2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

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NMMU Research and Innovation Report 2011 - Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology
International guests and keynote
speakers included:
Dr Wayne Thomas (TWI, UK), Prof Neil James (University of Plymouth,
UK), Mr Lawrence Darby (Thompson Friction Ltd), Dr Tony Paterson
(Aluminium Federation of Southern Africa) and Dr David Asquith
(Sheffield University, UK).
From left to right: Prof Henk de Jager (ex-Executive Dean: Faculty of
EBEIT), Prof Neil James (University of Plymouth), Prof Annelize Els-Botes
(ex-Chairperson of the Friction Processing Research Institute), Dr Wayne
Thomas (TWI Consultant - more popularly known within the engineering
community as the "father of friction stir welding"), and Prof Danie
Hattingh (Director of eNtsa).
Student Achievements
• The Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre (AMTC) and the
Volkswagen Group/DAAD International Chair in the NMMU
School of Engineering has embarked on a project to build and
drive a car that uses the sun for its driving power. The multi-
disciplinary project will entail the design and development of a
solar car by students across a range of study fields and will enable
them to conduct research into the field of renewable energy.
While building the car, engineering students will be given an
ideal green platform from which to conduct future research for
postgraduate studies.
• Ewald Stieger, postgraduate Information Technology student
presented a paper at the European Conference on Information
Warfare and Security in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The
research paper, entitled: Criteria for a Personal Information
Security Agent proposes a set of criteria for a software artefact
that aims at influencing computer users towards more secure
behaviour.
• German student Juergen Kranz is NMMU’s first PhD Mechatronics
student since the new engineering degree was introduced
at the University in 2007. The former Reutlingen University
student is examining intelligent automotive climate control for
his dissertation.
First commercialisation
application of the WeldCore TM
technology
On Saturday, 3 September 2011, a team of engineers from eNtsa
successfully implemented the first commercial application related
to the patented WeldCore TM technology, jointly developed by NMMU
and Eskom. This was done at the Rotek facilities in Johannesburg
on a component with a R1.2 billion replacement value.
The application included the removal of a core sample and repair of
the removal site by a Friction Taper Hydro Pillar Processing Platform
developed specifically for this application at eNtsa.
The cylindrical core sample removed from the turbine rotor disk allowed
Eskom engineers to accurately determine subsurface creep damage.
This information provided adequate scientific evidence to create
confidence in extending the service life of the current structure. This will
consequently now lead to the postponement of capital expenditure and
result in a major cost saving for Eskom.
This momentous event is the result of hard work and research, codeveloped
by eNtsa and Eskom, over the past eight years.