© 2026 KNUST Research Atlas. All rights reserved.

Back to Search
Profile photo of Gabriel Takyi

Gabriel Takyi

Mechanical Engineering

View Official KNUST Profile

About

Gabriel Takyi is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST). He has a BEng (Hons) degree in Manufacturing Engineering, MSc in Advanced Manufacturing Technology and PhD in Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK. He worked as a Research Engineer at Nortel Technology (Harlow, Essex, UK) where he developed a plasma etching/cleaning solution for fluxless soldering and also a Senior Development Engineer at JDS Uniphase, Plymouth, UK where he was involved in the characterization and assembly of 980 and 1440 nm pump laser devices used in the optoelectronics industry. His main research interests are in renewable energy systems and electronics manufacturing and assembly processes. He was the Principal Investigator of USAID, PEER Science Project on the Reliability and Performance Evaluation of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) modules due to solder joint degradation and other effects in the Sub-saharan Africa region.He was the Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, KNUST and the Director of The Brew-Hammond Energy Centre (TBHEC), KNUST. He worked as a consultant on the curriculum development and validation of the Postgraduate Programmes in Energy that led to the establishment of the PAN African University (PAU) in Energy, an initiative of the African Union. He currently teaches courses such as small hydropower, clean energy technology, alternative and renewable energy technology as well as analysis of manufacturing processes at the postgraduate level and basic mechanics, maintenance engineering, mechanical engineering materials and manufacturing technology at the undergraduate level.

Research Summary

(inferred from publications by AI)

The researcher's focus is centered on enhancing the efficiency and reliability of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Their work encompasses several critical areas: 1. **Photovoltaic Optimization Techniques**: The researcher has conducted extensive research on polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon modules, exploring their structures' effects on performance and degradation. 2. **Solar Cell Materials and Integration**: Their studies delve into materials like c-Si solar cells and the role of soldering in connecting these components, ensuring seamless integration for optimal functionality. 3. **Soldering Technologies**: The researcher investigates advanced soldering processes, such as lead-free sponging and Taguchi optimization, to mitigate issues like joint integrity, which are crucial for PV system reliability. 4. **Thermal Cycling and Environmental Impact**: Their work examines how environmental factors influence solar cell performance, focusing on thermal behavior under cycling conditions and the role of materials like bricks in energy-efficient building envelopes. 5. **Energy Efficiency Challenges**: The researcher analyzes the energy impacts of integrating various technologies into the power grid, particularly highlighting the need for adaptive strategies in hot-humid climates. In summary, the researcher's work is comprehensive, concentrating on improving solar PV system design and performance, with a strong emphasis on module structures, soldering, thermal management, environmental interactions, and grid integration.

Research Themes

All Papers

Reliability and Degradation of Solar PV Modules—Case Study of 19-Year-Old Polycrystalline Modules in Ghana(2017)
Degradation and longevity of solar photovoltaic modules—An analysis of recent field studies in Ghana(2020)
Performance evaluation of a 20 MW grid-coupled solar park located in the southern oceanic environment of Ghana(2021)
Generating temperature cycle profile from in-situ climatic condition for accurate prediction of thermo-mechanical degradation of c-Si photovoltaic module(2018)
Investigation of the Effect of Temperature Coefficients on Mono-Crystalline Silicon PV Module Installed in Kumasi, Ghana(2020)
Comparative study of the performance of solar photovoltaic module technologies installed in Kumasi, Ghana, in Sub-Saharan Africa(2021)
Correlation of Infrared Thermal Imaging Results with Visual Inspection and Current-Voltage Data of PV Modules Installed in Kumasi, a Hot, Humid Region of Sub-Saharan Africa(2017)
Reliability and Degradation of Solar PV Modules—Case Study of 19-Year Old Polycrystalline Modules in Ghana(2017)
Performance evaluation of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic modules under low and high irradiance conditions in Kumasi, Ghana(2021)
Performance characterization of polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules installed in Kumasi, Ghana(2021)
Reliability and Degradation of Solar PV Modules—Case Study of a 19-Year Old Polycrystalline Modules in Ghana(2017)
Modelling interconnections in c-SI Solar Photovoltaic modules for improved reliability in Kumasi in Sub - Saharan Africa(2021)
Preliminary Assessment of Degradation in Field-Aged Multi-Crystalline Silicon PV Modules Installed in Hot-Humid Climate of Mid Ghana(2016)
A study of SnAgCu solder paste transfer efficiency and effects of optimal reflow profile on solder deposits(2011)
Optimisation of thermo-fatigue reliability of solder joints in surface mount resistor assembly using Taguchi method(2015)
Effect of intermetallic compound layer thickness on the shear strength of 1206 chip resistor solder joint(2015)
Optimisation of Reflow Profile of Surface Mount Assembly Using Taguchi Design of Experiments(2015)
Investigation Of The Effects Of Reflow Profile Parameters On Lead-free Solder Bump Volumes And Joint Integrity(2011)
Quantitative Evaluation of Voids in Lead Free Solder Joints(2015)
Numerical Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Ball Grid Array Solder Joint at High Temperature Excursion(2011)
Investigation of Wettability of Lead Free-Solder on Bare Copper and Organic Solder Preservatives Surface Finishes(2015)
Life prediction in c-Si solar cell interconnections under in-situ thermal cycling in Kumasi in Ghana(2021)
Solderability testing in nitrogen atmosphere of plasma treated HASL finish PCBs for fluxless soldering(2002)
Numerical Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Ball Grid Array Solder Joint at High Temperature Application(2010)
Study on Creep Damage in Sn60Pb40 and Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu (Lead-Free) Solders in c-Si Solar PV Cell Interconnections under In-Situ Thermal Cycling in Ghana(2021)
Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) Solar Cell Interconnect Damage Prediction Function Based on Effect of Temperature Ramps and Dwells on Creep Damage under Field Thermal Cycling(2021)
Investigation of the effect of nitrogen and air atmospheres on solder wettability of plasma‐treated HASL finish PCBs(2010)
Evaluating the effect of pad sizes on the inter-metallic layer formation and growth for Sn-Ag-Cu solders on Cu metallization(2011)
EVALUATION OF PLASMA TREATED HASL FINISH PCBs USING DCA MEASUREMENTS(1999)
Effect of reflow profile and thermal cycle ageing on the intermetallic formation and growth in lead-free soldering(2009)
Effect of Reflow Profile Parameters on Surface Mount Chip Resistor Solder Joint Shear Strength(2014)
Robust crystalline silicon photovoltaic module (c-Si PVM) for the tropical climate: Future facing the technology(2020)
Impact of the constitutive behaviour of the encapsulant on thermo-mechanical damage in (c-Si) solar PV modules under thermal cycling(2021)
Investigation of shell mold casting technique in Ghana using indigenous materials(2021)
Study of the effects of PCB surface finish on plasma process time for lead-free wave soldering(2010)
Optimum Sizing and Siting of an Embedded Solar Photovoltaic Generation: A Case Study of 33 kv Sub-Transmission Network at Tarkwa, Ghana(2021)
Effect of solder joint integrity on the thermal performance of a TEC for a 980 nm pump laser module(2011)
Characterisation of 980nm Pump Laser Solder Joint Integrity Using Heat Pump Tests(2007)
Green building adaptation in hot-humid climates: assessment of coconut and corn husk fiber composite bricks as energy-efficient building envelopes(2024)
Technical stakeholders' perspective of solar photovoltaic system failure in Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Ghana(2025)

Collaboration Network

47ec6634-8edd-4585-a9cd-ce73d9f6c487
Research Collaboration Map
Collaboration Frequency
Less
More

About This Profile

This profile is generated from publicly available publication metadata and is intended for research discovery purposes. Themes, summaries, and trajectories are inferred computationally and may not capture the full scope of the lecturer's work. For authoritative information, please refer to the official KNUST profile.