Eng-PostgradGraag wil ons vir Stiaan Gerber en die res van sy wêreldbeker sokkerspan by die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese, baie hartlik gelukwens met hul briljante oorwinning tydens ons nagraadse sosiale geleentheid in Maart vanjaar! Agter (v.l.n.r.) JG Brits, Akram Elkaseh, David Smith, Adiel Jakoef, JP Appel, Sampie Smit, Wynand Visser, Kristian Jenssen, Gaute Brathen, Etienne Klaase, Philip Bellstedt. Voor (v.l.n.r.) Daniël du Toit, Jacoba Auret, Stiaan Gerber, Evan Lezar, Herman Kamper.En dan wil ons natuurlik ook graag vir Iain Kemp en sy tawwe tienie touch-rugby span by die Departement Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese, baie hartlik gelukwens met hulle uit-stekende spel tydens onsnagraadse sosiale geleent-heid in September vanjaar!Agter (v.l.n.r.) Iain Kemp, Frikkie Botha, Cameron Gray, Ivan Deetlefs, Dawie van den Heever. Voor (v.l.n.r.) Con Blom, David van der Merwe, Francois Brink. Beide spanne het elkeen ‘n oulike pet gewen: “Trust Me, I’m an Engineer”.

Desember 2010

Fakulteit Ingenieurswese Nagraadse Nuusbrief

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

Bo: Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese se wenspan Onder: Departement Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese se wenspan

Lidia Auret ontvang gesogte Kanseliersmedalje

‘n Reuse applous vir Lidia Auret van die Departement Pros-esingenieurswese, wie vroeër dié maand aangewys is as die ontvanger van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se gesogte Kan-seliersmedalje vir 2010. “Ek is ongelooflik verbaas – ek dink nie dit het al heeltemal ingesink nie,” het Lidia na die gradeplegtigheid gesê.Hierdie begaafde student van ons het tydens dié maand se gradeplegtigheid haar PhD graad in Metallurgiese Ing-enieurswese ontvang. Prof Magda Fourie het Lidia se commendatio aan die ge-hoor voorgehou en gesê: “Dr Auret het haar uitstekende skoolprestasies in veral wetenskap aan die Universiteit

Stellenbosch kom voortsit. In 2007 word sy een van slegs ’n handjievol studente wat hul voorgraadse kwali-fikasie in Chemiese Ingenieurswese summa cum laude verwerf het. Drie van haar vakke, onder meer inge-nieurswiskunde, het sy met ‘n presta-siepunt van nie minder nie as 100% geslaag. Lidia het in 2008 ingeskryf vir ‘n Meestersgraad wat ‘n jaar gelede omgeskakel kon word na ‘n PhD in Metallurgiese Ingenieurswese wat sy vandag met ‘n gemiddeld van 87,8% oor al haar studiejare, ontvang. Om haar na-doktorale studies voort te sit, is sy deur die Claude Leon-stigting aangewys as ‘n na-doktorale genoot vir 2011 en 2012.“Sy is ‘n inspirasie vir ander en ‘n voor-

beeld van hoe die Universiteit deur studentesukses voorop te stel, kundigheid kweek wat in diens van die gemeenskap kan staan. Dr Auret is voorwaar ‘n waardige ontvanger van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Kanseliersmedalje vir 2010.”Lidia is ook aangewys as die student met die beste tesis in die Departement Prosesingenieurswese in 2010. “Ek het in gr.10 al geweet ek gaan studeer en deurdruk tot my PhD, en nou geniet ek die akademie baie – dit maak my baie opgewonde.”Sy hoop om na haar na-doktorale studies hier nóg een te doen, “hopelik in ‘n land waar die mense Frans praat,” sodat sy haar Frans kan oefen en goed aanwend.

v.l.n.r. prof Julian Smith (Viserektor), dr Lidia Auret, prof Chris Aldrich (Lidia se promotor)

Fakulteit Ingenieurswese NavorsingsoggendProf Willem Perold (Visedekaan Navorsing) het op 3 De-sember die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese se tweede suksesvolle Navorsingsoggend aangebied, met ‘n hele aantal uitstek-ende voordragte vanaf akademici binne en buite ons fakul-teit. Die verskillende aanbiedinge was gekategoriseer onder een van drie hoof temas, en het as volg daarna uitgesien. KOMMUNIKASIE EN INFORMASIESTELSELS: Liezl van Dyk (Bedryfs) - Health systems engineeringJackie van der Merwe (E&E) - Rekenaartoegang vir Kwadru-pleëJohn Cockcroft (M&M) - Development of Telemedicine De-vicesDr Lidia Auret (Proses) - Rapid Process Troubleshooting for the Process and Manufacturing IndustriesDr Marion Sinclair (Siviel) - Road Safety Research at Stel-lenbosch UniversityENERGIE EN OMGEWING: Konrad von Leipzig (Bedryfs) - Energy & EnvironmentProf Johan Vermeulen (E&E) - Elektriese EnergiebestuurPaul Gauché (M&M) - Solar Thermal and Nuclear Energy

Prof Hansie Knoetze (Proses) - Overview of OSP Energy and Environment Projects in Process EngineeringKobus du Plessis (Siviel) - Impact of Climate Change on Short Duration RainfallVOEDSELSEKURITEIT: Prof Thomas Jones (E&E) - Oorsig oor die Voedselsekuriteit Navorsingsbedrywighede by E&EJoanita Roos (Bedryfs) - Hoe Voedselsekerheid gemeet wordProf Linus Opara (Hortologie) - Non-destructive Measure-ment of Quality in Agricultural Products – Recent Develop-ments and Future ProspectsRichard Haines (M&M) - Biodiesel and Blends – An Engine PerspectiveNeill Goosen (Proses) - Fish Processing Waste: Feeding the World, One Fish at a TimeWageed Kamish (Siviel) - Uncertainties in Predicting Algal Blooms in Reservoirs - the Dependence of Algal Growth on Hydrodynamic Controls

Malan Joubert tackles online securityAt the tender age of 24, Malan Joubert is already an auto-matic member of that club where computer boffins such as Steve Jobs and Mark Shuttleworth share secret handshakes and discuss topics like ‘hardware configuration’.

Leani Wessels from Finweek de-cided to inves-tigate a bit and subsequently met up with this young founding member of FireID, who is lending credibility to fledgling Silicon Cape’s status as South Africa’s ver-sion of Silicon Val-ley. The company was the first in the world to develop a system that pro-vides a one-time-password (OTP) a u t h e n t i c a t i o n

solution by generating secure passwords on users’ mobile phones. In non-geek speak: it’s the technology that allows Internet users to receive PINs or passwords on their cell phones to log on to online banking or other web sites. And it’s more secure than its competitors’ technology, thanks to Joubert and his boffins-in-arms, Justin Stanford and Erik van Vlaanderen. While still a student at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Joubert was approached by Stan-ford, who was running an anti-virus distribution business at the time, to help expand its product line. Joubert and Stan-ford considered importing the small hardware devices some banks still issue for online banking passwords. However, the devices were expensive and Malan and Stanford realised it would be a cumbersome exercise to distribute to a mass market. “So I played around with it a bit, and rebuilt them,” said Jou-bert. “We then started toying with the feasibility of putting the device on to a cell phone. We got serious about funding when competitors started moving in on the market,” said Joubert. Joubert and Stanford approached business legend Johann Rupert, whose son was an old school acquaintance. Rupert has already invested serious sums into Silicon Cape, an ini-tiative aimed at fostering a technology hub in the Western Cape. “He was quite amiable about the whole thing, and gave us a four month loan.”The business took on a more formalised structure after that capital injection and it made its move into the United States where, along with other countries in North and South Amer-ica, it distributes and resells its software. It also has a pres-ence in Britain, parts of Europe and in New Zealand. In April the company announced it was partnering with Cirrus Man-agement Solutions in Britain to expand in that market. FireID’s clients include Internet Solutions and Dimension

Data. Joubert’s concept is a modern version of an age old at-tempt to keep information secret. As a child he was interested in cryptography, its most famous example being the Enigma machines used by the Germans in the Second World War. But unlike most children growing up in the Boland though, his encryption hobby and mathematics of sequencing pass-words turned into his career.Why FireID’s concept is so super duper, is that the SMS’s re-ceived by customers for logging on to online web sites can’t be intercepted by people swopping SIM cards or corrupt cellphone operators. The software, which generates unique passwords, is loaded on to the user’s cellphone, enabling se-cure authentication. The fact that the passwords aren’t sent via an SMS also means users can access passwords even if they don’t have signal on their phones.Last year, a Vodacom employee was involved in SA’s big-gest Internet scam to date – involving R7m in fraud – by inter-cepting bank SMS’s and sending them to his accomplices.“Our passwords aren’t sent via an SMS, that’s the key dif-ferentiator.” According to Joubert, many banks used SMS generated passwords as a stop-gap solution to the growing trend of online banking.This created considerable work for the team. As consumers must be able to download the software on to their cell phones, thousands of different platforms had to be developed to cater for the variety of phones on the market. Imagine testing thou-sands of phones to see if the software installed properly, and the world of IT suddenly seems it’s actually working hard for those fabulous riches the public always hear about.However, none of SA’s large banks have rolled out FireID’s system. “It will take a while,” says Joubert. “It’s a paradigm shift that needs to take place (in the banking industry).”As a disciple of “the science of securing information”, Joubert wouldn’t mind taking a holiday from management and getting back into the development side of things. “But I have to say it’s been a heck of a lot of fun building this company.”Joubert says the hardest part of running an international IT company is sourcing talent. People with IT training and a background in security are scarce. “The Government makes it hard to run an international IT business. This isn’t a two- or three-man show, it’s crucial (to get the right people) for us to compete globally. “Since 2006, FireID has increased its staff from four to 35, with the bulk of the increase (from 12 to 35) taking place over the past year.Thanks to an increase in hacking and Internet scams, Fire-ID’s future is looking bright - and busy. Joubert and Stan-ford plan to take FireID’s secure OTP’s beyond banking into consumers’ living rooms. “A lot of attacks are happening on people’s personal accounts: we plan for our technology be-ing used for personal email accounts and social networking sites. We think it’s plausible to release it to the consumer market - to make it accessible for people in their daily deal-ings with the Internet.”So what’s left for a 20-something computer engineer who has the online security industry at his feet? Probably a quick surf and then some more work. “It might not make a lot of sense to say this, but I work for fun.”

Malan Joubert

In Situ Hyperspectral II (ISHS-II) ProjekBaie goeie betrekkinge bestaan reeds ‘n geruime tyd tussen die Universiteit Stellenbosch en die Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in België. ‘n Verdere bevestiging van hierdie goeie verhoudinge is die “In situ hyperspectral II” (ISHS-II) projek. ‘n Groep nagraadse studente en ingenieurs by die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese werk saam met ‘n groep in Leuven aan hierdie projek. Dit behels die ontwerp en ontwikkeling van ‘n prototipe satellietloonvrag met die doel om weer- en landboudata van afgeleë weerstasies te versamel en die data deur middel van ‘n satellietverbinding na ‘n hoof-grondstasie aan te stuur.Die prototipe loonvrag word eers op ‘n vliegtuig getoets om die suksesvolle werking van die konsep te bewys. Die inset deur K.U. Leuven is hulle stuurbare fasematriksantenna. Die antenna gebruik die beginsel van konstruktiewe en destruktiewe faseinterferensie om bundelvorming en stuurbaarheid te bewerkstellig. Die res van die loonvrag word deur die groep in Stellenbosch ontwerp en vervaardig. Die “lyf” van die loonvrag sluit onder meer ‘n ruimtegereed aanboordrekenaar met grondstasieskeduleringsagteware, antennabeheersagteware, ‘n hoë-spoed datarangeerder en ‘n sagteware gedefinïeerde radio in.Gedurende Mei het kollegas van Leuven besoek afgelê in Stellenbosch. Dit was die eerste geleentheid vir integrasie en toetsing van K.U. Leuven se antennaplatform met die res van

die loonvrag. Na ‘n dag of twee se werskaf was die koppelvlak na die antenna bewerkstellig en kon die stuurbaarheid van die antenna suksesvol deur die antennabeheersagteware getoets word. Ewald van der Westhuizen is die spanleier, en dr Riaan Wolhuter is hoof van die projek. Ander persone wat tans aktief aan die projek werk is Kobus Botha, Iwan Kruger, Riaan Wiid en Wynand van Eeden, met vorige bydraes gelewer deur John Gilmore en Francois Olivier.

v.l.n.r. Riaan Wiid, Christopher Gautun, John Gilmore, Wynand van Eeden, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Kobus Botha

Denzil Kennon on working in the IndustryDenzil Kennon recently graduated with an MScEng degree at the Department of Industrial Engineering, and shares with us his thoughts on working in the Industry.“When I first walked into the Engineering Faculty at Stellenbosch University, the last place I thought I’d find myself in seven years’ time was an investment management firm. Looking at my current situation, I am surprised that I even tried to box myself in or even worse, the engineering field as a whole.The more I see the world, be it professional or for any other reason, the more I realise that it is just one big system made up of smaller systems. And, as an industrial engineer (or any other engineer for that matter), we are perfectly equipped to solve problems, find solutions or make faulty systems run more efficiently. The more traditional roles for engineers will always be there, but the demand for engineers is increasing with the realisation that we are able to really make a difference, to add value - anywhere in the world.I took my first practical step in the pursuit of my career on the 4th of January this year, my first real home in a company. Feeling ill-equipped initially, I stumbled through the first week or two as a trainee business analyst at a privately owned investment management company, only to find that I am perfectly suited to process information and find a practical solution. We have made it easy on ourselves by following this field of study, but what you do with it in the world out there - well, that is entirely up to you. There simply is no longer a place that is inaccessible to an engineer. Denzil Kennon

The Innovation Fund’s Student Business Plan (SBP) Competition is aimed specifically at students from South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This competition seeks to bring to light the best technological innovations that students have to offer. The most outstanding ideas submitted will then have the opportunity to be researched, developed, showcased and ultimately commercialised.Students participating in the competition had to compile a business plan for a new product. Dawie van den Heever, a PhD student at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, won the third prize in the first round of the competition, and subsequently went through to the final round of the competition which took place on the 5th of August. Yet again Dawie did us proud by winning third place in the finals in Durban, during which time he exhibited the uMove (the knee replacement that helps you move better).Knee replacement surgery is performed when severe degeneration of the knee is present. Each year there are approximately 600 000 knee replacement surgeries being performed world-wide. Every individual’s knee geometry is different and unique, and thus conventional knee replacements cannot always restore normal knee kinematics. Reason being that most of the current conventional knee joint prostheses are only available in standard shapes and sizes,

and as such pre-determined by the manufacturer.The uMove unicompartmental knee replacement is based on CT data of the patient’s knee joint and its aim is to restore the original articulating surfaces, thus restoring original knee kinematics. Using a self training neural network with a database containing healthy knee geometries, the affected knee’s original articulating knee geometry can be predicted. This forms the basis of the uMove design which offers more natural kinematics as well as a customised fit, eliminating severe bone loss. Prostheses can be designed and fabricated with Rapid Manufacturing techniques within days. Similarly, other customised implants can be manufactured based on CT data of a patient, including cranial implants, numerous orthopaedic plates and other bone defect implants.

Dawie wins 3rd prize in SBP Competition

uMove - the knee replacement that helps u move better

Dawie van den Heever

MAART 2010 CUM LAUDE GRADUANDI Denzil Kennon Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng Edward Ehlers Bedryfsingenieurswese MIng John Honiball Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng Stephan Marais Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng Adriaan Lombard Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Andries Maritz Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Chris Jaquet Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Clive Brooks Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Danie Ludick Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Jacki van der Merwe Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Konrad Blum Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Linsen Loots Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Marcel Basson Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Marko Wolf Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Neville Greyling Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Philip Perold Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Philip Smit Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Pieter Muller Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Sampie Booysen Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Anja Burger Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Dawid Dippenaar Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Eugéne Joubert Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Hanno Botha Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Jaco Vorster Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Kenny Allen Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Leanne Haworth Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Michael Owen Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Retief Joubert Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Richard Donkin Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MIng Eben Uys Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Erik Wolfaardt Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Jeanne du Preez Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Dirk de Wet Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng

Cum Laude Graduandi (Maart 2010)

Dit is vir die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese ‘n groot voorreg om die volgende studente hartlik geluk te wens met hul uitsonderlike prestasie in die voltooiing van hul

MScIng- en MIng-grade.

Hierdie nagraadse studente het in Maart vanjaar met cum laude gegradueer, en met so ‘n uitmuntende

studierekord kan hulle nie anders as om suksesvol te wees in hul toekomsplanne nie.

DESEMBER 2010 CUM LAUDE GRADUANDI Francois Kapp Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng Reimo Schneider Bedryfsingenieurswese MIng Willem Pienaar Bedryfsingenieurswese MScIng Abri Stegmann Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Christo Kritzinger Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Frans Welgemoed Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Madelé van der Walt Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Niël Rossouw Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Stanley van den Heever Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Stephan Gouws Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng Brendon Potgieter Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese MScIng

Corné Marais Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Martin Hamann Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Sarel Lamprecht Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Thomas Hugo Prosesingenieurswese MScIng Megan Whithers Siviele Ingenieurswese MIng Jaco Gericke Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng Rudolf le Roux Siviele Ingenieurswese MScIng

Cum Laude Graduandi (Desember 2010)En ons herhaal: dit is vir die Fakulteit

Ingenieurswese ‘n groot voorreg om die volgende studente hartlik geluk te wens

met hul uitsonderlike prestasie in die voltooiing van hul MScIng- en MIng-grade.

Hierdie nagraadse studente het in Desember vanjaar met cum laude gegradueer, en met so ‘n uitmuntende studierekord kan hulle nie anders as om suksesvol te wees in hul toekomsplanne nie.

2010 PhD GRADUANDI Corne Schutte Bedryfsingenieurswese Maart 2010 Hagen Nieberding Bedryfsingenieurswese Maart 2010 Tiaan Oosthuizen Bedryfsingenieurswese Desember 2010 Wilhelm Uys Bedryfsingenieurswese Maart 2010 Akram Elkaseh Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Anton Manesschijn Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Corné van Daalen Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Maart 2010 David Smith Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Maart 2010 Dominic Wills Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Maart 2010 Gideon Wiid Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Maart 2010 Johan Brummer Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Mahijoko Salagae Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Maart 2010 Stefan van der Walt Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Hanno Reuter Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Jacobus Muller Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese Desember 2010 Abubeker Ali Prosesingenieurswese Maart 2010 Annie Chimpango Prosesingenieurswese Desember 2010 Christo Terblanche Prosesingenieurswese Desember 2010 Lidia Auret Prosesingenieurswese Desember 2010 Michael Daramola Prosesingenieurswese Desember 2010 Nadia Leibbrandt Prosesingenieurswese Maart 2010 Natasia Naudé Prosesingenieurswese Maart 2010 Rejesh Lalloo Prosesingenieurswese Desember 2010 Elias Mathaniya Twagira Siviele Ingenieurswese Maart 2010

2010 PhD GraduandiDie verwerwing van ‘n doktorsgraad in Ingenieurswese is voor-waar ‘n uitmuntende prestasie, en gevolglik lig ons ons hoed vir die onderstaande graduandi se dissipline en toegewydheid. Natuurlik verwys dit ook na al die tyd en energie wat hul promo-tors in die proses ingesit het, en daarvoor bedank ons julle. Graag sou ons ‘n foto van elkeen (en ‘n abstrak van hierdie interessante PhD tesisse) wou publiseer, maar ongelukkig sal dit veroorsaak dat die Eng-Postgrad nuusbrief behoorlik uit sy nate bars!

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NioCAD was announced the 2009 Technology Top 100 (TT100) emerging enterprises winner in the category “Excellence In The Management Of Innovation” at an award ceremony held at Vodaworld in April this year. They were also awarded a certificate, recognizing NioCAD as one of three finalist in the “Excellence In the Management Of People” category.The TT100 is an awards program that has been running since 1990. It is a division of Da Vinci and is supported by the South African Department of Science and Technology

(DST). The program aims to identify South African role models who, through the use of technology and a belief in their people, have advanced their organisations to a higher level of competitiveness.TT100 says the following about the management of innovation: “Issues such as creating an environment which is conducive to constant interrogation and re-examination of the way business is conducted, is mandatory. A winning organisation is characterised by an inherent restlessness, purposely generated by management. The innovation

process goes way behind the generation of new ideas and is concerned with minimising risks whilst maximising opportunities. It is uniquely integrated into the research and development process.”And the following about the management of people: “Winning organizations have recognized the critical role which people play in the enhancing their competitive advantage. The adjudication process probes a number of variables in an attempt to gain an indication as to how organizations are able to maximise the effectiveness of their employees, whilst creating an harmonious working environment.”NioCAD is one of 28 emerging organizations that qualified for the awards this year. We are proud of the recognition they have received for their efforts to build an internationally focused technology company in South Africa.

NioCAD wins prestigious TT100 award

The NioCAD team gets into the Christmas spirit!

Front (l.t.r.): Prof Willem Perold (Director), Jan Pool (Chief Techni-cal Officer), Retief Gerber (Chief Executive Officer), and dr Coenrad Fourie (Director), with the rest of the team in the background.

Points to PonderYou might be an engineer if...

• Buying flowers for your girlfriend or spending the money to upgrade your RAM is a moral dilemma. • Everyone else on the Alaskan Cruise is on deck peering at the scenery, and you are still on a personal tour of the engine room. • At University, you thought Spring Break was metal fatigue failure. • The Sales People at Incredible Connection can’t answer any of your questions. • Your home computer contains mostly hardware/software that isn’t on the market yet. • You are next in line on death row in a French Prison and you find that the guillotine is not working properly, so you of-fer to fix it. • You can’t write unless the paper has both horizontal and vertical lines.

You might be an engineer if...

• You comment to your wife that her straight hair is nice and parallel. • You go on the rides at Disneyland and sit backwards in the chairs to see how they do the special effects. • You have Dilbert comics displayed anywhere in your work area. • You have more friends on the internet than in real life. • You look forward to Christmas only to put together the kids’ toys. • You own one or more white short-sleeve dress shirts. • You think that when people around you yawn, it’s because they didn’t get enough sleep. • You’re in the back seat of your car, she’s looking wistfully at the moon... and you’re trying to locate a geosynchronous satellite.

Grootste lugverkoelde kragstasie ter wêreldEnergie-omsetting en die omgewingsimpak daarvan is een van die belangrikste uitdagings in ons tyd. Prof Detlev Kröger se bydrae om energie-omsetting meer effektief te maak, en die omgewingsimpak van elektrisiteitsopwekking te verminder, is feitlik onberekenbaar. Sy navorsing se trefwydte is werklik uitsonderlik: vanaf basiese on-dersoeke van fisiese verskynsels in warm-teruilers, tot die reke-

naarsimulasie van groot verkoelingstelsels in atmosferiese omstandighede, na die toepassing van sy navorsing op die grootste kragstasies ter wêreld. Prof Kröger word wêreldwyd gereken as dié spesialis in beide lugverkoelde warmteruilers en nat koeltorings, en sy navorsing is tans ongeewenaar op albei hierdie gebiede. Sy boek “Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers and Cooling Towers”, word beskou as dié verwysingswerk oor die onderwerp. Prof Kröger het in 2003 die Bill Venter/Altron Literêre Toekenning vir die boek ontvang en word nog weekliks oorval met versoeke om kursusse aan te bied, of konsultasie-dienste te lewer. Dr Alex Dreyer, Algemene Bestuurder van GEA Aircooled Systems (Edms) Bpk (die Suid-Afrikaanse filiaal van ‘n multinasionale maatskappy), het dit so gestel: “Any engineer involved with cooling systems in the power/petrochemical industries or the technology of solar power generation knows the name of prof Kröger and either has a copy of his textbook on their shelf or has had the privilege of having been one of his students. He is considered a foremost authority on air-cooled condensers and solar power generation worldwide”. Die graad DIng in Meganiese Ingenieurswese is in 2004 deur die Universiteit Stellenbosch aan prof Kröger toegeken in erkenning vir sy enorme bydrae op navorsingsgebied in lugverkoelde warmteruilers en koeltorings.Die verbeterings wat sy werk in die werkverrigting van warmteruilers teweeg gebring het, het deur die jare reuse energiebesparings opgelewer. Hy en sy oud-studente se kundigheid was instrumenteel in die ontwikkeling van, wat toe die grootste droë-verkoeling kragstasie in die wêreld was. Tans bou Eskom twee nuwe droë-verkoeling kragstasies, Medupi en Kusile, wat Matimba sal vervang as die wêreld se grootste. Normale steenkool-kragstasies gebruik ongeveer twee liter verkoelingswater per kilowatt-uur se elektrisiteit, maar die droë-verkoeling kragstasies gebruik geen verkoelingswater nie. Ten spyte daarvan dat droë-verkoeling minder effektief as nat-verkoeling is, is die waterbesparingsoorwegings in

droë Suid-Afrika dikwels deurslaggewend. Detlev Kröger was as konsultant by die opstel van die spesifikasies van die nuwe kragstasies betrokke en daarom sluit die ontwerpe talle verbeterings in wat deur sy nagraadse studente se navorsing van die afgelope jare ontwikkel is.Studente by die Departement Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese wat op nagraadse vlak by hierdie navorsing betrokke was, is onder andere Francois Louw, Retief Joubert en Johan Heyns. Die konsep wat Johan Heyns onder leiding van prof Kröger vir sy MScIng tesis ontwikkel het (hy het in 2009 met cum laude gegradueer), word tans deur die California Energy Commission in samewerking met die nywerheid in die VSA getoets, met die oog op toepassing in toekomstige kragstasies.Michael Owen het in 2008, as een van prof Kröger se MScIng studente, op een van die wêreld se mees moderne gekombineerde-siklus kragstasies (El Dorado naby Las Vegas) navorsing gedoen. Michael het, deur middel van metings op die kragstasie en rekenaarsimulasies, verbeterings ontwikkel wat beduidende werkverrigting-verbeterings (veral in winderige omstandighede) teweeg bring. Die verbeterings sal in nuwe kragstasies toegepas word, terwyl aanpassings aan bestaande kragstasies tans oorweeg wod. Michael is tans in die proses om sy PhD kwalifikasie te voltooi. Dr Alex Dreyer het prof Kröger en sy studente se bydraes tot die ontwikkeling van hierdie kragstasies, as volg opgesom:“Over the years many of his students found themselves in Kombi’s on the way to Ellisras to perform detailed measurements (and re-measurements) on the then-world’s-largest air cooled condenser at the Matimba power station. These measurements and others like them contributed significantly to the database of know-how, insights and understanding of the design, and operational behaviour of air-cooled condensers. Currently scores of his students, employed by vendors, engineering contractors and Eskom, are involved in designing and constructing the air cooled condensers for Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile power stations. Medupi’s air cooled condenser will replace Matimba’s air cooled condenser as the largest in the world. The technological advances made in air cooled condensers worldwide, in the last three decades, will be considered by many to be part of prof Kröger’s legacy.”

Prof Detlev Kröger

Michael Owen

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)The Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineer-ing recently purchased a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system that can be used to measure 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional flow fields. The system was purchased from Dantec Dynamics, a Danish company that specialises in flow measurement solutions. The PIV system that was bought by the department consists of five main components. A laser is used to illuminate the particles in the flow field, while cam-eras (one or two depending on whether you are measuring 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional) are used to photograph the illuminated particles. The laser and cameras are coordinated and controlled from a computer interface that also captures the photographed data. The laser light beam is positioned to within 1 um accuracy with a traverse system that is also controlled from the computer. Finally a seeding system is used to supply fine particles (about 5 um diameter) into the flow field.The PIV system was used on its “maiden voyage” to mea-sure the flow field in front of a set of axial flow fans, as shown in the accompanying photo. The fans are used to simulate a large air cooled condenser installation, as found on some of Eskom’s latest coal-fired power plants. The PIV system en-ables measurement of the flow field entering the air cooled

condenser. Knowledge of the flow field is essential in pre-dicting the efficiency of the air cooled condenser and conse-quently the complete power generation cycle. The data that was measured using the PIV system will now be compared to the results from CFD analyses performed on the same facility.

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)

MEng Engineering ManagementThe MScEng programme in Engineering Management is a faculty-wide initiative, with the Department of Industrial Engineering being the host de-partment. Student numbers for this programme have grown tremendously during the past couple of years, with more than forty Master’s degree students having enrolled for the pro-gramme in 2010. The depart-ment is proud to present their very first Engineering Manage-ment graduates, who received their degrees at the graduation ceremony in March this year. Perhaps an indication as to why this programme has be-come so popular, is the vari-ety of topics that a prospec-tive postgraduate student can choose from. Willem van Tonder completed a techno-economic evaluation of different titanium production processes. Stephan Marais (cum laude) developed open innovation models to assist the innovation process. Although Denzil Kennon completed his degree in Industrial Engineering (cum laude), he too has entered the job market in the very sought after field of asset manage-ment. Ekki Friederich looked at returns achievable on the

JSE through actively managed investment portfolios. Pierre Lategan proposed a performance measurement model for a service partnership. The interest in pursuing an Engineering Management qualification is growing not only on the Mas-ter’s degree level, but even more so amongst Post Graduate Diploma (PDE) students. An official PDE (Managgement) programme is envisioned for 2012.

Back (l.t.r.): Willem van Tonder, Stephan Marais, Denzil Kennon, Ekki FriederichMiddle (l.t.r.): Dr Andre van der Merwe (Chairman), Corne Schutte (PhD Industrial Engineering), Wilhelm Uys (PhD Industrial Engineering), Hagen Nieberding (PhD Industrial Engineering)Front: Pierre Lategan

10de SARCHI NavorsingsleerstoelProf David Davidson, vanaf die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese, is aangestel om ‘n navorsings-leerstoel te lei van die Suid-Afrikaanse Navorsingleerstoel Inisiatief (SARCHI: South African Research Chair Initiative) van die Departement Wetenskap en Tegnologie (DWT) en die Nasionale Navorsingstigting (NNS).“Dit is ‘n voorreg om te kan bydra tot so ’n fassinerende projek wat alreeds ’n betekenisvolle impak op die betrokke weten-skappe en ingenieurswese dissiplines in Suid-Afrika gehad het,” sê prof Davidson, prof in Numeriese Elektromagnetika.In Desember 2009, tydens die vierde Jaarlikse SKA (Square Kilometre Array) Nagraadse Beurs-konferensie wat op Stel-lenbosch gehou is, is daar aangekondig dat vyf navors-ingsleerstoele aan Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite toegeken is. Dit onderstreep Suid-Afrika se verbintenis om voorpunt wetenskap en ingenieurswese in Suid-Afrika te versterk en stukrag te verleen aan Suid-Afrika se bod om die SKA radio-teleskoop te huisves.Na die aankondiging is universiteite gevra om geskikte kan-didate te identifiseer en om voorstelle aan die Nasionale Navorsingstigting voor te lê. Die nuwe SARCHI Navors-ingsleerstoel, die tiende Leerstoel wat aan Stellenbosch toegeken is, ressorteer onder die SKA se Menslike Hulpro-nontwikkelingsprogram.Prof Davidson sê dat die SKA-projek – spesifiek die Meer-KAT-projek as tegnologiese voorganger – is een van die grootste wetenskaplike projekte wat oor die afgelope 20 jaar in Suid-Afrika onderneem is en die oorhoofse SKA-projek is een van die groter internasionale wetenskapsprojekte wat tans onderweg is. “Ons Departement het reeds lank ’n tradisie van uitnemendheid in die opleiding van nagraadse studente in elektromagnetika, radiofrekwensie en mikrogolf ingenieurswese. Die leerstoel sal ’n sterk fokuspunt wees vir ons toekomstige navorsing op hierdie gebied.”Elektromagnetiese energie kom oral in die heelal voor. Ra-dioteleskope spoor elektromagnetiese straling vanuit die rui-mte op teen dieselfde frekwensie as waarteen radio’s, self-one en radars werk. “Die leerstoel, getiteld Electromagnetic systems and electromagnetic interference mitigation for the SKA, sal fokus op die elektromagnetika, onderliggend aan die ontwerp van antennes en radiofrekwensie koppelvlak-sisteme wat dieselfde kritieke rol speel as ’n lens in optiese instrumente. Hul ontwerp is kernbelangrik vir die sukses van die radioteleskoop en ook om die effek van ongewenste elektromagnetiese straling of steuring te verreken, aange-sien dit maklik die klein seine wat ons soek, kan verbloem,” het hy gesê.Prof Davidson het verduidelik dat die Departement ’n hele aantal studente het wat op die MeerKAT en SKA werk, insluitend verskeie studente van deelnemende Afrika-lande soos Kenia en Madagaskar. “Ons sien daarna uit om dit in die toekoms uit te brei,” het hy gesê. “Die leerstoel sal kritiese

hoëvlak kapasiteit verskaf vir die integrasie van verskeie navorsingsinisiatiewe wat tans afgestem is op antennas, die RF-koppelvlak – die baie sensitiewe ontvangers wat nodig is om die seine op te spoor – asook elektromagnetiese steur-ing, en natuurlik om nuwe navorsing van stapel te stuur. Dit sal ook ons vermoë tot noue samewerking met die nasionale en internasionale SKA gemeenskap betekenisvol bevorder, om daardeur belangrike elektromagnetiese ingenieurswese kwessies, wat potensieel uit die hoëvlak navorsing kan baat, te identifiseer.Prof Petrie Meyer sê dat die leerstoel wat aan die Departe-ment toegeken is, erkenning is vir die navorsingsbydrae aan die SKA wat die SKA-span in die Departement oor die laaste drie jaar gemaak het, en dat die formidabele uitdagings wat die SKA-projek in die gesig staar, navorsingsgeleenthede sal skep vir beide die span, maar spesifiek ook vir prof Da-vidson.

Voornemende nagraadse studente kan gerus met prof Da-vidson (davidson@sun.ac.za) skakel in verband met aanlok-like navorsingsbeurse wat in 2010 beskikbaar sal wees.

Prof David Davidson

Rudolf le Roux visits ROSE in ItalyRudolf le Roux, an MScEng student at the Department of Civil Engineering, recently graduated cum laude at the grad-uation ceremony earlier this month. Rudolf shares with us a few highlights of his globe trotting experiences in Italy (and two stunning photos of his trip): “I had the amazing privilege of attending a course at the Cen-tre for Postgraduate Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (ROSE School) in Pavia, Italy. Pavia is a relatively small town located approxi-mately 35km south of Milan in Northern Italy, and home to the University of Pavia, Ghislieri College, Almo Collegio Bor-romeo, and the “Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori”, of which ROSE School forms part. Full Master’s and Doctoral degrees are offered by the ROSE School, but teaching con-sists of short courses presented by lecturers who are interna-tionally recognized as experts in their field.Due to the Icelandic volcanic activity, the course was short-ened by one week and thus ran from 30 April to 14 May. We had class for two hours per day, with a one hour tutorial dur-ing which we could ask questions regarding the homework assignments. The course concerned the displacement based seismic de-sign of bridges. Displacement based seismic design is a new and improved design method which is set to replace the current force based design method employed in most inter-national design codes. Although it focused on the design of bridges, the course acted as a very good introduction to dis-placement based design and can readily be applied to any structural form. The course was presented by Prof Mervyn Kowalski from North Carolina State University. He took his BS in Structural Engineering (1993), his MS in Structural Engineering (1994) and his PhD in Structural Engineering (1997) at the Univer-sity of California, San Diego. During the course I had the opportunity to discuss my research with him and gain some valuable insights. Most of the other 38 students who attended the course were permanent ROSE School students, but were mostly from non Italian nationalities. I met students from the USA, China, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Iran and New Zealand. After the course I spent two weeks touring through Italy, and-saw Pisa, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Venice.”

Rudolf le Roux

Roman Forum at dusk Coliseum at night

CSense Fellowship Programme for Postgrads

CSense Systems creates and implements engineering pro-cess performance enhancement software. This software is used to create solutions for industrial problems, reducing process variation through troubleshooting and process mod-eling. The information gleaned from using the software can be used offline for better process understanding, or to imple-ment solutions online. To support education excellence, CSense has initiated a sponsorship and mentoring programme at Stellenbosch Uni-versity. This CSense Fellowship Programme is a bursary for students intending to pursue a 2-year Master’s degree in aspects of process control and optimization. During each postgraduate Fellowship year, students spend 6 months at UCT, and then 6 months in industry on a CSense project. This programme enables students to complete their post-graduate degrees with the unique skills of having both theo-retical knowledge and practical experience. In addition to the academic supervisor from Stellenbosch University, Fellows are also allocated a technical mentor from our engineering staff to assist with the practical chal-lenges of their research project and working semesters. Jaco Wiese at the Department of Process Engineering was

awarded the Fellowship in 2009, and submitted his Master’s dissertation this year. We have asked Jaco to share a view of the reasons he would recommend the CSense Fellowship Programme to prospective postgraduate students: “CSense offered me the opportunity to fund my studies and hobbies, allowing me insight into modelling and control in industry and providing guidance to my direction of studies. Together with prof Chris Aldrich, we found a research topic relevant to both CSense (industry) and academia, with full industry backing. This is especially helpful in obtaining da-tasets and getting external input to my studies. The work experience provided me with insight into how the academic theory is being applied, or not. The exposure to the CSense directors allowed me insight into how a small to medium company is run, how sales directly affect the bottom line in a small company and how they plan strategically. They also provided input in my Master’s, with all four directors having obtained PhD degrees. The exposure to mainly the metals and mining industry provided me with knowledge on where I want to head with my future, and where not. Working half of the time for my 2-year Master’s does have its struggles. I do however feel that being older, and having al-ready worked in industry in Gauteng for two and a half years before coming back to study, instilled in me the importance of being able to manage my time and understanding deliv-erables. This holds true for both the working aspect of the fellowship and the Master’s. Nothing comes close to being given the chance to re-evaluate what you work for and what is important. It is great coming back to a place like Stellen-bosch with more wisdom, and the mind set of enjoying life and reconnecting with what is important to me. I do not think this experience would have been as full without the CSense Fellowship. Thus, in the bigger picture, this period in my life took me two steps forward.The combination of what CSense provided me (guidance, money, exposure to industrial problems and relevant data-sets), together with a wiser outlook on life, allowed me to evaluate what I want and motivated me to go for it. Although there are consequences of halving your study time, moving around every few months and taking on roles other than just being a student, I am thankful CSense provided me with this opportunity and would recommend it to others if they get the chance.”

Jaco Wiese

Stanley wen SANi Beste VoorleggingBaie geluk aan Stanley van den Heever van die Departement Elektriese en Elek-troniese Ingenieurswese, wat onlangs die prys gewen het vir die beste voorlegging by die South African Nanotechnology Ini-tiative (SANi) simposium wat in September vanjaar by UWC aangebied was. Ongeveer twaalf deelnemers het tydens die simpo-sium meegeding vir hierdie kontantprys, waartydens jong mense wat belangstel in nanotegnologie en verwante onderwerpe, bymekaar gekom het.

Stanley blink egter nie net uit wanneer dit kom by voorleggings nie, hy het twee weke gelede sy MScIng graad met cum laude verwerf en plan om volgende jaar voort te gaan met die verwerwing van ‘n PhD kwali-fikasie. Prof Willem Perold is Stanley se studieleier by die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese, en die titel van Stanley se wenresep voorlegging was “A Zinc Oxide Nanowire Pressure Sensor”.

Dept of Industrial EngineeringAcademic: Dr Corne Schutte 021 808 3617 (corne@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Amelia Henning 021 808 4240 (ah2@sun.ac.za)

Dept of Electrical & Electronic EngineeringAcademic: Prof Johan du Preez021 808 4342 (dupreez@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Charlene Weimers 021 808 4481 (charlene@sun.ac.za)

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

Dept of Process Engineering Academic (left): Dr Linda Callanan021 808 4422 (callanan@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Mrs Lynette Bresler 021 808 4485 (lbresler@sun.ac.za)

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

Dean’s Office Vice Dean (Research): Prof Willem Perold021 808 4368 (wjperold@sun.ac.za)Coordinator: Ms Tanya Ficker 021 808 4979 (ficker@sun.ac.za)

Stanley van den Heever