Masters Degrees (Mechanical Engineering): Recent submissions
Now showing items 1-20 of 111
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The hydrodynamic design and analysis of an RP-1 pump for a liquid rocket engine.
(2018)South Africa has a fledgling satellite industry but lacks the ability to launch spacecraft into low Earth orbit. As a result, the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN’s) Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG) began the ... -
The effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on the performance of diesel engine.
(2018)The aim of this work was to study the effects of EGR on the performance of a diesel engine using waste plastic pyrolysis oil (WPPO) and conventional diesel (CD). WPPO was developed through the pyrolysis extraction method. ... -
Development of a design methodology of a composite monocoque chassis.
(2018)The concept of the composite monocoque chassis has been implemented in many vehicle designs; however, there is little open-access literature defining the primary considerations when simulating one. The purpose of this ... -
Lightweight structural design of UAV wing through the use of coreless composite materials employing novel construction techniques.
(2017)A new structural layout was designed for an existing UAV wing with the aims of lightening the wing by eliminating the use of cored composite construction and reducing the manufacturing time of the wing by making use of ... -
An on-demand fixture manufacturing cell for mass customisation production systems.
(2017)Increased demand for customised products has given rise to the research of mass customisation production systems. Customised products exhibit geometric differences that render the use of standard fixtures impractical. ... -
Aerodynamic modelling and further optimisation of solar powered vehicle.
(2016)Computational fluid dynamics was used to optimise the aerodynamics of a solar powered vehicle via the addition of airflow alteration devices that interact with the boundary layer airflow. These features were designed, ... -
The hydrodynamic design and analysis of a liquid oxygen pump impeller for a rocket engine.
(2018)The deployment of micro- and nanosatellites has greatly increased over the past few decades with advances in miniaturized electronics for communication, imaging and attitude control. The South African satellite industry ... -
Design and development of the Phoenix-1B hybrid rocket.
(2017)In August 2014, South Africa’s first university-based hybrid rocket, Phoenix-1A, was launched at the Overberg Test Range near Cape Agulhas. The vehicle suffered nozzle and parachute failures during flight which, together ... -
Design and analysis of a multi-trailer system for the Durban container terminal.
(2018)Multi-trailer systems (MTS) allow for the transportation of multiple shipping containers in a single movement as opposed to the conventional trailer systems often used within a port terminal environment. The adoption of ... -
Energy efficiency in the South African cement finishing plant: drivers, barriers and improvement.
(2018)The cement production is an energy demanding industry that requires a high degree of attention regarding energy use in South Africa. Within the last decade, South Africa has faced a shortage of electricity supply, because ... -
Design and analysis of the tooling to manipulate and install complete sectors in the ATLAS new small wheel within narrowly defined stress parameters.
(2015)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Combustion studies of biodiesel fuel from moringa, jatropha and restaurant oil.
(2016)Biodiesel is a renewable alternative to finite diesel and, has the capacity to reduce emission and broaden energy access particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where economic growth has been, to some extent, constrained ... -
Energy efficiency opportunities for pulp and paper industry in South Africa : barriers, drivers and technical opportunities.
(2017)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Independent assessment and benchmarking of no/low cost finite element analysis software for linear and non/linear static structural analysis.
(2016)The aim of this research was to determine if the development of low-cost (less than 500 USD) or no-cost analysis software, specifically in the area of computational structural mechanics through finite element analysis ... -
Renewable ocean energy : the use of hydro-kites in the agulhas current to generate electricity.
(2016)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Power generation from low-grade energy source using organic rankine cycle technology.
(2017)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Modelling, design and analysis of a water jetpack powered by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) system.
(2017)This dissertation describes the development and analysis of a water jetpack powered by an AUV system. The UKZN water jetpack has been in development since 2015 and has demonstrated the ability and potential for high ... -
Development of a solar furnace heliostat.
(2016)The Solar Energy Research Amplified Flux Facility (SERAFF) is the flagship project of University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Group for Solar Energy Thermodynamics (GSET). SERAFF will assume an on-axis optical configuration, common ... -
Mechatronics integration for a vehicle simulator.
(2016)This dissertation presents the research and integration of a mechatronics system to be used in a vehicle simulator. The vehicle simulator is comprised of a 3-DOF platform which is used to provide motion cues to the driver. ... -
Optimization of turbine design for deep sea (ocean current) power energy technology.
(2016)The main objective of this thesis is to study renewable energy based on ocean current energy conversion. Different technologies based on ocean energy conversion are described and this research focuses on the design of a ...