2018 faculty in perspective · c.a. duff mechanical engineering, mechatronics and industrial...

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Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

2018 FACULTY IN PERSPECTIVE

2Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment


Prof Ben van Wyk Executive DeanBuilding 3-622 BPretoria Campus

Contact personMs Z Sibiya, tel: 012 382-5120

Prof Josiah MundaAssistant DeanPostgraduate Studies, Research and InnovationBuilding 6-275Pretoria Campus

Contact personMs Z Sibiya, tel: 012 382-5120

Dr Mukondeleli KanakanaAssistant DeanTeaching and LearningBuilding 3-621Pretoria Campus

Contact person Ms B Moshime, tel: 012 382-5328

Dr SJ JacobsAssistant DeanIndustry Liaison, Special Projects and WILBuilding 6-366Pretoria Campus

Contact person Ms Annette van der Poel, tel: 012 382-5328

3Faculty in Perspective

Prof Jacques Laubscher Head of DepartmentDepartment of ArchitectureBuilding 11-Ground floorPretoria Campus

Contact personMs L Labuschagne, tel: 012 382-5252

Prof Alfred TalukhabaHead of DepartmentDepartment of Building SciencesBuilding 3-405Pretoria Campus

Contact personsMs L Maré, tel: 012 382-5242

Prof Maurice OnyangoHead of DepartmentDepartment of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials EngineeringBuilding 3-707Pretoria Campus

Contact personMs R Ngaka, tel: 012 382 4757/5039

Prof Jacques Snyman Head of DepartmentDepartment of Civil EngineeringBuilding: 3:512 Pretoria Campus

Contact personMs D Ngoma, tel: 012 382-5212

Ms S van der Merwe, tel: 012 382-5928

Prof Anish KurienActing Head of DepartmentDepartment of Electrical EngineeringBuilding 6-G16 Pretoria Campus

Contact personMs O Mahlo, tel: 012 382-5159/5737


Dr Bolanie Abe Acting eMalahleni Site HeadDepartment of Electrical EngineeringBuilding 14-G18 eMalahleni Campus

Contact personMs Marlize van Niekerk, tel: 013 653 3130

Kovilen ReddyHead of DepartmentDepartment of GeomaticsBuilding 3-416Pretoria Campus

Contact personMs A Viljoen, tel: 012 382-5211

Gift NenzheleleActing Head of DepartmentDepartment of Industrial EngineeringBuilding 2-337

Contact personBets van Eeden, tel: 012 382-4403

Dr Lodewyk Beneke Head of Department Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial DesignBuilding 3-303 Pretoria Campus

Contact personsMs A Wilbers, tel: 012 382-5162Ms N Ratlhogo, tel: 012 382-5874



Compiled by: Zelda Janse van Rensburg Adri CoetzerLanguage editing: Nqabomzi Msutwana , Keabetswe Phetoane Layout, design and printing: Printing Services, TUT We want to express a word of thanks to all contributors to the writing and editing of articles.

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment is excited about the rollout of the new Higher Education

Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQSF) aligned qualifications. The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch), Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Building Science (MBuiSc), Master of Engineering (MEng) and Doctor of Engineering (DEng) and Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) -degrees, Higher Certificates (HC), and other new qualifications across all disciplines in the Faculty. Our eight departments, and 168 full-time staff members, create a vibrant presence at the Pretoria and eMalahleni campuses and are excited about the HEQSF rollout.

TUT would like to emphasise that all current non-aligned qualifications are accredited and registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and they remain valid and recognised by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education (CHE), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), professional bodies, industry, employers and other relevant stakeholders. The faculty prospectus and other qualifications.

We work closely with industry to deliver well-rounded students. We do not only link with industry through the advisory committees of our departments, but also through a hub called the IndustryGrid. IndustryGrid not only houses

our graduate employment office, but allows us to showcase our technological achievements and provides a space where staff and students can interact with government, municipalities, parastatals and all kinds of businesses, including Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).

We are equally proud of our Centres, Institutes, Technology Stations and Incubators (CITSIs), including the Technology Station in Electronics (TSE), the Technology Station in Chemicals (TSC), the Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT), the Centre for Energy and Electric Power (CEEP), the French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI) and the Institute of Nano-engineering. The CITSIs are used as a platform for contract work and research, as a support mechanism for (SMMEs) needing technical assistance, as a vehicle for training undergraduate and postgraduate students and for the delivery of Short Learning Programmes.

I invite you to take our hand to ensure that we keep delivering well-rounded and competent graduates for the engineering sector.

Prof Ben van Wyk

Faculty adds colour to first-year experience

Approximately 1 500 first-year students joined the Faculty in January, kicking-off their University life with a tailor-made

orientation program. It was not all work and no play as it included a colour splash where students got the chance to meet

one another informally. Students also signed a pledge committing themselves to the values of the University.

Message from the Dean

Editorial


T.E. Olivier Electrical EngineeringJ.T. Magidi GeomaticsB.J. Labana Civil EngineeringT. Ramathe Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial EngineeringL.M. Ramaube Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial EngineeringM.B. Shongwe Chemical, Metallurgical and Material EngineeringR.W. Salim Civil EngineeringP.P. Motloung Electrical EngineeringO.A. Zimbili Civil EngineeringB.T. Sibeko Civil EngineeringJ. Laubscher ArchitectureE. Kurwakumire GeomaticsA.A. Talukhaba Building SciencesN. Luckhoff Electrical Engineering

M.S. Onyango Chemical, Metallurgical and Material EngineeringA. van der Poel Dean: Engineering and the Built EnvironmentO. Mahlo Electrical Engineering

R. Geertsema Building SciencesP.A. Greyvensteyn ArchitectureM.O. Odebiyi ArchitectureV.T. Mhlanga Chemical, Metallurgical and Material EngineeringJ.T. Fwamba Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial EngineeringA.M. Kurien Electrical EngineeringM.E. van Niekerk Electrical EngineeringC.A. Duff Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial EngineeringA.D. Wynne Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial EngineeringS.J. Jacobs Dean: Engineering and the Built EnvironmentL.A. Ntsandeni Electrical EngineeringM. Siti Electrical Engineering

A. Viljoen GeomaticsL.A. Makwange Electrical Engineering

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Greening the environment is one of the University’s core values. In view of this, the Faculty invited renowned Professor An-

tonio Frattari from the University of Trento to give a lecture on how best to preserve the environment while implementing

cutting-edge developments in the construction of buildings.

TUT and the University of Trento have a multidisciplinary partnership, funded by the European Union

(EU) under the umbrella of Erasmus+.

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. It runs for seven years, from

2014 to 2020, with organisations invited to apply for funding each year to undertake creative and

worthwhile activities. It offers exciting opportunities for participants to then study, work, volunteer,

teach and train abroad. Currently, we have two students abroad at the University of Trento. One

student is busy with Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) while the other one is finalising her Master’s

dissertation.

Are wooden structures the buildings of the future?

Long Service awards

Green building expert, Prof. Antonio Frattari.


TUT strengthens ties with Dutch university

On 8 February, TUT strengthened its relationship with the Windescheim University, Netherlands, when it signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU involves staff and student exchanges and research between the two uni-

versities. The MoU will include a joint semester with online and offline learning to enable students to receive the same teach-ing, engage in the same projects, and experience different cultures, regardless of their location.

Henk Hagoort, Windescheim University President of the Board, and Prof Lourens van Staden, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of TUT, signing the MoU.

Our very own MacGyver

Alumnus Marthinus Bekker, once again proved to be the new age “MacGyver” with his latest invention – the Unified Incuba-tion and Detection System (UIDS). This is his second invention following the ‘The Rain Catcher,’ a device he invented in

2012 that can collect hundreds of litres of drinking water when placed outside in the rain.

Marthinus, a Clinical Engineering graduate, works as a medical device consultant and educational expert for Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Holding GmbH in Germany. “My daily duties include train-ing engineers on Haematology and Haemostasis analysers and the development of course material. I also run my own privately-funded think tank where I specialise in designs and inventions relating to medical technology,” he says.

“I currently don’t have any plans to return to South Africa, but I will definitely be visiting from time to time. I do however, dream of remotely driving Research and Development centres in South Africa, thus allowing talented students to develop their ideas with support,” he concludes.

Marthinus Bekker, the genius behind the Unified Incubation and Detection System (UIDS).

State-of-the-art test equipment for laboratory

The Department of Electrical Engineering undertook a major refurbishment of their Electronic Engineering Laboratory. The newly configured laboratory is used by a total of ±450 Electronics I, II & III and Design Project III students, with 42 students

accommodated per laboratory session for electronic measurement experiments and projects.

Professor Josiah Munda, Head of Department and Associate Dean of the Faculty, commented: “Our newly equipped laboratory is what any university of technology worth its salt should have. We have a duty to empower our students. What good is it if students cannot see or feel the subject matter?

The refurbishing of this laboratory, sponsored by Comtest (Pty) Ltd, enables students to fully experience their subject and ‘live it’ every day. This is precisely what we are striving to achieve here. We would like every laboratory at TUT to be like this – with state-of-the-art equipment for the betterment of students in this region of our country.”


Prospective students from disadvantaged areas often experience difficulties with access to universities. This is usually due to the lack of information and resources. In light of this, the Faculty hosted a discussion session with teachers from various

high schools, to share information about the new Science, Engineering and Technology Qualifications that learners can now apply for.

The new National Policy and Criteria for Designing and Implementing Assessment for NQF Qualifications, part-time Qualifica-tions and Professional Designations in South Africa will be executed in 2018 at the University. This aims to bridge the gap be-tween students who are disadvantaged in academics and those who are privileged.

According to Prof Ben van Wyk, Executive Dean, most schools are not aware of how the University operates. The aim of the new qualification is to improve the prospects of meeting the university entry requirements, particularly, at traditional universities, where it is extremely challenging.

“Even though a learner in matric does not receive the required marks to be admitted to study towards a diploma/degree, the learner can start with a Higher Certificate then progress into their desired qualification. The idea is that you can go from being a cleaner to a doctor.”

South African universities are struggling with the issue of graduate employability. Entrepreneurship has taken centre stage over the past few years. Concurrently, the country has a dire need for engineering technical skills. The new qualifications will assist students in preparing them for the workplace by facilitating them with practical training, so that they may leave the University with the necessary transferable skills.

GP SAYS HE IS BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING“It is of the utmost importance to contribute to society. I am passionate about positive change and development in South Africa, and that is what I try to impart when I lecture.”

These are the words of Gopolang Motswai, also known as GP, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture and a professional architect.

This inquisitive fellow grew up in Mabopane, Tshwane, until he was a teenager. His family then relocated to the Orchards. He comes from a strict home and is thankful for his tough upbringing because it pushed him to become more disciplined.

His interest in architecture began when he was about 13. He and his older brother took a trip to Berlin, Germany for a three-week camp. “The buildings I saw over there were nothing compared to what we have in South Africa and

that was the first time I was exposed to a different world, and I wanted to bring that world home,” he said.

He started lecturing at the University in 2015, but has always been involved with the Department, uplifting and helping students whenever he could.

He plans to obtain his D Tech, but admits that he has other commitments at the moment. When GP isn’t on campus, he consults for health companies. He designs and does assessments on hospitals

which he finds exciting.

“TUT has given me the platform to expose both prospective and registered students to a world of opportunity. Whenever we go out and speak to prospective students, I do my best to expose students to this thought-provoking course.”

What motivates GP when he is frustrated or stressed is the fact that he is a vessel. “As a Christian, I believe I have been put on this earth to pass on knowledge, and the more I pass it on, the more I learn. I am blessed to be a blessing.”

Gopolang Motswai, lecturer at the Department of Architecture, believes in sharing knowledge by exposing students to different contexts.

Local high schools familiarised with new qualifications


Sustainability champion is new IPET President

Jones Moloisane, lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering, is the 16th President of the Institute of Professional Engi-neering Technologists (IPET).

IPET, a professional society committed to the advancement of engineering technologists in all disciplines, is one of 44 voluntary associations recognised by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), the local legislated regulatory body for engineering practitioners.

In April 2002, he joined IPET as a member. He was elected to Council in October 2005 and held the positions of Junior Vice-President (2011 – 2013) and Senior Vice-President (2014 – 2016).

In his inaugural presidential address, entitled Sustainability: Is it fitting into engineering education? Jones alluded to the gravity and impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He explained that the way in which the International Energy Agency (IEA) attributes are implemented, might vary, since one of the knowledge profiles’ requirement is for graduates to be able to “demonstrate critical awareness of the sus-tainability and impact of engineering activity on the social, industrial and physical environment.”

According to him, engineering graduates would benefit by gaining a more holistic understanding of sustainable development and the role that engineering can play in meeting important social and economic goals. From his address, the answer to the question he posed as the topic is: Yes, sustainability does fit into engineering education. Jones emphasised that engineering education providers should include sustainability in the syllabus, if they hadn’t done so.

Jones Moloisane delivering the presidential inaugural address.

Johan Benade, a Mechatronics lecturer, is also a mentor, leader and advocate for skills development and social change who boasts over two decades of higher education and training experience.

During his Master’s studies, he got involved in a community ser-vice competition (sponsored by Goldfields). This program pro-vided an opportunity for learners to experience a small part of an engineer’s everyday life of designing, building and solving problems. In this way, a learner could make a better informed decision about following a career in Science, Technology, Engi-neering and Mathematics (STEM). This is where his passion for empowering and teaching young people started.

Johan and his fellow Faculty members started the Techno Lab, which he managed for a number of years. After his success with the Lab, he managed the Educational Division of LEGO through Mighty Minds, and later through The Big Picture. Robotics is his hobby and passion and for a number of years he has been involved in robotics activities at schools, community centres and clubs. Currently, he is the World Skills national expert in mobile robotics and is constantly looking for that exceptional skill set that can be further trained and developed to show the world that “our South African robotics skills” are on par with that of the rest of the world.

The World Robotics Olympiad (WRO), which is a tournament he’s heavily involved in, is held on an annual basis to help learners improve and gain knowledge about engineering, mathematics and science in fun and creative ways. He has been the national organiser for over ten years. Because of his expertise in this space, he has now been appointed as the head referee for the Advanced Robotics Category at the international competition. “Logical thinking is one of the foundation building blocks of our society. Our students and learners should be encouraged to find their own solutions to challenges, instead of being just spoon-fed with answers.

Getting involved in robotics at your school/college/university will contribute to developing your logical thinking and an im-proved problem solving skill.

A lecturer with a burning passion for engineering


In his plight to improve the standard of living of people re-siding in townships, Berndt Burger, a lecturer at the Depart-

ment of Civil Engineering, turned his interest towards bicy-cles as a means of a more integrated transit system to the benefit of the community.

“In order for people to lift themselves out of economic dispar-ity they need transport. Using a bicycle not only gets people to their place of work but can also assist job seekers - all at a much cheaper rate than any public transport currently avail-able,” says Berndt. The major concern however was bicy-cle safety. To facili-tate the safe use of bicycles, local au-thorities responsible for road and buil-ding infrastructure, needed evidence that support the argument that the increase in bicycle facilities, such as

bicycle lanes and improved cautionary road signage, will lead to a reduction in bicycle crashes.

Very little information is currently available about the needs of the public regarding non-motorised transport as well as the factors that affect the choice of mode of transport in town-ships. Therefore, Berndt, with the assistance of second-year Civil Engineering students, conducted a survey in Mamelodi early in September. The aim was to get a better understanding of the demands and requirements of people living in townships.

“The presentation of this research should ultimately lead to so-lutions such as dedi-cated painted bicycle lanes, separated bi-cycle lanes, improved bicycle facilities such as bicycle parking stands, and improved route safety elements like the addition of street lighting,” says Berndt.

Dirk Bester, junior lecturer and field assistant; MacKenzie Lethole, field worker; Itumeleng Kgwadi;

Mmabatho Setshedi; Thuto Mphahlele; Berndt Burger, principal researcher and junior lecturer.

Industrial Engineering merits top achievers

Over 60 students received recognition at a student excellence award ceremony hosted by the Department of Industrial En-gineering in partnership with Gibela. The event took place on 24 October at the Prestige Auditorium.

Gibela is a newly established company with the aim of revitalising the South African rail-way sector, becoming a catalyst in the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA)

endeavours to elevate commuter rail as a transport mode of choice for all people in the urban areas.

The vision of the Research Chair is to pioneer cutting edge research in manufac-turing technology development and manufacturing value chain skills development geared for the revitalisation of the South African railway manufacturing sector.

Joseph Mudau, Training Manager: Economic Development, Gibela, said: “We need t o to acknowledge excellence and not mediocrity.

Being talented is simply not good enough, one needs to go further by taking respon-sibility.

Finish what you start, avoid procrastination and remember that the world does not reward intentions, it rewards excellence.”

Joseph Mudau, Training Manager: Economic Development.

Bicycles to improve township living


Four second-year students from the Department of Mechan-ical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design once

again walked away as winners in the student industrial design-er’s category at the annual Association of Rotational Moulders of South Africa’s (ARMSA) design competition.

History repeated itself when TUT, for a second consecutive year, received the first four prizes. Sponsored by SASOL’s Polymer Tech Centre, there are two categories in the competition. One for professional designers working in the rotational moulding industry, and one for student industrial designers. At the prize giving held at the beginning of October, Wayne Wiid, ARMSA Chairperson, said the judges were extremely impressed with the students’ technical understanding and ability to design rotationally moulded products. Six semi-finalists were chosen from the 50 student entries.

Pierre Botha was fortunate to be this year’s winner as ARMSA decided to sponsor the tooling for a mould to manufacture the ‘bale saver’. In addition, ARMSA invited him to exhibit his design at the 2018 ARMSA conference, attended by delegates from the plastics industry across South Africa. Hopefully the delegates will realise Pierre’s potential as a designer to the plastics industry of South Africa.

Heinrich Olwage, received the second prize. Heinrich identified the distribution of pellets to feed farm animals as the problem. Current methods of feeding animals are either too time consuming and labour intensive, or too expensive for the small to medium sized farmers. Heinrich’s design is a cheaper alter-native to the current high-tech pellet distributors available in the market.

Isabella Mithilene, won the third prize. She made his-tory when she became the first female TUT student to be in the top three for the ARMSA student design competition. In equestrian sports, show jumpers struggle to find locally pro-duced show jump fences that are multi-functional and light-weight. Isabella decided to investigate this challenge. Cur-rent solutions are either imported show jump fences, which are very expensive, or heavy homemade gum poles, which

make height adjustment of the fences difficult and increases the risk of horse and rider accidents. One of the judges and CEO of one of the biggest rotational moulding manufacturing companies in Gauteng was very impressed with the unique-ness of Isabella’s fence design. He offered Isabella the oppor-tunity to manufacture her show jump fence alongside one of his similar looking equestrian designs. Lastly, Jethro Zeffertt received the fourth prize for identifying the need for trans-portation of piglets from one place to another in a local area. Jethro’s trolley design is light and easy to handle.

Pierre Botha receiving the first prize for his design the Bale Saver.

Excellence awarded

Fifteen Surveying students were acknowledged for their academic achievements at the Department of Geomatics’ academic awards ceremony. Lecturer Edward Kurwakumire presented recipients with floating trophies, certificates and prize money

of between R500 and R2 000.

Corné de Jager, a representative from the South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI), advised students that geospatial data re-mains the backbone of the built environment, and motivated them to identify themselves in the role of geospatial custodians. He continued to say: to consider yourself as a surveyor only, may lead to complacency, stagnation and self-restriction. “Form collaborations with other geospatial professionals in the field to find your niche. Also form strategic partnerships to advance the profession and your career.”

Kovilen Reddy, newly appointed Head of Department, thanked the sponsors for their contribution. They are AAM Geomatics, Afgen, Autobuild Africa, EE Publishers, GISSA, HAU Tech Instruments, Optron, SAGI, and VI Instruments.

Industrial Design students win big


Faculty bows-out of Baja racing with a

Precious Nyamutambo,a third-year Mechanical Engineering student,

said that the event was exciting. “The experience gained is invaluable.

Whenever there were challenges with the cars, we had to be real-world engineers and fix them. This was a good, practical, learning experience.”Frans Roelofse, a B Tech: Mechatronics student,

the driver of Roughies (car no. 8) said: “This was my second year at the Baja racing and it went really well. Building the car according to

the specifications was the biggest challenge due to the rigorous inspections

before the race.”

The 2017 Baja racing team.

Zwivhuya Muofhe, a B Tech: Mechanical Engineering student, and Johan de Lange, Faculty Advisor, wait for the results to be announced after the race.

Guillaume Mitteldorf, a Mechanical En-gineering student driving Roughies (car no. 8), zips through the track during the Endurance race.

The Faculty concluded its 14 year-long run in the Baja rac-ing competition at the Gerotek testing facility in Preto-

ria West, with this year’s team bagging the first and second place; 2nd place: Best Static Judging Score; as well as 1st and 2 place Best Performance Event award.

In February, the University also won the 2016 Baja racing competition and was the only group that managed to pass all the safety tests and inspections. Among the competi-tors were the University of Pretoria (UP), North West Uni-versity (NWU), and the University of South Africa (UNISA). TUT has competed in the Baja racing since 2003 with the ex-ception of 2012.

TUT’s Baja racing achievements:

2003 Overall winner and runner-up2004 Overall winner and best performance2005 2nd place: Endurance race2006 1st place: Feasibility of mass production, 3rd place:

Best static judging score2007 Overall winner, 1st place: Endurance, 2nd place:

Feasibility of mass production, 2nd place: Best static judging score, 2nd place: Best performance event score

2008 1st runner-up, 1st place: Endurance, 1st place: Best performance event score

2009 Overall winner, 1st place: Endurance, 2nd place: Feasibility of mass production, 2nd place: Best static judging score, 1st place: Best performance event score

2010 Overall winner, 2nd place: Endurance, 1st place: Feasibility of mass production, 3rd place: Best static judging score, 2nd place: Best performance event score

2011 Overall winner, 1st place: Endurance, 3rd place: Best static judging score, 3rd place: Best performance event score

2013 Overall winners, 3rd place: Endurance, 2nd place: Best performance event score, 2nd place: Best design

2014 3rd place: Best performance event score, 1st place: Endurance, 1st place: King of the hills race, Fastest Lap

2015 Overall winner and runner-up2016 Overall winner and runner-up2017 Overall winner and runner-up, 2nd place: Best static

judging score, 1st and 2nd: Best performance event


AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Let’s congratulate the three P1 students from the Department of

Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering who visited the

Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa (CorriSA) in Midrand on 21 April for

the Corrosion Awareness Day. The students debated two topics between

TUT and the University of Johannesburg. The TUT students were in

proposition of the topic Corrosion technicians, engineers, and

specialists should start entrepreneurship at least 10 years

after graduation from an institution of higher education. They

also opposed the topic Imposing a carbon tax is a good and

effective way to encourage corrosion awareness. Their

well-instilled theoretical background on corrosion as a

subject, and debating skills including statistics and data,

helped them to win.

Joy Masindi, Khulekani Mahlangu and Khumo Masemola.

Bio-inspired Prosthetic Hand and Prototype design of a Robotic Rollator.

Le Roux Viljoen (Managing Director of ÖSSUR SA) with Dr Nico Steyn, Ronan O’Carrol, Tsholofelo Modise and Mariëtte Schmidt (all from TUT).

During May, two Master’s students and a senior lecturer at the Department of Electrical Engineering presented

their research, together with students from the Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, at the 16th World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) in Germany.

Their research is part of the Niche Area in Enabling Tech-nology at the French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI). It deals with rehabilitation devices and assistive aids for the disabled community in activities of daily living.

Some of the prototype designs presented at the Congress are patented and provisional patents are granted with the sup-port of the Research and Innovation Directorate at TUT. The prototype designs mainly dealt with upper and lower limb rehabilitation; as exoskeletons, augmented simulators and robotic human gait assistance.

Dr Nico Steyn from F’SATI and Mariëtte Schmidt from the Department of Orthotics and Pros-thetics said this is a great stepping stone for future collaboration between the two depart-ments. “This is truly bridging the gap between engineering and prosthetics to advance such technologies and to build a strong research relationship between the two departments, in future” says Dr Steyn.

Bridging the gap between engineering and prosthetics


SunChaser2 RocksImpressed Tshwane community members were unanimous in their view that TUT’s solar powered car, Sun Chaser2 rocks. Students showcased their creation, the Sun Chaser2, at the Sammy Marks Square in Tshwane on 5 April. The event was part of a collaboration between TUT, the US Embassy and the City of Tshwane to edu-cate the public about renewable energy. Visitors were introduced to the proudly South African made Sun Chaser2 and given a brief explanation of the solar powered car that was designed and manufactured by Engineering students, with the as-sistance of their Team Leader and Project Manager, Johannes de Vries. During the #SasolSolar Challenge 2016, the Sun Chaser2 successfully used solar power to travel ± 2 000 kilometres in eight days. With a top speed of 130 km/h, the Sun Chaser2 managed to secure position five against both local and international competitors.According to Amy Christianson of the Cultural Affairs Office of the US Embassy, South Africa is poised to be a global leader in renewable energy because of a good climate. “The country has ample alternative energy sources such as the sun and great winds,” she added.

Visitors came in numbers to see and learn more about the solar powered car and re-newable energy when the Sun Chaser2 was showcased at the Sammy Marks Square.

Community Engagement

Faculty competition day attracts more learners

The rugby field at the Pretoria Campus was a centre of activity on 4 August,

as learners from high schools across Pre-toria and beyond gathered again, at the annual Faculty’s Competition Day. The aim of the event is to make learners aware of the exciting career options in

the field of engineering, reaffirming the importance of good grades in Mathemat-ics and Physical Science, and to ensure that learners perceive engineering as a stimulating profession worth pursuing, especially at the University. This year, approximately 450 learners attended the event. There were eleven categories, each representing a different programme within the Faculty. The students were exposed to projects that the Faculty has been busy with, including the Solar Car which was built completely out of carbon fibre. This year, the dominant schools were Sutherland High School, Oos Moot Hoërskool, and John-Vorster Hoërskool which all won in over six categories.Robson Gadisi, Educator at Thohoyandou Technical High School, said that the ini-tiative was inspirational because all the learners had something to learn. “Learn-ers will use this experience to innovate and create their own unique projects which will one day contribute to the economy.”Keshiv Subbiah (15), a Grade 10 student from Sutherland High School, was in-volved in the Industrial Engineering cat-egory, where the learners had to design a water balloon protector. “At first we had some problems but we carefully impro-vised and ended up winning in this cat-egory. I had plenty of fun and loved the challenges.” “This event is becoming the highlight of the Faculty’s annual events. The learners take note of the different possible careers in engineering in a play-ful manner,” said Zelda Janse van Rens-

burg, Faculty Marketer: The Advance-ment and Partnerships Office (APO) was the biggest sponsor this year. Other spon-sors were Protea Bookstore, Van Schaik Bookstore, Vodacom, Olympia Trophies and Communica as well as the depart-ments in the Faculty.


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Prof SP Daniel Chowdhury, a research professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, together with a team

of lecturers, organised a Mathematics and Science workshop at the University’s footprint area to train mathematics and science teachers to help their learners perform better. In addition, the workshop formed part of the Faculty’s annual Community Outreach programmes. Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) field has been declared a national growth area. Despite this, over the years, the results of matric leaners in mathematics and science country-wide have been on the decline. This clearly indicates that the interventions at more than one level, are vital to help learners improve their mathematics results. One such intervention is to invest in the training and development of mathematics teachers. The primary goal of the recent Content Workshop for Gauteng Secondary Schools Mathematics Educators, was to maximise the impact on the pass rate of the learners at the schools

Females in Engineering (FemEng), an initiative aimed at recognising and elevating women in engineering by moti-

vating and offering them opportunities in this field, presented a FemEng empowerment seminar on Wednesday, 22 February, at the eMalahleni Campus. Hosted by the Faculty, the second-leg of the event was held at the Pretoria Campus on Friday, 24 February. In her introductory speech, Dr Grace Kanakana, As-sistant Dean: Teaching and Learning, said the seminar aims to help women find themselves in the engineering industry and to populate the industry with more females. “We are here to assist you academically and socially towards empowering you to complete your studies in record time, which, in the long run, will make life easier when you enter the workplace,” she said. Dr Kanakana added that the Faculty enrols 10 500 students on average per year of which only about 20% of this number constitute female students.

Learners who participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge Ve-locity Vortex game got a taste of what real life in the en-

gineering world would be like on 25 February at the Sci-Bona Discovery Centre in Johannesburg. The game challenges high school learners aged 12 to 18 to design and build a metal robot that can team up with another robot to detect colour, press buttons, pick up plastic balls scattered on the play-ing field and shoot them through a centre area representing a vortex. The qualifier tournament for the 2016/17 season ended in teams helping other teams to compete. The win-ning team, Geared Wings, represented South Africa at the Word Festival in Houston Texas, USA, in April. The FIRST Ro-botics programs are managed by TUT in collaboration with UNISA, NMMU, Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control (SAIMC), and various science cen-tres. The program is supported by the South African Institute for SAIMC and resulted in some teams receiving sponsorships from Yokogawa, Beckhoff, Vega and Coolermaster.

FTC Robots in action putting the 60cm ball in the centre Vortex.

Engineering students pay attention to Chiedza Mnguni as she shared some girl talk at the FemEng seminar.

FemEng seminar energised participants

Robots and fun galore at First Tech Challenge

in Mamelodi and Atteridgeville, where the 15 teachers came from. The workshop was designed to complement training programmes already organised by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).The content of the workshop included some added benefits such as: • more effective teaching of mathematics in the affected

schools;• improved pass rate at the affected schools;• to motivate equipped learners to choose TUTFEBE as their

higher education institution of choice; and• community engagement undertaking by strengthening basic

education in these area.Prof Chowdhury’s team included Prof Thomas Olwal, Tshwale-lo Mathebula and Louwrence Ngoma from the Department of Electrical Engineering as well as Mosima Bogoshi from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in Pretoria.

Maths and Science teachers get back on track

Community Engagement


17

IndustryGrid

Dr SJ Jacobs, Assistant Dean: Industry Liaison, Special Proj-ects and Work-Integrated Learning, together with Bob

Bond, Faculty Communication and Liaison Officer, make a for-midable team to execute the Faculty’s vision of a dedicated facility to promote industrial contacts. Lorika Kruger: Coordi-nator Student Employment, Cooperative Education assists the IndustryGrid to ensure opportunities for student work place-ments as a one-stop-shop for stakeholders and students. This dedicated team operating from a state-of-the-art facility in Building 13 offers all stakeholders a connection point to dis-cuss their needs, and promote opportunities to academic staff and students. The offering is as diverse as technical seminars, international conferences, an international week, exhibitions Dr SJ Jacobs and Bob Bond

and industry days - so much so that there are always activities in the centre throughout the year. In 2017, a new program was established in the form of a Student Chapter Seminar which is aligned to industry associations where students are supported to organise and host events unique to the industrial sectors. The SA Institute for Civil Engineers Student Chapter has built the foundations for a highly successful program where events are themed, be it consulting-, water-, mining engineering etc. This is where captains of industry share exciting industry opportunities and guide students along the road to employment in the selected sector. In addition, students are encouraged to visit the office and peruse WIL, employment opportunities, internships and bursaries. They can submit their CV’s online and attend interviews if they are shortlisted.

IndustryGrid takes the lead in industrial engagement

FEBE ON PAR WITH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORSLaunched in 2017, IFAT Africa 2017, Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Refuse and Recycling was once again hosted at the Johan-nesburg Expo Centre, the meeting point for the African environmental industry. This year, IFAT had a strong focus on water infrastructure.

IFAT Africa 2017 offered its trade visitors an extensive technical and scientific support program, organised together with South African and international partners. This high-class conference program is central to the IFAT Africa activities, while it also fea-tured more than 60 individual presentations, panel discussions and best practice examples.

The SafeWaterAfrica project, with TUT as a consortium partner of the European Commission Horizon 2020, culminated in three presentations by TUT’s Bob Bond and Prof Oliver Damm of Fräunhofer SA, sharing the exciting progress that has been made over the last year of the project. This year saw a large number of international exhibitors and visitors from companies representing Austria, Botswana, France, Ghana, Kenya, Spain and Turkey. The Faculty’s own Radio Frequency (RF) Bag that was on display drew a lot of attention from all the delegates. This unique product, designed and built at the Technology Station in Electronics (TSE), is constructed in a backpack, harvesting free power from the radio waves in the environment, converting them into us-able power for charging low power devices.

IFAT Africa 2017 gave Civil Engineering students an opportunity to attend presentations upon viewing the exhibitions in order to gain insight into the real-world problems experienced in keeping our environment safe, specifically in ensuring healthy water and ways to address general water-related issues.

Photo above: Lorika Kruger; Coordinator Student Employment Cooperative Education, Candice Moodley and Tsholofelo Kokotedi from the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Author-ity (EWSETA); and Bob Bond, Faculty Communication and Liaison Officer.

Photo right: Radio Frequency bag


IndustryGrid

In 2015 the Faculty of Engineering in conjunction with

the Directorate: Cooperative Education, joined forces to

establish the IndustryGrid located in Building 13.

The IndustryGrid aims to establish partnerships and

projects for the Faculty. Lorika Kruger, Coordinator:

Student Employment, Cooperative Education, is responsible

for preparing students for the world of work. This includes

Curriculum Vitae (CV) preparation and interview skills.

During 2017, approximately 640 students’ CVs were

forwarded to industry cohorts for placement of P1 and P2

Engineering students. During the same time, more than 100

graduates’ CVs were distributed for placement, a task that

will increase with the new Engineering curriculum rolling

out in 2018.

The focus of Cooperative Education within the IndustryGrid

will move from Work-Integrated Learning placements to

internships and graduate placements.

There are approximately 2 700 student CVs registered

on the Work-Integrated Learning Management System

(WILMS). Cooperative Education is actively searching for

Cooperative Education

WIL placement opportunities for 100 of these students.

Students are advised to register their CVs on the WILMS.

It makes it easier for the Directorate to keep record of

the applicants, manage advertisements for positions, and,

ultimately, to assist them with placement.

We believe in the quality of our graduates, although

feedback received from industry indicates that they are

not skilled in selling themselves. This shortage will be

addressed in 2018 as well as preparing even more students

for the workplace.

We are looking forward to 2018, especially to bring students

and industry together!


The Faculty, a founding partner of the Boys2Men project, once again provided an opportunity for

boys from all nine provinces, who come from homes without father figures, to apply and be selected for this unique eight-year program of engagement with TUT.

Commencing from Grade 9, five boys per province spent a week in Gauteng attending a program arranged by the Moving Ahead Development Agency (MADA). They were introduced to the fascinating field of science and engineering and the world of work. TUT is the exclusive academic partner institution providing career and study guidance, with a view that the candidates would enrol in their chosen field of engineering at the University post-matric.

The first year of the program, piloted last year, saw the Grade 9 learners getting a general overview of engineering disciplines by a one day visit to the Faculty. The Grade 10 learners received more intensive attention by spending four days at the Faculty, hosted by all of the Engineering departments in rotation.

Dr Grace Kanakana, Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning at the Faculty, who is the custodian of the

project, welcomed the learners and other stakeholders at the commencement of the week at the SABC. The event was featured on the news channels, affording the University an opportunity to feature why TUT should be considered as a first choice for academic studies.

Dr Kanakana mentioned that the IndustryGrid was tasked to design the program, ensure that all the candidates have bursaries at their commencement of study at the University, as well as Work-Integrated Learning opportunities during their studies, followed by employment.

MADA’s Chairman, Tshepo Mokoena, his team and TUT colleagues took care of the planning, coordination and logistics of hosting 45 Grade 9 and 45 Grade 10 learners. FEBE provided a professional and appealing program to motivate learners to make TUT their academic home. Prof Ben van Wyk added that he looks forward to monitoring the boys’ progress over the eight years of engagement with TUT and beyond. He said this is a deserving flagship project of the Faculty with great potential to influence high calibre students to apply for study at the University.

Boys2Men project a resounding success


20

“Journey Through Wine” culminates in international conferenceThe Plastics Institute of South Africa (PISA) “Journey Through Wine” is an exciting project that sees a number of technical seminars held at the IndustryGrid. This was followed by a wine tasting conducted by Cape Wine Master, Margaret Fry. It ended in the annual international conference held at the Spier Wine Estate from 9 to 10 November 2017.TUT established a partnership with the Stellenbosch University Polymer Institute that also offers post-graduate programs in Polymers, together with other partners, including the Plastics Institute, Plastics South Africa, and The Manufacturing, Engineer-ing and Related Service Seta (MerSETA).The first event in March, themed “Plastics in contact with food and international Food and Drug Association (FDA) certifica-

tion,” included Prof Rotimi Sadiku, Research Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design. He discussed the exciting work of a doctoral student he supervises on extending the shelf life of mangoes by developing and testing novel packaging materials.This was followed by two industrial presentations by Phil Sereme, Corporate Packaging Manager for Nestle’s South-ern Africa Region. He gave the Nestle perspective on food packaging and is responsible for coordinating packaging

development activities for new products in the region. He dealt with a number of international incidents where Nestle recalled products due to potential packaging contamination, and gave an insight into how new products and packaging are tested and certified. Dr Andy Roediger dealt with the question “Is your component Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved?” He sighted the work his consultancy, based at the Stellenbosch University, offers industry to test and certify packaging materials locally, and gave a perspective on FDA testing. The seminar concluded with wine tasting conducted by two Cape wine masters, featuring selected culti-vars. This provided an opportunity for delegates to get to know each other better, and meet TUT’s staff and students.This format is a winning recipe to get visitors to relax after being acquainted with the latest industrial developments, as well as improving their knowledge of wine in anticipation of the international conference in November at the Spier Wine Estate, which the IndustryGrid team organised.

Dr Andy Roediger, MD Roediger Agencies.

IndustryGrid

Three events arranged by the IndustryGrid culminated in the Plastics Institute of Southern Africa’s (PISA) annual in-

ternational conference at the Spier Wine Estate.

In the lead-up to the conference, TUT presented the Interna-tional Week Summer School where two visiting Extraordinary Professors, Andreas Gebhardt and Stephan Kallweit from the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, conducted Robot-ics Operating Systems and Additive Manufacturing courses. Six German Doctoral students registered at TUT assisted with the courses to inspire TUT students undertaking the week-long program.

The group then joined Bob Bond, who organised the events in his capacity as PISA Northern Branch Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Plastics SA, to deliver keynote addresses at the Spier Estate for the conference.

Dr Raymond Patel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MerSE-TA, was enthused about the opportunities to embrace Indus-try4.0. This includes a consortium application to the European Horizon 2020 research fund to develop training modalities for jobs still to be created. MerSETA was also the headline spon-

PISA Journey through wine to industry 4.0

Dr Raymond Patel, CEO of MerSETA. Bob Bond and his colleague Dr Caroline Khoathane.

Prof Josef Gochermann, Osnabrück University of Applied Technology, Bob Bond and Dr SJ Jacobs.

sor of the conference. This included the full Executive Board of MerSETA attending, and members of the Plastics Chamber with Labour and Industry of equal numbers getting an insight into future developments. PISA had also invited post-graduate stu-dents from TUT and the Stellenbosch University’s Polymer De-partments to present their research on Day 2 of the conference devoted to student development and linking with industry.

Dr SJ Jacobs expressed his satisfaction with the IndustryGrid’s ability to mobilise industry and students from SA and Ger-many in the well organised event, thereby positioning TUT as a leader in the technological space. Many CEO’s requested follow-up visits with Dr Jacobs to discuss mutual opportuni-ties and involving the students in next generation research projects at their companies aligned with Industry 4.0.

Lorika Kruger was kept busy assisting with conference organ-isation and hosting, as well as promoting TUT as the institu-tion of choice for student placement and WIL. This project will become a mainstay on the IndustryGrid calendar for 2018 and beyond. The next international conference will be held at Spier in September 2018.


21

SafeWaterAfrica opens the taps to rural potable water supply

TUT is a founding partner of the European Commission Horizon 2020 SafeWaterAfrica project that was launched at the Pretoria Campus mid-2016.

The project, extending over 42 months, will develop a unique solution for the supply of potable water for rural communities with the technology housed in a shipping container and powered by sun or wind energy. At the heart of the solution are poly-crystalline-boron-doped electrodes (CabEco) that effectively sanitise the water without the need for chemicals.

The project plan agreed with the European Commission requires General Assembly meetings to be held in rotation at all of the consortium partner institutions internationally. In February 2017 a meeting was held at the Ferrara University in Italy, and a second meeting at the Stellenbosch University Water Institute in September 2017. Prof Ben van Wyk attended the Stellenbosch meeting and complimented the consortium on the excellent progress made to date, only 18 months into the project.

This included the commissioning of the pilot facility on the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Campus to test the technological solution, as well as completion of the Remote Monitoring system where all the members can monitor the operation of the plant on a 24-hour basis in real time.

In Italy, the consortium reviewed the exciting progress that the teams at the Ferrara University and University of Castilla-La Mancha-Spain have made to test the electrodes with highly contaminated water spiked with persistent species. Test to date render the water clear of all these contaminants, by effectively vaporising the carbon-carbon bonds with no dangerous by-products left in the water.

Plans are well on track to build the Demonstrator as a containerised unit to initially be based at the ERWAT Waterval Waste Water Treatment Works. ERWAT has given the SafeWaterAfrica team permission to build a pipeline directly into the river to extract the contaminated water, and validate the operation of the Demonstrator. They have kindly agreed to analyse both the input and output at their certified water labs, coordinated by the Stellenbosch Water Institute, CSIR and TUT consortium members. Thereafter, the unit will be tested at a site in Mozambique, and then other sites in South Africa, typical of the communities we plan to serve.

TUT is coordinating business development and the establishment of Black owned Small Medium and Macro Enterprises (SMME’s) to roll out the technology under a franchises-type arrangement. Potential funding agencies have been approached to participate with the development of the business plan when the solution is commercialised.

A very successful event was held during the meeting in Stellenbosch, where various stakeholders working in government and the private water sectors were brought up to date with the project’s progress. On rollout, two nodes are proposed at TUT and the Stellenbosch University, employing graduate students from both institutions.

Work Package Leaders at the September 2017 General Assembly meeting at the Stellenbosch Water Institute.

IndustryGrid

FEBE charts road ahead through industry engagementThe first Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services

Seta (MerSETA) Gauteng roadshow was hosted in February 2017. This event aimed at informing levy-paying companies and stakeholders of the multitude of funding mechanisms available to train their employees, and to create opportuni-ties for new incumbents.

The MerSETA Executive Management, which included Wayne Adams, Sheryl Pretorius, Luzette Joseph, and the Northern Region Manager, Harry Geldenhuys, discussed with the del-egates available opportunities as well as fast-tracked pro-

cesses to apply for discretionary funding.

Representatives from more than 100 companies in attendance were favourably impressed with the Faculty and the Indus-tryGrid facilities that provide a one-stop interface to address their training requirements, and being able to request and interview suitable candidates. Representatives from the Di-rectorate of Cooperative Education, Lorika Kruger and Dorcus Hashona, are based at the IndustryGrid and maintain a com-prehensive database of students seeking WIL, employment or bursary opportunities.


The goals of these units are to engage in real industry projects, support SMEs, provide specialised training and empower students among others things, by engaging students in their projects. Undergraduate students gain Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) compulsory for their studies. These valuable skills enable students to secure employment. A number of these students later get appointed as lecturers in the Faculty on completion of higher degrees.

CITSI’s — F’SATI

French Ambassador lauds TUT-F’SATI partnershipOur future is dependent on partnerships with affiliate institutions and other countries.

South Africa has potential in many fields and we need to harvest this potential

so we can make a better world for future generations, said His Excellency, Christophe Farnaud, Ambassador of France to South Africa,

during his keynote address at the Theunis Bester Hall on Monday, 8 May.

One of the highlights of the event was the awarding of six D Tech’s in Electrical Engineering to successful candi-dates. Three of these, Dr Michael Ajayi and Dr Stevine Onyango received co-tutelle Doctorates in May, and another one, Emmanuel Kalakunga in October. This is a dual Doctorate awarded together with a French University, through the French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI) partnership.

Farnaud highlighted the F’SATI partnership with the Faculty at the Autumn graduations. The experienced diplomat spoke about the importance of forming strategic relationships and cultivating the potential for facing global chal-lenges as a collective. The establishment of F’SATI (formerly known as F’SATIE, the French South African Institute in Electronics) at the former Technikon Pretoria, now Tshwane University of Technology, was history in the mak-ing. It was the first institute of its kind to be established on South African soil and followed an extended period of negotiations as well as the signing of a number of cooperation agreements and memoranda of understand-ing. Currently it operates within the framework of the Graduate School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. “The world is changing rapidly because of globalisation. We are all affected by this change and it means we need to be ready to adapt to it. This translates into the need for more competencies and better technologies. We need to exploit this change and forge lasting partnerships because it is better to face problems with others than do face them alone,” said Farnaud.

Dr Agha Nnachi (D Tech); Dr Ferdinand Nyongesa (D Tech); Dr Luzango Mfupe (D Tech); Dr Raletsatsi Moraka, Senior DVC and DVC: SAED; Prof Francois Roćaries, F’SATI Scientific Director; His Excellency, Christophe Farnaud, French Ambassador to South Africa; Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; Dr Stevine Onyango (D Tech & French PhD); Prof Josiah Munda, As-sociate Dean: Postgraduate Studies, Research and Innovation.


Manufacturing project receives the green lightThe Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT) was abuzz with stakeholders who came in numbers to view, learn and share ideas as

well as see the progress on the Zirconium Alloy component manufacturing project. The event took place at the Soshanguve South Campus on 9 June.

The purpose of the event was to formally introduce the Zirconium Alloy Component Manufacturing Project to the stakeholders. The project aims to address the challenges of localisation in the nuclear industry.

Dr Hamilton Mphidi, Centres, Institutes, Technology Stations, Incubators (CITSI) Manager at the Directorate of Research and Innovation, mentioned that they are excited that the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) is taking this project to a higher level. “At the end of the project, when all challenges and possibilities are identified, NECSA will develop a business case that will be presented to the government for possible investment in establishing a production entity/company,” he said. IAT promotes world-class technological tooling solutions for the industry and SMMEs with a strong focus on Basic Broad Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) development. “By supporting local enterprises to develop initiatives and manufacture prod-ucts locally, the Institute aims to stimulate the tooling industry in supplying products that would be imported from overseas,” said Dr Mphidi.

The Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT) received the highly acclaimed ISO 9001 certificate of registration for its qual-

ity management system on 13 October.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) is internationally recognised as the world’s leading quality management standard. The purpose of the standard is to assist organisations in meeting statutory and regulatory requirements relating to their products and/or services while achieving excellence in their customer service and delivery.

“There are many benefits that you will reap from this certification. The number of partnerships with bigger organisations will increase, it will be easier to service your customers because you now have clear and precise processes in place, you will start to see better integration in your systems, and decision-making will become much easier. This certification has set a great standard for the institute as a whole,” said Gorden Seopa, a representative of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

CITSI’s — IAT

IAT receives ISO 9001 registration

Gorden Seopa, a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) repre-sentative, hands over the ISO 9001 certificate to Jeff Makhube-la, Manager of the Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT).

A Surface Grinding Machine used to grind flat surfaces of metal components. It is located at the Soshanguve South Campus, Building 15-G40.


Research

The TUT lecturers and researchers, particularly those who hold the title of professor, are the guardians of the keys

to our future. Their responsibility is to unlock the wealth of potential of our youth and to expose their hidden value for the benefit of all. “Thus, true leadership cannot consist of mere competence in an academic field. It also demands character from a person in the position of professor,” said Prof Ben van Wyk, at the opening of the Professorial Inaugural

Executive Dean sets the bar highProf Ben van Wyk, Executive Dean of the Faculty, is

passionate about technology as well as the clarification of complex technological, scientific, educational and management concepts in a novel and fun way.

Currently an NRF C2 rated researcher, Prof van Wyk obtained his PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand and has more than 12 years of industrial experience in telecommunications and aerospace engineering. His research interests are in telecommunication networks, signal processing, machine intelligence and control, image processing, pattern recognition, aerospace engineering and engineering education. He has published more than 120 peer reviewed conference/journal papers since 1998 and has extensive industrial and education management related experience.

During his term as Associate and Executive Dean, the Faculty has increased its research outputs from 21 journals and 26 peer reviewed conference papers in 2007, to 131 accredited

journals and 47 peer reviewed conference papers in 2012, thereby leading research at TUT and making it a rival of many engineering faculties at traditional universities.

Under Prof van Wyk’s leadership, the Faculty also transformed from only 52 staff members having postgraduate degrees to more than 95 currently having such qualifications. This is more than a 30% improvement.

Infrastructure projects of more than R100 million were completed. Centres, Institutes and Technology Stations at the Faculty (Institute for Advanced Tooling, Technology Station in Electronics, Technology Station in Chemicals & French South African Technical Institute) grew to a point where more than R27 million annually flows into the University from external sources.

According to Prof van Wyk, he will endeavour to provide world-class research direction and support to all staff interested in research.

Faculty honours seven experts at Professorial Inaugural Lecture

Prof Stanley Mukhola, Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning, Prof Josiah Munda, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Prof Alfred Talukhaba, Head of the Department Building Sciences.

Prof Stanley Mukhola, Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning, Prof Zhongjie Huan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design and Prof Alfred Talukhaba, Head of the Department Building Sciences.

Lecture of seven new professors. The events took place on 20 and 28 September, at the Pretoria Campus.The newly inaugurated professors of the Faculty are [Professors] Alfred Talukhaba, Shengzhi Du, Patricia Popoola, Richard Mbaya, Zhongjie Huan, Josiah Munda, and Khumbulani Mpofu who were given a platform to speak about their respective focus areas and were confirmed as full professors at the functions.

The Faculty is a frontrunner in the field of research at the University and is extremely proud of its research capacity and output.


C-rated researcher hailed as polymer punditProf Rotimi Sadiku, a C-rated researcher, is well-known in polymer circles in Nigeria, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, South Africa and recently, also India for his exceptional research work. Although he spent some time in industry, he prefers the classroom and laboratories, sharing his knowledge and expertise with postgraduate students. Since 2004, Prof Sadiku has been working as a Research and Development Professor in the Polymer Technology Programme. He started his academic career after successfully completing a National Diploma in Textile Technology at the Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria. Thereafter, he received a scholarship to enrol for a BSc (Honours) in Fibres and Polymer Science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The theme of his thesis was Optical and Mechanical Properties Relationships of Polypropylene Films. He completed his PhD at the same institution. His field of expertise and research specialisation is Material Sciences and Technologies, and Polymer Sciences, with a focus on Mixing Polymers, Nano-clay Polymers, Rheology–Polymers, X-ray Diffraction of Polymers, and Polymers for Biomedical Applications.

Prof Rotimi Sadiku

C-rated researchers ranked amongst the finestProf Shengzhi Du, a C-rated researcher and Full Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, is not only a wise scholar. Prof Du’s passion for research is clear from a variety of projects that he is currently involved in. He was involved in a research group that considers development of systems for people with disabilities; he has been involved in a research project that involves the development of Auto controlling systems for micro-array gene chip sampling machines for the Scientific Foundation of Tianjin City in China; he conducts research on Brain Computer Interface based on EEG Technologies, Digital Topology/Morphology, and the Applications in Hough Transforms. Currently, he is part of the Control, Image Processing and Machine Intelligence Niche area at the Department of Electrical Engineering. Prof Shengzhi Du is an incisive researcher who has published over 70 papers in international journals and conferences since 2002.

Prof Shengzhi Du

New rating for Prof OnyangoProf Maurice Onyango improved his NRF rating from Y to a C1. Known as an astute scholar, Prof Onyango is the Rand Water Research Chair in Water Utilisation at the Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. The Chair was awarded to the University by Rand Water.

Prof Onyango, originally from Kenya, always had a personal, and later, a professional interest in water, which is clearly reflected in his research over the last 17 years. He obtained his Honours (first class) degree in Chemical and Process Engineering from Moi University, Kenya; Master of Science (with distinction) in Environmental Science and Technology from Unesco-IHE-Delft, the Netherlands; and a Doctor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the Nagoya University, Japan. Thereafter, he spent one year as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Process Engineering, University of Stellenbosch. His field of expertise and research specialisation is Natural Sciences and Engineering, with a focus on Reaction-separation engineering, Water treatment and Nanotechnology.

Prof Maurice Onyango

RESEARCH DAY ACHIEVERSProf Josiah Munda, Associate Dean at the Faculty (far right), presented the Faculty’s in-house Research Awards to Rigardt Coetzee (Best Oral Presenter M Tech student); Isaiah Adebayo (Best Oral Presenter D Tech student) and Chewe Kambole (Best Poster Pre-sentation).


Research - 2017Field of Expertise and Area of Involvement by staff members

Staff member Department/CITSI Field of Expertise & Area of Involvement

Abe, BT Dr (Bolanle) Electrical Engineering (eM-alahleni Campus)

Machine learning and image processingTelecommunication Electromagnetic compatibility

Adegbola, TA Dr (Adesola)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Material science Material characterizationPolymer blendsPolymer waste recycling processMechanical resting (toughness, flexural, and tensile strength) Systems engineering

Abu-Mahfouz, A Dr (Adnan) F’SATI/ Electrical Engineering

Wireless Sensor NetworkTelecommunicationsNetwork Security

Akumu, OA Dr (Aloys) Electrical Engineering (eM-alahleni Campus)

High Voltage EngineeringCondition Based MaintenancePower Systems Demand Side Management

Anochie-Boateng, J Dr (Jo-seph)

Civil Engineering(Industrial Professor)

Pavement engineering Pavement materials testing and modelling Asphalt technology and mix designLaser technology in crushed stones for roads and railways Construction waste materials in pavementsTransport infrastructure engineering

Beneke, LW Dr (Louis)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Composite materials, Wind turbine

Bopape, MF (Mokgadi) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

AdsorptionNanotechnologyMembrane technologyWater treatment

Chowdhury, SP Prof (Daniel) Electrical Engineering

Sustainable and Renewable Electrical EnergyMicrogrids and SmartgridsEnergy Poverty AlleviationEnergy and Demand ManagementEnergy Audit, Efficiency, and Saving towards green economyPowering Africa by non-conventional energy resourcesPower Electronics in Microgrid Operations and Battery ManagementPower System AnalysisSCADA in power system operation and controlPMU Placement in Contingency ManagementHarnessing green energy from Agulhas CurrentPower System StabilityDistribution System PlanningDistributed Generation and Grid IntegrationMicrogrids and Active Distribution NetworksSustainable Development to Alleviate Poverty Unemployment and In-equalitySustainable Strategy for Higher Education, etc.

De Vries, J Mr (Johannes) F’SATI/ Electrical Engineering

Signal ProcessingImage ProcessingRenewable energySolar CarRobotics

Delport, DJ Dr (Dawie) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

CementHydrogenOxygen electrolysis

Desai, DA Dr (Dawood)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Structural dynamics (vibration)FatigueVibro-acousticsFinite element analysisInfrared thermography

Diehl, W Prof (Wolfgang)

ChemicalMetallurgical and Materials Engineering(Industrial Professor)

Thin Film PhysicsSurface engineering / Coating technologies

Dintchev, OD Prof (Ognian)Centre for Energy and Electric Power (CEEP)Electrical Engineering

Production and distribution of electric powerRenewable energy and energy efficiency

Djouani, K Prof (Karim) F’SATIElectrical Engineering

ModellingOptimisation and control of networked nonlinear systemsMobile and Wireless Communication systems



Du, S Prof (Shengzhi) F’SATIElectrical Engineering

Brain Computer InterfaceControl SystemsImage ProcessingBio-mechatronicsSmart Technology

Fwamba, JCS Mr (Jean Claude)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Advanced ManufacturingMachine structure dynamics and vibrations

Gebhardt, A Prof (Andreas)Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Additive Manufacturing and 3D PrintingLaser Material Processing

Hamam, Y Prof (Alex) F’SATIElectrical Engineering

ModellingGraphs and networksLinear nonlinear and mixed integer optimisationControl systems Power systemsImage processingWater Distribution Networks analysis, operation and planning

Huan, Z Prof (Zhongjie) Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Energy efficiency technology for commercial refrigerationHeat pump system development Application for space and water heating and biomass dryingNatural working fluids for refrigerant substitutionWaste heat recoveryEnergy management

Ilori, OB Mr (Babasola) Building Science

Project managementConstruction managementProcurement processFacilities Maintenance

Jacobs, SJ Dr (SJ) Technology Station in Electron-ics (TSE) & Office of the Dean

Skills development programmes for the Electronic Manufacturing SectorRenewable Energy Skills Training and Incubation ProgrammesConcept to Prototype Product DevelopmentManufacturing Technologies IncubationTechnology Transfer and IncubationElectronic Waste Management ProcessQuality Management Systems

Jamiru, T Dr (Tamba)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Properties of High Performance composites and high strength alloysNew Engineering Materials DevelopmentCharacterisation and Optimization Green Technology

Jimoh, AA Prof (Adisa) Electrical Engineering

Power systems and automationElectric Machines and DrivesPower Electronics and Energy Conversion SystemsEnergy

Jordaan, JA Prof (Jaco)

Electrical Engineering (eM-alahleni Campus)

Signal ProcessingMathematical modellingSpectral EstimationPower system state estimationOptimisationMicrocontroller / PC software design Electrical Power and Industrial Systems & ControlImage ProcessingMachine Intelligence

Kanakana, MG Dr (Grace) Office of the Dean

Process optimisation using Lean Six SigmaSimulationOptimization theoryDecision treesLinear programming

Karger-Kocsis, J Prof (Joseph) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Polymer physicsPolymer blendsRecycling of plastic and rubber wastesThermosetting polymers from renewable resourcesManufacturing and testing of polymer composites

Kearney, JC Mr (John)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

CNC ProgrammingDevelopment of parts for manufacturingMaintenance of CNC equipment

Khalaf, AB Dr (Baset) Electrical Engineering Medical Devices developmentHealth and Health platforms development

Khoathane, MC Prof (Caroline) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Polymer/Bio-polymer reinforced natural fibre composites



Kolesnikov, AV Prof (Andrei)

Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Modelling and Simulation of Multiphase Flows in Chemical and Mineral Processing Industries NanotechnologyPlasma TechnologyComputational Fluid DynamicsChemical and Mineral Process ControlOptimisation of Chemical Processes

Kupolati, WK Prof (Williams) Civil Engineering

Sustainable and appropriate use of waste materials for civil engineering infrastructureNanostructure of cement, concrete andadvanced construction materialsIntelligent transportationManagementEnvironmental and structural systemsApplication of Artificial Neural NetworkFractal and Chaos and other novel theories in civil engineering infrastruc-tureApplication of Technology to power entrepreneurs in civil engineering

Kurien, AM Prof (Anish) F’SATIElectrical Engineering

Software DevelopmentRadio Resource ManagementWireless and Mobile Networks

Laubscher, J Prof (Jacques) Architecture

Sustainability and resource consumption in the built environment The application of the National Building Regulations (SANS 10400)Modernist architecture Pedagogic underpinning of design and architectural education

le Roux, H Mr (Henk) Electrical Engineering

Embedded SystemsSoftware DevelopmentSolar PVSolar Car

Loto, CA Prof (Cleophas) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Electrochemical corrosionMaterials Science and EngineeringPhysical MetallurgyProduction metallurgyMaterials characterisation Failure analysis

Mathebula, TI Mr (Mathebula) Electrical EngineeringControl Systems Power systems Machine Learning

Mbaya, RKK Prof (Richard) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Mineral beneficiationHydrometallurgy Separation technologies and nanotechnologyMine water treatment and waste management

Meintjes, GJ Mr (Gideon) Building Sciences Quantity SurveyorConstruction Economics

Mhike, W Dr (Washington) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Polymer Processing, Polymer Additives Technology, Graphite Nanocompos-ites

Mosesane, M Mr (Molelekoa) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Alternative biofuel fuel production and their properties (Renewable Energy Technologies)Essential oil extractionFuel consumption reduction technologies in stationery and mobile en-gines

Mouton, AJJ Mr (Braam) Electrical Engineering

Digital SystemsEmbedded Systems using Assembly and C LanguageControl of electrical equipment using GSM and embedded systems tech-nologyManagement of electrical and electronic waste in the SA scenario

Mpofu, K Prof (Khumbulani) Industrial Engineering

Advanced ManufacturingCleaner ProductionExpert SystemsRobotics in Manufacturing

Munda , JL Prof (Josiah) Electrical Engineering, Centre for Energy and Electric Power (CEEP) & Office of the Dean

Power SystemsDistributed GenerationRenewable Energy SuppliesSmart GridsEnergy and Industrial Power Systems

Ndambuki, JM Prof (Julius) Civil Engineering

Water resources managementOptimizationMulti-objective programmingDecision support systemsStochastic optimizationWater quality and quantity modelling

Research



Nnachi, AF Dr (Francis) Electrical Engineering (eMalahleni Campus)

Power electronics, Electrical machinesand drives Energy Conversion SystemsPower quality

Oboirien, BO Dr (Bilainu)Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering – Adjunct Appointment

Fluidisation, Gasification, Oxy-Combustion, Waste to Energy and Geopoly-mer production, Power to Gas

Okhai, TA Mr (Timothy) Electrical Engineering (Clinical)

Thermal ablation therapyHealthcare Technology ManagementMicrofluidics, Biosensors for medical and biochemical applicationsElectro-medical safety

Olwal, TO Prof (Thomas) F’SATIElectrical Engineering

Free space optical communication (FSOC) for emerging economiesDistributed algorithms, computational agent-based modelling, cognitive radio networks, software defined networks, decentralized decision mak-ing, emergence and self-organization, cooperation, optimization, Game theory and radio resource allocation within the Internet of Things (IoTs) and 5G communicationWater and renewable energy efficient resource managementBehavioural ecology, bio-mimicry and bio-inspiration toward 5G green communication networks

Onyango, MS Prof (Maurice) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

NanotechnologyAdsorptionWater treatment

Oosthuizen, CC Mr (Tiaan)Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Mathematical modellingControl systemsOptimisationStochastic processesStatistical analysisMechatronics

Osman, A Prof (Amira) Architecture

Housing DesignHousing Finance Housing Theory Housing Policy Urban PolicySocial Housing Informal Settlements and upgrading Community-Based Architecture Open Building 4-D Design Time-Based DesignSustainable Building Transformation Design: Theory and Methods Sudanese ModernismSudanese Built Environment History Sudanese Housing Finance

Paige-Green, P Dr (Philip) Civil Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Construction materialsSoil mechanicsRock mechanicsSoil stabilization and improvementEngineering geologyLow volume road design, construction and investigationUnpaved road materials, design and maintenanceSoil compactionConcrete technologyMine haul roadsRecycling of waste materials in constructionClimate change adaptation for transport infrastructurePavement failure forensic investigations and technical audits

Pietersen, C Mr (Christos) Electrical Engineering(eMalahleni Campus)

Digital SystemsHuman Performance DevelopmentTechnology Incubation

Popoola, API Prof (Patricia) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Physical metallurgyLaser Materials ProcessingPyrometallurgyProperties of Engineering MaterialsNanotechnology

Popoola, OM Dr (Wale)Electrical Engineering / Centre for Energy and Electric Power

Energy Management & Demand Side Management, Computational Intelligence in Energy Usage AnalysisEnergy & BehaviourRenewable and Sustainable EnergyQuality Management (special focus on ContinualImprovement in Learning Organization),Power Electronics application in Power Systems as well as Laser Applica-tionsPower Systems



Potgieter, JH Prof (Herman) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Cement, concrete and building materialsWater and wastewater treatmentUtilisation of fly ashElectrochemistry and corrosion of ferrous and other materials

Premlall, K Ms (Kasturie) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Corrosion Mechanisms and Corrosion Inhibition ResearchCarbon Sequestration TechnologiesCoal Technologies and Utilisation methodsRenewable Energy TechnologiesLead Processing Technology and Recovery TechniquesWater Treatment Technology

Relling, E Ms (Elaine) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Polymer Chemistry

Richards, CG Dr (Coneth) Electrical Engineering (eM-alahleni Campus) Electrical Power Converters

Sadiku, ER Prof (Rotimi) Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering X-ray Physics & Rheology of Polymers and Polymer Composites

Salim, RW Prof (Wanjala) Civil Engineering

Self-compacting concreteConcrete as a carbon dioxide sinkAffordable / Low cost housingStructural behaviour of biomaterialsHealth Monitoring of StructuresCellular light weight concrete elementsLaboratory simulation Fibre Reinforced Polymer in form of either Rebar, Strip or matrix in structural elements and Environmental solid waste management for environmental sustainability - Reuse of solid/powder waste material in construction

Snyman, J Prof (Jacques) Civil Engineering

Water Engineering: Hydraulics, Hydrology, Water and Waste Water Treat-ment Technology, Water Recourse Planning and ManagementEnvironmental Engineering: Solid Waste Management and Environmental Impact Assessment and Management

Steyn, GS Prof (Gerald) Architecture

Settlement dynamics Vernacular African architecture and urbanism Affordable housing Forensic auditing of buildings Planning and aesthetic guidelines

Steyn, N Dr (Nico) F’SATI Electrical Engineering

Process and AutomationEnabling Technology

Talukhaba, AA Prof (Alfred) Building Sciences

Sustainable ConstructionEnergy Efficiency in BuildingsCarbon Indexing and Cost ModellingFinancial Engineering for Construction ProjectsConstruction Law and Alternative Dispute ResolutionBusiness Modelling for Emerging Contractors

Toudjeu, IT Mr (Ignace) Electrical Engineering

Signal ProcessingImage ProcessingModellingControl systemsEmbedded systemsMachine intelligence

Trimble, JA Prof (John)

Industrial Engineering Operations Management

System dynamicsAppropriate TechnologySupply Chain managementDiscrete simulationKnowledge management

van der Bruggen, B Prof (Bart)Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering– Adjunct Appointment

Membrane technologyWater treatment and separation technologies

van Rhyn, P Dr (Pierre) Electrical Engineering

Radio transmissionIndustrial communication networksIndustrial wireless sensor networksHigh intensity discharge (HID) lighting analysisAutomotive electronics

van Wyk, BJ Prof (Ben) Office of the Dean Machine intelligence and image analysis

van Wyngaard, W Dr (Wynand) Civil Engineering

Roads building materialsDust control on gravel roadsThe improvement of the ride ability of gravel roadsThe strength balancing of bitumen stabilized materialsThe construction of asphalt, slurries and stone surfacing with bitumen and saw dust

Visser, AJ Mr (Braam) Electrical EngineeringConverters for motor controlVariable Speed DrivesSwitched Reluctance Motors

Zikalala, DP Mr (Doctor) Electrical EngineeringElectrical Machines and DrivesRenewable Energy (Smart and Micro grids)Project Management

Research


GRADUATIONS FOR 2017May 2017 Graduations Oct 2017 Graduations Total per Department for 2017

Department D Tech M Tech Total D Tech M Tech Total D Tech M Tech Total

ARCHITECTURE 13 13 1 1 14 14

BUILDING SCIENCES

CHEMICAL, METALLURGICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING 4 11 15 3 4 7 7 15 22

CIVIL ENGINEERING 3 1 4 1 3 4 4 4 8

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 6 6 12 4 3 7 10 9 19

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING 3 3 4 4 0 7 7

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 1 2 3 2 1 3 3 3 6

TOTAL 14 36 50 10 16 26 24 52 76

NRF RATING SUMMARY2017 CURRENT RATED RESEARCHERS

STAFF MEMBER GENDER RACE DEPARTMENT CATEGORY

1 Chowdhury, SP Prof Male Indian Electrical Engineering C (C1)

2 Du, S Prof Male Chinese Electrical Engineering C (C2)

3 Jimoh, AA Prof Male Black Electrical Engineering C (C3)

4 Jordaan, JA Prof Male White Electrical Engineering Y (Y2)

5 Mpofu, K Prof Male Black Industrial Engineering Y (Y2)

6 Onyango, MS Prof Male Black Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering C (C1)

7 Olwal TO Prof Male Black Electrical Engineering Y (Y2)

8 Popoola, API Prof Female Black Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering C (C3)

9 Sadiku, ER Prof Male Black Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering C (C2)

2017 NUMBER OF REGISTERED STUDENTS

DEPARTMENT M TECH D TECH GRAND TOTAL

FEMALE MALE TOTAL FEMALE MALE TOTAL

Architecture 20 46 66 - - - 66

Building Sciences 32 37 69 - - - 69

Chemical, Metallurgical & Materials Engineering 39 56 95 15 29 44 139

Civil Engineering 8 15 23 5 5 10 33

Electrical Engineering 14 57 71 - 24 24 95

Industrial Engineering 25 42 67 1 10 11 78

Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design 3 28 31 - 12 12 43

TOTAL 141 281 422 21 80 101 523


Niche Area Coordinator Main Partners Project Areas

Energy and Industrial Power Systems

Prof AA Jimoh (Adisa)

+27 12 382 4964

[email protected]

Department of Electrical Engineering

F’SATI

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design

Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Centre for Energy and Electric Power (CEEP)

Department of Architecture Engineering

Department of Industrial Engineering

Power & distribution systems

Power electronics

Electric machines & drives

Renewable and sustainable energy systems

Coal technology (combustion, gasification)

Biodiesel technology

Energy efficient buildings

Smart and intelligent buildings

Solar car challenge photovoltaic systems

Built Environment and Environmental Technology

Prof GS Steyn (Gerald)

+27 12 382 5719

[email protected]

Department of Architecture

Department of Building Sciences

Department of Civil Engineering

Sustainable infrastructure

Waste management

Appropriate architecture and urbanism

Climate responsive buildings

Enabling Technology and Control

Prof Y Hamam (Alex)

+27 12 382 5363

[email protected]

F’SATI



Faculty of ICT

Université de Versailles – St Quentin en Yvelines, France

Univérsité de Paris Est Creteil, France

ESIEE, France

Control, Image processing, Machine Intelligence (CIPMI)

Modelling & simulation applied to the enabled environment

Enabling devices (Intelligent wheelchairs, human-machine interfaces, mechatronic devices)

Tele-vigilance (sensors & sensor signal processing in an enabled environment)

e-Health & Enabled Environment Planning

Modelling and optimisation in wireless communication networks

Communication Technologies

Prof K Djouani (Karim)

+27 12 382 4809

[email protected]

F’SATI


TELKOM CoE (Telkom, Molapo Technology, COMSIS France)

Univiverity Paris-Est Créteil (France)

CSIR (Meraka)

University Santa Barbara, California (USA)

University of Johannesburg

Telkom CoE, MIMO Access Point Development

Adaptive wireless network planning for next generation networks

Radio resources management in wireless networks

Research - Niche Areas


Niche Area Coordinator Main Partners Project Areas

Climate Change and Disaster Management

Prof JM Ndambuki (Julius)

+27 12 382 5225

[email protected]

VUT, CUT, RCMRD (Nairobi, Kenya), Egerton University (Kenya), Mbarara University of Science & Technology (Uganda), Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology (Ghana)

Flood forecasting and development of coping mechanisms

Drought forecasting and coping mechanisms

Fire forecasting and coping mechanisms

Pollution propagation and it mitigation

Advanced Catalysis Technologies

Prof RKK Mbaya (Richard)

+27 12 382 3597

[email protected]

HYSA/C Change Catalysis UCT, CSIR Centre for Nanotechnology, University of Witwatersrand, Sasol Polymers, Boreskov Insitute of Cataysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection

Catalysis and industrial chemistry

Kinetics and reaction engineering

Methanol reforming, Methanol/DME synthesis, Fischer Tropsch Synthesis, nanomaterials, novel catalytic systems, zeolites synthesis and applications, recycling of precious and base metals

Research - Outputs

Department

Research Output 2016 (submitted)

Journals Conference Proceedings

Chapter in book

Total

Architecture 5,33 - - 5,33

Building Sciences - 2,33 - 2,33

Chemical, Metallurgical & Materials Engineering 61,69 5,87 14,98 82,53

Civil Engineering 8,70 0,75 0,13 9,58

Electrical Engineering 21,12 13,99 0,50 35,60

Geomatics 0,33 - - 0,33

Industrial Engineering 8,32 6,47 1,00 15,78

Mechanical Engineering 4,92 1,63 0,13 6,67

Total 110,40 31,03 16,73 158,16


Other research groups Coordinator Main Partners Project Areas

Mineral Beneficiation and Chemical

Process Technologies

Prof MS Onyango (Maurice)

+27 12 382 3533

[email protected]



Nanotechnology

Extraction of metals

Gas cleaning

Adsorption

Mathematical modelling and system analysis

Biofuels

Water and wastewater treatment

New Materials and Manufacturing

Prof ER Sadiku (Rotimi)

+27 12 841 3255

[email protected]

CSIR, Sasol, Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile

Universidad de Chile, Chile

Denel, Transnet Freight Rail

University of Johannesburg, S/Africa

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology Polymer and Composites, CSIR Material Science and Manufacturing, PE

NCNSM, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa, CSIR-CLRI, Chennai, India, University of Madras, Chennai, India

Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, China

Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Department of Food Process Engineering, S.R.M University, India

Department of Crop Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

Polymer Science & Technology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, India

CSIR-NLC, S/Africa

Universiti Brunei, Brunei Darussalam

Indian Institute of Technology, West Bengal, India

Covenant University, Sango Otta, Nigeria

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

University of Ibadan, Nigeria Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

National Aerospace Centre

Rush Medical University, Chicago

Vaal University, ESKOM and Thermaspray Pty

Federal University of Technology, Akure Nigeria

Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Natural Fibre/Polymer composites

Replacing zinc oxide in rubber compounds, especially tyres

Polyolefin/nanocomposites (Behomite)

Polymer-noble metal nanocomposites

Development of alternative analysis techniques for determination of hexane extractables in LLDPE

Development of a tool to produce wax components for investment casting of an aerospace component

Fabrication of novel polymeric nanomaterials for biomedical applications

Design, synthesis and characterization of novel thermotropic side chain liquid crystalline polymers and their blends

Investigation of the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of PA6/Perkalite composites for possible automotive applications

Research - Other Research Groups


Other research groups Coordinator Main Partners Project Areas

Water and wastewater management

Dr S Nyende-Byakika (Stephen)

+27 12 382 5213

[email protected]



Hydrological and Water Quality Modelling

Integrated Water Resources Management

Application of GIS and Remote Sensing Modelling Techniques to Solve Water Resources Related Problems (e.g. Stochastic Drought Modelling, EIA, Analysis and Modelling of Irrigation Systems)

Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies

Roads building materials

Dr W A van Wyngaard (Wynand)

+27 12 382 5217

[email protected]


Dust control on gravel roads

The improvement of ride ability of gravel road

The strength balancing of bitumen stabilized materials

The construction of asphalt, slurries and stone surfacing with bitumen and saw dust

Research - Chairs

Research chairs are specialists in areas whom are selected to be chairs based on their research expertise and ratings. The main goal of the research chairs is to strengthen and improve research and innovation capacity of

public universities for producing high quality postgraduate students, research & innovation outputs and to increase the production of masters and doctoral graduates.

Research Chair Academic

Gender Citizenship Specialisation Department Chair Category

Prof K Mpofu Male Zimbabwe Manufacturing skills development

at TUT

Industrial Engineering

*merSETA

Prof K Djouani Male French Enabled Environment and Assistive Living

Electrical Engineering/FSATI

NRF SARCHI

Dr B Abe(acting)

Female

Nigerian Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Rand Water

Prof MS Onyango Male Kenya Water utilisation Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Rand Water

Prof K Mpofu Male Zimbabwe Manufacturing Industrial Engineering

Gibela

*Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education Training Authority

Proud to be… the People’s University

Tshwane University of TechnologyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

2018 faculty in perspective · c.a. duff mechanical engineering, mechatronics and industrial...

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