Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015

DIVISION: Mechanics
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Annie Bekker

ABEK1
PROJECT TITLE: The reconstruction and assessment of human vibration on the Dynamic
Seat Testing Facility
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) No
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A time-signal of a recorded vibration stimulus from a harsh environment will be reconstructed on
the platform of the Dynamic Seat Testing Facility in the
Structural Laboratory. This stimulus will be recorded on
the chassis of a vehicle while driving over a rough road.
The necessary user interface and analysis tools are to
be developed in LabView and MATLAB to enable
vibration reconstruction on the platform of the dynamic
seat testing facility from a computer interface. The
reconstructed signal in the laboratory should match the
test signal in both the time and frequency domain on a
test seat for different seated subjects. The algorithm will
be validated through physical tests on the platform with
seated subjects. This will involve the measurement of
the seat transmissibility function and will require realtime vibration signal analysis for human comfort
according to ISO 2631-1.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical):
ABEK2
PROJECT TITLE: The manipulation of vehicle interior sound by the use of image
processing to identify sound phenomena from spectrograms.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The exhilaration of driving a vehicle is closely related
to the sound quality and noise experienced by the
occupants in the passenger cabin. Current advances
in sound trouble shooting include the use of image
recognition
in
sound
spectrograms.
These
spectrograms involve the presentation of data such
that a colour plot of sound the sound magnitude at
each frequency is presented as a function of time.
Various sounds (such as rattles and squeaks, pure
tones, vehicle accelerations) will be recorded. Artificial
sound manipulation concepts will be generated, such as frequency and amplitude modulation
functions. The stimuli will be presented as spectrograms and exposed to image processing
techniques to attempt to identify the prevailing patterns that characterize different sounds. These
techniques will be implemented to manipulate and enhance vehicle drive-train sounds in the
passenger cabin.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None
ABEK3
PROJECT TITLE: DEVELOPMENT OF PAIRED COMPARISON PROCEDURES FOR SOUND
QUALITY METRICS
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) Yes
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The development of sound quality metrics entails paired comparison testing (similar to eye tests
performed by an optometrist) in a laboratory environment through binaural headphones. The
paired comparison test is a simple procedure that can be used with untrained jurors (e.g.
customers). A jury is asked to listen to pairs of sounds and then choose one based upon a
question, for example; Which sound do you think is the more powerful? or Which sound do you
think is louder? Paired comparison testing is a very time consuming process. The purpose of this
project is to develop some paired
comparison test procedures with an
interface in MATLAB. This entails a
thorough literature survey and the
engineering design of a sound quality test.
These procedures will be evaluated in
terms of efficiency and accuracy through
jury testing of recorded sound stimuli.
ABEK4
PROJECT TITLE: The use of vibration in railway condition monitoring
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes / no) No
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
In the rail environment, the maintenance of the infrastructure
and rolling stock assets are important for optimal
performance. Because it is geographical dispersed, the
infrastructure offers unique challenges and one such
challenge is the condition based assessment of the perway
system (consisting of the rails, sleepers, rail pads, rail clips
and sub structure).
Part of condition assessment, the geometry of the rails in the
perway system is measured with laser measurement
equipment on a mobile unit. But the effectiveness of the
perway in terms of damping, stability, etc cannot be effectively measured. Therefore rail operators
rely on visual inspection to identify critical perway sections for maintenance, or time based
maintenance to periodically maintain sections.
The purpose of this project is to determine whether the condition of a perway system can be
determined, based on frequency responses. After a literature review, the student will study the
sensitivity of different perway conditions in the frequency domain. This will be undertaken through
simulation and experiments. The perway will be modelled as a single system (incl rail/sleeper
pads/sleeper/ballast), and the expected outcome of the project is to compare the condition of
perway sections. The investigation could include the proposal of a design to enable the excitation
and measurement of the perway system such that these conditions could be determined in the
field.
The results will be validated at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Western
Cape.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Methods
ABEK 5
PROJECT TITLE: Design and construction of a vibration damper / absorber for of smallscale tubular turbine towers
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes) Yes
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A high voltage conductor pipe spans 10 m
and is experiencing resonance of its lower
vibration modes as a result of wind excitation.
A modal measurement will be conducted to
determine the frequencies and mode shapes
of the lower modes as well as the associated
vibration levels as a result of the vibration
excitation. A finite element model of the pipe
will be validated through the experimental
modal measurement results. This model will
be used to aid the design of a vibration
damper to limit the excitation of the vibration
modes. The current industry solution includes
the use of a Stockbridge damper which presents some limitations. This project will endeavour to
eliminate the lower vibration modes of the conductor pipe by proposing an alternative concept
which will be benchmarked against the Stockbridge damper solution. The success of the
designed solution will be evaluated by experimental testing and vibration analysis. This project will
find direct applicability to a current challenge in industry.
Researchers from Stellenbosch University are studying the responses of two small-scale tubular
towers which are constructed at the Mariendahl test site (near Elsenburg). The one tower is 18 m
high and is designed for wind turbine systems up to a power level of 20 kW. The other tower is 24
m high and is designed to handle power levels up to 50 kW. In this project the resonance vibration
frequencies of these towers must be determined along with the turbine rotor (three-blade turbine
rotor) speeds that will generate resonance in these towers.
This project includes the design of a vibration damper / absorber to reduce the effects of
resonance on the tubular tower. The concept could also include targets for top-tower mass as part
of a likely investigation in Finite Elements.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite element modelling
ABEK6
PROJECT TITLE: The design and construction of a musical instrument for the illustration
of the natural frequencies of systems
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No) Yes
Mechatronic (Yes/No) No
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A musical instrument will be designed and built with the express goal to offer an
audio-visual or audio-sensory demonstration of the modes of continuous systems
with the use of existing laboratory equipment. The natural frequencies of this
instrument will be determined by experimental modal analysis and could be
confirmed by finite element modelling of the design. Engineering judgement is
required to determine the factors that cause the deviation between the
mathematical boundary conditions and the real life structure. This work can be
complimented by the possible use of material testing, optimization or image
processing techniques. Other innovative means, such as the design of an
instrument to provide sensory feedback of the sound experience could
additionally be investigated.
ABEK7
PROJECT TITLE: The design and evaluation device to remove stickers from a casting
mold
DIRECTION:
STUDENT: Inance Bonsma 16978242

DESCRIPTION:
BHP Billiton Samancor are experiencing problems with
the removal of minerals that stick to casting molds
during a plant process. The vibration modes of a casting
mold will be determined experimentally in the
laboratory. A mold will be transported from Samancor to
the Structural Laboratory for the purposes of these
experiments. A device will be designed to enable the
vibro-acoustric excitation of the mould structure to
remove stickers from the mould surface. This will
include the evaluation of the current pricker bar solution
and other concepts such as an acoustic horn. The
problem statement and design specifications will be
obtained by on-site study at BHP Billiton Samancor, Meyerton. The sample mold, refined testing
and building of the acoustic horn model will be investigated at the University Stellenbosch. The
variation in the dynamic response as a result of the location of stickers and plant boundary
conditions will be investigated through Finite Element Modelling.
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof JL van Niekerk
JLvN1
PROJECT TITLE: Develop a one-way power take-off device for wave energy
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Many wave energy converters, such as floating buoys and
platforms, have to convert a tension force in one direction to
rotary motion that can drive a generator. Frequently these
devices are also equipped with a flywheel to smooth the power.
In this project the student needs to design, build and test a device
to convert a tension force to rotary motion with the required
clutches to ensure that the cable that connects the buoy with an
anchor remains taught. A representative test-setup will be build
and installed in the laboratory to test the device.
JLvN2
PROJECT TITLE: Development and commissioning of an automatic son follower for a
parabolic dish
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Preferred)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Stellenbosch University received a donation of a McDonald Douglas
parabolic solar dish and a Stirling engine. The system has been
installed on the roof of the old Marine Laboratory and must now be
commissioned.
The project will consist of the acquisition and installation of a new
PLC controller, the programming of the system and the
commissioning of the system.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM
JLvN3
PROJECT TITLE: Further development and testing of an ocean current device
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Preferably)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
With the recent rise in the price of electricity the self-generation of
electricity is becoming a viable option. In this project a hybrid power
system will be developed that will include at least a small hydro-electrical
generator, a battery storage system and one other generator. The price of
the system will be compared to the price of electricity from Eskom or the
local municipality. A complete set of specifications as well as an
implementation plan must be developed.
NAME OF LECTURER: Gerhard Venter

GV1
PROJECT TITLE: Material properties using Digital Image Correlation
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (no)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
The department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering has recently purchased a digital
image correlation (DIC) system. The DIC system makes use of digital images to provide the full
strain field of a component (as opposed to strain at a single point when measured with a strain
gauge). For this project, the student will investigate the use of this new DIC system for determining
material properties of linear elastic materials like steel and aluminium. The student will have to
compare the DIC data with the more traditional way of determining material properties and will
have to comment on accuracy, speed, ease of use, cost, etc. The ultimate goal would be to
determine if the DIC could be used to determine linear elastic material properties and if so, under
what conditions. The final outcome should be a methodology for using the DIC to determine linear
elastic material properties.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM 414
GV2
PROJECT TITLE: Commissioning a PLC based controller for a wheel test bench
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
The goal of this project is to perform the final commissioning of a PLC based controller for an
automotive wheel test bench that was recently acquired. A virtual test panel should be created on
the computer (using Wonderware) to control the test bench, instead of using the touch-pad based
interface that is currently available on the PLC hardware. The project will also include the
optimization of the PID control parameters that is part of the PLC based controller. Finally, data
collected by the PLC should be downloaded to the PC in real time during the execution of the tests.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): N/A
GV3
PROJECT TITLE: Rubber heat generation and distribution test facility
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
The heat generation in a rubber tires is currently being studied. A big part of this study is the
determination of material properties for the rubber and using that in a numerical simulation to
determine (1) how heat is generated (due to hysteresis) and (2) how the resulting heat is
distributed throughout the tire.
The goal of this study would be to design, build and test a device that can be use to load/un-load a
piece a of rubber in a controlled environment. The temperature distribution as a result of the
load/un-load cycles must be measured with the goal of comparing the results to that of a numerical
simulation. The device must thus be of such a nature that it can be used to verify both the material
properties as well as the numerical simulation techniques used.
GV4
PROJECT TITLE: Inflatable wing for remote controlled aircraft
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
The goal here is to design, build and test an inflatable wing for a typical remote controlled aircraft.
A specific aircraft with specific payload requirements will be selected as a candidate aircraft. The
challenge would be to design build and test an inflatable wing for this aircraft. This would include
(1) finding an appropriate material, (2) identifying appropriate construction methods, (3) design a
wing that is both structurally as well as aerodynamically sound and (4) perform basic experimental
verification to ensure that the wing would be able to perform as required.
GV5
PROJECT TITLE: Thermal analysis of blocked heat exchanger tube
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
This project will deal with the blocking of flow channels, and consequential overheating of material,
inside an internally finned tube heated from one side, as is typically encountered in a heat
exchanger.
The student will have to model the thermal stresses and deformation of a particular tube and
investigate the influence of this tube on the remainder of the heat exchanger. The simulation will
be performed using Finite Element analysis. Both full blocking as well as partial blocking will be
considered. Local overheating might also lead to an increased heat transfer to neighbouring
channels that could result in a runaway problem. Ideally, the simulation should be verified
experimentally.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Deborah Blaine
DCB1
PROJECT TITLE: Mechanical testing at elevated temperature
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Mechatronic (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This project entails designing a removable rig that can be used in conjunction with a typical tensile
testing setup on the current mechanical testing apparatus available in the Mechanical and
Mechatronic Engineering Structures Laboratory. The rig must be capable of heating a sample insitu to allow tensile testing of materials at elevated temperatures. The heating device must be able
to reasonably control the temperature so that repeatable measurements over a wide range of
temperatures can be collected. The rig must be designed, built and tested, and operating and
maintenances instructions must be compiled for the safe and accurate measurement of
mechanical properties at temperature.
DCB2
PROJECT TITLE: Linking microstructure to mechanical properties for sintered titanium
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT :
DESCRIPTION:
Several final year and postgraduate projects over the past years have focused on producing
titanium from powder using the press-and-sinter process. There are numerous samples available
that have been characterised by different students in terms of their material and mechanical
properties. This study requires the student to collate the available data, confirm the reported
properties, and then produce high quality metallographic samples, along with micrographs of the
microstructures of the sintered titanium produced under different processing conditions. In order to
do this, the student will have to develop a metallographic preparation technique that is specifically
applicable to sintered titanium. Following the collection of data and microstructures, an analysis of
the material is required in order to link microstructural features to mechanical and material
properties.
DCB3
PROJECT TITLE: Utilising Boeings Ti6Al4V PREP (Plasma Rotating Electrode Powder) waste
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Boeing, USA, manufactures PREP (Plasma Rotating Electrode Powder) out of Ti6Al4V titanium
alloy for producing aerospace parts for their aircraft. PREP powder is spherical and can be
produced with a wide range of sizes in one batch. Typically, Boeing only uses a specific range of
particle sizes for their parts, and as such, discards a significant portion of the PREP powder batch.
As the efficacy of PM (powder metallurgy) processes lies in the minimal waste level of material,
this undermines one of the prime advantages of using PM technology. Boeing has supplied the
excess powder from a few of their PREP batches to Stellenbosch University for the purpose of
exploring ideas for utilising this discarded portion of the batch.
This project entails characterising the excess batch PREP, and then developing innovative
manufacturing procedures for using the powder in conventional press-and-sinter and/or powder
injection moulding processes. The results will be shared with Boeings global materials research
team.
DCB4
PROJECT TITLE: Measuring density gradients in die-compacted and sintered metal
powders
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The quality of products manufactured by the powder metallurgy press-and-sinter process is
dependent on the level of defects and intensity of the density gradients in the die-compacted or
green part. Typically, metal powders are mixed with organic lubricants that reduce inter-particle
friction and friction with the die wall, thereby improving the homogeneity of the green compact.
However, with titanium powder, the reactivity of the metal with the lubricant is such that lubricants
cannot be used without degrading the final sintered properties of the product. The result is that
titanium powders are die-compacted with little or no lubricant, and compaction defects such as
delamination, high density gradients and internal flaws are common. These flaws typically worsen
during subsequent sintering.
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the quality of die-compacted and then sintered titanium
shapes in order to determine the source and evolution of defects and density gradients during
processing. Following on from this evaluation, the student is required to create a list of
recommendation for improving the green compact quality. These recommendations must be
tested and a report of best-practise for die compaction of titanium powder must be compiled.
Computer tomography (CT scanner) will be used as a tool to evaluate internal defects and density
gradients in the green compacts.
DCB5
PROJECT TITLE: Machining performance of sintered titanium
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Machining titanium is a challenging task as the strength of the material is high, while the thermal
conductivity is low. This leads to high temperatures in the workpiece during machining. Initial
studies have shown that machining sintered titanium is dependent on the materials residual
porosity level. In this study, the student is required to use research from previous final year
projects, pertaining to the relationship between the sintered strength, thermal conductivity and the
materials porosity, to evaluate tool wear and workpiece surface integrity after machining of
sintered titanium. This may require repeating or extending some of the strength and thermal
conductivity experiments. The student will be required to design, program and execute CNC
machining of sintered titanium samples for evaluation.
DCB6
PROJECT TITLE: FAST sintering of nanoparticles
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Field-activated sintering (FAST) is a technique for sintering nano- and submicron-sized powder
particles into almost fully dense materials with superlative material properties. FAST makes use of
a pulsed DC electric current (2400 A at 12 V, on for 3 ms, off for 9 ms) that supposedly creates a
unique electric field in the powder compact, that influences the sintering response. In comparison,
conventional sintering uses convection to heat the powder compact and there is no electric field
created in the sample. There is much debate in the academic arena as to whether there is any real
influence of the pulsed DC electric current or not. In collaboration with E&E engineering, an
adapted-FAST device has been designed and built that does not require the specialised power
supply to operate.
For this project, the student is required to use the adapted FAST device to sinter nanopowders. A
design of experiments approach must be followed to determine the effects of varying the electric
current pulse (intensity, pulse period and duration) on the sintered material. A graphics user
interface must be developed to control the current and voltage delivered to the device. The
powders are supplied by UKZNs Department of Chemistry and the FAST-sintered products will be
tested for their catalytic usefulness.
NAME OF LECTURER: Albert Groenwold
AG1
PROJECT TITLE: Hi-speed, large angle mirror scanner
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (No)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
High speed optical scanning has many applications. They are for example used in image
projectors and displays, printers, and components in various sensor applications. Recently,
researchers at the CSIR have become interested in the development of a high speed
(approximately 5kHz) large angle (10 degrees peak-to-peak) mirror scanner. A relatively simple,
promising candidate design capable of meeting these specifications has been identified in the
literature [1]. The mechanism significantly amplifies the vibratory response produced by a
piezoelectric actuator to achieve the required rotations.
The project will involve the
conceptualization, manufacture and testing of the high speed mirror scanner.
(a)
(b)
Figure 1. Illustration of (a) Possible scanner application and (b) Finite element modelling of
device depicting the vibrator response. Both figures from [1].
References
[1] J.-H. Park, J. Adeko and H. Sato. High-speed metal-based optical microscanners using
stainless-steel substrate and piezoelectric thick films prepared by aerosol deposition method.
Sensors and Actuators A 135:86-91. 2007.
AG2
PROJECT TITLE: Wax-actuated switch
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: With the advent of smart grid technologies, more and more emphasis is being
placed on the need to have better control over household electricity usage without the need for
more human input. A very important aspect of this is the ability to interrupt the power supply to
some dumb appliance.
Currently this can be done by charging a large capacitor, which unloads a pulse of power to an
electromagnetic coil. The magnetic field then causes a mechanical switch to change state.
However, this solution is expensive due to the required hardware, and also due to the cost of the
supporting circuitry which needs to handle a high voltage and large current.
This aim of this project is to design an alternative switching solution, which makes use of the
concept of wax actuation. This involves the melting of wax and using the resulting change in
density to do work. The main requirement is that the switch has to be operated with a low power
input, but it is acceptable if the switch takes several minutes to achieve full actuation.
The project will involve the conceptualization, manufacture and demonstration of a wax-actuated
switch; dramatic improvement of an existing design is envisioned.
AG3
PROJECT TITLE: Composite materials testing
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The candidate will be involved in manufacturing and testing samples to specified
standards to capture tensile, compression and shear data. The effect of resin content on the
material properties will also be investigated.
The specifics of the tests are unfortunately not known at this stage, but this project will be done in
conjunction with a number of companies involved in the aeronautical industry. Students may need
to travel to Pretoria for short periods of time (but this will certainly not interfere with normal
classes).
AG4
PROJECT TITLE: Fracture mechanics testing
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The candidate will be involved in manufacturing and testing samples to
specified standards to capture fracture mechanics characteristics using standard fracture
mechanics specimens. The effects of welding on fracture toughness are to be determined, and
experimental results are to be compared with numerical and analytical results. Interested readers
are referred to
http://www.twi.co.uk/content/kscsw011.html
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Strength of Materials 3
AG5
PROJECT TITLE: A study of the interaction between interlaminar failure of composite
panels with identical adjacent ply arrangements
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Panels constructed from composite materials loaded under uni- or bi-axial loads
normally fail in buckling. An alternative failure mechanism is interlaminar failure. However, even
though the classical failure of composite materials is fairly well understood, interlaminate failure
is not as well understood, and designers often make use of heuristics to design composite panels
w.r.t interlaminate failure. One of these heuristics is that the number of adjacent layers with
identical ply arrangements should be restricted. In this study, the characterization of these number
of layers is to be studied using analytical and experimental techniques.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Strength of Materials 3
AG6
PROJECT TITLE: The implementation of cellular automata on field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs) Mechatronic
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: A cellular automaton is a collection of "colored" cells on a grid of specified shape
that evolves through a number of discrete time steps according to a set of rules based on the
states of neighboring cells. The rules are then applied iteratively for as many time steps as
desired. von Neumann was one of the first people to consider such a model, and incorporated a
cellular model into his "universal constructor." Cellular automata were studied in the early 1950s
as a possible model for biological systems (Wolfram, S. A New Kind of Science. Champaign, IL:
Wolfram Media, 2002, p. 48). Comprehensive studies of cellular automata have been performed
by S. Wolfram starting in the 1980s, and Wolfram's fundamental research in the field culminated in
the publication of his book A New Kind of Science in which Wolfram presents a gigantic collection
of results concerning automata, among which are a number of ground breaking new discoveries.
See http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CellularAutomaton.html
In this study, the students will have to develop and implement cellular automata for specific tasks
on firstly, a serial computational device, and secondly, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
The physical phenomena to be modelled is not prescribed, but should be interesting to engineers.
Examples are to model the topological design of structures and mechanisms or manipulators. The
physical phenomena to be modelled should be agreed upon with me before February 28, 2009.
Interested students should be reasonably comfortable with using a computer.
AFDELING: Ontwerp en Megatronika

DIVISION: Design and Mechatronics
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Corn Coetzee
CC1
PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a corrugator for paper boards
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes / no) Yes
Mechatronic (yes / no) No
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Packaging enhances and protects the goods we buy
through its distribution, from processing, manufacturing,
handling and storage to the final and ultimate user of the
goods. Packaging has many other important functions, such as protecting the product
from damage or contamination, keeping the products together so it does not spill,
identifying and advertising the products, protection during transport and ease of transport,
and facilitating stacking and storing of the products.
Two parts are involved in the manufacturing process of corrugated boards. During the
first part, the fluting is corrugated between two rolls. In the second part the liners are
glued to the outside of the fluting. In this project, we will only focus on the design of the
corrugator, i.e., the first part of the manufacturing process.
Nampak R&D requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory scale corrugator in
order to fabricate corrugated board samples for material development and evaluation. The
corrugator must be designed to take A4 sized sheets of paper to produce different types
of fluting (sinusoidal wave forms).
Possible
to continue
on
post-
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.
opportunities
with this work
graduate level.
CC2
PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a single-facer/double-backer for paper
boards
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Two parts are involved in the manufacturing process of corrugated boards. During the
first part, the fluting is corrugated between two rolls. In the second part the liners are
glued to the outside of the fluting. In this project, we will only focus on the design of the
single-facer/double-backer, i.e., the second part of the manufacturing process.
Nampak R&D requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory scale singlefacer/double-backer in order to fabricate corrugated board samples for material
development and evaluation. The single-facer/double-backer must be designed to take A4
sized sheets and already corrugated fluting. A liner must then be glued to the one side of
the flute to form a single-face board or on both sides to form a double-backer board.
Possible opportunities to continue with this work on post-graduate level.
CC3
PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a corrugated tray torsion and base sag
tester
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The structural performance of corrugated paper boards and boxes can be measured
using tensile tests, edge compression tests and box compression tests. Nampak R&D is
however looking for new methods to measure the board and box structural performance.
Proposed new methods include the Corrugated Tray Torsion Test and the Base Sag Test.
Nampak requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory Corrugated Tray Torsion
and Base Sag Tester. The best method for Tray Torsion and Base Sag testing needs to
be established and implemented. The results from these tests then need to be correlated
to other standard mechanical properties of the corrugated board and box. The Finite
Element Method will be used to model the corrugated paper board and box and the
results compared to measurements.
Possible opportunities to continue with this work on post-graduate level.
Box
compression test
Edge
compression test
Tray torsion test
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method (FEM)
CC4
PROJECT TITLE: The rolling resistance of bicycle wheels
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Rolling resistance is the energy that is lost when the tyre is rolling and the main reason for
loss of energy is the constant deformation of the tyre. Tyre pressure, tyre diameter, tyre
construction, tyre tread and other factors all have an effect on rolling resistance. The
higher the tyre pressure, the less is tyre deformation and thus the rolling resistance.
Small diameter tyres have a higher rolling resistance at the same tyre pressure, because
tyre deformation is proportionally more important, in other words the tyre is "less round".
Wider tyres roll better than narrow ones if the inflation pressures are the same. Generally,
smooth treads roll better than coarse treads. Tall lugs and wide gaps usually have a
detrimental effect on rolling resistance.
A test bench should be designed and used to measure the rolling resistance of different
tyres: 26 versus 29, different tyre widths, pressures and loads. This test bench would
be used for higher speeds. An existing test bench used for measuring the rolling
resistance of 4x4 tyres should be adapted to measure the slow speed resistance of
mountain bike tyres over sandy, rocky and uneven terrains.
CC5
PROJECT TITLE: The dynamic angle of repose
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a numerical method used for the modelling of
granular materials such as loose rock, grains and soil. DEM is used to model agricultural
processes such as fertiliser spreading, plough-soil interaction, and in the mining industry
to model bulk materials handling such as conveyor belts and transfer chutes.
It is important to specify the correct material properties otherwise the DEM model can not
be accurate. The static angle of repose is often used to determine the material friction.
However, for dynamic modelling, the dynamic angle of repose is a better measure of the
frictional properties. The dynamic angle of repose is measured in a rotating drum as
shown below.
In this project, an existing rotating drum setup should be modified so that particles up to
40 mm in size can be tested. Safety measures should also be added such as an
emergency stop and barriers and the drum should only be accessible when stationary.
The effect of drum diameter, width, fins, rotational speed and the drum friction coefficient
on the results should be quantified. Different materials should be tested, and the static
angle of repose compared to the dynamic angle of repose.
A DEM simulation of the experiments (rotating drum and slump-test) should also be
conducted and the results compared to the experimental results. A sensitivity study
should also be conducted to determine how sensitive the angle of repose is to a change in
the material properties, specifically the inter-particle friction and the particle shape.
Rotating drum
CC6
PROJECT TITLE: Off road radiator damage
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Driving off-road often requires negotiating deep water crossings. Water can be sucked in
by the engine, resulting in serious mechanical damage, but another danger is damaging
the radiator. When the radiator fan is submerged or partially submerged under water, the
fan blades tend to flex towards the radiator. The fan blades can damage the radiator fins
and tubes resulting in a leak.
A test facility should be designed to measure the fan blade deformation under water.
Various setups should be considered, such as electrically driven fans versus mechanically
driven fans with viscous couplings, what effect the water has on the behaviour of the
viscous coupling, plastic fans versus steel fans, submerged depth, etc. A simple and
effective method of preventing radiator damage should be proposed and tested. In the
second part of the project, a Finite Element Model (FEM) of a fan should be constructed
and analysed. The fan blade deflection should be compared to experimental
measurements.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method (FEM)
CC7
PROJEK TITEL: Ontwikkeling en toets van n EEM-DEM intervlak
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja / nee) Nee
RIGTING:
Meganies (ja / nee) ja
Megatronies (ja / nee) nee
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Die Eindige Element Metode (EEM) en die Diskreet Element Metode (DEM) is twee
verskillende numeriese metodes. DEM is n metode vir die modellering van diskrete
stelsels soos partikelvloei. Hierdie metode modelleer elke individuele partikel as n sfeer
en kan gebruik word om partikelvloei te voorspel. EEM is n metode vir die modellering
van kontinuum probleme soos staal strukture.
Soms is dit egter handig om van beide metodes gebruik te maak. Neem as voorbeeld die
lem van n stootskraper. DEM kan gebruik word om die vloei van grond voor die lem te
modelleer. Sterkte analises van die lem self, moet egter met EEM gedoen word.
Die resultaat vanaf die DEM pakket is tipies die posisie, snelheid en versnelling van elke
individuele partikel. Die kontak punt en kontak kragte tussen alle partikels en die lem kan
ook verkry word. Die resultaat vanaf n tipiese EEM model is spannings en vervormings in
die struktuur self wat dan gebruik kan word om te bepaal of die struktuur sal faal onder die
belasting of nie.
Vir die EEM model, is dit egter nodig om die kragte wat die partikels (grond) op die lem
uitoefen as intree waardes te verskaf. Vir die doel van hierdie projek moet daar n
rekenaar kode (program) ontwikkel word wat die resultate van die DEM model kan
verwerk in so n mate dat dit deur n spesifieke EEM model ingelees kan word. n Klein
eksperimentele opstelling moet ontwerp en gebruik word as verifikasie.
DEM model met partikels
EEM model van impak oppervlak
Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies): Eindige Element
Metode
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Danie Els

DNJE1
PROJECT TITLE: Design of downwind wind generator system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
In small scale wind turbines downwind turbine rotors (i.e. with the rotor blades on the lee
side of the tower) are often used. Also direct drive wind generators, i.e. without the use of
gearboxes, are used. These direct drive generators are relatively large in diameter.
Direct drive wind generator

Recently a new concept of wind generator is proposed that consists of two generator
components, the one generator (IG) connected to the turbine and running at slip speed
and the other generator (SG) connected to the power grid and running at synchronous
speed.
In this project the mechanical structure and bearing systems of the turbine-rotor and the
two generator components (IG and SG) running on a common drive shaft must be
designed. On the one side of the drive shaft (i.e. on the downwind side of the tower) the
turbine runs on a hub bearing system that is mounted on the drive shaft. Also mounted on
this side of the drive shaft is the IG. On the other side of the drive shaft (i.e. on the upwind
side of the tower) the SG is mounted. The mechanical strength analysis and design of the
bearing systems must be done taking into account all loads including the thrust-load of the
turbine rotor. Also balanced mass-load for the top tower to avoid gyroscopic loads must
be considered in the design. The project has the aim to build a prototype system.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM.
DNJE2
PROJECT TITLE: Fan blade tip displacement
DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
Stellenbosch University fan test facility

DESCRIPTION:
The tips of working (rotating) large fans are displaced by the aerodynamic lift and drag
forces. Unsteady inlet flow conditions can cause the blade to vibrate. The standard
method of measuring the displacements and vibrations is to place strain gauges at the
root of the blade and the correlating the strain gauge output with static tip displacement.
There is a large uncertainty between calibration the and dynamic displacements, because
of effects such as centrifugal stiffening and more complex blade deformations
The objective of this project is to measure the true tip displacements of fan blades under
operational conditions by optical or any other methods and correlate it with the strain
gauge measurements. A dynamic Finite Element Model (FEM) or Discrete Element Model
(DEM) must be constructed to correlate the experimental values with the theoretical
values.
DNJE3
PROJECT TITLE:
Swing-arm slump tester for granular material

DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The slope (angle of repose) of a heap of granular material is an important parameter used
in the characterisation of a granular material. The packing, speed of release, and various
other parameters play a major role in the shape of the heap. To minimize the number of
variables that influence the flow during the forming of a heap, a swing-arm slump tester is
used to find the angle of repose in a consistent and repeatable way.
The objectives of this project are:
1. Design and build a swing-arm slump tester for large particles.
2. Develop a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model for the swing-arm tester. Here
the student must do self-study and research into granular flow theory and DEM
methodology.
3. Conduct physical tests on a range of granular materials and replicate with the DEM
model to calibrate the micro mechanical parameters for DEM simulations.
DNJE4
PROJECT TITLE: Extended Octagonal Ring Transduced
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? ( no)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
Example of an extended octognal ring

transducer
Agricultural application
DESCRIPTION:
Extended octagonal ring transducers are popular devices for force and moment
measurements in agricultural engineering research due to its capability to measure the X
and Y forces as well as the resultant moment independently. It consists of a machined
steel or aluminium block. Strain gauges are mounted at strain nodes, i.e. at points where
there are no contribution from other force components. The accurate location of the strain
nodes and subsequent positioning of the strain gauges is critical in producing a transducer
with low cross sensitivities between the force components.
The objective of this project is to design, optimize and manufacture such an extended
octogonal ring trancducer. It must be calibrated and tested under various conditions. The
sucsessfull outcome of this project depends on the demonstration of accuracy and low
cross sensitivity.
DNJE5
PROJECT TITLE: Shell Eco-marathon I: CVT
DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
Shell Eco-marathon
NuVinci CVT
BACKGROUND:
Shell Eco-marathon challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and
test ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. The winners are the teams that go the furthest using
the least amount of energy.
http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/ecomarathon.html
Stellenbosch University aims to participate in the future in the class for electric vehicles.
The SU team will consist of students from M&M and from E&E.
In order to send the team to the international event additional sponsors must be obtained.
DESCRIPTION M&M PROJECT I: CVT
The student is responsible for the design of a continuous variable transmission (CVT) for
the propulsion system of the car. The objective of the project is to mechanically optimize
the performance of the electric motor and battery system over the full race taking into
account track and driving conditions.
This will require from the student to construct a detailed simulation to obtain the best
driving strategy and base the design on that strategy.
IMPORTANT:
This is a team project which will require the students to manage their time very well. They
must meet on a regular basis to coordinate all the work. If one member underperforms
everyone else suffers.
DNJE6
PROJECT TITLE: Automatic Dart Gun Sighting System
DIRECTION:
Mechatronic
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Dart guns shoot darts filled with drugs that temporarily sedates an animal so that it may
be captured safely or to deliver medication such as antibiotics. It is important to note that
the kinetic impact energy of the dart must be limited, depending on the type of animal, to
prevent injuries or death. The accuracy of the system is also very important to prevent
injury.
The objective of the project is to develop an automatic sighting system that will:
1. Calculate maximum allowable impact velocity depending on the type of animal and
mass of dart
2. Measure range to target with supplied laser range finder.
3. Get local GPS coordinates and calculate local gravitation acceleration
4. Get environmental parameters such as air density and wind velocity.
5. Calculate muzzle velocity and elevation depending on the range, dart mass, impact
velocity, etc.
6. Calculate and control gas pressure to obtain required muzzle velocity
7. Set sight to correct elevation
8. Repeat 5-8 for a moving target until dart is fired.
DNJE7
PROJECT TITLE: Firearm test mount
DIRECTION:
Mechanical
STUDENT:
Firearm test mount

DESCRIPTION:
The effective testing of firearms requires a mounting that emulates the human shoulder
during firing.
The objective of this project is to design and build the non-linear mass-spring-damper
system for the mounting. It must apply a recoil reaction force during firing that is as close
as possible to the force a human shoulder would exert on the firearm under similar
conditions.
This project will require from the student to do self-study into advanced dynamics,
advanced numerical methods, human anatomy and ergonomics.
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Dawie van den Heever
DVDH1
PROJEKTITEL: Proprioception in Sport
KAN PROJEK IN EERSTE SEMESTER AFGEHANDEL WORD? Nee
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Proprioception refers to the bodys ability to sense movement within joints and joint
position. This ability enables us to know where our limbs are in space without having to
look. It is obvious that this ability plays a crucial role in sports. But how does this ability
extend to a sense of position of a cricket bat or tennis racket for professional athlete? An
active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA) is a device that is used to
measure a persons proprioceptive ability of different body parts.
The aim of this project is to design and build an AMEDA to measure the proprioceptive
ability of athletes and especially their sense of where the sweet spot is in their bat or
racket (or whichever weapon the sport dictates).
Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies):
DVDH2
PROJEKTITEL: Parkinsons rails
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Parkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Early in the
course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement related; these include
shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.
Physical therapists are constantly exploring new methods to help people with this disease
with their movement-related problems. A big focus is on helping them walk without
stumbling or falling. But in order to assess the success of the methods employed, the
physical therapist needs to track the patients progress.
The aim of this project is to design and build a set of rails that can be used to track the
progress of Parkinsons patients. The idea is that the patients will walk with the rail(s) on
their side(s) and use the rails for support every time they feel they are going to stumble.
The rails must record the forces it experience each time the patient uses it for support and
must also notify the therapist if a certain threshold is exceeded. This will aid the therapist
in tracking the progress by tracking the intensity en frequency the patient uses the rails for
support.
DVDH3
PROJEKTITEL: The neural correlates of blushing
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Blushing is a physiological response to emotional stimuli, caused by the vasodilation of
cutaneous blood vessels. This response is typically associated with the social, selfconscious emotion of embarrassment and is often a primary complaint of patients
diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. The Cape Universities Brain Imaging Centre
(CUBIC) is in the process of conducting a study exploring the neural correlates of blushing
using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. However, they need an
objective method of assessing whether or not the protocol elicited blushing in the patient
or not (they dont want to rely only on the patients word). And they would further like to
know the exact moment blushing occurred.
Thus, the aim of this project is to design, build and test an MRI compatible device for
measuring the onset of blushing.
DVDH4
PROJEKTITEL: Portable ECG monitoring
KAN PROJEK IN EERSTE SEMESTER AFGEHANDEL WORD? (Nee)
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is the recording of the electrical activity of the heart.
Traditionally this is in the form of a transthoracic interpretation of the electical activity of
the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the surface of the
skin and recorded or displayed by a device external to the body. However, ECG recording
devices are normally restricted to labs or hospitals and this limits the environment and
duration of traditional ECG recordings.
There is a need for a portable, wireless ECG monitoring device, that can monitor a
persons heart activity during his/her normal day without providing too much discomfort.
The aim of this project will therefore be to design, build and test such a device.
DVDH5
PROJEKTITEL: Robot Wars I
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Design and build a robot to fight another robot at the end of the year. The robots must
comply to the RULES AND REGULATIONS ROBOT WARS 2014 documentation that
can be found at http://ieeesbmalta.org . The robot will fall under the official hobbyweight
robot class. There will also be a further cost restriction not mentioned in the rules and
regulations document.
DVDH6
PROJEKTITEL: Robot Wars II
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Design and build a robot to fight another robot at the end of the year. The robots must
comply to the RULES AND REGULATIONS ROBOT WARS 2014 documentation that
can be found at http://ieeesbmalta.org . The robot will fall under the official hobbyweight
robot class. There will also be a further cost restriction not mentioned in the rules and
regulations document.
DVDH7
PROJEKTITEL: Sideline concussion test
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT: Josh Fischer 17000548

BESKRYWING:
A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury and alters the way the
brain functions. Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can
also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. Concussions are
common, particularly if you play a contact sport, such as rugby or boxing. In South Africa,
rugby has the highest incidence of concussion amongst collision team sports. 10 to 15%
of high school rugby players will suffer a concussion in any season. Up to 50% of high
school rugby players would have suffered a concussion in their high school playing
careers. A high index of suspicion of potential head injury is required when assessing any
athlete who has sustained a collision or has multiple injuries. A concussion causes a
variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, which may not be recognized if
subtle.
The aim of this project is to develop an automatic screening device to do a quick sideline
test for a concussion. Published medical studies have determined that deficiencies in
saccadic eye movements can be an indicator of concussion. This phenomenon can be
used to develop a device capable of diagnosing any apparent deficiency in saccadic eye
movement and warn a player of possible concussion.
NAME OF LECTURER: Cobus Muller

JHM1
PROJEK TITEL: Kunsmatige elektroniese geaktueerde hand toestel
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? Nee
RIGTING:
Megatronies
STUDENT: J Janse van Vuuren (16988477)

BESKRYWING:
Die omvang van die projek behels dat n toestel ontwerp word wat die basiese funksies
van n menslike hand sal kan vervul. Hierdie funksies sluit in vashou, optel en verskuif.
Die toestel moet in die drie modes gebruik kan word met verskillende grade van druk wat
toegepas word deur die vashou meganisme. Verskillende tipes materiaal moet dus
hanteer kan word sonder dat dit beskadig word. Die beweging moet beheer word deur `n
gemete sein verkry van een of ander menslike respons, bv. EMG of hand bewegings.
Suksesvolle uitvoering van die projek behels `n prototipe wat die werking van die toestel
demonstreer deur byvoorbeeld `n appel op te tel en te verskuif sonder dat dit beskadig
word.
Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies): Geen.
JHM2
PROJECT TITLE: Wheelchair gait simulator
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? No
DIRECTION:
Mechanical or Mechatronic
STUDENT: A Basson (17049164)

BESKRYWING:
The project proposal is to design a wheelchair that has an added function to simulate gait
in order to help prevent paraplegics from getting associated infections. Specific outcomes
of the project include the following:
A completed prototype of the proposed design
Successful testing on the prototype with abled and disabled individuals
Simulation results of the mechanical design and possibly of the blood flow within a
human body
The final year project outcomes involves, designing a wheelchair with the required
additional built in function, building a prototype of the design, and testing how accurately
the design simulates the movement of walking. The feasibility of the design will be tested
by means of motion sensors available at the Biomedical Engineering Research
department (BERG) of Stellenbosch University, as well as the Material Science and
Manufacturing Department of the CSIR. Using the motion sensors and associated
equipment, the motion associated with normal gait will be captured and compared to the
simulated gait motion that the prototype delivers. The error between the actual and the
simulated gait motions will then determine the feasibility of the design. The final year
project will focus on the mechanical and technical knowledge required to design a feasible
wheelchair. Successful completion will entail a functioning prototype that simulates gait
motion of the hip and knee joints.
JHM3
PROJECT TITLE: Passive gait simulator
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Tad McGeer illustrated the concept of a
human-like frame that walks down an
incline in a passive manner1. The system is
thus energy efficient in that it doesnt need
to draw any energy from a source in order
to control its motion. In this project, the
candidate will design and build a passive
dynamic walker that simulates the principles
of normal gait. This project will be
challenging in the sense that complimentary
knowledge of human gait will be needed
and implemented into the mechanical
system. The candidate will first derive a
mathematical model that will be used to
guide the design choices. A prototype will
then be build and the passive gait will be
simulated.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_d http://ruina.tam.cornell.edu/hplab/pdw.html
ynamics
JHM4
PROJECT TITLE: Fibre-optic motion capturing system
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
This is an ongoing effort to design and
develop a motion capturing system that
relies on fibre optic technology. A
methodology to measure simple finger
movements has been developed and the
next step will be the refinement of this
method and expansion to other joints in the
body. As a first step, the movement of the
whole hand will need to be captured
followed by the lower arm and in the end
the shoulder. The candidate will be
responsible for the
1. hardware design
2. Data acquisition
3. Data processing and biomechanical
modelling
4. And real-time presentation
http://www.metamotion.com/hardware/motio
n-capture-hardware-gloves-Datagloves.htm
The accuracy of the system will need to be

benchmarked to proof the viability of the
system. Complimentary sensors and
measurement techniques will in all
probability need to be included to improve
on the accuracy. The candidate will be
responsible
to
interface
different
measurement systems.
JHM5
PROJECT TITLE: Run cycle
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Traffic congestion is a major problem in
Stellenbosch. Add cyclists who do not have
designated paths, and you have a recipe for
disaster. Skateboards have become a
viable means of transportation to get quickly
from A to B, but it requires a special set of
skills. Pedestrians may still exercise the
safest means of transport at the expense of
longer travelling times. A run-cycle may
offer an attractive alternative in that it may
speed up traveling, while being simpler to
operate and safe for use on sidewalks. The
candidate will need to design and built a
prototype of a run-cycle with safety features
required for safe transportation in http://www.likecool.com/brand-Gear-BikeStellenbosch. The design must be light and 17.html
must be compact enough to be stored in
class.
JHM6
PROJECT TITLE: No hands chess
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
A chess robot must be designed that can
pick and place chess pieces on a standard
chess board based on a command from an
operator or virtual player. The hardware
must form part of a software interface that
either allows person vs. person, or person
vs. computer. The candidate will therefore
need to design the pick and place system,
as well as the computer interface and a
simple artificial intelligence chess algorithm
(available code can be used and adjusted).
JHM7
PROJECT TITLE: Ping pong shooter
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
A mechanism able to shoot a ping-pong ball
at a moving target must be designed and
build. The device must be fully automated
in that after receiving the command, it
should acquire the target, measure the
distance and speed at which the target is
traveling and then shoot it. The aimalgorithm must be demonstrated in a
software simulation before the prototype is
built. The candidate will also need to build
the target and design a motion path on
which it can move, i.e. back-forth, left-right,
and up-down. The shooter must first strike a
stationary target, before implementing more http://blog.uberpong.com/terrifying-pingdegrees of freedom. The gun may only fire pong-gun/
single shots and must be reloaded
manually.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Thorsten Becker
TBEC1
PROJECT TITLE: Auger shot peening analysis.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT: WJ Kuhn 17171830

DESCRIPTION:
Auger is used worldwide as an efficient way to feed livestock. It is important that Auger is
manufactured correctly with sufficient mechanical properties to meet the demanding
environmental conditions. Equipment downtime can have significant cost implications for
livestock companies.
Technical Systems, a company that manufactures Auger, shot peens their product after it
has been formed from a flat wire into the required coil shape. Technical Systems wishes to
know whether the mechanical properties of the auger will be improved if the flat wire was
first shot peened before being formed into a coil.
This project will require:
1. Designing and conducting physical experiments.
2. Analysing the different mechanical properties of the Auger through the use of
devices such as strain gauges and Neutron Diffraction instruments to analyse
principle stress components i.e. axial, radial and hoop components.
3. Processing this data to determine which process produces the best viable auger.
Flat wire used to manufacture auger
Auger used is the in livestock industry

to transport chicken feed
Final auger geometry
TBEC2
PROJECT TITLE: Fatigue and crack growth investigation of 3D printed Titanium
alloys.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT: L Bornschlegell 15528421

DESCRIPTION:
The next generation of manufacturing methodologies is 3D printing, also known as
Selective Laser Melting (SLM). These techniques are capable of producing parts to high
precision and build complexity while producing little material waste. The technique has
shown great potential in the biomedical industry and in the aerospace industry.
This project is focused on Material Science and forms part of a research drive that aims to
evaluate the material performance of the SLM produced Titanium alloys. This project will
focus on fatigue and fracture toughness analyses.
2. Measure crack growth behaviour of SLM produced parts.
3. Measure fracture toughness of SLM produced parts.
4. Comparison of obtained data to conventional wrought titanium alloys.
TBEC3
PROJECT TITLE: Microstructural investigation of 3D printed Titanium alloys.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The next generation of manufacturing methodologies is 3D printing, also known as
Selective Laser Melting (SLM). These techniques are capable of producing parts to high
precision and build complexity while producing little material waste. The technique has
shown great potential in the biomedical industry and in the aerospace industry.
This project is focused on Material Science and forms part of a research drive that aims to
evaluate the material performance of the SLM produced Titanium alloys. Previous work
has shown that the material behaviour is directly related to its microstructure (see figure),
which can be tailored by specific heat-treatments.
2. Investigate various heat-treatments and the resultant microstructure.
3. Measuring tensile properties of SLM produced parts.
4. Recommendations will be made for the application of SLM produced parts for
industrial applications.
TBEC4
PROJECT TITLE: Measuring material properties using digital image correlation.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The fast rising demand of electrical energy in South Africa has forced Eskom to vastly
exceed the designed lifetime of existing power plants. Exceeding this design lifetime can
have detrimental effects on the plants reliability. In its most basic form, plant reliability is
critically dependent on the material condition and integrity that make up the structures,
machines and systems within the plant.
Digital Image Correlation (DIC) offers an attractive, alternative way to characterise the
material condition. DIC essentially tracks pixels in digital images to provide a displacement
measurement of the surface. This project focuses on Strength of Materials and aims to
use DIC to measure degradation mechanisms.
2. Use the Virtual Field Method (VFM) to extract mechanical properties.
3. Comparison of obtained data to conventional property measurement methods.
Required skills: Matlab

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method.
TBEC5
PROJECT TITLE: Arcan fatigue and fracture testing.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The fast rising demand of electrical energy in South Africa has forced Eskom to vastly
exceed the designed lifetime of existing power plants. Exceeding this design lifetime can
have detrimental effects on the plants reliability. In its most basic form, plant reliability is
critically dependent on the material condition and integrity that make up the structures,
machines and systems within the plant.
One of the key failures is mixed mode fracture, whereby failure occurs due to tearing and
shearing. The modified Arcan fixture allows for tests to be conducted of such failures,
enabling the generation of precise mixed failures modes. In particular, this allows the
detailed experimental study of the laws of crack propagation.
This project is focused on Material Science and aims to conduct mixed mode failure tests.
Part of this process is in the critical analysis of the existing Arcan design, and various
other proposed designs, to minimise experimental scatter.
1. Modify the existing Arcan fixture.
2. Conduct physical experiments to determine mixed mode fracture properties.
TBEC6
PROJECT TITLE: Design, construction and commission of fatigue crack length
measurement system.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (No)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Optical techniques are often used to observe and measure specimens during mechanical
testing. This can help understand the degradation mechanisms that are related to fatigue
cracking including crack nucleation, growth and coalescence.
One of the particular requirements is the ability to accurately measure crack lengths during
fatigue crack growth rate investigations.
This project focuses on Design and aims to design and commission a system that will
allow for accurate crack length measurements. The system should be digital and allow for
crack measurements to 0.05mm.
1. Designing and build a crack length measuring system.
2. Commission this system by performing physical experiments.

TBEC7
PROJECT TITLE: Design of in-situ Double Torsion rig.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (No)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) is the next generation in measurement techniques that
allow for full volume, 3D measurements. The technique uses volume images acquired
from X-ray Computed Tomography systems (like the ones used to scan your brain),
correlates the volume image data between two scans to calculate displacements.
This project focuses on Design and aims to design a Double Torsion test rig that can be
placed inside the Micro X-ray Computed Tomography system (currently available in the
Forestry department) that will allow for volume images to be taken during. The rig should
allow for a range of specimen sizes and be able to measure load and load point
displacement data.
1. Design and build a miniature in situ Double Torsion rig.
TBEC8
PROJECT TITLE: Design and implementation of a DIY digital image correlation
system.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Digital Image Correlation (DIC) allows for the full field surface measurements to be
obtained throughout the deformation of a material. The basis of DIC is the matching of one
point from a digital image of an objects surface before loading to a point on the objects
surface taken at after loading.
Commercial DIC systems exist that allow for the computation of such full field
displacement fields. These however are very expensive and a two-dimensional DIY DIC
system may be built at a much lower cost.
This project focuses on Design and aims to design and commission a DIC system. A
Matlab based DIC algorithm is available. The system should be able to acquire images to
compute the displacement data, capture load and displacement data, and provide the
required test conditions, i.e. lighting.
1. Design and build a DIY 2D Digital Image Correlation system.

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Willie Smit

WS1
PROJECT TITLE: Gimbal control by means of Google Glass
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT: Josua Blom - 17098017

DESCRIPTION: A camera mounted on a gimbal has to track the head movement of a
user with a head mounted display. The camera has to stream live video to the users head
up display (HUD). The HUD and integrated sensors for the head mounted display will be
in the form of Google Glass.
The camera and gimbal combination will use the same sensors to track the users head
position as reference. If the users head moves to the right a certain number of degrees,
the gimbal has to move the camera to track the same path as the users head and end up
in the same position as the users head. This may include one or two axis movement.
The gimbal, camera and the necessary hardware and control boards (such as Arduino
boards) will be bought out. A presentable and functional hardware and software package
needs to be put together that adhere to the above requirements.
Practical applications of such a system include use on drones for search and rescue
operations, security monitoring applications etc.
WS2
PROJECT TITLE: Determining North by means of a digital camera
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Heliostats reflect solar rays onto a central tower in a concentrated solar
power plant. The cost of a heliostat field is at least 25% of the total power plant cost.
Heliostats are currently controlled in an open loop fashion. The heliostat has to be
accurately manufactured in order to achieve the desired accuracy required by open loop
control, which makes it costly.
This project is part of a research effort by STERG to make heliostats cheaper. The idea is
to fit heliostats with more sensors so that they can still be controlled accurately even
though they are manufactured less accurately.
This project has to determine how accurately North can be estimated by a heliostat that is
fitted with an optical camera. The position of the sun will be measured by an optical
camera. The measured position of the sun will be compared with its known position. North
can then be determined based on this comparison. A prototype system has to be
designed, implemented and tested.
WS3
PROJECT TITLE: Determining the elevation angle of a heliostat by means of a
camera
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Heliostats reflect solar rays onto a central tower in a concentrated solar
power plant. The cost of a heliostat field is at least 25% of the total power plant cost.
Heliostats are currently controlled in an open loop fashion. The heliostat has to be
accurately manufactured in order to achieve the desired accuracy required by open loop
control, which makes it costly.
This project is part of a research effort by STERG to make heliostats cheaper. The idea is
to fit heliostats with more sensors so that they can still be controlled accurately even
though they are manufactured less accurately.
This project has to determine how accurately the elevation angle of a heliostat can be
estimated by means of an optical camera fitted to the heliostat. The position of a beacon
relative to the heliostat is accurately known. Image processing algorithms should find the
coordinates of a beacon in the image. The coordinates should be used to determine the
elevation angle of the camera and hence the heliostat. An inclinometer will be used to
provide ground truth.
WS4
PROJECT TITLE: Quadcopter with steering fins
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: There is a need in STERG to have quadcopters that can hold their
positions while flying accurately. One issue with a quadcopter is that it has to pitch or roll
in order to move horizontally.
A quadcopter should be able to hold position more accurately if it is fitted with controllable
fins below the motors. Changing the orientation of the fins will create a horizontal force to
move the quadcopter.
The aim of this project is to fit an existing quadcopter with controllable fins. The existing
flight controller should be programmed to use the fins for controlling the position of a
quadcopter.
WS5
PROJECT TITLE: An obstacle avoidance sensor for the Arduino platform
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Design, implement and demonstrate an obstacle avoidance sensor for
the Arduino platform. The sensor should use an optical flow field to detect obstacles. It
should be fitted to an Arduino Robot to demonstrate its functionality. The robot should be
able to move around in an office block without bumping into obstacles.
Only students with good programming skills and that have used Arduino products before
should consider this project.
WS6
PROJECT TITLE: Optical flow sensor for a quadcopter
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (no)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Quadcopters are typically fitted with a GPS module, a 3-axis
acceleratomer, a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis magnetometer. These sensors allow the
quadcopter to estimate its pose fairly accurately.
The aim of this project is to design an optical flow sensor for the quadcopter. The sensor
will point downwards so that it is able to measure horizontal and vertical speeds of the
quadcopter, as well as the pitch, tilt and yaw rates. These measurements will complement
the other measurements to provide a more accurate estimate of the quadcopters pose.
The sensor has to be implemented on the Arduino platform. Only students with good
programming skills, an above average mark for mathematics and that have used Arduino
products before should consider this project.
WS7
PROJEK TITEL: n Automatiese Beheerstelsel vir die Algemene Swembad
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja)
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT: RJ van Wyk 14312212

BESKRYWING:
'n Stelsel moet ontwerp word wat automaties die eienskappe van 'n swembad monitor en
aanpas. Dit sluit in die pH, temperatuur, water vlak, ensovoorts. Die sensore moet aan 'n
node gekoppel word wat deel vorm van 'n Arduino + XigBee stelsel om die data te
ontvang. Die data sal dan na 'n Rasberry Pie gestuur word om verwerk te word asook om
verskeie verslae te genereer wat na gekyk kan word deur die verbruiker.
Insluitend sal daar 'n stelsel ontwerp moet word wat die nodige middels kan byvoeg tot die
sisteem soos dit benodig word. Bv. as die pH nie reg is, as die water te laag is, as die
temperatuur te laag is, moet die sisteem automaties kan aanpas.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof C Scheffer

CS1
PROJECT TITLE: Development of a measurement system to estimate the gestational age
of a Neonate.
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? Yes
DIRECTION:
Mechanical - no
Mechatronic - yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
For clinical reasons it is often required to determine the gestational age of a newborn baby
(neonate). The purpose of this project is to develop a mechatronic tool that can take certain
anatomical measurements on a neonate that incorporates software that will correlate with
anatomical data to yield the approximate gestational age. The device must preferably be
disposable and of a low cost, or could be a gas sterilised.
CS2
PROJECT TITLE: Development of a robotic gripper with haptic feedback
DIRECTION:
Mechanical - no
Mechatronic - yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this project is to investigate a means of incorporating haptic feedback into a
simple robotic gripper, that must also be developed. The gripper must be able to pick and place
soft and hard objects and the user of the gripper must be able to feel the hardness of the object
being manipulated.
CS3
PROJECT TITLE: Development of an intelligent robotic gripper
DIRECTION:
Mechanical - no
Mechatronic - yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this project is to develop a simple robotic gripper that can demonstrate a level of
intelligence in that the gripper will recognise certain objects (e.g. optically by means of a camera
or other device) and will then adjust its gripper parameters accordingly. Additionally, artificial
neural networks could be used for the gripper to also recognise similar objects and then behave
accordingly.
NAME OF LECTURER: Liora Ginsberg
LCG1
PROJECT TITLE: Design of passive neonatal incubator
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes / no)
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes / no)
Mechatronic (yes / no)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The student must design, build and test a passive neonatal incubator to provide
optimum performance. The student must measure and test the temperature and
humidity in the models from previous years and compare these results to the new
design. The student must also design for commercialisation. This is a continuation
of current research.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): CFD
LCG2
PROJECT TITLE: Design of gas system neonatal incubator spark plug system
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The student must redesign the current gas system incubator model to provide
optimum control of the spark plug system and then build and test it . The student
must measure and test the temperature and humidity in the current gas system
neonatal incubators and compare these results with the new design. This is a
continuation of current research.
LCG3
PROJECT TITLE: Modelling of the lymphatic trunk
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The student must learn FlowNex software in order to become familiar with it. The
student must do research to study the lymphatic system, and the current models.
The student must model the lymph from the lymph trunks into the venous system
using FlowNex. The result must be compared with models in literature. An
experiment must be conducted to validate the FlowNex results. The forms part of a
current PhD study.
LCG4
PROJECT TITLE: Modelling of the lymphatic trunk venous system
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The student must learn CFD software, such as Fluent, in order to become familiar
with it. The student must do research to study the lymphatic system, and the
current models. The student must model the lymph from the lymph trunks into the
venous system using the Fluent software package. The result must be compared to
models in literature. An experiment must be conducted to validate the CFD results.
The study forms part of a current PhD study.
LCG5
PROJECT TITLE: Design of neonatal nebulizer
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The student needs to research nebulizers and droplet sprayers to be used with
neonates. The student needs to develop a unique & perhaps cheap nebulizer /
droplet sprayer that could be used for clinical testing / treatment / commercialized
usage. The student also needs to determine droplet sizes of surfactant with and
without other drugs (as carrying agent). The design must be built and tested, then
compared to Aerogenpro(R). This project has been proposed by the Tygerberg
Children's Hospital. This is continuation of current research.
AFDELING: Termo-vloei
DIVISION: Thermo-fluids
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof H.C.R. Reuter
HCR1
PROJECT TITLE: Performance evaluation and parametric investigation of the SunSpot
solarised combined cycle power plant
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This project entails the further development of a heat balance calculation tool for the
Stellenbosch University Solar Power Thermodynamic (SUNSPOT) Cycle shown
schematically below using own and commercial software. The aim is to investigate the
annual performance of the system using annual meteorological data for a specific site in
South Africa. This project will require the application of knowledge gained in all the
undergraduate Thermofluids courses.
HCR2
PROJECT TITLE: Design optimisation of a low temperature rock-bed space heating and
cooling system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Space heating and cooling of buildings and factories is generally expensive and requires
the use of electricity or fossil fuel. The heating and cooling of such spaces using a rockbed heat storage system could prove to be a low cost alternative. This project entails the
design and costing of such a rock-bed storage system and requires the application of
knowledge gained from Thermofluid, Design and Mechatronics subjects.
HCR3
PROJECT TITLE: Design of a low cost solar water heating system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The payback period for solar water heaters is still considered to be too long compared to
electric systems. This project entails the design, manufacture, testing and costing of a
new solar water heating system made from low cost, off-the-shelf materials and requires
the application of knowledge gained from Thermofluids, Design and Mechatronics
subjects.
HCR4
PROJECT TITLE: Investigate the flow patterns around a frustum of a cone in a wind
tunnel and by means of CFD
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Stellenbosch University (SU) is considered to be a world leader in the field of industrial aircooled heat exchangers and cooling tower performance.
Wind reduces the performance of natural draught cooling towers, where it could possibly
improve the performance. To understand these wind effects better, a CFD model needs to
be developed of a frustum of a hollow cone in a crossflowing air-stream with and without
axial air flow inside the pipe and the results must be compared with experimental data.
The experimental pressure distribution data must be obtained from tests conducted in a
wind tunnel for which a test model needs to be designed and manufactured. This project
requires the application of knowledge gained from Thermofluid, Design and CFD subjects.
HCR5
PROJECT TITLE: Design and performance evaluation of a pressure regulating system
for a novel irrigation system design with improved water flow characteristics
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Agricultural irrigations systems generally spray water with a small drop diameter, which
requires high water pressure and thus pumping power costs. Furthermore, research has
shown that, with current irrigation systems, more than 50 % of the water is lost mainly due
to drift losses and evaporation, which is high for a dry country such as South Africa. A
novel water irrigation system, which will significantly reduce water losses and pumping
power compared to exisiting systems, has been developed at Stellenbosch University.
This novel system requires a special pressure reducing and control valve design. This
project entails the design, manufacture, testing and costing of a new pressure reducing
valve which requires the application of knowledge gained from Thermofluids and Design
subjects.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): The project can benefit from any of
the modules
HCR6
PROJECT TITLE: Performance evaluation of a new hybrid cooling system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Dry-cooling systems are used in various industries, power plants and air-conditioning units
to reduce the water consumption and to eliminate visible vapour plumes. To enhance the
performance of these systems during high ambient temperature conditions, the heat
exchanger surface can be fully or partially deluged with water to achieve evaporative
cooling.
The main objective of this project is to develop a calculation model, based on previous
work done at Stellenbosch University, to predict the performance of a novel hybrid
(dry/wet) heat exchanger design and to compare the performance with results for another
exisiting design.
This project requires the application of knowledge gained from Thermofluids and Design
subjects.
HCR7
PROJECT TITLE: Investigation into the effects of scaling on the performance of cooling
tower drift eliminators.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Natural draught wet cooling towers are used in power plant applications to provide cold
water to condensers. Warm water is pumped through a series of sprayers in the cooling
tower and is cooled by the air flow through the tower. In order to save water, drift
eliminators are placed above the sprayers to reduce water loss through droplets leaving
the cooling tower. Once in operation, drift eliminators are often susceptible to scale
deposits forming on the surface, the effect of this scale on the performance of the drift
eliminators is not known and quantification of this is the subject of this project. The
student will be required to conduct tests in a wind tunnel on drift eliminators with varying
amounts of scale; the tests should show the change in pressure drop through scaled drift
eliminators and assist the client in determining whether or not to clean drift eliminators
during routine maintenance.
Using the data from these experiments, the student should also show the effect of scaling
on the performance of a cooling tower using a model available at the university.
LECTURER: Johan van der Spuy
JvdS1
PROJECT TITLE: Develop a mechanism to limit the effect of fan blade loading
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The department has access to a facility where scaled fans of a diameter of 1.5 m can be
tested. These fans, in full scale, are typically used in direct dry-cooled condensors. At low
flow rates the fan blades experience a large variation in blade loading that influences the
design life of the blades.
The student will use an existing epxerimental fan to develop a mechanism that can limit
the variation in blade loading. Along with the development, the student must also measure
the velocity distribution up- and downstream of the rotating fan blades.
CFD may be a benifit but is not a prereq.
JvdS2
PROJECT TITLE: Simulating cross wind conditions upstream of an axial flow fan
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The department has access to a facility where the interaction and performance of a
multiple fan installation relative to inlet flow conditions can be measured. At present the
inlet flow conditions of the facility is adjusted by varying the height of the inlet floor.
A previous student has adapted the facility to operate with a 4th fan drawing air past the
other three fans. The student must verify the effect of this adaptation experimentally
using, amongts others, PIV laser.
CFD may be a benifit but is not a prereq.
JvdS3
PROJEKTITEL: Simulasie en toets van n vleuelprofiel.
KAN PROJEK IN EERSTE SEMESTER AFGEHANDEL WORD? (Ja/Nee)
RIGTING:
Meganies (Ja/Nee)
STUDENT: T.W. Meissner
Megatronies (Ja/Nee)
17199514
BESKRYWING:
When designing a wing or fan blades, the change in shape of the airfoil can have a
significant effect on the lift and drag forces acting on the airfoil.
A set of airfoil profiles will be manufactured and tested in a wind tunnel to investigate the
effect the shape of the wing profile has on the lift and drag forces. The chord length,
profile thickness, wing span and the sweep angle will be the variables that will be
investigated. The aim of the project will be to document these effects and compare the
results to CFD analysis. The project will be concluded with the application of the results to
airfoil design.
Numeriese Vloeidinamika 414
JvdS4
PROJECT TITLE: The propulsion of a turbocharger using a blow down configuration
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
There is currently a major interest in the capability to test small scale centrifugal
compressors for use in mico gas turbines. The department has a simple facility where a
turbocharger is used to drive the test compressor using compressed air. The maximum
speed of the facility is 100000 RPM.
The current facility has been adapted to connect the compressor outlet to the turbine inlet
via an air heater. It has however been found that the facility is unable to self sustain
without additional air being forced into the compressor inlet. The purpose of this project is
to improve the drive system so that the facility is self sustaining.
This skripsie has a strong design focus with a a turbomachinery background.
JvdS5
PROJECT TITLE: The re-design of the centrifugal compressor test facility
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
There is currently a major interest in the capability to test small scale centrifugal
compressors for use in mico gas turbines. The department has a simple facility where a
turbocharger is used to drive the test compressor using compressed air. The bearings in
the facility requires constant high pressure lubrication, which makes it susceptable to
failure. The current facility can also not test the diffusor section of the compressor.
The purpose of the project is to design a new shaft arrangement for the test facility. The
shaft arrangement must be such that the compressor rotor and diffusor can be tested in a
modular way without removing the turbine section. A preliminary design for the
arrangement has been performed already.
This skripsie has a strong design focus with a a turbomachinery background.
JvdS6
PROJECT TITLE: Testing a micro gas turbine engine
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
There is currently interest in the development of micor gas turbine engines. The
department has a test facility where the thrust of the engines, as well as other
temperatures and pressures are measured. One of the aspects that are currently being
looked at is measuring the flow conditions between the compressor outlet and the
combustor.
The purpose of the project is to invetigate the installation of measurement aparatus within
the gas turbine and specifically to measure the flow direction and velocity at the inlet of
the combustor. The student must design, build, calibrate and test a pitot tube to be used
inside the gas turbine.
JvdS7
PROJECT TITLE: Simulate the noise levels of an axial flow fan
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A lot of research has been conducted on the design of low noise axial flow fans. As part of
this research the noise levels of the fan is usually measured. The university has a test
facility where fans can be tested, as well as the facilities to simulate the noise levels of
these fans. The simulation of these noise levels has however never been performed
because it has been considered too computationally intensive.
The purpose of the project is to simulate the noise levels of a rotating fan. The student
must first obtain the necessary background information and perform simple noise level
simulations. The eventual aim is to test a fan and to simulate its noise levels.
CFD 414
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr. Jaap Hoffmann

JEH1
PROJECT TITLE: Heat transfer enhancement inside tubes (practical)
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The SUNSPOT cycle is a combination of a Brayton and Rankine cycles. Air is the
working fluid in the Brayton cycle. Air has poor thermal characteristics, that leads to
challenges in the receiver design.
Tubular solar-thermal receivers are subject to very high heat fluxes from the heliostat field.
Heat is removed from the outer surface by conduction through the tube wall, and
convection to air flowing through the tube.
High heat fluxes may lead to overheating and failure of materials. Furthermore, high
surface temperatures increase convection and radiation losses from the receiver.
The tubes are heated from only one side, leading to high thermal stresses and
deformation.
Design, build and commission a test facility capable of measuring the heat transfer
coefficient on the inside of a tube at Reynolds numbers spanning at least two orders of
magnitude.
JEH2
PROJECT TITLE: Mixed convection correlation for superficial solar receiver
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Superficial receivers are mounted on the outside of the power tower, and as a result,
suffer from convection (wind and buoyancy driven) and radiation losses. Correlations for
mixed convection typically do not span the full Rayleigh number range encountered in
concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Furthermore, existing correlations are limited to
smooth cylinders subject to a uniform heat flux or temperature. The receiver temperature
is not constant in plant using molten salts as heat transfer fluid.
Investigate mixed convection across a rough cylinder for different L/D ratios
experimentally. Using water as working fluid should bring you potentially closer to the
Rayleigh numbers associated with CSP plant. Generate a CFD model of your receiver,
and use this model to evaluate mixed flow extend your correlation to full scale.
JEH3
PROJECT TITLE: Optical tests on high temperature resistant quartz glass
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Quartz glass (fused silica) is frequently used in concentrated solar power plant, either as
pressure boundary or to diffuse and redistribute solar radiation in the receiver due to its
ability to cope with high temperature. In all these applications, the reflectivity, absorptivity
and refraction index of quartz is required.
Several projects at the Solar Thermal Energy Research Group (STERG) investigate solar
thermal receivers that operate at temperatures above 800 C. Many of these could be
enhanced, or are only possible with quartz glass components. Therefore, qualification
of the optical properties of quartz samples that are to be used in these receivers is
essential.
Measure the optical properties of quartz experimentally, and if possible, extend your
experiments to include different wavelengths and quartz temperatures.
It is envisaged that a laser pointer connected to a constant power supply might be a

sufficient power source for these experiments.
JEH4
PROJECT TITLE: Optimization of optical field for central receiver solar thermal
power plant
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The heliostats contribute about a third to the cost of a solar thermal power plant. It is
crucial to utilize the heliostats optimally for any specific site. Heliostats close to the tower
usually have the highest efficiency, and it is desirable to space heliostats densely near the
tower. Too dense a spacing leads to blocking and shading losses. These losses change
with the sun angles that in turn depend on the time of day and season.
Various heliostat arrangements are described in the literature, but it seems that
consensus on the best arrangement has not yet been reached. Investigate various
optimization techniques and identify the most appropriate algorithm for this type of
application, if one exists. Use this algorithm to optimize the optical field for a given heat
load (MWth).
For this project, the student is expected to focus on an ordered heliostat arrangement on
a perfectly flat terrain. This should limit the design variables to tower height, and heliostat
spacing in the radial and circumferential direction.
JEH5
PROJECT TITLE: Optimize the tube arrangement for the Spiky Central Receiver Air
Pre-Heater (SCRAP)
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The spiky air receiver concept was proposed by Prof Krger for the SUNSPOT cycle. The
receiver is situated between the compressor and turbine of the Brayton cycle. It fulfils the
same role normally ascribed to the combustion chamber in a gas turbine cycle.
The spiky receiver comprises of a number of annular tubes mounted perpendicularly onto
a large spherical surface. Cold air flows through the inner tube, turns through 180 at the
dome shaped tips, and returns through the annular space between the two tubes.
Concentrated sunlight heats air passing through the insides of these tubes. The spatial
distribution of the tubes, tube length and tube thickness all determines how much of the
tube surface is exposed to direct sunlight, and how much is shaded by neighbouring
tubes.
It seems impossible to arrange the tubes in a regular pattern on a spherical surface.
The repulsive neighbour technique is proposed to calculate the most uniform tube
arrangement on a spherical surface. The technique is similar to how positively charged
particles will arrange themselves on such a surface. The whole field has to be
recalculated every time a tube is added to the surface.
In this project, the student will develop a routine, following the repulsive neighbour
technique, to optimize the tube distribution on a spherical surface. For the purpose of this
project, it may be assumed that the tube length and diameter remain constant.
JEH6
PROJECT TITLE: Optimization of a single tube for the Spiky Central Receiver Air
Pre-Heater (SCRAP)
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The spiky air receiver concept was proposed by Prof Krger for the SUNSPOT cycle. The
receiver is situated between the compressor and turbine of the Brayton cycle. It fulfils the
same role normally ascribed to the combustion chamber in a gas turbine cycle.
The spiky receiver comprises of a number of annular tubes mounted perpendicularly onto
a large spherical surface. Cold air flows through the inner tube, turns through 180 at the
dome shaped end-caps, and returns through the annular space between the two tubes.
Concentrated sunlight heats air passing through the insides of these tubes. The spatial
distribution of the tubes, tube length and tube thickness all determines how much of the
tube surface is exposed to direct sunlight, and how much is shaded by neighbouring
tubes.
The annular space if fitted with longitudinal fins to enhance heat transfer. Furthermore,
the fins are wound in a helical pattern along the inner tube. The fins will also increase the
pressure drop across the receiver.
Optimize a single receiver tube to obtain the highest possible heat transfer at the lowest
possible pressure drop. Design variables are the tube wall thickness, diameter of inner
and outer tube, fin spacing and thickness, as well as the helix angle. CFD is probably the
most practical way to determine the heat transfer and pressure drop.
NAME OF LECTURER: TM Harms

TMH1
PROJECT TITLE: Analytical, numerical and experimental investigation of heat transfer
augmentation measures for an induced draft domestic fire place liner
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: This project relates to a well-known domestic South African fire place
which uses a double cavity construction to induce natural convection air circulation
through the device in order to improve the convection heat transfer to the room, which
mostly occurs via radiation heat transfer otherwise. While a previous project (2013)
successfully demonstrated the augmentation of the heat transfer through the incorporation
of a fan, the aim of this project is to investigate what measures can be additionally taken to
improve the heat transfer further. The project entails quantifying the effects of such an
enhancement through theoretical heat transfer analysis, measurements on a given
installation and computational fluid dynamics simulations.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Numerical Fluid Dynamics 414
TMH2
PROJECT TITLE: Design, costing and financial performance analysis and possible
installation and testing of a photovoltaic solar power supply for a domestic swimming pool
pump installation
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (No)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: South Africa is presently experiencing critical electricity supply shortages
which impediment the economic performance of the country as is but also impact
negatively on investment decisions so necessary for economic growth. Domestic
electricity consumption has already been targeted by Eskom through a financial rebate for
the installation of solar water heating systems. Swimming pool pumps have also been
identified as a significant demand side management target.
This give rise to the
question, whether in the context of rapidly rising electricity costs and equally rapidly
diminishing cost of solar photovoltaic power, to what degree we are approaching an
economic breakeven point at this scale.
This project therefore entails the design, costing and financial performance analysis and
possible procurement and testing of a photovoltaic solar power supply for a typical 1 kW,
220 V AC domestic swimming pool pump. The analysis should take the form of a
computer program (e.g. MS Excel) so that different scenarios can be easily evaluated.
While no energy storage is envisaged for this application, controls, DC to AC conversion
and resistive power dissipation will be required.
Note that for this project, a sound basis for the available solar resource as a function of
location and panel orientation must be established and a utilisation factors predicted.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): -
TMH3
PROJECT TITLE: Investigation into the optimal two-dimensional arrangement of the
spike in a the central receiver of a solar power station.
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Among the many world-first developments taken currently place in the
solar thermal research group housed in this department, the patented spiked central
receiver development for a solar power station has been a research focus for some time.
This project is conceived to make a contribution to this research. A two-dimensional
analysis is required how best to proceed to configure a series of thermal radiation
receiving spikes in an open convective environment on a convex surface to optimise their
performance. While the problem has been limited here to two dimensions to give it a
reasonable scope, nevertheless useful insight is expected to emerge. A successful
analysis will have to be backed up by a suitable designed experiment to verify the results.
Elective module recommended (only for Mechanical): Numerical Fluid Dynamics
414
TMH4
PROJECT TITLE: Investigation of the capability of a computational fluids dynamics
software
code like Fluent to model inter-phase two-phase heat transfer
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Two-phase flows (liquid-gas) are very prominent in industrial processes,
e.g. chemical processing, reactor modelling, process steam application and boiling and
condensing in power generation applications, be nuclear, fossil fuel or solar based.
Modern CFD codes like Fluent therefore have the ability to model two-phase flows. In this
investigation the objective is to establish a basic two-phase flow situation, e.g. in a tube
geometry, vertical or horizontal, which could resemble the receiver in concentrated solar
power application, and superimpose a heat transfer situation by e.g. injecting heated air,
i.e. heat transfer between the phases, which may involve phase change as well, both
experimentally and numerically.
TMH5
PROJECT TITLE: Investigation of unsteady free surface flow over a decelerating water
column
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: To explain a certain thermo-fluid phenomenon it is suspected that a
rapidly decelerating free surface (liquid/gas interface) will break up under such conditions
such that droplets actually emerge and penetrate the gas space. This challenging project
entails designing and setting up an experiment (time controlled release of air pressure in a
U-tube) to provoke this behaviour (and perhaps capture in on camera) and simulate the
process in the e.g. Fluent computational fluid dynamics software environment to see
whether it can be replicated there.
TMH6
PROJECT TITLE: Computational fluid dynamics using open source software
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The OpenFOAM computational fluid dynamics software code, which can
be freely downloaded from the internet, is a professional CFD platform, which is widely
supported and deployed throughout the world in industry and research. Increasingly it is
recognized that the accessibility of its source code is essential in a research environment.
This project entails obtaining a basic working knowledge of the code as a user and
applying the code in the context of atmospheric flow modelling research through the
investigation of turbulent boundary layer flow over a flat surface both experimentally and
numerically, with particular emphasis on the performance of smooth versus rough surface
texture. In this regard, this project constitutes an extension of an earlier successful
precursor completed during 2013. This project has a significant experimental component,
consisting of hot wire anemometry in the departments medium speed wind tunnel, using
new equipment procured since then.
TMH7
PROJECT TITLE: Design, analysis and testing of an underwater flat paddle fin
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (yes)
Mechatronic (no)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
South African water polo players and coaches are rated among the best in the world. In
2008 the under 19 team won the world championships. This project is aimed to establish
the basis for controlled fin testing. An underwater stiff flat paddle mechanism is
envisaged, which must be designed and constructed, which incorporates strain gauge
transducers, such that periodic forces at a location in the paddle can be recorded during
oscillatory motion. In addition to an analytical analysis of the motion and forces, a
computational fluid dynamic solution must be obtained, from which the predicted forces
must be extracted and compared to the measured and otherwise calculated values.
NAME OF LECTURER: Peter Blaine

PGB 1
PROJECT TITLE:
Development of a passenger counting system for the passenger rail envirionment
DIRECTION:
Mechatronic (Yes/No) Yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
PRASA (MetroRail) is the source of this project
It is vital to know the number of passengers being transported on a train. Not only can
the service be benchmarked for marketing and planning purposes, but the weight/mas of
the passengers in a coach (payload) can be integrated with the axle weighing system
and the braking system load sensors.
Traditionally train passenger information is obtained from a passenger census with
information collected at all stations. The project will investigate onboard counters which
will be able to count the number of passengers boarding and leaving the train.
PRASA, the passenger rail supplier, has submitted the project which was started in
2012. The work will build on the findings and recommendations in the 2012, 2013 and
2014 reports.
PGB 2
PROJECT TITLE:
Design and manufacture a non-electronically controlled sun tracking
system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The use of renewable energy systems is becoming ever more important. Much of the
energy captured is solar. Often parabolic collectors are used which need to be able to
automatically track the sun. Electronic control systems are now commonplace, but, in
undeveloped regions there often is no electrical power available and the local
technology is often primitive.
It therefore would be very advantageous if a non-electrical control system could be
developed which would allow the parabolic solar collector to track the sun. The system
should be fail-safe and rugged.
The project will include the design of the solar dish which is to be controlled
PGB 3
PROJECT TITLE:
Investigate wheel wear in the rail environment
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Yes
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
PRASA (MetroRail) is the source of this project
In the rail environment it is vital that wheel wear must be measured continuously, but
equally important is determining the causes of wheel wear, which are not always
obvious.
This project is to study the wheel-rail interface and the effect of different conditions will
have on the wear rate of wheels.
Examples are:train speed restriction, condition of the rail, condition and operation of the brake system
This project will build upon the work done during 2014
PGB 4
PROJECT TITLE:
The Design and Manufacture of a Raw Water Filtration System for Peasant
Communities
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Yes
STUDENT:
The supply of clean potable water is a right written into the South African Constitution.
However the supply of clean water to remote and small communities is not always
practical, possible or economic. Generally a water supply from the local spring or
stream is available, but this is most often contaminated with silt, microbes and other
pollutants.
The project will require the design and manufacture of a simple and cost effective water
filtration system which will produce potable water from these sources. The renewable
components must be generally available to these communities and not require them to
have sophisticated knowledge or skills such as the use of chemicals. It should also be
possible to train the community on how the system works and how to maintain it.
PGB 5
PROJECT TITLE:
The Design and Manufacture of an Electrical Generating System
for Peasant Communities
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Yes
STUDENT:
In remote communities throughout the world, one of the largest barriers to development
is access to electricity. The cost of building power lines across rugged terrain or to
communities in sparsely populated areas can be too expensive to be practical. In these
cases a low cost alternative to harness energy on site is needed.
Rural school children very often return after school to do their homework but do not
have light to work by.
The project requires the design and manufacture of a simple system which will produce
an electrical supply which can be stored and is capable of supplying enough power to
run an light and charge a cell phone.
While the use of photo-electric cells is a possibility, they are expensive and subject to
damage. The system designed should be rugged and repairable by the intended user
assuming simple training is given when it is delivered.
PGB6
PROJECT TITLE:
The Design and Manufacture of a Remotely Controlled Vehicle

for searching for survivors of a Building Collapse

DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
Yes
Mechatronic (Yes/No) Yes Mostly
STUDENT:
When there is a catastrophic failure of a building the search and rescue personnel need a
machine to use in their search for possible survivors hidden in the rubble. They need a
remotely guided vehicle small enough to get through gaps in the rubble. I must also have a
camera and a position device which would be transmitted back to the controller using, for
instance, a GPS and Bluetooth.
NAME OF LECTURER: Mr. R. W. Haines

RWH1
PROJECT TITLE: The design and development of an inlet air flow meter for an
internal combustion engine
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to design, manufacture and test an inlet air flow meter to
measure the mass flow rate of atmospheric air into a reciprocating internal combustion
engine during bench testing. The meter will be used to determine the air-fuel ratio and
volumetric efficiency of the engine. Real-time measurement of the mass flow rate of the
inlet air is required and when used, the meter must not influence the volumetric efficiency
and performance of the engine.
The meter must be designed for use on both petrol and diesel engines and have a range
suitable for measuring the inlet air mass flow rates of single cylinder stationary engines
and also engines typically found in passenger car and light delivery vehicles. Once
calibrated, the meter will be used on an engine test bench to determine the volumetric
efficiency of a reciprocating internal combustion engine.
RWH2
PROJECT TITLE: The design and development of a remote intercooler for a
turbocharged internal combustion engine
DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to design, assemble and test a remote intercooler for a
turbocharged internal combustion engine. The intercooler will be used during engine
dynamometer tests to cool and control the temperature of compressed inlet air to the
engine. During engine performance and fuel testing, it is important to use a remote
intercooler to control the temperature of the compressed inlet air as this temperature
influences engine performance and exhaust gas emissions.
During engine testing, the post-intercooler air temperature must be controlled to a
constant temperature of 50C irrespective of engine power. The intercooler will use chilled
water as the cooling medium and a PID controller with 3-way mixing valve will be used for
control. The intercooler must be designed and sized for use on both petrol and diesel
engines typically found in passenger car and light delivery vehicles. The intercooler must
withstand the maximum boost pressures used on current turbocharged intercooled
engines and meet the engine manufacturers requirements for maximum pressure drop
during operation. The design will be evaluated by completing a set of experiments on an
air flow test bench and also on a reciprocating internal combustion engine.
RWH3
PROJECT TITLE: The design and development of a damping chamber for an inlet
air flow meter used for single cylinder stationary engine testing
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to design, manufacture and test a damping chamber for an
inlet air flow rate meter used for single cylinder, stationary engine testing. While running,
single cylinder engines generate severe pressure pulsations in the inlet manifold which
results in a pulsating inlet air flow in the clean air system of the engine. These pressure
pulsations can influence the accuracy of air flow rate measurements which are captured
during engine performance testing and used for heat release analysis.
The project also includes setting up a small single cylinder, diesel engine on a test bench
as a test platform for experiments on the damping chamber. The setup will include the
design of engine mountings, driveshaft, exhaust extraction system and safety guards plus
all instrumentation required during testing. The design will be evaluated by completing a
set of experiments to measure the attenuation of the pressure pulsations across the inlet
and outlet of the chamber for different engine operating conditions.
RWH4
PROJECT TITLE: The design and development of a test rig for measuring the
lubricity of biofuels and biofuel blends
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to design, manufacture and test a rig used to measure the
lubricity of petroleum diesel, bio-diesels and a range of bio-diesel/ethanol/diesel blends.
Diesel lubricity is an important parameter as modern diesel engines have fuel injection
equipment operating at very high injection pressures where the lubrication is provided by
the diesel fuel. There are different methods used to measure the lubricity of fuels. The
high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) test was developed many years ago and since its
development, the lubricity properties of diesel fuels have changed due to the reduction of
sulphur content, changes in paraffinic content and the blending of biofuels.
The test rig design will be evaluated by completing a set of experiments to establish the
lubricity of a range of fuels for use in diesel engines. The results will then be compared to
those found in the literature.
RWH5
PROJECT TITLE: The design and development of a test rig for measuring the
power absorbed by the valve train of an overhead camshaft engine
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT: project proposed by student: Mr A. Cloete (16017625)

DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to design, manufacture and test a rig used to measure the
power absorbed by the valve train of an overhead camshaft engine. The valve train will
be driven by an electric motor controlled by a variable speed drive. The rig must also
include the design of a lubrication system required to provide cold or heated lubricating oil
under pressure to the valve train during operation.
The design will be evaluated by completing a set of experiments using different cylinder
head configurations and different types of lubricating oils and viscosities. Some of these
experiments will include running the valve train at different speeds to measure the power
absorbed during transient and steady state conditions.
RWH6
PROJECT TITLE: Modelling and testing the performance of a single cylinder
stationary engine
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to model and simulate the performance of a single cylinder
stationary engine using Lotus Engine Simulation software and then verify the results by
testing the performance of the engine on an engine test bench. The test engine must
initially be disassembled for measurements as modelling the engine will require the
dimensions of certain components. Once the engine has been modelled, the engine will
be assembled and tested on a test bench.
The accuracy of the simulations will be evaluated by comparing the test data to that
obtained using the model. The project also includes setting up the instrumentation
required to capture the engine test parameters during testing.
RWH7
PROJECT TITLE: Install, commission and test a single cylinder research engine
used to measure the octane ratings of a spark ignition fuels
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this project is to install, commission and test a single cylinder, research
engine in the internal combustion engines laboratory. The engine will be used to measure
the research octane number and motoring octane number of spark ignition biofuels and
blends. The installation will also include setting up the test bed, electric dynamometer,
drive system and all instrumentation required to test the engine. Various brackets and an
exhaust system must also be designed and manufactured during the installation process.
The setup will be evaluated by running a set of tests to measure the research and
motoring octane numbers of 95 unleaded petrol and various ethanol and petrol blends.
For the engine to be used for research purposes, it is important that the engine test setup
can provide test data that is accurate and repeatable.
NAME OF LECTURER: RT Dobson

RTD 1
PROJECT TITLE: Simulation and performance optimisation aspects of a free piston
Stirling heat to electrical power convertor
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) NO
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No) YES
Mechatronic (Yes/No) NO
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Free piston Stirling engines (FPSEs) are regarded as the most reliable of all mechanical
prime movers as they have no internal linkages and no lubrication system and are
completely silent running. Further, they can be powered by any heat source and,
potentially speaking, have the highest thermal efficiency of all thermodynamic machines. If
the FPSE is coupled to an axial flux-type machine a maintenance-free hermetically-sealed
heat to electrical power generator is possible. The problem however is that it is difficult to
theoretically simulate and control and hence difficult to optimise its design and
manufacture.
An experimental FPSE electrical
Tcold
Thot
generator has been made but now
needs to be optimised and a socalled development engineered
model needs to designed and built.
It will thus be the express objective
of this project to attempt to optimise
certain aspects of the existing animation_tdc_01_jeff.gif tallbloke.wordpress.com
design. This approach will require
the development of an improved theoretical simulation computer program, the
identification and experimental motivation of the features of the FPSE convertor that
should improve its efficacy (both thermal and ease of local manufacture), the upgrading of
the existing engine and the experimental validation of these improving interventions. All
work conducted in this regard is to be captured in a project report that, inter alia,
addresses the following: literature review, theoretical modelling, ameliorating design
interventions, experimental test results and a plan for local manufacturing.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Any
RTD 2
PROJECT TITLE: Solar powered organic Rankine cycle (ORC) electrical power
generator
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
An organic Rankine cycle (ORC)
electrical power generator has been
built in the laboratory by a previous
student (see figure). It uses an
electrically heated oil tank (controlled
at 145 C) as the high temperature
heat source. The problem with this
system is that the working fluid R123
tends to leak out of the system due to
excessive use of compression, rather
than solder joints.
Electrically
heated hot
oil tank
This project will require that the

system be rebuilt using solder joints
and theoretically simulated. The theoretical simulation model developed must then be
evaluated and validated experimentally.
RTD 3
PROJECT TITLE: Optimisation aspects of the absorber of a LiBr-water and water

absorption system
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A LiBr-water and water absorption system
has been built as shown in the figure. The
absorber section of this as-built system has
as yet not been optimised. [In the absorber
section of the system water vapour from the
evaporator is exposed to the surface of a
concentrated LiBr-water solution and the
water vapour is so to say sucked or
absorbed into LiBr-water solution; hence the
name absorber. On being absorbed the
temperature of the solution increases as
energy is released as a result of the
chemical realignment of the electron bonds 2009571148536337729373389062501390.jpg
chegg.com
in the now diluted solution.]
This project will require the identification of the variables influencing the absorption
process (in the absorber of the absorption system) and hence develop a theoretical
simulation model of the absorption process. This absorption process then has to be
integrated into an already existing theoretical simulation model of the absorption cooling
system. Having now identified the important variables a new absorber configuration has to
be designed, constructed and incorporated into the as-built system and its absorption
efficacy and performance quantitatively characterised and experimentally verified and
validated.
RTD 4
PROJECT TITLE: Dynamic control system for a tri-function LiBr-water and water
absorption system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No) No
Mechatronic (Yes/No) YES
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A LiBr-water and water absorption system
and especially a tri-function system all
require a number of parameters and
devices that need to be controlled. [Trifunction refers to the simultaneous
generation of electrical power, process
heating and aslo refrigeration.] In an
absorption system there are four heating
and cooling streams and four heat
exchangers, a number of sensors, a
throttling valve/device, a pressure control
valve, a LiBr-water solution circulation
pump, and a LiBr-water solution
concentration detector. The electrical load
variation also needs to be considered for 2009571148536337729373389062501390.jpg
both electrical output and heat supply chegg.com
fluctuations.
An automatic electronic/mechatronic measurement, data capture and control system has
to be built and integrated into the as-built absorption system of project RTD3. The two
hand operated expansion valves need to be replaced with electronically controlled valves;
the solution pump flow rate needs to be automatically adjusted. The control has to be
done in accordance with the various temperatures, namely, the condenser generator,
evaporator and absorber temperatures, the heating and cooling fluid inlet and outlet
temperatures and the temperature of the material being cooled.
RTD 5
PROJECT TITLE: Theoretical simulation and experimental evaluation of a heat
pump water heater
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Vacuum breaker
Temperature
flow control valve
Thot 55 C
Air-to-water
P-T Valve
heat pump
This project will entail the
procurement and installation,
as shown in the figure, of a
Tair
commercial heat pump water Valve
Water heater tank
heater for domestic water
Twater tank
heating
purposes.
Once
installed and working the
Pump
Pressure reducer and
time-dependent
behaviour
expansion release
and heat transfer behaviour
and characteristics of the system are to be experimentally determined. In the meantime a
theoretical computer simulation model is to be developed and its validity established by
comparing the theoretically determined results with the experimentally determined results.
Various water heater tank effects, such as cold (and hot) water inlet baffling, plume and
inverse-plume formation, hot inlet baffling and thermal de-stratification of the water in the
tank, need to be addressed.
RTD 6
PROJECT TITLE: Passive Solar Tracker
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) NO, but
extension to Masters is possible
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This project will require the design,
construction and testing of a passive
(that is that no electonics, electromagnetic or active control deives are
needed for the system to operate)
device to track the alititude angle of the
sun as it moves across the sky. The
Radiation
idea is to use a thermofluidic device
shield
as shown in the figure as a, so-called
single-axis solar tracker system, to
control the tilt angle of a so-called
trough-type solar concentrating and
reflecting
collector.
The
device
Pivot
point
consiststs of two interconnected
tubular tanks containing working fluid
(such
as a
refrigerant);
then,
http://www.zomeworks.com/
depending on the relative orientation of
the sun and radiation shields, fluid boils in the one tank and its vapour condenses in the
other causing the devise to tilt, as shown in the figure. Not shown in the sketch is a
damping mechanism for the tracker frame about its pivot point.
A theoretical thermo-hydraulic-mechanical simulation of the device capturing the transient
and dynamic response will also needs to be developed and validated using the actual as
tested device.
NAME OF LECTURER: TW von Backstrm

TWvB1
PROJECT TITLE: Effect of axial fan blade sweep on performance

DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Blade sweep in axial fans affect performance and noise generation. A
previous student designed an axial fan with swept blades and had it manufactured. In the
present project the design should be revisied and the blade profile shape should be
measured up and compared to the design intent. The performance of both the designed
and manufactured fan blades should be simulated by CFD and compared to each other.
The aerodynamic performance and noise generation of the swept-blade fan should be
experimentally compared to that of an existing straight-blade fan, using a fan noise test
tunnel. Computational aero acoustics should be investigated.
TWvB2
PROJECT TITLE: The effect ofthe number of inlet guide vanes on the performance
of axial fans exposed to cross flow
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The axial fans in air cooled condensers are usually not fitted with inlet
guide vanes (IGVs), but theoretically they can improve the fan efficiency. Previous
students designed and tested IGVs for a typical cooling fan for a power plant cooling
system. The manufactured vanes were thicker than the design intent, due to the bending
of the master blade during mould making. The objective is to find a way of reducing the
thickness of the inlet guide vanes, either by machining each vane, or by NC-machining
the new master vane in metal rather than wood. The next step is to fit three fans in
parallel with these IGVs and investigate the effect of cross flow on fan performance. The
effect of minimising the number of vanes by removing every second vane or some
unnecessary vanes on one side of the edge fan must also be investigated
TWvB3
PROJECT TITLE: Improvements to a linear Fresnel solar collector system

DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Previous students have built up the linear Fresnel solar collector system
on the solar roof and have designed and implemented a solar tracking system. In the
proposed project better practical ways of adjusting the mirrors in the collector are to be
found for the traditionally mounted mirrors and for the system using mirrors that rotate offaxis. Special care should be taken regarding the interconnection of the mirrors and their
automatic adjusment to track the sun. Measured data should be compared to numerical
data obtained from a ray tracing computer program. The objective is to start early with the
collection of experimental data.
TWvB4
PROJECT TITLE: Design of a rock bed thermal energy storage system
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Rock beds are prime candidates for thermal energy storage in solar
energy systems. Previous students have investigated the pressure drops through rock
beds, and the thermal capacitance of such systems. The objective of this task is to use
this information to design, build and test a pilot plant rock bed system to store thermal
energy. The container and ducting design are of special relevance. The design should
take into consideration the layout of a large SUNSPOT type system. The SUNSPOT
system is a combined cycle with rock storage between the gas turbine and steam turbine.
The gas turbine runs mostly during the day and the steam turbine mostly during the night.
This task includes CFD modelling and the use of Flownex, a pipe network model. No
experimental work is required, but existing experimental data should be modelled.
TWvB5
PROJECT TITLE: The effect of a casing on the performance of an ocean current
turbine
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The design of an ocean current turbine for the generation of electricity is
under consideration. To enhance performance, the turbine will be situated inside a
shroud (casing) in the shape of a nozzle. A section through the nozzle wall will be airfoilshaped. There will also be a downstream nozzle, linked to the shroud by a daisy-mixer,
The objective is to increase the turbine power output appreciably without increasing its
drag. The approach will be analytical and by the use of CFD. The nozzles and mixer must
be designed and built, and tested with the turbine in the towing tank. The experimental
work will be done in a wind tunnel.
TWvB6
PROJECT TITLE: The design of an external combustion chamber for gas turbine
based on turbocherger components
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The SUNSPOT solar power system depends on the development of a
gas turbine that can be powered by gas or solar energy. If the combustion chamber can
be changed from internal to external combustion, the seamless integration of the two
power sources can be achieved more easily as the solar intensity changes daily and
seasonally, by adapting the number of burners to the amount of solar energy available.
The concept is that of a double coil of heat exchanger tubes surrounding the gas turbine
axis. This also eliminates the requirement of more or less axial flow through the
combustion chamber. The student will have to design and build the external combustor
and the gas burners, based on one dimensional heat transfer analysis.
WvB7
PROJECT TITLE: Analysis of the performance of a gas skottelbraai
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The SUNSPOT solar power system depends on the development of a
gas turbine that can be powered by gas or solar energy. A masters student is currently
investigating the conversion of the departments Rover gas turbine engine to run on
propane gas. As an intermediate step we want to investigate the performance and control
of a skottelbraai. The student will have to fit the skottelbraai with measuring equipment
and model its performance using one-dimensional heat transfer analysis and the
commercial network code, Flownex..
TWvB8
PROJECT TITLE: Prediction of slip factor of radial fans
DIRECTION:
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The slip factor of radial fans, pumps and compressors relates the real
change in angular momentum across the rotor to the ideal change should the flow leave
the impeller at the same relative angle as the blade trailing edges. Busemann predicted
the slip factor for frictionless flow for rotors with logarithmic spiral blades long ago, and
Hassenplug did the same for straight bladed impellers. The objective is to find a simple
correlation for straight bladed impellers based on the work of Von Backstrom for impellers
with logarithmic spiral blades. On the practical side the student must come up with the
design of a very simple rig to measure slip factor for parallel sided impellers with straight
bladed impellers, or do some CFD simulation.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): CFD.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof CJ Meyer
CJM01
PROJECT TITLE: Develop a sting for the simultaneous measurement of drag,
trim and sinkage of model hulls in the SU towing tank.
DIRECTION: Mechanical (yes)
STUDENT: Bradley Da Silva
16519132
DESCRIPTION: During the testing of a model hull in the SU towing tank, the
drag, trim and sinkage of the hull is measured using arguably outdated
methods and equipment. In more modern facilities this is usually
accomplished with the use of a so-called sting that attaches to the model hull
and allows for the simultaneous measurement of these quantities. The student
is tasked with the development and testing of such a sting.
CJM02
PROJECT TITLE: Investigate the effect of HYSUCAT foil position on the
seakeeping performance of an asymmetrical catamaran.
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Investigate the resistance and sea keeping for an
asymmetrical hull catamaran with changes in foil height and longitudinal
position. Measure vertical accelerations both fore and aft for the series of tests
in towing tank with waves.
1. Design a single deadrise asymmetrical hull.
2. Design a foil mechanism for testing foils at various positions.
3. Manufacture hulls and foil with assistance of Skeg.
4. Test (Measure acceleration and resistance and record all tests visually).
CJM03
PROJECT TITLE: Investigate the effect of spray rails and stern flaps on the
performance of a 35m patrol boat hull.
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Design and evaluate the effectiveness of different spray rail
and stern flap arrangements on the resistance of the hull.
1. Test the bare hull without spray rails and stern flaps to establish the
baseline resistance at different speeds.
2. Retest the hull with and investigate their influence on overall resistance with
increasing speed.
3. Considering the results achieved make recommendations for further work.
CJM04
PROJECT TITLE: Investigate the effect of keel pads and other bottom
geometries on the performance of a planing hull
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Small variations to the geometry of planning hulls are
sometimes used to improve the performance of those hulls. The modifications
alter the pressure distribution slightly to improve the lift to drag ratio of the hull.
The aim of this investigation is to experimentally investigate the two most
common forms: (1) pads and (2) keel fillet in order to establish how effective
they are.
1. Design various keel pads etc.
2. Analyze hull with Savitsky for resistance values.
4. Manufacture bottom geometries with the assistance of Skeg.
5. Test
CJM05
PROJECT TITLE: Develop a test facility for the characterizing of jet pumps.
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Jet or ejector pumps are often used in situations where
conventional methods of pumping or suction cannot be used due to the nature
of the working fluid. The latter could include a working fluid at excessively high
temperatures or due to the presence of solid objects that would otherwise
damage/destroy a conventional impeller.
1. Design, build and test a jet pump testing facility.
2. Construct a jet pump of known characteristics and determine its
characteristics. Compare to published data.
3. Suggest ways to improve jet pump performance. Implement and test..
CJM06
PROJECT TITLE: Determine the Reynolds-number effect on the scaling of
axial flow fans performance characteristics
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The performance characteristics of axial flow fans for largescale applications are determined in a coded fan test facility through the
evaluation of a geometrically scaled model of the large-scale fan. The model
fan characteristics are scaled to full-size using similarity laws. The latter do
not take Reynolds-number effects into account. Suggest a methodology that
would allow the characterization of the Reynolds-number effect on fan scaling
utilizing the coded fan test facility at SU. Implement and determine this effect.
CJM07
PROJECT TITLE: Determine the effect of hub configuration on axial flow fan
performance.
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The performance characteristics of axial flow fans are
affected by the fan hub configuration. Perform a literature search to identify
different hub configurations as well as their reported effect on fan
performance. Based on the literature survey, define a range of different hub
configurations and evaluate their performance for a given axial flow fan (or
multiple fans) in the coded fan test facility.
NAME OF LECTURER: Mr Carl Tshamala

MCT1
PROJECT TITLE: Experimental determination of deluged air-cooled heat exchanger
bundle performance characteristics
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
cooling.
The main objective of this project is to determine experimentally a the performance
characteristics and develop a calculation model based on previous work done at
Stellenbosch University on a deluged air-cooled heat exchager.This project requires the
application of knowledge gained from Thermofluids and Design subjects.
MCT2
PROJECT TITLE: Development of a hybrid (dry/wet) dephlegmator annual performance
model
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
cooling.
The aim of this project is to develop an annual performance model of a hybrid (dry/wet)
dephlegmator based on previous research done at Stellenbosch University.
subjects.
MCT3
PROJECT TITLE: Development of a combined dry and wet cooling system annual
performance model
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes/No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
cooling.
The main objective of this project is to develop a calculation model, based on previous
work done at Stellenbosch University, to predict the annual performance of a combined
dry and wet cooling system.
subjects.
NAME OF LECTURER: F Dinter

FD 1
PROJECT TITLE: Design of a solar cooker for camping and rural application
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (No)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
South Africa: Many people like to braai. A lot of sun is available. Cooking and braaiing
could be done by sun.
This project should create a simple and modular solar cooker for braaiing or cooking. Easy
to built and rebuilt for camping and storing.
Sunrays should be concentrated on a pan or pot.
Calculations for concentration factor and temperature received have to be done upfront.
It should be a smart and cheap design and not bigger than 2 m 2. Materials can be chosen
freely. Material tests and construction have to be done on our roof top laboratories, i.e. the
project entails that the final design will be built as a prototype and suitably tested.
Elective module recommended (only for Mechanical):
FD2
PROJECT TITLE: Comparison of solar water heater against electrical geyser and PV
panel
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (Yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This comparison includes the design and description of 2 solar water-heating systems:
a) Solar water heating system with additional electrical heater
b) Electrical geyser and solar support of electricity generation by PV panels
Both systems should only be used for solar water heating.
Design for a 4 people family house and comparison should be made theoretically, and if
systems are available, also in reality by measurements.
FD3
PROJECT TITLE: Process heat with solar applications
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: South Africa has one of the best solar resources in the world.
Solar heat can also be used for industry. This project should look into industries, which are
able to use solar heat and make proposals for applications and design.
Tasks are:
Find out, which industry uses mainly what kind of heat and energy source.
Which energy could be substituted by solar heat?
How could it work? Make some design proposals and evaluate them
Elective module required:
FD4
PROJECT TITLE: Design of a linear mirror on a two axis tracking system for optical
measurement
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: South Africa has one of the best solar resources in the world.
Solar energy should be concentrated in a cheap way. Flat mirrors are much cheaper than
bended ones. Therefore, this project should design and build a simple linear two-axis
tracking focus system to concentrate the sun.
Design and calculation has to be done.
Construction work will be done in our roof top lab.
FD5
PROJECT TITLE: Curvature of glass for solar applications
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Heliostats used in concentrating solar power applications benefit from
accurate curved mirror modules. This project aims to gain understanding of the
imperfections in glass due to deformations at the supports. The student should design and
build a single or multiple simple test rigs to simulate curvature of the glass in two
directions. Additionally analytical models should be implemented to determine the stress
distribution in the glass and the forces on the support points. The student is required to
deliver explanations for the observed phenomenon and is encouraged to investigate
creative solutions.
FD6
PROJECT TITLE: Solar flux distribution in real time
DIRECTION:
Mechanical (Yes)
Mechatronic (yes)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: Ray tracing is used to model optical systems and applications range
from solar energy to computer generated imaging (CGI). For real time applications the
optical flux distribution needs to be determined in a computationally efficient manner. The
skripsie must include a thorough literature review of algorithms to determine flux
distributions from either cone optics or a ray tracer. The student must then implement and
compare various algorithms. The final deliverable is a model, which can provide the flux
distribution on a complex geometry in real time for heliostat aiming strategy applications.
This student should have background in statistics, have a strong mathematical
background and enjoy programming
FD7
PROJECT TITLE: Is solar energy a viable option for commercial scale irrigation in
decentralised areas?
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? unsure
DIRECTION:
Mechatronic: yes
STUDENT: Christo Manus Coetzee 15788121

(It is the idea from a student, I think it is worth to work on and would like to
supervise him)
DESCRIPTION:
Is solar energy a viable option for commercial scale irrigation in decentralised?
The irrigation of farms is an energy intensive operation, it can account for up to 50% of a
farms energy bill. With energy prices on the rise and farmers under constant pressure to
keep costs down it would be a good time to start looking at alternatives.
The aim with this project is to look especially at one alternative, namely solar energy.
South Africa is a country with a high annual solar radiation, which ranges between 2000 to
3000 kW/m2a. When compared to countries like Germany where investment in solar
energy is high, but average solar radiation is about 1000 kW/m2a, what is restraining
South African farmers from using solar energy?
Goals for the project:
Literature study on:
- Irrigation possibilites
- Renewable energy for irrigation
Design a irrigation plant with PV
Case study: Do a case study on an irrigated field for example; of 15ha under alfalfa with a
weekly
irrigation need of 40mm.
Determine the cost of irrigating the field with Eskom electricity
and comparison with cost of irrigating with PV, Wind, Diesel and also hybrid
models.
Cost of implementing the system:
- What will the solar system cost the farmer, and are there financing options.
- Can the system be implemented on current infrastructure, like for instance: pumps,
pipes,
Electrical grid.
- Rising cost of Eskom vs the cost of solar energy.
Afdeling E&E
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof CJ Fourie

CJF1
PROJEK TITEL: Motorhuis parkeerafstandaanwyser
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Ontwikkel, bou, toets, verpak en stel n motorhuis parkeerafstandaanwyser in werking wat die
afstand vanaf die aanwyser tot by n voertuig meet. Die aanwyser sal tipies teen die agterste muur
van n motorhuis vasgemaak word, en die afstand van n voertuig wat ingetrek word as n groot
digitale nommer en n analoogwaarde op n LED staaf vertoon. Die doelwit is om n bestuurder toe
te laat om n voertuig herhaaldelik op presies dieselfde plek te parkeer, veral waar die voertuig se
dimensies ongeveer dieselfde as die motorhuis sn is. Daar word van u vereis om n energieeffektiewe ontwerp te implementeer wat etlike maande op n stel batterye funksioneer, en slegs
aanskakel wanneer n voertuig opgetel word. Beide die deteksiemetode en die
afstandsmetingsoplossing moet ondersoek word, en toepaslike keuses gemaak word.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr C.E. van Daalen

CvD1
PROJECT TITLE: Localisation, path planning and control of a small wheeled robot using
computer vision
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
For a mobile robot to operate completely autonomously in an unknown environment, it has to
locate itself in the environment, sense objects in its surroundings, construct a map of the
environment, plan a collision-free path through the environment, as well as steer itself along the
planned path. The goal of this project is to construct a small wheeled robot that can autonomously
navigate a flat indoor environment that contains static obstacles, using a ceiling-mounted camera.
The student will need to design and construct a small, simple wheeled robot that can execute
steering command received wirelessly from a PC. In addition, he/she will need to use a ceilingmounted camera (connected to the PC) to locate and track the robot, locate obstacles in the
environment and build a map of the occupied and free areas (using, for example, an occupancy
grid map). The student should also implement a planning algorithm (for example, A* search) that
can generate a path through the environment that would not cause any collisions with obstacles.
Finally, he/she needs to design and implement a simple control system (on the PC) that would
steer the robot along the planned path.
This is a very challenging topic that is suitable for a highly motivated student that is interested in
robotics. The student should be willing familiarise him/herself with the relevant computer vision
techniques, as well as path planning and state estimation algorithms. The student needs to be
proficient in computer programming and control systems.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr DIL de Villiers

DdV1
PROJECT TITLE: General Matching Network Optimiser
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Matching of complex frequency dependent loads is a difficult network problem, and is typically
solved by optimisation. In this project a computer code must be developed which produces an
optimum matching network between any two frequency dependent load/source impedances, by
optimising both the topology and element values of the matching network. There is much scope
for more advanced implementations, and a strong candidate has the opportunity to develop a very
helpful design tool for the electronics and electromagnetics group. The code will be tested by
construction and measurement of a simple dipole antenna with a matching network.
Optimisation problems are common to all fields of engineering, and valuable insight will be gained
into this dynamic field on the completion of this project.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof G-J van Rooyen

GVR1
PROJECT TITLE: 3D Logo for 3D printers
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? yes
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Logo is an educational programming language created in the late 60s. It used the novelty of
computer graphics at that time, combined with a simple and intuitive syntax, to teach children how
to program using a functional programming language (a dialect of Lisp). In Logo, the programmer
controls the movement of a turtle, that draws shapes on the 2D screen as it moves. For example,
to draw a square, the programmer would write:
repeat 4 [ forward 100 right 90 ]
Today, seeing colourful shapes appear on a glowing computer screen is much less novel than 30
years ago, and unlikely to draw children into experimenting with computers. Rather, in this project,
the student must design a dialect of the Logo language that can interact with the print head
(extruder) of a 3D printer, instead of a simulated turtle. The goal is to allow young programmers to
create complex objects using a simple functional language.
For example, the simple program
repeat 200 [ repeat 4 [ forward 100 right 90 ] up 1 ]
should create a square tube 200 units high, and 100 units along each edge. More advanced
objects created using simple scripts, could include vases, cubes, miniature buildings and chess
pieces.
This project requires a combination of good software skills (the student will have to create a simple
but functioning parser) and a good understanding of the mechanical and physical constraints of
3D printing. Many of the design considerations have to do with the physical limitations of extrusion
printing, rather than software.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr PG Wiid

PGW1
PROJECT TITLE: Huff-Duff or High Frequency Direction Finder (HFDF)
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes / no) YES
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The project will involve designing, building and testing a high frequency direction finding device
which uses a single antenna on a rotating disc, which allows direction finding through Doppler-shift
signal processing.
The design will include the design of the antenna, rotational control and digital signal processing of
the received signals to determine the direction it originates from.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr HA Engelbrecht

HAE1
PROJECT TITLE: Steering Mechanisms for Driving Simulator
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This topic entails the development of a force-feedback steering wheel and driving pedals for use
with a driving simulator. The student will have to develop the hardware for the steering wheel and
two foot pedals (acceleration and braking) as well as USB interfaces so that the hardware can be
used to control a driving simulator (such as Live for Speed) using a Human Interface Device (HID)
protocol.
The topic has three distinct components:
(1) Mechanical design and construction of the steering wheel and pedals
(2) Electronics (probably using a microcontroller) for reading the sensor data from the steering
wheel and pedals and interfacing via USB with a PC.
(3) Firmware development that implements the USB HID protocol.
The student will have to investigate the USB HID protocol for force-feedback devices (and game
controllers) to determine the design requirements for the steering wheel and pedals. The USB HID
protocol will also specify the functionality that must be implemented for the firmware so that the
devices can properly communicate with the PC.
NAME OF LECTURER: Mr JAA Engelbrecht

JAAE1
PROJECT TITLE: Feedback Control of a Two-Axis Pendulum Demonstrator
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A feedback control system for a two-axis pendulum demonstrator must be designed, implemented
and verified. The demonstrator consists of a swinging pendulum with a propellor at the end. The
pendulum swings freely about a hinge, and is mounted on a platform that can rotate freely about
the vertical axis. The speed of the propellor can be controlled to change the magnitude of the
thrust and it can be rotated to change the direction of the thrust. The propellor must be used to
control both the angle of the pendulum relative to the vertical axis, and the azimuth angle of the
platform on which it stands. The two-axis pendulum demonstrator must be constructed, and the
feedback control system must be practically demonstrated.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr. Johan Beukes

Reference: JB1
PROJECT TITLE: Acoustic sensor on distribution transformers
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Design, build and test an acoustic sensor that will fit onto a distribution transformer. The sensor
will feed signals to a processor that needs to identify several activities, including tampering, surge
arresor failure and mechanical problems. A TMS320F28335 processor will be used and will be
programmed in C.
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof JB de Swardt

JBdeS1
PROJEK TITEL: Mikrogolf sterilisasie van vloeistowwe
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Vloeistowwe word tipies met ultra violet lig of stoom gesteriliseer. Dit is egter ook moontlik om
mikrogolwe hiervoor te gebruik. In hierdie skripsie sal komponente van 'n kommersile mikrogolf
oond gebruik word om so 'n steriliseerder te bou. Ekstra sensors (bv. temperatuur en humiditeit)
sal gebruik word om die proses te beheer. Bestaande mikrogolf meettoerusting kan gebruik word
om die effektiwiteit daarvan te bepaal. 'n Mikroverwerker en rekenaar sal gebruik word om die
sensors te lees en die proses te beheer. Basiese vaardighede in analoog elektronika en
programmering sal dus benodig word.
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Dr. J.M. Strauss

JMS1
PROJEK TITEL: Stringgeleiervervaardigingsaanleg
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja / nee) Nee
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
By die Elektriese Masjiene groep vervaardig ons spesiale masjiene waarvoor ons self die
stringgeleiers vervaardig. Tans maak ons gebruik van baie eenvoudige metode, maar die
resultaat is nie altyd so goed nie.
Hierdie projek het ten doel die ontwerp van elektroniese beheerder van vervaardigingsaanleg
vir stringgeleiers. Die meganika is reeds gebou, maar daar is nog heelwat verbeteringe wat
aangebring kan word. Die kandidaat gaan blootstelling kry aan digitale en analoog
stroombaanontwerp en mikroverwerker programmering en bietjie masjienaandrywing. Ook sal
die kandidaat meganiese ontwerp en vervaardiging moet doen.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof. HJ Vermeulen

HJV1
PROJECT TITLE: Heat Loss Modelling of Hot Water Geyser Systems
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: A recent international study of locally manufactured hot water geysers has
raised a number of issues around the measurement of standing losses for units with
different internal heating element and thermostat configurations. This project involves an
investigation to model the thermodynamic behaviour of water inside a hot water geyser
during heating and cooling cycles. The project involves the following tasks:
o Thermodynamic modelling of a typical geyser configuration, allowing for different
configurations of the thermostat and heating elements and diffrent control modes.
o Design and implementation of a test arrangement for testing standing losses under
laboratory conditions in an environmental chamber.
o Conducting tests on geyser units to verify the losses against the SANS151 test
standard.
o Laboratory investigation of the effects of external and internal piping arrangements,
including lagging, on the overall losses associated with a geyser installation .
NAAM VAN DOSENT: J Treurnicht

JT1
PROJEK TITEL: Flexible motor control system tutor
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja / nee)
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
The purpose of this tutor is to construct a flexible dc motor based tutor for control system
education (undergraduate) purposes. The emphasis is on a modular approach, where the system
can be constructed by assembling different modules to achieve a specific goal. One of the major
challenges that need to be addressed is that the system must also provide visual feedback to the
user (a thin motor axle or a disc that spins fast cannot be considered realistic visual feedback).
The student must investigate existing approaches and designs and apply an out-of-the-box
approach to achieve this goal.
The emphasis is 60% on the mechanical and system design, with the remainder being the
electronic design and computer interface to use it from Matlab.. The minimum modules to be
designed would be the motor, angle encoder, inertia-type of load and one other type of function
(e.g. backlash module).
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof MJ Kamper

MJK1
PROJECT TITLE: Downwind yaw damper
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
In small scale wind turbines downwind turbine rotors (i.e. with the rotor blades on the lee side of
the tower) are often used. Also downwind turbine rotors can be built without an active yaw control
mechanism, i.e. the nacelle and rotor follow the wind passively. However, the dynamics of a
passive yaw system on top of a tower may be dangerous as for example gyroscopic loads may be
induced. The passive downwind yaw system, hence, needs a damper mechanism to damp the
dynamics of the system.
In this project the dynamics of a small-scale downwind turbine system will first be investigated
followed by the design and build of an eddy-current damper. The damper must be designed to
damp the dynamics of the system, however in such a way that the nacelle and rotor still follow the
wind direction relatively fast. The eddy-current damper consists of a set of permanent magnets
and an eddy-current conducting ring. These components must be designed to generate the
correct damping. The damper must be built and tested on an available small-scale wind turbine
system.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr N Gule

NG1
PROJECT TITLE: Design, Optimisation and Comparison of an Induction Machine and a
Synchronous Machine
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Recently, the reluctance synchronous machine (RSM) has been introduced to industry and is
considered to be an effective alternative to the mainly used induction machine (IM) especially in
the low power range. Also, copper cast efficient IMs are making inroads in low power industry
applications.
Most reports have focussed on comparing an optimised RSM to an ordinary off the shelf IM. In this
study, both the RSM and IM will be optimally designed and compared under similar constrained
conditions. The optimisation will be carried out using a finite element package as well as an
optimisation toolbox. The results will be used to verify the conditions in which each of these
machines can be better utilised.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr PJ Randewijk

PJR1
PROJECT TITLE: Urban eMobility
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT: Mnr JC Delport 18147763

DESCRIPTION:
The project is to develop a eco-friendly solution for personal urban mobility. A smaller more energy
efficient alternative to the single occupant automobile. The student will develop a electric bicycle or
scooter and the associated power electronics to manage the battery, power the motor and
interface with the user. The range of the vehicle should be suitable for commuting from home to
work in the city. A suitable control system will also have to be developed.
NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof P Meyer

PM1
PROJEK TITEL: Ontwerp van 'n Lintmikrofoon
KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? Ja
RIGTING:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
BESKRYWING:
Die ontwerp van 'n mikrofoon vereis 'n akoestiese en elektromagnetiese ontwerp. Hierdie projek
sal primer fokus op die akoestiese ontwerp, asook die elektronika wat saam met 'n mikrofoon
gaan.
NAME OF LECTURER: Dr R Wolhuter

RW1
PROJECT TITLE: Simple Telemetry System for Renewable Energy Monitoring
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
A need exists for the development of a simple radio based telemetry system that could be
deployed to monitor key parameters amongst distributed renewable energy sources. A typical
scenario would consist of a number of wind generators, or PV generating sites in a particular area,
within reasonable proximity of each other. It will be a requirement to monitor generating voltage,
current, faults etc at each site and transmit these values to a central Master Station. The
transmission medium should be licence free radio, probably in the 433MHz band. These stations
should be easily configurable, based on something like an Arduino, or Raspberry Pi. Units will be
self addressing and be battery powered, backed up by solar. A simple web based Master station
displaying the field parameters, is also required.
NAME OF LECTURER: Roger Wang

Reference: RJW1
PROJECT TITLE: Design and performance evaluation of a line-start RSM
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Global environmental concerns raise the need for improving energy efficiency in industry. There
has been significant research effort into developing alternative energy efficient motors. Amongst
others, the line-start reluctance synchronous motor (LS-RSM) has been regarded as a promising
candidate to replace traditional line-start induction motor. This project is to optimally design,
construct and experimentally evaluate a novel line-start reluctance synchronous motor (LS-RSM)
for cooling fan applications. The experimental investigation will focus specifically on the steadystate performance, starting and synchronisation capability. The outcome of this project will outline
the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed LS-RSM and evaluate the true energy
efficiency benefits of this type of motor.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof T Jones

TJ1
PROJECT TITLE: Stabilised 3-Axis camera gimbal with Lorentz force actuation
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Stabilised camera gimbals are normally actuated using complex brushless multi-pole motors.
These motors are ITAR-controlled, expensive and generally difficult to source or create. An
interesting possible replacement motor for precise gimbal actuation would be a monopole motor,
actuated by Lorentz force. A small microprocessor may be used in conjunction with rate
gyroscopes to measure the inertial rotation rates of the gimbals and to control the current (and
current direction) in the rotor of the motor at very high bandwidth, thereby stabilising the gimbals at
very high bandwidth and precision.
The student will research the applicability of a Lorentz force motor to actuate and stabilise a 3-axis
camera gimbal. A balanced gimbal will be designed, fabricated and tested, including analogue and
digital electronics, mechanics and a small wireless camera.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof H du T Mouton

HdTM1
PROJECT TITLE: Pill dispensing robot
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? yes
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION: The aim of this project is to develop an automatic pill dispenser for patients in
hospitals. The pill dispenser will scan the patients identity tag and dispense the appropriate
medication. The device can also be used in pharmacies or in old-age homes.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof TR Niesler

TRN1
PROJECT TITLE: Sand abrasion testing setup
CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? no
DIRECTION: Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Development of a test rig to determine the effect of sand abrasion on solar cells (or other
surfaces). When erected in windy and especially coastal areas, sand abrasion is an important
factor when deciding on the placement of photovolatic (PV) solar arrays. The abrasion is expected
to lead to reduced light transmission and hence reduced output. Thus, the effective lifetime of the
solar array may be reduced. This project will entail the design, construction and testing of a rig that
will allow the simulation of accelerated sand abrasion. The rig will include a source of airflow, a
way to measure and control the airflow, a means to introduce controlled quantities of sand into the
airflow, a way to mount the testing sample, and a way to collect the sand after it has passed over
the sample for later re-use. The systems should be controlled by a microprocessor, allowing the
operator to set experimental conditions. This project will be carried out in collaboration with the
Department of Forestry and Wood Science, who have a current research project concerning the
optimal placement of solar arrays.
Elective module required (only for Mechanical): N.A.
NAME OF LECTURER: Mr Willem Smit

Reference: WAS1
PROJECT TITLE: Rotating LED Display
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
The idea of the project is to build a display that relies on the 'memory' of the human eye in order to
build up an image. The design consists of a thin rod with small and bright tri-colour LED's. The
LED's are turned on at the right moments to build up an image. The student will have to be
comfortable with and skilled at fine mechanical design, programmable logic, processors and
software in order to complete the project.
NAME OF LECTURER: Prof WJ Perold

Reference: WJP1
PROJECT TITLE: Design and fabrication of a nanosensor
DIRECTION:
Meganies (nee)
Megatronies (ja)
STUDENT:
DESCRIPTION:
Microfluidic devices are becoming very popular as diagnostic tools. The so-called "lab on a chip"
microfluidic device normally consists of microfluidic channels, where liquids (e.g. blood, sputem,
contaminated water, etc.) are manipulated on a nanolitre scale. Manipulation may involve the
electronic transport of droplets or mixing the droplets with reagents. Ultimately the droplets are
transported to a sensing device, where the appropriate measurements are taken and recorded.
These sensors are designed to be very specific for the presence of, for example, pathogens like
TB and E coli, or for other contaminants or partticles.
This project will focus on the design and fabrication of a sensing device that can be utilised in a
microfluidic device. The sensing mechanism can utilise a number of materials (e.g. ZnO nanorods,
carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc.) and can also be combined with 'amplifying' structures, such as
surface acoustic wave devices.
The project will require a thorough literature study on nanosensors and the fabrication of nanodevices. The manufacture of the device (photolithography, thin film depostion, etching, etc.) will be
done in the nano-laboratory by the student himself, as well as the inspection processes using
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), amongst others.

Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015

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Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015

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DIVISION: Mechanics

NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Annie Bekker

Mechanical (Yes) Yes

Mechanical (Yes/No) Yes

Mechanical (Yes/No) Yes

STUDENT: Inance Bonsma 16978242

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof JL van Niekerk

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None

NAME OF LECTURER: Gerhard Venter

NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Deborah Blaine

Elective module required (only for Mechanical):

Elective module required (only for Mechanical):

NAME OF LECTURER: Albert Groenwold

AFDELING: Ontwerp en Megatronika

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Tray torsion test

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None

Mechanical (yes / no) Yes

Mechatronic (yes / no) No

Meganies (ja / nee) ja

Megatronies (ja / nee) nee

DEM model met partikels

EEM model van impak oppervlak

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Danie Els

Direct drive wind generator

Stellenbosch University fan test facility

Swing-arm slump tester for granular material

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (No)

Elective module required (only for Mechanical):

Example of an extended octognal ring

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.

Firearm test mount

Elective module required (only for Mechanical):

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Dawie van den Heever

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies):

STUDENT: Josh Fischer 17000548

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies):

NAME OF LECTURER: Cobus Muller

STUDENT: J Janse van Vuuren (16988477)

STUDENT: A Basson (17049164)

A completed prototype of the proposed design

Successful testing on the prototype with abled and disabled individuals

The accuracy of the system will need to be

NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Thorsten Becker

STUDENT: WJ Kuhn 17171830

Flat wire used to manufacture auger

Auger used is the in livestock industry

Final auger geometry

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.

STUDENT: L Bornschlegell 15528421