Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://ir.lsu.ac.zw/handle/123456789/4

Welcome to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences community of the Lupane State University Institutional Repository. This community serves as a digital archive for scholarly works, technical reports, research papers, and dissertations produced by students and staff within the fields of engineering, applied physics, computer science, and environmental science.

The faculty strives to advance knowledge and innovation through applied research and technology-driven solutions that address real-world industrial and environmental challenges in Zimbabwe and beyond.

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  • New Research: Explore recent projects on renewable energy, IoT systems, and sustainable technologies developed by LSU researchers.
  • Call for Submissions: Engineering students are encouraged to deposit their final-year projects and theses.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 17
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    Improvement of low-quality diesel through the use of biodiesel /
    (2020) Machingura, Tinotenda; Muleya, Edwina
    The transportation of petroleum diesel, petrol and jet fuel using the same pipeline lead to the formation of an off-specification product known as the interface. The interface cannot be used on its own as it does not meet the quality specifications. It should be blended with a product of higher quality. Failure to blend the interface results in loss of the product and costs will arise that are associated with its disposal. In this paper, the authors examine the use of jatropha biodiesel to improve the quality of the interface. The tests were performed using the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. Jatropha biodiesel was used since it is being produced locally. Blending ratios of 3%, 5% and 7% interface were used and the biodiesel was found to have average flash point values of 138 oC, 135 oC and 132 oC respectively. These values are greater than 130 oC which is the minimum expected value. The sulphur content and acid number improved indicating that biodiesel can be effectively used to improve the quality of petroleum diesel.
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    Protocol for scoping review of electronic waste and public health outcomes
    (Spring, 2021-03-15) Zeazai, David; Maphosa, Vusumuzi; Mangwana, Jasper; Macherera, Margaret
    Electronic waste has been recently regarded as a global waste stream, with potentially harmful environmental and public health effects from its unsafe constituents. The exponential production and growth of electronic waste worldwide have been attributed to rapidly evolving technology, urbanisation, industrialisation, expanding population, and the ever-growing knowledge economy. In Africa, most countries meet the ever-increasing demand in the knowledge economy by importing cheaper secondhand electronic devices from better-resourced countries. Poor methods of managing obsolete and unrepairable electronic devices result in massive e-waste accumulation, whose increase negatively impacts the environment and human health. Electronic waste has widely been recorded to cause brain damage, congenital disabilities, allergic reactions, and cancer. The most vulnerable groups include older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women, foetuses, children, informal e-waste workers, and e-waste scavengers. Therefore, this scoping review aims to analyse up-to-date information on the impact of e-waste on public health and establish the drivers of e-waste exposure. The study’s results will help raise awareness of e-waste to the general public and policymakers. Our recommendations may also promote a dialogue between researchers and users of the research findings to provide the much needed evidence to bridge the existing science-policy gap.
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    The adoption of e-HRM: a view of a telecommunications ompany in Zimbabwe
    (Advances in Research, 2021-12-03) Maphosa, Vusumuzi
    The 21st-century has witnessed the catalytic effect of Information Technology (IT) on organisational operations through increased robustness and sustained competitive advantage in the knowledge economy. Technology’s disruptive diffusion has not sparred the human resource practice; thus, this study investigates the adoption of electronic Human Resources Management (e-HRM) by a telecommunications-based organisation in Zimbabwe. The study utilised a quantitative case design using a questionnaire targeting 130 managers and supervisors. In meeting the study’s objective, factor analysis using principal component analysis and varimax rotation was conducted. The results show that the three constructs had a direct impact on the adoption of e-HRM. The respondents agreed that e-HRM had automated employee records management and improved communication between employees and managers, increasing productivity. Identified benefits from the results include lowering administrative costs, delivering state of the art HRM services, enabling HR staff more time to focus on strategic reorientation, increasing HRM effectiveness and efficiency, and facilitating the scouting of the best talent globally. The respondents noted that aligning e-HRM processes to the HRM function had some restraints, such as unwillingness to accommodate change, confidentiality and security of personal records through hacking. The study generates new knowledge for benchmarking as Zimbabwean organisations endeavour to embrace e-HRM. The study contributes literature on e-HRM adoption, which appears scant in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. More research on e-HRM adoption in developing countries provides practical and theoretical implications for the HRM practice and the research community. Future studies could involve several organisations for more generalisability of the results.
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    Teachers’ perspectives on remote-based teaching and learning in the COVID-19 era: rethinking technology availability and suitability in Zimbabwe
    (European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 2021-01) Maphosa, Vusumuzi
    The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (SARS-COV-2) in December 2019 disrupted traditional forms of teaching and learning centred on face-to-face and in-class instruction. Governments enforced social distancing measures characterised by stay-at-home strategies and the closure of schools and other learning facilities. The government of Zimbabwe adopted radio broadcast as the primary tool for lesson delivery during the COVID-19. Contextually, Zimbabwe’s radio signals are only accessed by 29.1 percent of the entire population, with weak to no reception in some regions, especially those in the south. While radio access is low, mobile phone ownership per household is over 90 percent. In light of the contextual dynamics, the study examined available technologies to deliver educational content during the COVID-19 lockdown as the government declared radio broadcasts as the primary tool to support teaching and learning. The study utilised an adapted Technology Acceptance Model as the theoretical framework. Secondary school teachers from the southern region were drawn through random sampling to participate in the survey to gather their opinions and practices. The study results revealed that teachers preferred to use smartphones and computers/laptops for teaching rather than radio. The study identified barriers such as lack of infrastructure, cost of data, lack of connectivity, lack of access to computing devices, and the institution’s culture. The results could influence policymakers in adopting digital media for teaching, and this will equip learners with 21st-century skills. Continuous professional development of teachers should aim to improve their digital skills.
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    Students’ awareness and attitudinal dispositions to e-waste management practices at a Zimbabwean university
    (Duke University Press, 2021-12) Maphosa, Vusumuzi
    Environmental experts have expressed concern that e-waste is growing faster than recycling or reusing initiatives. Universities from developing countries often import used electronic and electrical equipment to improve student's access to technology. Lack of explicit action plans on handling e-waste and the absence of infrastructure in developing countries are significant challenges. The study examines students' awareness and attitudinal disposition to e-waste management practices at a Zimbabwean university. The research summarizes complex issues related to improper e-waste management in a developing country context, leading to environmental and health degradation. The researcher collected data from 216 students through an online questionnaire, and data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The results show that the majority of the participants disposed of e-waste with municipal waste. The participants acknowledged that lack of awareness, lack of policies, unavailability of collection points, and recycling facilities were significant impairments to e-waste management. Being knowledgeable of the effects of e-waste on the environment and human health did not translate into appropriate e-waste management practices. The study challenges policymakers to develop e-waste policies and establish e-waste value chains that sustain the e-waste ecosystem. The University should establish local e-waste policies, identify designated e-waste collection points, and deploy primary recycling plants. The institution should launch e-waste clubs to create more awareness, knowledge, and positive attitudes toward e-waste management.
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    Local language numeracy kindergarten prototype design to support home-based learning during and post COVID-19 pandemic
    (2021-07) Maphosa, Vusumuzi; Dube, Bekithemba
    The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented global socio-economic disruptions. One of the areas negatively impacted is the education system. The country’s over reliance on traditional face-to-face teaching has brought about serious challenges to policymakers who have to decide how learning would proceed in the absence of physical contact between the teacher and the learner. This has been exacerbated by the general lack of access to textbooks and other teaching and learning materials which makes it difficult for parents to assist with home schooling. The potential use of mobile apps to support and enhance early childhood learning has received little attention in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, yet its impact in supporting early childhood education would be enormous during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The study seeks to develop a numeracy-based app prototype that uses a local language (IsiNdebele) in a classroom or home-based schooling in response to the COVID19 pandemic or other natural disasters or man-made situations that may make face-to-face interaction impossible. The analysis showed that kindergarten teachers had positive opinion towards the app as they perceived the prototype to be useful, easy to use, simple and that learners would be eager to use it. The results of thisstudy can inform policymakers and educators on optimising technology based early teaching and learning at school and home.
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    Factors influencing student’s perceptions towards e-learning adoption during COVID-19 pandemic: a developing country context
    (European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 2021) Maphosa, Vusumuzi
    After the coronavirus outbreak, face-to-face teaching was interrupted partially or entirely, and several universities adopted a variety of remote-based learning approaches. Most institutions in the developing world were not ready for such an abrupt change. Access to appropriate devices that facilitate students’ effective learning in developing countries remains a challenge. This study evaluates university students’ perceptions regarding e-learning deployment during COVID-19 and the factors that affected usage. The quantitative study employed an adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to guide the research process. The model has five exogenous and two endogenous variables. The survey research was administered to randomly selected undergraduate University students, with 314 completing the online questionnaire. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and the facilitating conditions positively influenced the students’ behavioural intentions to use Moodle. Thus, the students had a positive perception of online learning. Results indicate a significant loss of learning due to the unavailability of technology and the cost of data; nevertheless, students agreed that online learning represents the future of teaching and learning. The findings also show that subsidised access to resources and materials is critical for the effective adoption of e-learning. This study’s output provides valuable information to policymakers and researchers regarding students’ perceptions and the state of e-learning at institutions of higher learning.
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    COVID-19 and the digital ecosystem: using a mobile App to connect a rural community
    (Veritas, 2021) Maphosa, Vusumuzi
    The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease in 2019 disrupted every aspect of human life, threatening the world’s public health system. Most countries accelerated their transition to digital technologies that support healthcare, social activities, learning, and shopping to minimise these disruptions. As COVID-19 propels nations towards the digital economy, epitomising the data age, the digital divide will be more pronounced even within the same country. The transition to the digital space has exposed Africa’s infrastructural deficiencies. Zimbabwe’s rural communities have limited access to information related to COVID-19 due to the unavailability of radio and television reception. In light of limited access to radio, television, and newspaper by rural communities, the study sought to develop a mobile app that can enhance access to information related to COVID19. The Information System Development Methodology and agile software design principles guided the development of the app. The evaluation results show positive feedback regarding the usefulness and utility of the app. The findings indicate that the participants found the app very easy to remember, easy to learn, and perceived that it satisfied their information access needs. The results can be useful in improving the deployment of digital health solutions targeting rural and remote communities
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    Artificial Intelligence and Agritourism Development
    (Indonesian journal of community services, 2025) Mashapure, Rahabhi; Tapera, Julius; Hamunakwadi, Purity; Mthombeni, Admire; Mutanda, Bronson; Chikazhe, Lovemore
    The emergence of artificial intelligence and its progressively wider impact on many sectors requires an assessment of its effect on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Artificial intelligence has been advancing rapidly in recent years, measured both in terms of the quantity of resources devoted to it and also in terms of its outputs. Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping businesses by performing various tasks, constituting a major source of innovation, yet threatening human jobs. The article reviews recent research in this area that suggests that AI and robotics have the potential to increase productivity and growth of agritourism, but may have mixed effects on labor, particularly in the short run. Using the positivism research philosophy, the study also sought to examine the insights, attitudes, and involvements of participants toward AI-driven marketing technologies in agritourism. Further, it assessed the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental influences of digital and social media marketing on African agritourism destinations. It also sought to ascertain paramount practices, challenges, and opportunities for leveraging AI technologies to stimulate sustainable agritourism development in Africa. The study considered current and potential policies around AI that could potentially help boost agritourism development while also mitigating any labor market downsides, including evaluating the pros and cons of AI on African agritourism development. The study finds that organizational factors, positive socio-cultural factors, economic factors, and environmental factors play a crucial role in the adoption of artificial intelligence by agritourism industries. Based on the study findings, the paper recommended that the fast adoption of AI needs to be supported by the necessary regulatory insight and oversight for AI-based technologies to enable agritourism sustainable development. Failure to do so could result in gaps in transparency, safety, and ethical standards. The findings also informed recommendations for further study and guided the discourse on implications for policy and practice, which other researchers, policymakers, and practitioners could potentially draw learning points from.
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    Optimisation of biodiesel production from dairy effluent scum using calcined egg shell as a transesterification catalyst
    (Springer Nature, 2021-02-01) Kuipa, O; Marwizi, TS.; Kuipa, PK.
    The production of biodiesel from dairy effluent scum using calcined egg shell as the transesterification catalyst has been explored. Eggshell powder was calcined at 900 °C for 3 h and used as catalyst. The influence of methanol-oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction temperature were studied using Response Surface Methodology employing a Central Composite Rotatable Design. An empirical model that relates the yield of biodiesel to the studied factors was obtained. The model has high statistical significance at 95% confidence interval with R2 and adjusted R2 values of 96.31% and 95.75% respectively. Results showed that among the three studied factors, the methanol-oil molar ratio had the greatest contribution to the yield of dairy effluent scum derived biodiesel followed by reaction temperature and finally, the catalyst concentration. Significant interaction effects were also present between methanol-oil ratio and catalyst, catalyst and reaction temperature and methanol-oil ratio and reaction temperature. Accordingly, the optimal variable settings were 14.355:1 methanol-oil molar ratio, 3.09% catalyst loading by weight of pre-treated dairy scum oil and 55.20°C reaction temperature; with a corresponding yield of 92.72%.