Kantanka Group of Companies, Francis Kojo Kudjodjie who was the special guest at the maiden TTU Tech fair while praising TTU for the numerous innovations on display at the fair said Kantanka will soon initiate collaboration with TTU to produce EV car batteries as well as tire manufacturing.
Deputy Director General of CTVET, Peter Antwi Bosiako who represented the Director General at the opening of the Tech-Fair indicated that technology runs the world and every facet of its existence hence failure to invest in the sector means no development for that country.
He said unemployment in the country is partly a creation of Universities in the country because of the programmes they offer.
While commending TTU for its excellence in pushing the frontiers of technological research and innovation, Eng. Antwi-Bosiako, challenged universities to prioritize TVET education to complement the recent huge investment government has made in resourcing TVET institutions.
Though all the five faculties of TTU are exhibiting various important innovations, key innovations from the Faculty of Engineering that headlines the fair included; Oil and Gas Leakage Detector, car theft arrestor and locator system with SMS notification, an automated railway level crossing system as well as a clinical analyzer.
Other innovations on display at the four-day Tech-fair which will come to an end on Friday 3rd March 2023 are the Coconut Peeling Machine, a Procurement Training System, Improved 3D animation for architectural projects, alternative use for flour from the Applied Sciences and Recycled discarded waste material for the preservation of the Environment from the Faculty of Applied Arts.
