The challenge!

JOHN Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK), after resuming office as President in the early 60s in the era of Space Race by the two super powers, challenged his nation’s scientists and engineers ‘to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth’ before the decade ran out. Though this was accomplished as National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) met the president’s time table (a few African-American scientists took part in the project). Unfortunately, JFK did not live long enough to see his dream come true as he was assassinated in office.

The likes of Benjamin Carson (African-American pediatric neurosurgeon), who was the first man in the world challenged with the surgical separation of conjoined-twins joined at the head (medically referred to as Occipital-Craniopagus twins), and both children survived the operation, and are now 28 years adult; the late Professor Ayodele Awojobi who invented a bi-directional hybrid vehicle, aimed at enhancing chances of survival of military personnel from an ambush during a war; he was also the first African to be awarded a post-Doctoral degree of Doctor of Science (DSc Hons) by Imperial College (UK) in Mechanical Vibration and Structural Resonance. These achievements have revealed that the black race is/are not intellectually inferior to their western counterpart.

The duos have placed themselves on same scientific leverage like Albert Einstein (acclaimed 20th century greatest scientist).
Today the electric-car is developed as an alternative to cars powered by hydrocarbon (fossil) fuel; they have three main components; Electric Power train (motor +controller +gear box), car body (chassis +Passenger cabin) and Battery. Today the technology needed for electric power train and car body have been perfected, except for the stubborn battery that is still a hindrance.

A major technical challenge an electric car has is its limited driving range, that is the distance one can travel per battery charge, after which the car batteries must be charged again, also the recharge time is quite long (about eight hrs). The range limits the use of electric cars for urban office commute.

In line with reducing greenhouse effect (process when the earth is kept warm as a result of man’s activities e.g. burning of fossil fuel in generators, cars, industries etc) in our country and as a result of the shameful incessant fuel scarcity in oil producing state such as ours (sixth in the world!), Senator Ben Murray Bruce, has purchased an electric-car.

As a result of this battery limitation, the senator has challenged and placed a price tag of 10 million dollars to our local scientists cum engineers to come up with solution by inventing battery that will propel the car for a range of 300 miles, as this will enable people travel long distance before a recharge. (This is achievable!!)

This is of concern to our engineers and scientists! Recently an indigenous electrical engineer, challenged by the energy crisis in Nigeria, and the need to develop indigenous technology, conducted research into the use of wind-propelled turbines to generate electricity, thereby pioneering wind energy technology in Nigeria.

It is also worthy to note that our Oil and Gas design industry, with aid of local content (the deliberate utilisation of skilled Nigerians and artisans, material resources and services in our petroleum industry) have developed our engineers capacity, which is now at the verge of bringing our local engineers to world class professionals (through technological transfer from foreign partners) in no distant time.

Therefore at this stage of our development, no challenge should be too big a task to handle.
Oyedokun is an engineer in Lagos.