Latest Publications
Recent research outputs from our laboratory pushing the boundaries of electrical engineering.
Magnetization mechanisms for the non-destructive evaluation of early-stage thermal oxidation (corrosion) in low-carbon steels
Low-carbon steel undergoes corrosion during its service life, bringing about failures and substantial financial losses. Magnetic non-destructive testing techniques are used to assess changes occurring on the surface and subsurface when subjected to highly corrosive environments. In this work, magnetic responses including the magnetic hysteresis cycle (MHC), Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) and Magnetic Incremental Permeability (MIP) are measured at the early stage of corrosion to identify the technique and indicators with the most distinguishable response to changes in steel properties. The most responsive indicators are established through linear Pearson correlation coefficients comparing them with weight change and corrosion destructive observations.
· 2026
Harvesting Wasted Energy in Water Distribution Network in Buea-Cameroon
Pressures are dissipated in break pressure tanks and pressure reducing valves of the Buea water distribution network, resulting in significant energy losses. The network presents 18 potential sites with a total of approximately 976.21 MWh dissipated per year. A laboratory micro-hydro turbine prototype recovers this energy; measured output reached 192 mW at 2.6 kg/s mass flow rate and 106 Ω optimal load resistance, demonstrating the feasibility of micro hydropower harvesting from the network.
· 2026
Energy Harvesting from Organic Wastes for Electricity Generation
A Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) converts the chemical energy of organic matter into electrical energy using microorganisms, while simultaneously treating wastes. Comparative experiments show cow dung produced 353 mW/m² of energy versus 118.3 mW/m² for human faeces under identical operating conditions. Stacking six MFCs charged with cow dung powered an LED through a power management system that stores energy in a battery for efficient use. Beyond powering low-power devices, MFCs provide wastewater treatment, hydrogen and bio-fertilizer production.
· 2026
LEEC Research Laboratory inaugurated at the University of Buea
The Laboratory of Electrical Engineering and Computing (LEEC) was officially inaugurated on 29 May 2026 in the presence of the Consul General of France in Douala, the Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
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LEEC demonstrates energy harvesting from waste and water networks
Microbial fuel cells powered an LED from cow dung while a micro-hydro prototype recovered energy from the Buea water distribution network, a promising step for off-grid communities.
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A Cameroon-France partnership delivers a world-class research laboratory to UB
LEEC benefits from an active cooperation with INSA de Lyon, the Ampère laboratory and the French cooperation services to build world-class research capacity in electrical engineering.
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LEEC Annual Research Symposium 2026
Annual symposium gathering researchers, students and partners to present progress across LEEC research axes: electrical energy harvesting, hybrid energy production and control, electromagnetic NDT and smart agriculture.
University of Buea
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Workshop: Smart Agriculture Sensor Technologies
Hands-on workshop on sensor nodes for soil classification and pesticide level monitoring. Covers optical sensing with infrared, red and blue LEDs, photodiode detection, and optimal sensor geometry for agricultural field deployment.
LEEC Laboratory, University of Buea
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Seminar: Advances in Energy Harvesting for Off-Grid Communities
Seminar covering ambient RF energy harvesting, microbial fuel cells from organic waste, and micro-hydro energy recovery from water distribution networks. Results presented include 353 mW/m² from cow dung MFCs and 192 mW recovered by the micro-hydro turbine prototype.
LEEC Laboratory, University of Buea
View detailsEquipment & Facilities
Instrumentation for energy harvesting, electromagnetic NDT, smart agriculture and power electronics research.
Electromagnetic NDT Acquisition System
Complete data acquisition setup for MBN, MIP and MNP measurements: function generator, AC power amplifier, preamplifier (x100), low-pass / band-pass filters, Hall sensor DC supply and NI-DAQmx acquisition.
LCR Precision Meter
Precision LCR meter used for Magnetic Incremental Permeability (MIP) measurements. Frequency range 10-1 MHz.
MFC Stack Unit
Stack of six microbial fuel cells used to power an LED, with power management system for battery storage.
Our Partners
A cooperation between the University of Buea and INSA Lyon, supported by the French Embassy.
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