Engineering: Recent submissions
Now showing items 41-60 of 1352
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Development of a machine learning plant growth estimator for hydroponics
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Growth stage estimation in indoor farming is crucial for precision agriculture. It reduces the wastage of resources such as nutrients and water in plant cultivation. Overly, yield and quality of the agricultural produce ... -
Development of a dewatering control strategy to prevent flooding within deep-level mines
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Deep-level mines are faced with continually increasing challenges regarding heat. New mining depths are constantly reached, and working conditions are becoming intolerable and unsafe. Underground conditions must be controlled ... -
Mitigation strategies for hydrogen safety in the confined environment : CFD modelling and validation
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)This research is based on experimental evaluation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling validation. Full-scale tests to investigate unintended hydrogen release were conducted at the HySA Mining Platform Test ... -
The effect of cellobiohydrolase I on low consistency refining and handsheet properties
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Papermaking is an energy-intensive process, with mechanical pulp refining accounting for 30% of the total electrical energy consumption during papermaking. Presently, with significant economic and environmental concerns, ... -
Development of an Industry 4.0 competency maturity model
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Coined as Germany’s high-tech strategy, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is being adopted globally and is happening exponentially. Furthermore, I4.0 impacts manufacturing processes, technology, and systems and extends to employees' ... -
Subtransmission power system amelioration through increased power transfer
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)This dissertation aimed to present considerations and solutions for the amelioration of subtransmission power systems through increased power transfer by reviewing various infrastructure technologies and solution approaches. ... -
An integrated ventilation and cooling strategy for mechanised deep-level mining
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Planning of mine ventilation and cooling ensures acceptable environmental conditions underground. To this end, simulation-based planning tools are used for their advantages over calculation-based planning techniques. Various ... -
Applying a benchmark method to identify utility cost-saving opportunities on a platinum mine
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)South Africa’s energy and water demands are more significant than the supply thereof. This higher demand means Eskom cannot deliver enough power to South Africa. Furthermore, South Africa is a water-scarce country and water ... -
An investigation into the occurrence of ferroresonance in small distribution transformers in South Africa
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)In 2019, an article published by Geldenhuys and Padayachee reported unexpected overvoltages during the commissioning phase of distribution transformers. Consequently, resonance was reported as the cause of overvoltages on ... -
Development of catalyst support structures for hydrogen applications
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) has attracted the attention of scientists and engineers as a source material for the preparation of catalyst support nanostructures. AAO represents a hexagonally distributed pore structure ... -
Utilising mine-cooling auxiliaries for optimal performance during seasonal changes
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Electricity is a major concern for energy-intensive consumers. The price of electricity in South Africa has increased by 300% over the last ten years, and the future price increase is forecasted to surpass inflation. This ... -
Investigation into different 1D/3D thermal fluid co-simulation methodologies as applied to HTR system configurations
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)The current PhD research focuses on the investigation into different 1D/3D thermal fluid co-simulation methodologies as applied to HTR system configurations. For the modelling and simulation of complex systems, 1D/3D ... -
A framework to implement digital twin functionalities into web applications
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Digital Twins provide instant physical context to data in complex engineering systems such as mines. They assist with mining operations, performance analysis, planning, and decision making when integrated with sensor ... -
High pressure water supply strategy for mine bulk air coolers
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)South African gold mines face many challenges with rising production costs being amongst the biggest concerns. Labour unrest and low economic growth along with increased production costs are affecting the productivity and ... -
Increasing renewable energy penetration on LV networks using intelligent control of virtual power plants
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)The global rise in energy consumption has ushered in a new era of technological advancements dictating how energy is generated, distributed and utilised. The surge in the distributed energy resources (DER) penetration ... -
Dehydrogenation of perhydrodibenzyltoluene for hydrogen production: the effect of Mg and Zn dopants on the catalytic activity of Pt/Al₂O₃
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) are hydrocarbon molecules that have the capacity to store and release hydrogen through catalytic hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. The dibenzyltoluene/perhydrodibenzyltoluene ... -
Solving large scale office scheduling problems as combinatorial auctioning problems
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Within specific exible work models, employees must reserve an office to gain access to one. However, over-bookings and double-bookings arise with such approaches. This can result in the inefficient utilisation of the ... -
Reducing energy consumption of a deep-level platinum mine dewatering system through infrastructure reconfiguration
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)South Africa is the largest producer of platinum in the world, accounting for up to 80% of global production. The mining sector contributes significantly to the South African economy, but this contribution is hindered by ... -
Zeolite facilitated adsorption of selected metals associated with mine drainage
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)South Africa (SA) is a water scarce country, with 34 % of SA’s total population living in rural areas with very limited access to safe surface and groundwater sources. The pollution of these water sources is caused by many ... -
Technical evaluation criteria for centrifugal pump selection in the petrochemical industry
(North-West University (South Africa)., 2022)Many users are faced with the difficulty of technically evaluating and selecting the most appropriate centrifugal pump for the specific operating condition, due to its required specialised field within mechanical ...
