Eng-PostgradGraag wil ons vir Louzanne Oosthuizen, en die res van haar vasbeslote Bedryfsinge-nieurswese span, baie hartlik gelukwens met hul oorwinning in die Waterglyplank kom-petisie tydens die Fakulteit se nagraadse sosiale ge-leentheid in Maart vanjaar! Bedryfsingenieurswese se spanlede het hand en tand geveg vir hierdie oorwinning en verdien dit dubbel en dwars! Die wenspan bestaan uit (agter v.l.n.r.) Michael Bigalke, Andrew van den Honert, Timm Engelbrecht, Marc Hatton, Eric Loots, Wouter Bam. Spankaptein Louzanne Oosthuizen is in die middel, en voor (v.l.n.r.) is Henri van Eetveldt, Burni Lindner, Christoff Reeders, en Edward Ellis.Elkeen van die spanlede het na afloop van die wedstryd ‘n oulike klein “Trust Me, I’m an Engineer” rugsak ontvang, waarna Prof Perold die gesogte Ingenieurswese Beker aan Louzanne Oosthuizen oorhandig het. Baie dankie ook aan AM de Jager vir sy uitstekende foto’s van ons sosiale geleentheid!

Junie 2013

Fakulteit Ingenieurswese Nagraadse Nuusbrief

Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch UniversityPublished by the Vice Dean (Research): Prof Willem PeroldEditor: Tanya Ficker www.eng.sun.ac.za

Heel bo links: Die waaghalsige Edward Ellis het duidelik nie ‘n bang haar op sy kop nie. Heel bo regs: Spankaptein Louzanne Oosthuizen is uiters trots op haar manne-span!Bo: Bedryfsingenieurswese se doelgerigte wenspan verdien hierdie beker dubbel en dwars.

German / South African Year of Science Seminar

On 13 February a seminar entitled “Reviewing the impact of climate change on the exposure to extreme loading as based on risk management methodologies” was held at the STIAS Wallenberg Centre in Stellenbosch. This was a follow-up seminar to a similar event held in Regensburg, Germany, in June 2012.The collaboration project between Stellenbosch University and the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences was funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and formed part of the German / South African Year of Science Celebrations: “Enhancing Science Partnerships for Innovation and Development”. Some of the presenters at the seminar included Prof Diamantidis (structural reliability expert, Regensburg University of Applied Sciences), Dr Andries Kruger (expert in strong wind characteristics, South African Weather Service), Dr Francois Engelbrecht (climate modelling expert) and Dr Adam Goliger (wind engineering expert) at the CSIR, as well as a number of senior researchers at the Department of Civil

Engineering.Exposure to extreme environmental conditions forms an important component in the structural design of infrastructure. Climate change will therefore have a direct bearing on the design basis of such structures. Advanced risk management methodologies have been developed to treat the inherent variability and uncertainties of extreme loading in a rational and optimal manner. The concluding seminar recorded the outcome of the review of climate change in the two relevant countries, with specific reference to measures taken to consider its effects on infrastructure and to clarify the way in which adjustments need to be made to design procedures based on risk management methodologies. The needs and opportunities for further research and investigation were identified, to serve as basis for future cooperation between the two countries, specifically the two universities.Individual presentations are available at: http://www0.sun.ac.za/civeng/index.php?page=kursusse-seminare

From left to right: Mr Marius Rossouw (CSIR/WNNR), Mr Etienne van der Klashorst (Civil Engineering), Dr Adam Goliger (CSIR), Dr Andries Kruger (SA Weather Service/SAWS), Prof Dimitris Diamantidis (Regensburg University of Applied Sciences), Ms Vanessa Dia-mantidis (Regensburg University of Applied Sciences), Prof Johan Retief (Civil Engineering), Prof Willie Perold (Vice Dean Engineering)

Prof Reuter ‘n finalis in NWTF-BHP ToekenningsProf Hanno Reuter, adjunk-hoof van die Termovloei Afdeling by die Departement Meganiese en Meg-atroniese Ingenieurswese is onder die finaliste in die prestigeryke 2012/13 Nasionale Wetenskap- en Tegnologieforum (NWTF) BHP Billi-ton-toekennings (oftewel die NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards) wat jaarliks ge-hou word om uitnemende bydraes tot die Wetenskap, Ingenieurswese, Tegnologie en Innovasie (die soge-

naamde WETI-omgewing) te vier. Volgens die organiseerders van die geleentheid is dit ʼn uit-sonderlike eer om ʼn finalis te wees, gedagtig aan die gehalte van die benoemdes en die feit dat hulle almal uitstaande bydraes tot wetenskap, ingenieurswese, tegnologie en inno-

vasie in Suid-Afrika gelewer het om tot hier te kon vorder.Prof Reuter is saam met sy span benoem in die kategorie vir ʼn individu of ʼn span se uitstaande bydrae tot WETI deur navorsing wat lei tot innovasie in korporatiewe instellings; klein, medium of mikro-ondernemings; en nie-regerings-, ge-meenskapsgebaseerde- of nie-winsgewende organisasies.Prof Reuter en sy span het met ʼn nuwe verkoelingstelsel vir verbeterde kragopwekking (fossiel, kern- en sonkrag) vorendag gekom. Die tegnologie wat ontwikkel is verhoog doeltreffendheid by kragsentrales en verminder lewensiklus- en bedryfskoste. Prof Reuter het sy meestersgraad in Meganiese Ingenieurs-wese aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch behaal waarna hy die daaropvolgende agt jaar plaaslik en oorsee in die praktyk gewerk het. In 2003 is hy as senior lektor in die Departement Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese aangestel waarna hy sy doktorsgraad in 2010 verwerf het.

Prof Hanno Reuter

The European Union and African Union for food (EAU4Food) is a large scale integrated research project with the aim to in-crease food production in irrigated farming systems in Africa. The project is coordinated by Alterra, a research institute at Wageningen University, Netherlands, which specialises in life sciences and natural resources studies, and was recently ranked second in the world for its Agriculture and Forestry department. Stellenbosch University is involved in research conducted at the EAU4Food study site in the Limpopo Province. Phelia van Breda, MScEng student at the Department of

Industrial Engineering, visited the EAU-4Food team at Alterra for a five week period during March and April. Phelia is responsible for the hydrological model-ling of the South African study area to determine future water availability and development options. Dr Erik Querner at Alterra provided valuable guidance for her project.

Tanya Visser is Phelia’s supervisor and Dr WP de Clercq is the coordinator of the EAU4Food project at Stellenbosch University.

Alterra Research Institute at Wageningen University, Netherlands.

Phelia van Breda

CUM LAUDE GRADUANDI

Caitlin Joubert Bedryfsingenieurswese NDI Thys de Beer Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng

Adriaan Haasbroek Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Attie Spies Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Coenie Beyers Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Dewald Abrie Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Dirk-B Coetzee Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Etienne Claase Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Mike-Alec Kearney Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Pieter Bouwer Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Temwani-Joshua Phiri Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MIng Zac Mouton Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng

Cobus Pieterse Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng David Krige Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Frikkie Botha Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Karel Kruger Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Kyung Jin Cho Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Ryno Laubscher Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Tinus Ras Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Tim Wucher Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Warrick Pierce Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MIng Wilhelm Kenny Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng

Josh Wallace Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Liaan Kritzinger Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Paul McIntosh Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Andreas Malan Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Chris Baret Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Christina Mcleod Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Claudia Struwig Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Derick Immelman Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Gerrit Coetzee Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Hendrick Stephan Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Pierre-Malan Hugo Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Stephan van der Walt Siviele Ingenieurswese MIng Tiaan Wright Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng

Maart 2013 Cum Laude GraduandiDit is vir die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese ‘n groot voor-reg om die volgende studente hartlik geluk te wens met hul uitsonderlike prestasie in die voltooiing van hul meestersgrade (MScIng/MIng), of hul nagraadse diploma in ingenieurswese (NDI). Hierdie studente het in Maart vanjaar met cum laude gegradueer, en met so ‘n uitmuntende studierekord kan hulle nie an-ders as om suksesvol te wees in hul toekomsplanne nie. Ons lig ons hoed vir hul dissipline en toegewyd-heid, en wens hulle alle voorspoed toe met hul rooskleurige toekomsplanne!

Postgraduate Research Day at Process Engineering The Department of Process Engineering held its annual Post-graduate Research Day on the 23rd and 24th of May 2013 in its new facilities. Over the years, the conference has become an excellent platform for students to share their experiences. The head of the department, Prof Andre Burger, emphasized the importance of conveying a message, sharing knowledge and engaging in discussions.The two-day programme included a total of 44 presentations (30 full orals and 14 snapshots), which provided a good re-view on the main research themes (Bioprocess Engineering, Process Monitoring and Systems, Mineral Processing and Separation Technology) conducted at the Department of Process Engineering. The papers covered a broad range of energy, environmental and process efficiency issues related to different sectors such as the wine industry, paper and pulp production, microbiology, waste management and mining. The audience could appreciate the important investment that the department has made in developing students’ abilities to model and collect robust experimental data in order to under-stand a process. Postgraduate students presented their individual research topics to judges and an attentive audience, and thereafter prizes for the best full oral presentations and snapshots were awarded by Prof Kim Clarke.Congratulations to the winners of the full oral presentations:

In first place was Herman Franken (MScEng), second place was awarded to Jamie Cripwell (MScEng), and Emmanuel Anane and Jaco Van Rooyen (MScEng) walked away with joint third place. Congratulations also to the winners of the snapshots: In first place was Angelo Ridout (MEng), and sec-ond place was awarded to Neo Motang (MEng).

From left to right: Angelo Ridout, Neo Motang, Emmanuel Anane, Prof Kim Clarke, Jaco van Rooyen, Jamie Cripwell, Herman Fran-ken

Title: Comparison of Pretreatment and Fractionation Methods for Bioconversion of South-African Lignocellulosic BiomassDepartment: Department of Process EngineeringPromoter: Prof JF Görgens

Summary:Lignocellulosic constituents may serve as feedstocks for the production of value added products. A liberation step however, is required to ensure that the full potential of these constituents as precursor chemicals is being realised. Different pretreatment technologies, supported by suitable statistical designs, were employed to maximise constituent recovery from sugarcane bagasse, bamboo and triticale bran. Introduction of a novel ionic liquid treatment step in combination with conventional pretreatment processes also allowed for the individual recovery of constituents into separate product streams. Novel liberation strategies have therefore been devised which enable the effective utilisation of lignocellulosic constituents as feedstocks for the replacement of fossil fuel.

Congratulations to Danie Diedericks for obtaining his PhD qualifica-tion during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Dr Danie Diedericks

Die Nasionale Her-nubare Energie Labo-ratorium (NREL) is die enigste Laboratorium in die Verenigde State van Amerika wat slegs op hernubare en vol-houbare energie, en die tegnologieë wat daar-mee gepaard gaan, fokus. Die laboratorium, wat in Golden, Colorado geleë is, is wêreldwyd bekend en lewer hoë

kwaliteit navorsing. Die laboratorium is ook verantwoordelik vir die kommersialisering van volhoubare tegnologie, veral in die VSA. Dr Sewis van Zyl, ‘n na-doktorale navorser by die Departe-ment Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese, het in 2011 sy PhD graad onder leiding van Prof Thomas Harms verwerf in die veld van sellulose omskakelling en die nume-riese modellering van sellulose mengsels en ensiemreak-sies. Deur middel van sy PhD navorsing, het Sewis met NREL-personeel in aanraking gekom en, op grond van sy navorsing, het hulle hom uitgenooi om ses maande by NREL te spandeer in samewerking met hul Nasionale Biomassa en Berekeningswetenskap Sentrum, binne die Energie Stelsels

Integrasie Fasiliteite (ESIF) gebou.Sewis se nadoktorale navorsing word tans deur die Suid Afrikaanse Nasionale Navorsings Stigting (NNS) befonds. Tydens sy besoek by NREL op ‘n J-1 uitruil-navorservisum, word basiese lewenskostes deur NREL gedek. Die geleent- heid stel Sewis bloot aan ‘n wêreldklas navorsingsomge-wing met die heel nuutste toerusting en sagteware, sowel as metodes en opleiding binne ‘n spanwerksverband. Tydens sy besoek aan NREL werk Sewis saam met ‘n innoverende span aan die omskakeling van biomassa, meer spesifiek sel-lulose wat volop in die natuur voorkom, na gebruikbare pro-dukte soos etanol, waterkoolstowwe en ander chemikalieë.Buiten die werksomgewing, kry NREL personeel tyd om die natuur te geniet: lente- en somermaan-de laat toe vir fietsry, bergklim, jag en draf, terwyl die winter kans gun vir ski en “snow shoeing”. Daar is ook baie natuurwonders om in Colorado te besoek insluitend na-tuurreservate, reuse klowe en natuurlike rotsformasies. Die Energie Stelsels Integrasie Fasilite-

ite (ESIF) gebou in Colorado.

Points to PonderA police officer stopped at a farm and told the farmer, “I need to inspect your farm for illegally grown drugs.” The farmer said, “Okay, as long as you don’t go in that field over there.” The policeman sneered. “I think you’ll find that I have the authority of the police force behind me.” He pulled out his badge. “See this? It means I’m allowed to go wherever I want, whenever I want. No questions asked, no answers giv-en. I’m in charge. Understand?” The farmer nodded politely and went about his chores. A short time later, he heard ter-rifying screams. He looked up to see the policeman running for his life, hotly pursued by the farmer’s massive bull. With every step, the beast was gaining ground. The farmer imme-diately threw down his tools, ran to the fence as fast as he could and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Your badge! Show him your badge!” A carload of hunters looking for a place to hunt, pulled into a farmer’s yard in County Waterford, Ireland. The driver, Brannagh, went up to the farmhouse to ask permis-sion to hunt on the farmer’s land. The old farmer said, “Sure you can hunt, but would you be doing me a favour? That old donkey standing over there is 20 years old and sick with can-cer, but I don’t have the heart to kill her. Would you do it for me?” Brannagh replied, “Of course I will,” and strolled back to the car. While walking back, however, Brannagh decided to play a little trick on his hunting friends. He got into the

car and when they asked if the farmer had said if it was al-right, he said, “No, we can’t hunt here, but I’m going to teach that old fellow a lesson he won’t forget.” With that, Brannagh rolled down his window, stuck his gun out and shot the don-key. As he shouted, “That will teach him a lesson,” a second shot rang out from the passenger side and one of his hunting mates yelled, “And me, my friend, I’ve got the cow!” Big Frank was having his hair styled at the hair-dresser’s when a lorry smashed into a car outside. Draped in a cape, his hair divided with aluminium clips, Frank, an ex-paratrooper corporal, raced out to the car and found the driver unhurt. The lorry driver, however, was slumped over the wheel, unconscious. Big Frank lost no time in applying his army acquired CPR techniques, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The lorry driver recovered conscious-ness several times, but kept passing out again. Soon the ambulance arrived with the paramedics and took over, and Frank returned to his barber’s seat. “I just don’t understand why he kept passing out,” he said to the hairdresser. “I did everything they taught me.” “Well, put yourself in the lorry driver’s place,” said the hairdresser. “He’s driving down the street without a care in the world. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up to see some big guy in a green cape with a head full of wires pounding on his chest, kissing him passion-ately. You’d pass out too.”

Sewis van Zyl, meer as 12 000 ft bo seespieël, in Colorado.

Dr John Gilmore

Title: A state management and persistency architecture for peer-to- peer massively multi-user virtual environments.Department: Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringPromoter: Dr Herman Engelbrecht

Summary:Peer-to-peer (P2P) Massively Multi-user Virtual Environments (MMVEs) are increasingly important environments for collaboration and entertainment, but often lack scalable data storage models. In this study, a novel generic state consistency model is proposed, which formalises the storage requirements of P2P MMVEs. A novel state management and persistency architecture is proposed that addresses deficiencies of current storage designs. A novel Markov chain model is also proposed, which allows for the accurate prediction of virtual object lifetimes in any network of finite size. This can greatly improve the information retrieval speed, scalability and cost effectiveness of such environments.

Congratulations to John Gilmore for obtaining his PhD qualification during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Title: Hydrologic-economic appraisal of inter-basin water transfer projectsDepartment: Department of Civil EngineeringPromoter: Dr JA du Plessis

Summary:Methodology was investigated for appraising economic-efficiency of inter-basin water transfer projects with significant variable (e.g. pumping) costs. Case study research showed that an “Incremental Approach” is generally followed in the planning phase. As uncertainty, due to hydrologic stochasticity, of water transfer volumes and variable costs, is not considered, life-cycle costs are overestimated. The generally applied RSA unit reference value (URV) measure is shown to be inadequate. Using a systems-analysis method, economic theory and decision-analysis principles, an improved “Comprehensive Approach” is proposed. The URV measure is conceptually clarified and redefined. This approach leads to improved, unbiased results, illustrating its importance for future water resource management.

Congratulations to Peter van Niekerk for obtaining his PhD qualification during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Dr Peter van Niekerk

Three academic staff members from the Separations Tech-nology Research Group at the Department of Process Engi-neering recently attended two conferences in Europe where they presented their own work, as well as that of their stu-dents. The work was well received, with numerous comments high-lighting the standard of the research, and proved that the research group is increasing its international standing and building a reputation for being an excellent research facility. The 9th European Congress on Chemical Engineering (ECCE) was held in The Hague, The Netherlands from 21 April to 25 April. The conference theme was “Shaping a Sustainable Future” and presentations, from plenaries to posters, focused on how chemical engineers can apply their knowledge in various sub-fields in order to improve the sus-tainability of chemical processes. The conference brought to-gether people from industry, academia and society at broad, allowing interaction and partnership development on various levels. Dr Cara Schwarz and Dr Linda Callanan presented the following presentations:* Evaluating reaction rate expressions for CO2 and MEA in alcoholic solvents by LJ du Preez, LH Callanan and JH Kno-etze (Poster presentation)* Hydroxylation of 2-methylnaphthalene to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone over Titanium-substituted catalysts by LH Callanan, J Rose and T Mokomele (Poster presentation)* Improved method to determine the loading point and onset of flooding in packed columns from the hydrodynamic be-haviour by CE Schwarz, SM Lamprecht, JH Knoetze and AJ Burger (Poster presentation)* The influence of gas and liquid physical properties on en-trainment inside a sieve tray column by CE Schwarz, EC Uys, RK Moses, AJ Burger and JH Knoetze (Poster presentation)* Evaluation of the phase behaviour of high molecular mass

linear hydrocarbons with various functional groups in super-critical carbon dioxide by CE Schwarz (Oral presentation)The conference theme ties in closely to one of the underlying concepts of the research group, namely to understand sepa-ration processes better in order to minimise uncertainty and over design, therefore reducing equipment size and costs and improving energy efficiency. The presentations were all well received and showcased the quality and applicability of the research being conducted in the Separations Technology Research Group. Dr Cara Schwarz and Prof Hansie Knoetze attended the 10th Symposium on Supercritical Fluids and their Applica-tions from 29 April to 6 May. This conference was extraordi-nary, seeing as it was held on the cruise ship MSC Preziosa which sailed through the Mediterranean starting in Napoli (It-aly) with stops in Messina (Italy), Tunis (Tunisia), Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France) and Genoa (Italy). Dr Schwarz and Prof Knoetze each presented an oral and together presented a poster: * The potential application of Supercritical Fluids in the Petro-chemical Industry by JH Knoetze (Oral presentation)* Influence of the carboxyl group on the phase behaviour of esters and acetates in supercritical fluids by CE Schwarz, EL Naude and LH Callanan (Oral presentation)* The ability of thermodynamic models in Aspen Plus® to predict the phase behaviour of alkanes, alcohols and methyl esters in supercritical ethane by CE Schwarz, JE Lombard and JH Knoetze (Poster presentation)The presentations were well received and the reasonably narrow topic, location of the conference, and the generous amount of free time afforded the delegates the opportunity to interact and build possible future collaborations.

Dr Linda Callanan (left) and Dr Cara Schwarz at the ECCE conference in The Netherlands.

From left to right: Stevia Sutanto (TU Delft), Dr Irene Ro-driguez-Meizoso (Lund University) and Dr Cara Schwarz, spending some time sightseeing during the MSC Preziosa’s stop in Tunis (Tunisia).

Title: A Contribution to the Advancement of Geotechnical Engineering in South AfricaDepartment: Department of Civil EngineeringPromoter: Prof JV Retief & Prof GPAG van Zijl

Summary:Peter Day was awarded the senior doctorate degree of DEng for a career of consistent and extensive contribution to geotechnical engineering concurrent with carrying duties and responsibilities as a practicing consulting engineer. In addition to ultimately carrying the responsibility as Chairman of Jones and Wagener Consulting Civil Engineers, Peter managed to produce more than sixty publications as author or co-author, including journal and conference papers, a range of codes of practice and standards.The dissertation which Peter submitted, based on his career of investigation and publication, provides a clear demonstration that research is not limited to those who pursue an academic career, but can also be undertaken by professionals in engineering practice. In the review of his dissertation it is noted specifically that the physical research was mainly carried out in the field, motivated by the needs of construction projects and taking advantage of opportunities to initiate

and carry out large scale field experiments, confirming special characteristic of the special nature of the contribution by Dr Day. It is concluded that few South African geotechnical engineers, whether in academia or private practice, can lay claim to such a broad contribution in the field of geotechnical engineering.Peter ascribes his continued research output firstly when his curiosity is aroused because he does not have the answer, but is sure it is within reach; then there is the sheer joy of finding a solution; demanding that it be shared; with the tension that if the new found knowledge is not written down, it will be forgotten.

Congratulations to Peter Day for obtaining his DEng qualification during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Dr Peter Day and his wife Tinky at the graduation ceremony in March ‘13

Dr Charl Baard

Title: Design of dual-shaped triple layer pillbox antenna.Department: Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringPromoter: Prof Keith Palmer

Summary:The triple layer pillbox antenna is an antenna topology well suited for use in radar applications due to folding which makes it compact. Existing designs of these antennas suffer from two drawbacks: a) The transition between layers introduces reflections and b) Virtually no pattern control is available to the designer. A compensated transition was designed which offers high performance over a broad frequency and incidence angle range. Limited pattern control was realised through “dual reflector shaping. To test these innovations three X-band antennas were designed, built and measured. Results verified the validity of the techniques developed within this work.

Congratulations to Charl Baard for obtaining his PhD qualifica-tion during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Vier nagraadse studente by die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese het om die beurt vanaf Maart tot Junie vanjaar die geleentheid gekry om die Faculty of Technical Sciences by die Universiteit van Novi Sad, Serwië, te besoek. Drie van die studente is onder studieleiding van Dr Dirk de Villers, en sluit in Nico Zandberg wat fokus op voubare antennas, Ryno Beyers wat wye band filters ondersoek, en Dewald Schoeman wat frekwensie selektiewe oppervlaktes navors. Die vierde student, Anton Killian, is onder studieleiding van Prof Coenrad Fourie. Die uitruilprogram staan bekend as ‘MultiWaves’, en fokus op uitruilings tussen ‘n paar Europese universiteite (Universiteit van Novi Sad, Serwië, en Heriot Watt Universiteit, Skotland) sowel as universiteite buite Europa (Universiteit van St Petersburg, Rusland, en Penn State Universiteit, Amerika, en Stellenbosch Univerisiteit). Navorsers en studente besoek die deelnemende universiteite en werk saam aan projekte wat, onder andere, handel oor herkonfigureerbare antennas en mikrogolfstrukture. Tot dusver het daar al heelwat studente uitruilings plaasgevind, en nog ‘n span nagraadse studente, onder studieleiding van Prof Petrie Meyer, vertrek binnekort na Heriot Watt Universiteit, Skotland.Noue werksbande word gevorm tussen dié studente, en die

personeel en nagraadse studente by Novi Sad Universiteit, waar almal baie vriendelik en behulpsaam is. Daar word graag toeriste attraksies gewys, en gereeld vertel van Serwië se ryk geskiedenis.

v.l.n.r: Nico Zandberg, Ryno Beyers, Dr Dirk de Villiers, Norbert Cselyuszka (Novi Sad), Vesna Crnojevic-Bengin (Novi Sad), Vasa Radonic (Novi Sad), Anton Kilian, Dewald Schoeman

Industrial Engineering spearheads COMA ‘13The fifth International Conference on Competitive Manufacturing (COMA ’13) took place from 30 January to 1 February at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS). The main objective of this conference was to present recent developments, research results and industrial experience related to the improvement of competitiveness in the field of manufacturing. COMA is also a generator of innovative ideas and fruitful collaboration between parties both locally and abroad. Among the participants were international communities of manufacturing and academia, national educational institutions, researchers, industrial designers, managers, engineers, scientists and senior technical personnel from manufacturing related companies.The conference covered various research topics such as rapid product development, agile manufacturing, operations management, as well as enterprise design and integration.The conference was organised by the Department of Industrial Engineering, with Dr Andre van der Merwe as

the conference chairman, and Prof Dimitri Dimitrov as the co-chairman.A total of 16 authors from Stellenbosch University contribu-ted to the conference, of which five are postgraduate students at the Department of Industrial Engineering, and two are postgraduate students at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. Pieter Conradie, a PhD student at the Department of Industrial Engineering, was one of the COMA ‘13 authors. He presented his research findings based on his PhD thesis entitled “Approach

for Evaluation and Selection of Cutting Strategies for Cost Minimisation in Milling of Titanium”.A great amount of knowledge, research and results were exchanged between conference participants, ensuring that COMA ‘13 was a huge success - not only for Stellenbosch University, but also for the establishment of international knowledge transfer communities.

Pieter Conradie expands on his PhD research

The Africa 2013 Conference on Water Storage and Hydropower Development for Africa was held from 16 - 18 April at the Africa Union Congress Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main objective of this conference was to discuss practical aspects of advancing hydropower and water resources development in Africa. The conference, which included a technical exhibition of 56 stands, several of which were from South Africa, was attended by approximately 600 delegates from 67 countries. Co-hosted by Aqua-Media International Ltd (Hydropower & Dams), the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), the event brought together ministerial delegations, utility CEOs, water- and energy-related professional associations, eminent engineering consultants,

researchers, leading contractors and equipment suppliers. Ousmane Sawadogo, a PhD student at the Department of Civil Engineering, presented a paper at the conference entitled “Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling in 3D of local sediment flushing scour at hydropower intakes and dam bottom outlets”. Prof Gerrit Basson, Ousmane’s study leader, head of Water Division at the department, and vice president of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), led the Africa Regional Club (ARC) meeting and also chaired a parallel session on

Capacity Building. The conference, which provided excellent networking opportunities, ended with a four-day study tour to several water and hydro projects in Ethiopia.

Ousmane Sawadogo at the conference venue in the Africa Union Congress Centre

The SKILL exchange programme invites South African post-graduate students to apply for a bursary, with the objective of giving South African students the opportunity to study abroad. Kai Langmaak, a second year MEng student at the Department of Civil Engineering, left for the Netherlands in February this year, together with a fellow Matie student. The final destination was

the historic town of Delft, situated between The Hague and Rotterdam in the southern part of the Netherlands. After a one-week introduction course at the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft), the official lectures commenced: three very challenging and informative postgraduate modules regarding Hydraulic engineering and Water management, all presented

in English. Since large parts of the Netherlands are situated below sea level, the Dutch are forced to manage their water wisely, which makes it a very interesting field of study. Kai experienced the TU Delft as a very international university, especially on a postgraduate level, seeing as about half of his fellow classmates came from virtually all over the world, including Asia, Scandinavia, USA, and Australia. With Kai being fluent in Afrikaans, the language barrier with the friendly Dutch people was not expected to pose any problems. He soon realised, however, that the Dutch speak extremely fast and following their conversations was a great deal more challenging than had been expected. Although the workload was quite overwhelming, Kai fortunately had a few opportunities to visit other parts of the Netherlands, as well as Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium during weekends and during the last week of his stay in Europe. At the end of April, Kai’s ten-week stay in the Netherlands had come to an end. Admittedly he experienced mixed feelings with regards to leaving the Netherlands, on the one hand exited to see friends and family back home, but on the other hand sad to leave behind new acquaintances and friends. Kai had an amazing stay in the Netherlands, and can highly recommend the SKILL programme to any postgraduate student who is able to fit it into his/her study schedule. Prof Gerrit Basson is Kai’s study leader.

Kai Langmaak, sightseeing in Amsterdam

Title: Development of a novel air-cored permanent magnet linear generator for direct drive ocean wave energy convertersDepartment: Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringPromoter: Prof Maarten Kamper

Summary:In this study a novel air-cored permanent magnet linear generator topology, with application to direct drive ocean wave energy converters, was developed. This generator topology eliminates some of the major problems experienced with current experimental iron-cored linear generators, which include large magnetic attraction forces and difficult construction. A unique test setup was additionally developed to allow for testing of a 1 kW prototype generator and for a predictive control strategy for linear generators to be implemented and tested for the first time. This control strategy eliminates the need for voltage or linear position sensors, required in previously proposed control strategies.

Congratulations to Rieghard Vermaak for obtaining his PhD qualification during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Dr Rieghard Vermaak

Title: Integration of xylan extraction prior to kraft and sodaAQ pulping from South African grown Eucalyptus grandis, giant bamboo and sugarcane bagasse to produce paper pulps, value added biopolymers and fermentable sugars.Department: Department of Process EngineeringPromoter: Prof JF Görgens & Prof T Rykstra

Summary:Hemicelluloses in the biomass are largely under-utilised in the pulp production process, even though they have been shown to be a source of novel functional materials, such as fermentable sugars, biopolymers or paper additives. Alkaline and acidic pre-extraction methods were demonstrated to effectively isolate hemicelluloses from biomass such that high quality fibre was retained for the subsequent paper pulp production. These pre-extraction methods were also shown to reduce process chemicals demand while preserving pulp properties and yields. This study provided valuable and significant knowledge on how pulp and paper mills could operate in the realm of the biorefinery concept.

Congratulations to Phumla Vena for obtaining her PhD qualifi-cation during the March ‘13 graduation ceremony!

Phumla Vena obtains PhD qualification

Dr Phumla Vena

Wesley Solomons, a postgraduate student at the Department of Civil Engineering, is in the process of conducting research for his MEng degree at the Murray & Roberts Chair for Construction Engineering and Mana-gement. Wesley is currently spending three months in Germany as an exchange student at the Bauhaus University Weimar, East Germany,

which is renowned for Architecture and Civil Engineering. The teaching and research activities in these fields are quite extensive - as the term “Bauhaus” suggests, the University and the method of teaching paves the way for openness, originality, and enthusiasm to experiment. The various faculties at Bauhaus University are all centered on the establishment of public spaces, and strives to incorporate science, art and technology in such a way as to improve future developments. Research opportunities at Bauhaus University include attending conferences such as the Deutscher Bautechnik, and exhibitions such as Bauma. The Deutscher Bautechnik is a two-day conference, which was held on 11 April at the congress centre in Hamburg, where contractors and engineers from Germany address concrete technology and developments in the construction industry.

Bauma 2013, which takes place in Munich, Germany, is one of the largest construction exhibitions in the world, and is an example of another opportunity that Wesley was granted as a research student. During the Bauma exhibition, all sectors of innovation and market leaders in the construction industry exhibit products, plant and equipment over an area of 570 000m2. The Liebherr dumper, shown in the figure below, is the largest dumper in the world and was one of the many extraordinary items on display during the Bauma exhibition. Wesley’s experience of the exchange pro-gramme thus far is that, apart from conducting research, new cultures are embraced and new friendships and relationships are built. The construction in-dustry in South Africa is a bit different to that of Germany and, according to Wesley, an exchange programme allows one to explore the construction industry of a developed country in more depth, whilst at the same building valuable contacts. Prof Jan Wium at the Department of Civil Engineering is Wesley’s study leader.

Wesley Solomons

Bauhaus University Weimar, East Germany

The Liebherr dumper is the largest dumper in the world

Two awards were given at the international conference on Advances in Cement and Concrete Technology in Africa (ACCTA 2013), which was held in Johannesburg from 27 - 29 January. ACCTA 2013 is the first international conference initiated from the SPIN project (Spearhead network for innovative, clean and safe cement and concrete technologies), that is a cooperation between European and African leading research institutions from the fields of materials research. The aim of the conference is to establish a sustainable and economically efficient cement and concrete technology in Africa, with worldwide impact. An award was given for the best paper by an author with a South African affiliation, as well as an award for the best paper by an author of German affiliation. The award for a South African affiliate was won by Suvash Chandra Paul, a PhD student at the Department of Mechanical and

Mechatronic Engineering, for his paper entitled “Mechanical behaviour of strain hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) based on micromechanical design”. The paper was co-authored by Prof Gideon van Zijl, Suvash’s supervisor. Prof van Zijl also presented a keynote lecture at this conference, entitled “Crack formation and durability of advanced cement-based materials”. The prize for the South African laureate is a six-month research visit to the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, Germany. The prize covers the costs of a return flight up to a maximum amount of €1200, as well as a monthly payment of €2300 to cover the cost

of accommodation, subsistence, and any further expenses incurred. Suvash traveled to Germany on 9 May in order to work on his research project, and will return to Stellenbosch on 16 November.

Suvash Chandra Paul

Titel: “The method of manufactured solutions for the verification of computational electromagnetic codes”Departement: Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese IngenieurswesePromotor: Prof David Davidson

Opsomming:Moderne ingenieurswese berus toenemend op rekenaarsimulasie. Dit is dus uiters belangrik dat die oplossings van hierdie simulasies betroubaar is. Die kandidaat het die Metode van Vervaardigde Oplossings in elektromagnetiese simulasie ingevoer – hierdie industrie sluit die ontwerp van moderne ikone soos selfone, radars en radioteleskope in. Die kandidaat het bewys dat die metode van toespassing is op eindige-elementsimulasies in elektromagnetika, sowel as op die momentmetode, waarop dit nie voorheen toegepas is nie. Uitdagende wiskundige probleme met die laasgenoemde tegniek moes ook opgelos word. Die werk het belangrike toepassingsmoontlikhede in industrie.

Geluk aan Renier Marchand met die verwerwing van sy PhD kwalifikasie gedurende die Maart ‘13 graduasie seremonie!

Renier Marchand verwerf PhD kwalifikasie

Dr Renier Marchand

Dept of Industrial EngineeringAcademic: Prof PJ Vlok 021 808 8680 (pjvlok@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Amelia Henning 021 808 4240 (ah2@sun.ac.za)

Dept of Electrical & Electronic EngineeringAcademic: Prof Johan du Preez021 808 4342 (dupreez@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Anita van der Spuy 021 808 2483 (ajvdspuy@sun.ac.za)

Dept of Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering Academic: Prof Albert Groenwold021 808 4243 (albertg@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Welma Liebenberg 021 808 4095 (welmal@sun.ac.za)

Dept of Process Engineering Academic (left): Prof Kim Clarke021 808 4421 (kclarke@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Lynette Bresler 021 808 4712 (lbresler@sun.ac.za)

Dept of Civil Engineering Academic: Prof Breda Strasheim021 808 4435 (javbs@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Amanda de Wet 021 808 4404 (amandadw@sun.ac.za)

Dean’s Office Vice Dean (Research): Prof Willem Perold021 808 4368 (wjperold@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Ms Tanya Ficker 021 808 9403 (tanya@sun.ac.za)

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