Faculty in Perspective
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Faculty of Eng
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Built En
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Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Foreword:
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
T
his publication highlights some aspects of our activities during 2012 and we trust you will enjoy reading about
them. During 2012 we embarked on a number of interventions to enhance the quality of our teaching and
learning in an effort to make learning more meaningful for students, industry and staff. All indications are that
we will again in 2012/13, for the third time in a row, exceed the goal of 100 research units, which is indeed a
remarkable achievement for the faculty.
We invite you to partner with us if and when the opportunity arises so that, collectively, we can ensure that we
live our vision of being a leading faculty of engineering and the built environment in southern Africa, and thus
serve our people even better:
VISION STATEMENT
To be a leading faculty at the cutting edge of technology and innovation that provides relevant quality-driven
professional career education of an international standard.
MISSION STATEMENTS
Being student- and stakeholder-centred and quality-driven in everything we do.
Offering a portfolio of relevant, recognised and career-focused programmes that are locally relevant and internationally recognised.
Producing well-rounded and socially responsible graduates attuned to the needs of the industry and the economy
in an environment conducive to teaching and learning with technology.
Being a research and innovation hub responsive to challenges of the country and continent in clearly defined
areas of strength.
Generating, integrating and applying knowledge to stimulate socio-economic development by partnering with
communities and industries in sustainable development.
Being a place of excellence with a proud, loyal, effective and highly competent workforce.
I thank you
Prof Ben van Wyk
Executive Dean
Front page photo: Building 11 Pretoria Campus
stats
Students graduated
Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2
NDip and B Tech
1 090
1 051
1 195
1 220
1 430
1 512
1 529
1543
STAFF COMPLIMENT
M Tech
11
23
23
24
15
32
46
53
D Tech
1
4
4
2
2
4
5
10
Total
1 102
1 078
1 222
1 246
1 447
1 548
1 565
1 606
2012
Actual
Vacant
Total
Academic
122
16
138
Tshwane University of Technology
Administrative
37
3
40
Technical
25
2
27
2013
Faculty in Perspective
Why
F
Architecture @ TUT?
or more than a decade, TUT’s Department of Architecture has
been offering courses for all the SA Council of the Architectural
Profession (SACAP) categories, including that of professional architect. During the most recent accreditation visit, in June 2012,
the Department was given full, unconditional accreditation by the
SACAP board for the categories of technologist, senior technologist and professional architect. The Commonwealth Association of
Architects (CAA), the accrediting council from the UK, gave full accreditation to the Department’s M Tech: Architecture (Professional)
course. The Department is therefore on an equal footing with institutions in the UK offering programmes that lead to the category
of professional architect.
communities and prove more likely to offer investment value for
occupants than conventional mass-housing models.
This year the Department won the joint first prize with the University of Pretoria for the Des Baker Student Competition. This is a
much coveted award and the Department is very proud of Christelle
Coetzee and Rhode Kasselman for this achievement.
The winners won a trip to the Netherlands, sponsored by the Social
Housing Authorities of that country.
It is a student competition that aims to generate ideas and debate
on alternative housing design options that are ultimately deliverable. It hopes to shift the focus to housing models that address
dense residential environments within (existing) urban conditions
in line with government policy objectives. This will enable linkages
with the existing urban fabric, and through innovative concepts,
achieve sustainable housing delivery. In addition, both SHiFT and
the social housing sector would like to see a change in the mindset
of persons entering the sector.
In addition to this, the Department had four finalists out of the
possible five in the Ceasarstone Competition, and walked away
with second prize. It had two finalists in the PG Bison Competition,
where there were more than 1 000 participants.
Also, the Department won the Shift Housing Competition that is
held every two years. The students who submitted the winning
project were Christelle Ruytenberg, Matthew Purdon and Jesse
Strydom, all from the fifth-year master’s programme.
The main objective of the competition is as follows:
To explore innovative alternatives in design and housing, which
take into account the social, economic and environmental issues
we face. It is hoped that it will generate housing forms that will
help restore the vibrancy which previously characterised inner city
Matthew Purdon, Christelle Ruytenberg, Jesse Strydom
Long Service 2012
5 Years
Ms A Van Der Poel
Technology Station in
Electronics
Ms O Mahlo
Electrical Engineering
Mrs C Viljoen
Electrical Engineering
Prof MS Onyango
Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering
Mrs V Ranjit
Building Sciences
10 Years
Mrs R Geertsema
Building Sciences
Mr MO Odebiyi
Architecture
Mr PA Greyvensteyn
Architecture
Mr VT Hlongwane
Chemical & Metallurgical Eng
Mr JW Van Bergen
Architecture
Mr JC Fwamba
Mechanical Engineering
Dr SJ Jacobs
Technology Station in
Electronics
Dr AM Kurien
Electrical Engineering
Mr LA Ntsandeni
Electrical Engineering
Mr M Siti
Electrical Engineering
Mrs ME Van Niekerk
Electrical Engineering
Mr CA Duff
Mechanical Engineering
Mr AD Wynne
Mechanical Engineering
Tshwane University of Technology
15 Years
20 Years
Mr CG Richards
Electrical Engineering
Dr J Snyman
Civil Engineering
Mrs B Moshime
Deans Office: Faculty
of Engineering and the
Built Environment
Mr LW Beneke
Mechanical Engineering
Dr CE Ackerman
Civil Engineering
Mrs A Viljoen
Geomatics
Mr LA Makwange
Electrical Engineering
Mr I Tlhabadira
Mechanical Engineering
Mr J De Vries
Electrical Engineering
25 Years
Mr CF Meyer
Mechanical Engineering
Mr CH Hancke
Mechanical Engineering
30 Years
Mrs M Siwela
Deans Office: Faculty
of Engineering and the
Built Environment
Mr JC Van Zyl
Civil Engineering
3
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Engineering departments and programmes
Prof Ben van Wyk
Prof Josiah Munda
Faculty of
Engineering and the
Built Environment
Faculty of
Engineering and the
Built Environment
Executive Dean
@
Associate Dean
@
Building 3-622 B
Tel: 012 382 5148 | Fax: 012 382 5568
Email: VanWykB@tut.ac.za
Department of Chemical, Metallurgical
and Materials Engineering
Marcus Ranyaoa
Department of Architecture
Siegfriedt Schmidt
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Engineering:
Chemical
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Chemical
3. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Chemical
4. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Chemical
5. National Diploma: Engineering:
Metallurgy
6. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Metallurgy
7. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Metallurgy
8. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Metallurgy
9. Baccalaureus Technologiae: Polymer
Technology
10. Magister Technologiae: Polymer
Technology
11. Doctor Technologiae: Polymer
Technology
The following courses are offered:
1. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Architecture: Professional
2. Magister Technologiae:
Architecture: Professional
(Structured)
3. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Architectural Technology (Field of
specialisation: Technology)
4. Magister Technologiae:
Architectural Technology (Field
of specialisation: Technology)
(Structured)
@
Building 3-Ground floor
Tel: 012 382 5742 | Fax: 012 382 5036
Email: SchmidtS@tut.ac.za
Department of Building Sciences
Willie Jansen van Rensburg
@
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Building
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Construction Management
3. Magister Technologiae: Construction
Management (Structured)
4. Magister Technologiae: Construction
Management
5. Baccalaureus Technologiae: Quantity
Surveying
6. Magister Technologiae: Quantity
Surveying (Structured)
7. Magister Technologiae: Quantity
Surveying
@
4
Building 3-405
Tel: 012 382 5242 | Fax: 012 382 4107
Email: jansenvanrensburgWP@tut.ac.za
Building 3-621
Tel: 012 382 5120 | Fax: 012 382 5568
Email: MundaJL@tut.ac.za
Building 3-707 (Pretoria Campus)
Tel: 012 382 3514/4392/3550 | Fax: 012 382 3532/4392
Email: ranyaoaMS@tut.ac.za or popoolaAPI@tut.ac.za
Department of Geomatics
Ivan Muzondo
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Surveying
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae: Surveying
@
Tshwane University of Technology
Building 3-416
Tel: 012 382 5211 | Fax: 012 382 5214
Email: MuzondoIF@tut.ac.za
2013
Faculty in Perspective
@
Department of Civil Engineering
Prof Julius Ndambuki
Department of Industrial Engineering
Grace Kanakana
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Engineering: Civil
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Construction
Management
3. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Environmental
Engineering
4. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Geotechnical
Engineering
5. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Structural
Engineering
6. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Transportation
Engineering
7. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Urban Engineering
8. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Civil: Water Engineering
9. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Civil
10. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Civil
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Engineering:
Industrial
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Industrial
3. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Industrial
4. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Industrial
5. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Technology Management
Building: 3:507 (Pretoria Campus)
Tel: 012 382 5212 | Fax: 012 382 5226
Email: NdambukiJM@tut.ac.za
Department of Electrical Engineering
Dr SJ Jacobs (Acting)
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Engineering:
Electrical
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Electrical
3. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Electrical
4. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Electrical
5. MSc (Electronic Engineering)
6. MSc (Power Engineering)
@
Building 6-G15 (Pretoria Campus)
Tel: 012 382 5737 | Fax: 012 382 5688
Email: JimohAA@tut.ac.za
Coneth Richards
(eMalahleni Site Head)
@
Building 3-326 (Pretoria Campus)
Tel: 012 382 5711 | Fax: 012 382 5602
Email: KanakanaMG@tut.ac.za
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Lodewyk Beneke (Acting)
The following courses are offered:
1. National Diploma: Engineering:
Mechanical
2. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Mechanical
3. National Diploma: Engineering:
Mechanical (Field of spesialisation:
Manufacturing)
4. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Mechanical (Field of
spesialisation: Manufacturing)
5. National Diploma: Engineering:
Mechatronics
6. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Engineering: Mechanical (Field of
spesialisation: Mechatronics)
7. Magister Technologiae: Engineering:
Mechanical
8. Doctor Technologiae: Engineering:
Mechanical
9. National Diploma: Polymer
Technology
@
10. Baccalaureus Technologiae:
Polymer Technology
11. Magister Technologiae: Polymer
Technology
12. Doctor Technologiae: Polymer
Technology
13. National Diploma: ThreeDimensional Design (Field of
specialisation: Engineering and
Related Design)
Tel: 012 382 5736 | Fax: 012 382 5602
Email: BenekeLW@tut.ac.za
Building 2-273 (Pretoria Campus)
Engineering Foundation Unit
Lizette Viljoen
Foundation Programme Manager
The extended program is offered in the
following engineering programmes:
1. Civil Engineering
2. Electrical Engineering
3. Industrial Engineering
4. Mechanical Engineering
5. Mechatronics Engineering
@
Building 14-G18 (eMalahleni Campus)
Tel: 013 653 3130 | Fax: 013 653 3122
Email: RichardsCG@tut.ac.za
@
Tshwane University of Technology
Building 3-220 (Pretoria Campus)
Tel: 012 382 5037 | Fax: 012 382 3577
Email: Viljoen E1@tut.ac.za
5
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
SMME registered at Faculty of Engineering
I
n the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, the Innovation Lab at the Department of Electrical Engineering has registered a five-member Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Small
Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME). The company will focus on
refining three current electronic product prototypes, while it will
also embark on the commercialisation and manufacturing of low
volumes of the first versions of these products, both on and off the
TUT campus. Raymond Kene, a registered M Tech student at Electrical Engineering, will head the company during its first phase.
it feeds the AC energy into the switchboard of an ordinary house.
Microelectronic sensors and controllers monitor the stored energy
levels and, on an automated and continuous basis, switches in or out
from the Eskom grid energy supply on certain lines in the house. In
this way the grid (coal-generated electricity) is replaced with (green)
accumulated solar energy. In the case of a power failure, the computer automatically takes over and can provide electricity to certain
lines in the household for up to 10 hours. The device also has great
potential for providing energy to small households in rural areas.
One of the prototypes, a small micro card tracker device that
will be manufactured by the Faculty of Engineering and the
Built Environment’s first established SMME. According to Prof
Lukas Snyman, who is in charge of the Innovation Lab, it has
been investigating a number of innovation projects since 2009.
“Extensive research was conducted to determine specific needs
in the South African market and to identify possible electrical engineering and electronic products that could be effectively commercialised. Apart from providing solutions to real problems, the
commercialisation and manufacturing of these products have the
potential to create many diverse new job opportunities in future.”
He added that the programme offered a unique opportunity to combine high-level research and developmental work at M Tech and D
Tech level with lower-level project work at diploma and B Tech levels.
Through Prof Snyman’s National Research-Rated Researcher Funding,
seed funding provided by the Department of Electrical Engineering,
the Faculty of Engineering Research Committee, the TUT Innovation
Office and the Technology Station in Electronics, as well as other
sources of funding, components and equipment was bought and students bursaries made available, which resulted in the rapid development of the programme. “Great successes have now been achieved
with three products,” Prof Snyman added.
A third prototype, an electricity generator from waste heat, works
based on the concept of an inverted Peltier effect and generates an
electric current wherever a thermal gradient is present. This implies
that heat can be accumulated from all hot surfaces such as the roofs
of houses, hot sun-facing walls of houses, hot road surfaces, and even
from hot car exhaust gases. The accumulated heat or “waste heat”
is then utilised to generate electricity. Recent successes have been
achieved with a novel electronic controller that extracts the electricity from the generator at a conversion efficiency of almost 10%. The
business plans associated with the product look extremely promising,
with the potential of yielding a ten-year running costs per kilowatt of
electricity (including all initial capital outlay costs for installing the
system) at only about 15c per kW hour. Compare this with the current
Eskom rate of R1,25 c per kWh!
Firstly, a low-cost micro-card tracker device has been developed that
can be attached to valuable articles such as tablets, laptops, PCs,
motor cars and more. It can track the movement of the article accurately up to 1.5 m when transported. Because of its micro-electronic
nature, the device has outperformed all other tracking devices in the
market as far as cost and user-friendliness are concerned. Various
more advanced versions of the device are currently being developed,
such as a phone-in activated version and a movement-alert version.
The second prototype, a so-called green energy controller, captures
photo-voltaic energy from the sun and then converts the energy into
normal household AC energy. Once the energy has been converted,
One of the
prototypes, a small
micro card tracker
device, which will be
manufactured by the
Faculty’s SMME.
6
According to Prof Snyman, the intellectual property of all three
products is thoroughly protected by TUT, through complete local
and provisional international patents. The University is currently
considering licensing actions to SMMEs and venture capitalists with
a view to establishing the local manufacturing and marketing of certain versions of the products in South Africa and also internationally.
Prof Snyman explained that the income generated from the smallscale manufacturing will be used to support students in furthering
their postgraduate studies as well as supporting further research
and development at the Innovation Lab. “These activities take
place in close collaboration with the Innovation Office and the
use of the rapid prototype manufacturing facilities that are available at the Technology Station in Electronics at TUT. Some of the
current high-level research on new optoelectronic sensors, switches and processing systems is conducted in association with the
French South African Technology Institute at the Pretoria Campus and the ESIEE Technical University in Paris,” said Prof Snyman.
The Innovation Lab at Electrical Engineering, in association with undergraduate and postgraduate students, is currently also in the process of developing several other innovative products.
Another prototype developed at the Innovation Lab at the Department of Electrical
Engineering. The prototype has an electronic
controller interface which in conjunction with
the power distribution switchboard at home,
replaces coal generated electricity with solar
energy on an automated basis.
Members of the SMME. Back: Espoir Bondo, Kingsley
Ogudo, Ivan Karangwa, Glen Maeko, Nelson Mabane.
Front : Sylvain Mwamba , Prof. Lukas Snyman (Department
of Electrical Engineering) , Dr. S.J. Jacobs (Director:
Technology Station in Electronics), Mr. Raymond Kene
(Executive Manager) .
Tshwane University of Technology
2013
Faculty in Perspective
New Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning for the
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Photos: Building 11
A
new teaching and learning facility for the
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment is currently in the final stages of
completion at the Pretoria Campus.
The Centre, designed by Siegfriedt Schmidt,
Head of TUT’s Department of Architecture,
and developed and realised by GWA Studio,
has three major objectives: to provide a facility explicitly designed to accommodate
more effective learning and encourage effective pedagogical practice, to provide
a lower carbon footprint and reduced longterm running costs by applying green principles, and to be a visual expression of the
spirit of technology embodied in a university
of technology and specifically the Faculty of
Engineering and the Built Environment.
All in all it is focused on becoming a catalyst towards enhanced student success rates,
informed by extensive research of both international and local learning sites combined
with many years of physical teaching experience to ensure a facility with the primary
function of providing the best possible learning environment for our students.
The auditoria have been specifically designed to enhance the contact between
lecturer and student, as well as student to
student, in a way not generally utilised. The
configuration of seating is designed to bring
everyone as close to the lecturer as possible,
with eye contact and clear hearing assured.
The usual model for auditoria employed by
institutions and architects is based on the
fan-shaped plan form, which is perfect for
stage and opera where you need to sit further away from the performance, but which
is a poor, ineffective model for teaching and
learning, for that very reason.
By increasing the angle of the raked seat-
ing and introducing a u-shaped seating arrangement, lecturer and student are closer
together, with students sitting ‘around’ the
lecturer in a sense. As a bonus, this is also a
very economical way of designing, using approximately 30% less floor area (and money)
for the same number of seats.
The new auditoria have state-of-the-art
teaching devices that ensure effective learning. These include two projection screens in
each space, where all the notes, sketches or
calculations that the lecturer makes during
the lecture are projected with high-definition projectors.
Lectures and everything happening during
the session, including all notes written on
the interactive whiteboard, can automatically be recorded with the lecture and distributed on the internet or via DVD to enable
students to review material later on.
There are three smaller auditoria seating
160 students each, and one larger one seating 320. Two of the smaller auditoria can be
adapted to become a large 320-seater one.
In addition to the main auditoria there are
three smaller flexible learning areas for
lecturing to up to 100 students each, or
for holding workshops with smaller groups.
These also have state-of-the-art teaching
devices and can be adapted for different
needs, providing a flexible environment.
There is also a dedicated video-conferencing
facility for 90 people from where one can visually conduct lectures, or receive lectures,
or have two-way conversations with any
other university or institution anywhere in
the world.
In addition there is a large area dedicated
to an Electronic Resources Centre with 350
seats that sits on top of the lecture halls,
and a dedicated drawing venue for the Faculty equipped with, as elsewhere, the latest
teaching and learning technologies.
A part of the design that is really inventive is
the employment of video-streaming throughout the facility, making it possible for one
presenter or lecturer to address 1 200 students occupying all the teaching spaces in
the building at the same time.
The building has no corridors and instead provides areas where students can sit and work in
an environment fully covered by wi-fi.
A coffee shop and restaurant will have a large
area with inside and outside seating from
which there will be a view of the beautiful
TUT landscaping to the south of the building.
The building is an intelligent building in that
lights go on only when they detect the presence of people. In addition to this, the airhandling responds to the number of people
in the building by providing extra heating
or cooling or oxygen, whatever might be required. The mechanical air-handling is just
a support to the natural ventilation incorporated into the building design. Hot air is
drawn out at the top of the building while
cool air is drawn in through specially designed intake areas that draw air from the
cool southern side underneath the building
where it is further earth-cooled before being
released into the learning spaces.
The new building connects very well with
the existing facilities and provides wheelchair access from various levels. The materials used as well as the design as a whole
complement the existing campus buildings,
making it an invaluable new addition at the
cutting edge of teaching and learning sites in
South Africa.
Photos: Building 13
Tshwane University of Technology
7
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Highlights 2012
13/05
French Chamber of Commerce and Industry visits
TUT
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Paris (CCIP) visited TUT in May. The
CCIP was instrumental in establishing the
15-year-old F’SATI. During the visit delegates from the CCIP and other high-level
guests were shown a virtual reality platform for electric wheelchair simulation
developed at F’SATI.
The platform with the electrical wheelchair will be stationary with pitch-and-roll
actuated actions for possible different
uses such as electric wheelchair simulation, wheelchair training, assistive technology research and architectural route
planning and accessibility evaluation. The
CCIP caters for about 400 000 companies in
the Parisian region.
The CCIP provides training to 16 000 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as
4 300 apprentices, in its 11 establishments
each year. It also provides continuous education for about 30 000 people. The F’SATI
initiative was taken early in 1994 after former President Nelson Mandela had visited
the CCIP, with the aim to develop a training institute in electronics in South Africa.
19/01
25/01
On Friday, 11 November 2011, three National Diploma: Surveying students from
the Department of Geomatics were honoured for their outstanding academic
performance. The event was presented
in collaboration with GeoSystems Africa,
distributors of surveying and measurement
instruments and modern geotechnology.
Marelise Coetser received an award for the
most promising Geomatics first-year student, based on her 2011 first-semester results. The award for the best first-year student, based on first- and second-semester
results in 2010, went to Jaco Loots. The
award for the most promising Geomatics
final-year student, based on first-, secondand third-year semester results, went to
Jan van der Smith.
Stefano Grassi, a master’s exchange student from the University of Trento in Italy,
presented the findings of his research at a
research seminar on 24 January.
His research topic was Bioclimatic and
building solutions in self-construction with
waste materials in the township of Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa. He investigated the different types of bricks used to
build houses in Mamelodi, as well as the
collection and production of the waste material used. His findings show that many of
the materials used do not comply with the
standard dimensions specified by the South
African National Standard (SANS) and also
do not comply with strength specifications.
GeoSystems Africa rewards
students
Marelize Coetser most promising first
year student, Ivan Muzondo, Acting Section Head Geomatics and Jannie Swanepoel Geosystems Africa representative.
09/02
On the wheelchair is Didier Kling,
Vice-President and Treasurer of the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
Paris (CCIP), with members of the
Executive Management Board of the
CCIP looking on.
The newly elected members of the Faculty
of Engineering and the Built Environment’s
Student Council are ready to tackle challenges students face head-on. They are
(from the left); Mlungisi Nzimande (S4
Chemical), Judas Magane (S3 Electrical),
and Molifi Hlatswayo (S2 Metallurgy). 8
Exchange student investigates quality brick by brick
Stefano Grassi
10/09
Civil Engineering wins CESA
Relay 2012
On Friday, 20 January, the Extended Engineering students gathered for their annual
fun day. The 440 students, divided into 11
groups, gathered on the soccer field at
the Pretoria Campus and tackled the programme with enthusiasm and energy. The
lecturers (with a little help from the senior
Mechanical Engineering students) put the
students through their paces amid a lot of
laughter.
A team representing staff and students
of the Department of Civil Engineering
won the 27th Annual Consulting Engineers
South Africa (CESA) Relay. It was hosted
in conjunction with Royal Haskoning DHV
at Eagle Waters Wildlife Resort, Hartbeespoort Dam, on 25 August. The event attracts consulting engineering firms across
the country to participate in a number of
sporting codes, such as running, walking,
cycling, volleyball and the infamous tug of
war, competing either in the competitive
or the recreational category.
Enthusiastic first years eager to kick-start
their studies.
The winning team.
Faculty treats first years to
fun
Tshwane University of Technology
2013
Faculty in Perspective
Highlights 2012 continued
10/02
27/02
Prof Ben van Wyk, Executive Dean, and
Jones Moloisane, Civil Engineering lecturer, have been appointed to the board
of the Engineering Council of South Africa
(ECSA).
Marthinus Bekker, a TUT Clinical Engineering graduate, has invented a device that
can collect hundreds of litres of drinking
water when placed outside in the rain.
The Rain Catcher, as the device is called,
was able to collect about 650 litres of rain
water in few weeks during the rainy season.
Minister has confidence in
two appointees
In a letter to TUT, the Minister of Public
Works, Thembelani Nxesi, expressed his
delight with the appointments. “I’m confident that your experience in and commitment to engineering and the built environment will contribute significantly to ECSA’s
strategic leadership, especially in the improvement and transformation of the built
environment,” he said.
Rain Catcher
“The reason I came up with the invention
was my dog Frank, who used to tip over my
bucket whenever I wanted to collect rain
water for my plants. As a result, I decided
to come up with something bigger, but
lighter, foldable and user-friendly. It consists of a plastic funnel held up by three
support rods that can be anchored to withstand storms and inclement weather – and
Frank,” says Marthinus.
05/06
Human body the theme of
architecture conference
The Department of Architecture hosted
the 6th National Conference of the South
African Journal of Art History in May.
Twenty-three papers explored the theme,
namely “The human body”. The papers
and their authors emanated from disciplines as diverse as architecture, painting,
cinema, interior design, urban design and
philosophy. Most of the participants came
from major South African universities, but
three delegates were from Canada, Australia and Belgium, respectively.
The conference was organised by Prof Estelle Maré (Professor Extraordinaire at the
Department of Architecture), Prof Gerald
Steyn and Lemária Labuschagne (both from
the Department of Architecture), assisted
by student assistants Philip Lourens, Noella
Nibakuze and Matthew Purdon.
Jones Moloisane and Prof Ben van Wyk.
Prof Estelle Maré and Prof Ben van Wyk.
16/02
Leading the way to vibrant
partnerships
Collaboration between the Faculty and the
Tshwane North College (TNC) has gained
momentum following a meeting between
Isaac Tlhabadira, former acting Associate
Dean of the Faculty, and Charles Pule,
Principal of the Tshwane North College, on
Friday, 3 February. They discussed a plan
of action for 2012. The meeting was preceded by a series of meetings between the
parties.
Joseph Toba, TNC’s Finance Manager;
Charles Pule, TNC’s Acting Principal; Isaac
Tlhabadira, former acting Associate Dean;
Dr Tessie Herbst, Project Leader (TUT’s
Management and Leadership Development); and Prof Ben van Wyk, Executive
Dean.
The collapsible Rain Catcher that can collect hundreds of litres of rain water.
22/10
3D students win design
competition
Three students from the Department of
3D Design, Reando Potgieter, Anthony Wilcox and Balungile Mahlangu, were named
winners of the 2012 Student Design Competition, which was jointly hosted by the
Plastics Institute of South Africa (PISA),
POLYCO (the industry association promoting the recycling of polyolefin plastics in
South Africa), Plastics SA and Afrimold at
Gallagher Estates on 10 October.
The winners inside their innovative and
cost-effective trailer.
Tshwane University of Technology
14/05
Student achievers recognised
for excellence
The Department of Electrical Engineering
honoured its students for outstanding work
at the 2012 Academic Excellence Awards.
Emmanuel Migabo, who is described as a
“living wizard” obtained 21 distinctions
with an average of 97%.
He was honoured with the overall top
achieving student award. Representatives
from the City of Tshwane, South African
Broadcast Corporation (SABC), Eskom and
MTN informed students about what will be
expected from them in industry, the challenges they will face as well as bursary opportunities available.
Emmanuel Migabo with Prof Adisa Jimoh,
HOD of Electrical Engineering.
9
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Highlights 2012 continued
30/03
TSE exhibits at international
conference
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE)
showcased its excellence and products in
the company of big national and global
players at the Sandton Convention Centre
during the National Electronics Week 2012.
One of the products TSE showcased was
an electronically operated rubbish bin
that is built inside a kitchen counter top.
It is opened by sliding one’s foot beneath
the cupboard overhang, which activates
a proximity sensor. According to Wayne
Rabe, an electronic technologist at TSE,
it was a wonderful experience for them
and the institution as a whole, as they received great exposure. “This was the second time that the TSE participated in the
exhibition. The exposure to the industry is
overwhelming, and the exhibition offers
an opportunity to show our work to global
companies,” he said.
10/05
Community benefits from
Amajobjob initiative
In a move to help and uplift the community, the Faculty has purchased over
400 promotional T-shirts from a company
called Amajobjob. Amajobjob provides
employment to destitute men and women,
teaching them to do screen- printing and
other exquisite arts and crafts. The initiative helps individuals from disadvantaged
communities and restores their dignity
through meaningful employment. According to Prof Ben van Wyk, the decision to
use the services of Amajobjob was strategic to support a social development initiative. In addition to ordering T-shirts from
Amojobjob for the Open Day, the Faculty
also sponsored the TUT Pretoria Campus
Choir, who performed at a graduation ceremony, with T-shirts.
Michael Lekoloane, the choir master, and
a few choir members thanked Prof van
Wyk for the sponsorship
12/09
Robotics team competes in
Malaysia
“I always encourage my students to train
to be the best, not necessarily to win.
Even if you do not win, you will still know
in your heart that you are the best and
that you gave it your all.”
These are the words of Johan Benade,
lecturer in Robotics at the Department of
Mechanical Engineering, when commenting on the performance of TUT’s Robotics
team that represented South Africa at the
National Robot Olympiad in Ukraine in April.
The team was placed third in that competition and represented the country again at
the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Malaysia from 9 to 11 November.
TUT robotics and mechatronics teams also
competed nationally and achieved overall
1st place in the Pneudrive competition, 1st
place in the Mechatronics world skills competition, 2nd place in the National Cyberjunk Yard competition and 2nd place in the
Robotics world skills competition. The mechatronics team will attend the World skills
competition in Germany during June 2013.
15/08
“I felt like a world
champion,” says lecturer
TSE staff members at the TUT/TSE stand.
07/06
Metals flow in their veins
The Department of Metallurgical Engineering won an award at the annual gala dinner
of the South African Institute of Foundrymen (SAIF) held at Emperors Palace.Sibonelo Makama received the 2011 award
for Best First-year Student in Metallurgy
selected from three universities of technology (VUT, UJ and TUT). John Davies,
SAIF CEO, commented that he was very
proud of the leadership shown by the Faculty in moving closer to the Institute.
Staff and students at the SAIF gala dinner.
10
“Completing that long-distance race left
me feeling like a world champion,” said
Johann Pretorius (49), lecturer at Electrical Engineering, who completed an Ironman Triathlon in Port Elizabeth on 22 April.
Lecturers scoop medals in
domestic athletics
Neville Muir (73) participated in the
South African Duathlon Championships
held in Worcester. Moreover, he was selected for the World Duathlon Championships that took place in Nancy, France,
on 22 September. Karel Kapp (31) was
selected to compete in a national crosscountry event that was held in Gauteng
early in September. He won gold medals
in two categories: 800 m and 5 000 m.
Neville and Karel are both lecturers in the
Engineering Foundation Programme.
Neville Muir, Karel Kapp and Johann Pretorius.
Tshwane University of Technology
TUT’s Robotics team members hard at
work during the National Robot Olympiad.
26/01
Andrew Mossop with his Alarm Greentea
maker which doubles as a music player.
2013
Faculty in Perspective
Highlights 2012 continued
17/05
100% dynamo
Thando Managa, alumnus and graduate of
the Department of Electrical Engineering
and the French South African Institute of
Technology (F’SATI), has proved that the
sky is not the limit for him, but only the
beginning. Thendo works to uplift the
youth and is a fitness fundi who has participated in marathons all over the country.
He is also making waves in the defence and
aerospace world. He recently graduated
with an MSc (ESIEE, France) and M Tech
(TUT) in electrical engineering, majoring
in control systems and image processing.
“My stay in France was one of my educational highlights. I learnt so many great
and exciting things at the Ecole supérieure
d’Ingénieurs en Electrotechnique et Electronique”, he said.
25/09
“The internet of things –
smart homes & cities...
evolution or tsunami?”
This was the theme of the conference
hosted by the Southern African Telecommunication Networks and Applications
Conference (SATNAC) in September.
The Conference was hosted under the
auspices of Telkom and attracted more
than 400 delegates. This prestigious event
became the continent’s leading ICT conference where industry, academia and
operators publish on matters concerning
progress made in applied research in the
information and communication technology (ICT) sector, and where industry leaders share their views on the latest trends
eMalahleni
Campus
This campus houses four departments,
the two largest being ICT and Electrical
Engineering with a total of 979 registered
students. The Electrical Engineering section presents programmes in the following
disciplines: Power, Electronics, Process
Instrumentation and Digital Technology.
The presentations of these programmes
are backed up by world class facilities,
with the recent R40 million spent on new
laboratories. The compliment of staff has
an international flavour, with several staff
possessing doctoral qualifications.
and developments.
Thando Managa
Fanoro Mokesioluwa, M Tech student; Beth Komu, M Tech student; Thapelo Pholo, D Tech student,
Mary Alatise, M Tech student; Luzango Mfupe, D Tech student.
Let’s make TUT the
university of choice
P
rof Josiah Munda, the newly appointed Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and
the Built Environment, believes that through cooperation between all internal stakeholders, the
University can become the tertiary institution of
choice for prospective students.
“We need to inculcate a culture of working in a multidisciplinary arrangement.” For this reason, Prof
Munda encourages staff to work closely with other
departments in order to make TUT a leading institution. He says staff should strive to work in the
centres and institutes in the Faculty and come up
with projects that will bring us closer to industry
and the community. We must also work closely with
FET colleges and come up with programmes that
will bridge the gap between FET colleges and UoTs.
In an interview with e-TUTor, Prof Munda, who
is also the Director of the Centre for Energy
and Electric Power at the Faculty, says the position of Associate Dean will come with a lot
of challenges. “As a university of technology,
one of our major challenges will be the ability to produce quality graduates who will immediately be useful to industry,” he says.
He says his main task will be to work with others,
especially the Executive Dean of the Faculty, to
ensure that the Faculty provides learning that is
relevant to industry needs. “Further to that, we Prof Josiah Munda
have to do something to alleviate the problem of declining student
numbers. While our recruiters are doing their part to encourage
students to enrol at TUT, we must also try our utmost to make
TUT learners’ first choice-tertiary institution,” adds Prof Munda.
“Because we do not receive enough funding from
Government, we constantly have to source additional funding for research purposes and additional financial aid to students. Therefore it is
very important that we establish collaborations
with industry partners and other universities,
both locally and internationally,” says Prof Munda.
“We also need to increase our postgraduate student
numbers. While most companies still employ mainly diploma and
B Tech graduates, this will no longer be the case in the very near
future. Thus we need to train more and more M Tech and D Tech
students to be able to cater for the emerging job market,” he adds.
Tshwane University of Technology
11
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Centres, Institutes,
Technology Stations,
Incubators (CITSIs)
French South African Institute of
Technology (F’SATI) (Pretoria campus)
Prof Francois Rocaries
F’SATI
Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment
T
hese centres provide students and the community
Dr E Ballard will succeed
Prof Rocaries in 2013
with specialized services and training and are in
close partnership with the government, other academ-
ic and research institutions, and the local and international industry. They are:
@
@
Technology Station in Electronics
(TSE) (Pretoria campus)
Centre for Energy and Electric Power
(CEEP) (Pretoria Campus)
Dr SJ Jacobs
Prof JL Munda
Director: Technology Station in
Electronics
Director: Centre for Energy and
Electric Power
Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment
Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment
Building 6, Room 366
Tel: +27 12 382-5039 | Fax: +27 12 382-4166
e-mail: JacobsSJ@tut.ac.za
@
12
Building 6, Room 275
Tel: +27 12 382 4824 | Fax: +27 12 382 5266
e-mail: MundaJL@tut.ac.za
Technology Station in Chemicals (GaRankuwa Campus)
Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT)
(Soshanguve South Campus)
Mr Vincent Tau
Jeff Makhubela
Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment
Operational Manager
Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment
Ga-Rankuwa
Block C
@
Building 6, Room 347
Tel: +27 12 382-5452 | Fax: +27 12 382-5294
e-mail: RocariesF@tut.ac.za
Tel: +27 12 382-0789 | Fax: +27 12 382-0838
e-mail: TauVR@tut.ac.za
@
Tshwane University of Technology
Building 15, Room 105
Tel: +27 12 382 9675 | Fax: +27 12 382 9530
email: MakhubelaMJ@tut.ac.za
2013
Faculty in Perspective
Collaboration and MoUs
National
The Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC); the City of
Tshwane; the Steve Biko Hospital (joint experiential learning); the
University of Pretoria; SABS, CSIR and SEDA; Eskom Development
Foundation (contract research projects); Tshwane South College
(collaborative training); Plastic Federation; Department of Science
and Technology (DST) – Tshumisano Trust (facility and technology development); Group 5; NEWELEC (technology development);
PERT Industries; Department of Health, North-West Province training (collaborative experiential learning); Department of Health, Eastern Cape training (collaborative experiential learning); Department
of Science and Technology, OSIZWENI; SASOL and SCITECH;
SABS Design Institute (contact with entrepreneurial companies such
as Alarus, Introweb and Destek); Innovation Hub (joint technology
and entrepreneurship development); National Department of Health;
Department of Health – Mpumalanga; University of Stellenbosch –
biomedical department; National Research Foundation (definition
and funding of nationally important research projects); Siemens
(collaborative training in electrical engineering); Bosch (collaborative training in electrical engineering); Telkom, MTN (joint training
and technology development, community projects); SABC; Adriot;
Endress & Hauser; ABB; Fenix; Lapp Cable; SAIMC; SAPS (Crime
Intelligence); SAR; Festo; North-West University;
MoU between TUT (Department of Civil Engineering ) and Bhekanani Building and Construction) – possible collaboration, student
funding, community work, work I-integrated learning – negotiations
not finalised.
MoU between TUT (Department of Civil Engineering )and Mbuso
Management Solutions (MMS) – partners in construction-related
training by providing capacity to deliver on the training projects and
assist MMS to strengthen its capacity in moving forward.
MoU between TUT (Department of Civil Engineering) and Roadlab
for underwriting product testing.
International
University of Cordoba in Argentina; Queensland University of Technology in Australia; Botswana Telecom Corporation; Department of
Health in Cuba; University of Bergen in Denmark; ESIEE(Paris) and
ESIEE (Amiens), EST, IRD, INT, Marne-la-Valle, Versailles, France;
University of Stuttgart and German Chamber of Commerce in Germany; Technical University of Budapest in Hungary; Indian Institute
of Technology in Delhi; Electronika Venetta in Italy; JICA in Japan;
Department of Education in Libya; Namib Power in Namibia; Department of Health in Malawi; Ecofys, RWTH, Aachen in Germany; World
Health Organisation at the United Nations; University of Boston (joint
research on optoelectronics) USA; Education Department in Zanzibar; Moi University in Kenya; Masinde Muliro University of Science
and Technology. University of Utrecht (Netherlands), Hogeschool
Utrecht University of Applied Sciences.
MoU between TUT (Civil Engineering) and Moi University (Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering) – Ongoing Research Structural Engineering Group.
MoU between TUT (Civil Engineering) and Kenya Polytechic University College Kenya (in process)
E
Community service
• Formulating and testing olive oil cosmetic products for hair nutrition products.
• Development of bubble tooth paste for D’Martys Business Enterprise.
• Research and development of a colour cosmetics range for Pro
Youth Natural.
• Research and development of a new product from indigenous
plants for Siphandane General Trading.
• Process improvement plant extraction methodology on a herbal
tonic for Shalom Herbal.
• Implementation of a cosmetics hub in partnership with SASOL
Chemical City.
• Absorbent based point-of-use systems for fluoride removal from
drinking water in rural areas for Diphororo Water Purification.
• Design and construction of pilot plant for the production of castor
oil for Siphandane General Trading.
• Assisting in setting up of a quality lab for Reakgona Commercial
Hygiene (entrepreneur).
• Implementing plant oils and extracts beneficiation (cosmetics)
demonstration centre.
• Testing and analysis of diesel and unleaded petrol containing
fuel performance catalyst (PFC) to meet quality standards for
Green-thermo energy.
• The emergency warning light system.
• F’SATI: First Lego League Robotics competition for learners between the ages of 10 and 16 to excite them about science and
technology.
• The Department of Electrical Engineering visited the KwaGuqa
Association for the Disabled on 9 November, repaired wheelchairs and donated money to assist with the Association’s financial challenges.
• Nelspruit Campus: Engineering Stepping Initiative. As part of the
initiative, Grade 12 learners, especially those in the Ehlanzeni
district of Mpumalanga, who have either failed or done poorly in
Mathematics and Physical Sciences, undergo a nine-month-long
programme during which these subjects are taught. After completing the programme, they rewrite the Department of Education’s exams.
• Electrification of houses using solar energy: The community has
been waiting for an electricity supply from ESKOM for over five
years. The abundantly available solar energy resource is used
to supply electricity to the community, using photovoltaic panels
and storage batteries, with charge regulators. A stand-by generator (supplied free of charge by Pert Industrials) is provided for
use only when extremely necessary (during prolonged periods of
very low solar insulation levels).
• The Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Technology, in partnership with JAICA, hosted the Employability Enhancement project.
This project was aimed at enhancing the employability of science, engineering and technology students at TUT. It aimed at
equipping students with skills that will enable them to do well
during interviews when shortlisted.
• A number of short courses were provided to students who had
completed their theoretical training and were ready for industry. The courses included productivity, how to write a proper CV
and a proper application letter, how to handle interviews, etc.
The course ended with a visit to an industry where practical
exercises in productivity were done. The course was provided
through a partnership between TUT, JAICA and RICAD.
EDITORIAL
Compiled by: Language editing: Layout, design and printing:
Zelda Janse van Rensburg
Adri Coetzer (Research and Innovation)
Ingrid Swanepoel
Printing Services, TUT
We want to express a word of thanks to all contributors to the writing and editing of articles.
Tshwane University of Technology
13
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
TUT solar
car
challenge 2012
Tân-Y-Wawr coming in after the endurance race at Gerotek.
T
UT’s dream to complete in the South African Sasol Solar challenge in 2014, suddenly became a reality in 2012 already, after
Dr Graham Sparey-Taylor from Wales joined the team to start preparing for 2014. After much negotiation and finding the required
funding, TUT joined forces with the Welsh team (Gwawr Cymru),
and entered a solar car in the 2012 challenge.
The TUT team was quickly put together; before the parts from
Wales arrived on 28 August. This left the team with three weeks to
build and test the solar car. There were many challenges that lay
ahead as the wing, body kit and solar array all still had to be assembled. There were also a number of mechanical changes to be made,
due to the car originally being a three-wheel car. We changed it to
a four-wheel car (Tân-Y-Wawr, “Fire of the dawn”) to compete in
the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile ) Olympia class.
After many sleepless nights and a lot of hard work by the dedicated
team, the car was ready for scrutinising on 16 September. All the
necessary safety checks were passed and the required documentation was in order, and we were officially registered to compete in
the third South African Solar Challenge.
The team made their way to Zwartkops raceway on the morning
of 17 September to take part in the dynamic testing section of
scrutinising. This included the braking tests, speed tests and driver
exit tests. The race officially started from the CSIR in Pretoria on
18 September, from where we made our way to Vryburg for the first
stopover – without Dr Sparey-Taylor and Johan de Lange, as some
parts still needed manufacturing. On the way, our trailer lost its
tailgate with the license disc and plate. We arrived at 03:00 to set
up camp. At 08:00 the team left Vryburg for Upington, where Dr
Sparey-Taylor and Johan de Lange joined us with the required parts
at 01:00 the next morning.
In Upington, after rushed repairs, Robert Inglis was able to drive
Tân-Y-Wawr across the start line, and we set off. He realised TânY-Wawr had a puncture and had to stop at the filling station. There
the team worked quickly together to get her up and running again,
and set off to Springbok. On the way Dr Sparey-Taylor relieved
Robert, to get some more kilometres on Tân-Y-Wawr, and we had
to stop the cars and trailer up in the rush to get to the finish line
on time.
Many repairs had to be done in Springbok, and, despite working
into the wee hours of the morning, the team unfortunately could
not get the car to work. So Tân-Y-Wawr had to be trailered all the
14
A ceremonial lap after the endurance race at
Gerotek – NWU in first place, TUT in second
place and UJ in third place.
way to Cape Town. Along the way we saw some marvellous sights
and unfortunately we came across an accident involving UJ’s support truck. The weather was harsh and so most teams trailered
that day anyway.
We reached Cape Town, and to our relief had a day off, which was
spent furiously fixing Tân-Y-Wawr. When we left Cape Town the
weather was bad again and so we trailered to Oudtshoorn. We arrived to a hearty ostrich potjie arranged by the organisers, and then
started preparing for the next day.
The next morning we left the start line with Ruth Maraganedzha at
the wheel, and then again, we had to pick up and trailer to the finish line. Between Oudtshoorn and East London, our support trailer’s
one wheel sheared off and went flying past the vehicle towing it,
and so half the team had to stay behind and get the trailer finished.
This meant that half the team slept in George and the other half
slept in East London.
The team spent the time the next morning in East London trying to
finish repairs and alterations to Tân-Y-Wawr while waiting for the
other half of the team to catch up. Eventually we were forced to
leave without them to get to the finish line in Kokstad. Fortunately
they caught up along the way. The roads to Kokstad were atrocious.
There were potholes, untarred road surfaces at places and speed
bumps on the highway. There was no opportunity to ride that day.
The next morning we left Kokstad for Pietermaritzburg and were
stopped by the cops along the way. Fortunately Dr Sparey-Taylor
could interest them in the car so much that they couldn’t remember why they stopped us and let us go. We reached camp, got TânY-Wawr ready, and Dr Sparey-Taylor drove her over the finish line.
We left Pietermaritzburg the next morning with Johannes de Vries
at the wheel. He was relieved by Guillaume Chabikuli-Mitteldorf
and then Dr Sparey-Taylor, and we were forced to trailer to the finish line again. We were pulled over in Greytown by a metro cop,
and he was adamant that since our trailer did not have its licensing,
it was un-roadworthy and it had to be impounded. It looked like
our race was over. Luckily the race officials managed to convince
him that this was no ordinary situation and after much pleading he
let us go, wishing us well. We noticed in that time that Tân-Y-Wawr
had a flat tire and we managed to get a spare in Greytown, did the
repairs, and went on our way. Once we reached Secunda, we had
to leave Tân-Y-Wawr under lock and key at the casino, and had a
good night’s sleep.
Tshwane University of Technology
2013
Faculty in Perspective
The next morning we left Secunda with the firm intention of driving the whole way back to Pretoria. Ruth Maraganedzha was at the
wheel first and was followed by Bob Bond, Guillaume ChabikuliMitteldorf, Johannes de Vries, De Villiers du Plessis, Shirley Inglis,
Robert Inglis and Dr Sparey-Taylor, in that sequence. Things were
looking very good, but 14 km from the CSIR the battery voltage
dropped, we had a strong headwind and it was overcast the whole
day. So we trailered that last stretch, and Dr Sparey-Taylor then
got back in to finish the final stretch and cross the finish line. That
day’s drive awarded the team a South African record for the longest
distance travelled by a team in one day.
The team managed to complete the entire event without any major
injuries. After travelling the total 5 400 km the team managed to
achieve third place in the Olympia class and the longest distance
travelled by an Olympia class car in one day in South Africa, and
we scored six points in the 2012 FIA Alternative Energy Cup, sharing
third place with a Japanese team. We were also awarded a special
prize for the most transformed car on one trip.
It is a great achievement to be the first university of technology
to compete in the South African Solar Challenge. It is also a great
achievement to be the first university to build a solar car in just
three weeks. We did not only compete; we were placed in the top
three. All in all, we felt like winners!
The TUT team who came third in the 2012 Solar Challenge, as
well as, FIA Alternative Energies Cup Olympia Class Rallies.
TUT team celebrating the end of a long and successful 2012 Sasol
Solar Challenge
On 20 October, the top three finishers from the solar challenge
competed again in a testing and endurance race at the Gerotek
test facility. The first session in the morning was reserved for test
runs around the 3 km track. We got Tân-Y-Wawr on the track, but
we could not reach the person who had the code for the maximum
power point tracker unit, so the entire race day was spent without
the solar array being connected. We then started testing, and discovered that the engine was overheating, as we had made major
changes to Tân-Y-Wawr. This meant that we had to remove the
back end to get some air flow going. The race started and we were
going strong, trying to find the balance between making the batteries last and getting the speed up. Unfortunately the master link on
the chain sheered through, and Robert Inglis was stuck on the track
1.5 km from the pits. He had to punch out and push Tân-Y-Wawr the
rest of the way to the pits for repairs.
We got her up and running again and came back with a vengeance,
passing NWU and UJ a couple of times. Their batteries were running out and ours weren’t, but we were running out of time. If the
chain had not broken, we would have claimed first place, but second is still a good take, and we were pleased with the day’s results.
On 22 October TUT had its own prize-giving ceremony to honour all
those involved in the project. A special medal was given out to everyone involved for achieving third place. Trophies were presented
to all those who endured the hardships of the road, and honorary
trophies were given to the team members who had made a special
effort for the project, namely Prof Ben van Wyk, Dr Graham SpareyTaylor, Brian Lion-Cachet and Robert Inglis.
Tshwane University of Technology
15