Doctoral Degrees (Mechanical Engineering)

Design and testing of a composite material for modelling wind turbine blade structures in tropical region.

Tefera, Getahun Akulu. (2018)

Currently large wind turbine blades have been installed in several offshore and onshore wind farms around the world, particularly in the desert areas of North East Africa where wind turbine blades and nacelles are affected ...

Structural characterisation and response modelling of paraffin-based hybrid rocket motor fuel grains.

Veale, Kirsty Lynn. (2020)

Abstract available in PDF.

Coupled heat and mass transfer in solar-powered liquid desiccant adiabatic dehumidifier and regenerator for air conditioning applications.

Oyieke, Andrew Young Apuko. (2020)

Abstract available in PDF.

Numerical and experimental investigations of optimal fatty acid methyl ester hybrid for enhanced engine performance and emission mitigation in the conventional compression ignition strategy.

Awogbemi, Omojola. (2020)

The utilization of petroleum-based diesel fuel to power compression ignition (CI) engines has been hampered by inefficient combustion process resulting in unsatisfactory engine performance and emission of hazardous gases. ...

Production, evaluation and testing of bioethanol from matooke peels species as an alternative fuel for spark ignition engine: a case study of Uganda.

Yusuf, Abdulfatah Abdu. (2020)

Conversion of new lignocellulose biomass (LCB) waste to energy is an innovative technique for waste valorization and management which reduces environmental pollutions and offers socioeconomic benefits. This has made the ...

Investigation of the thermophysical properties of coconut fibre based green nanofluid for heat transfer applications.

Adewumi, Gloria Adedayo. (2018)

Significant resources are being channelled toward research on carbon nanomaterials obtained from biomass precursors because of their overall environmental acceptability, stability, low toxicity and simplistic use. Due ...

Production of jet fuel from microalgae biomass cultivated in saline domestic wastewater.

Bwapwa, Joseph Kapuku. (2018)

Jet fuel from crude petroleum oil is known as the most efficient energy carrier for the aviation sector. Environmental concerns and economic pressure drive major industries to adapt to current global revolution towards ...

Development of a decision support system for decision-based part/fixture assignment and fixture flow control = Ukusungulwa kohlelo lokuxhaswa kwezinqumo mayelana nokwabiwa kwezingxenye ezakhiwayo kanye nokuhanjiswa kwazo.

Kasie, Fentahun Moges. (2018)

ABSTRACT: An intense competition in a dynamic situation has increased the requirements that must be considered in the current manufacturing systems. Among those factors, fixtures are one of the major problematic components. ...

Optimisation of welding parameters to mitigate the effect of residual stress on the fatigue life of nozzle–shell welded joints in cylindrical pressure vessels.

Zondi, Mthobisi Clyde. (2017)

The process of welding steel structures inadvertently causes residual stress as a result of thermal cycles that the material is subjected to. These welding-induced residual stresses have been shown to be responsible for ...

Fabrication and characterization of metal oxide nanostructured thin film for photovoltaic application.

Ukoba, Kingsley Ogheneovo. (2018)

This study focused on fabrication and characterization of nanostructured metal oxide heterojunction solar cells for photovoltaic application. The study involved experimental fabrication of the device and modelling and ...

Dynamic stability and buckling of viscoelastic plates and nanobeams subjected to distributed axial forces.

Robinson, Mouafo Teifouet Armand. (2016)

Plates and beams are typical examples of structures that must be analyzed and understood. Buckling and vibration represent for such structures a potential source of fatigue and damage. Damage and fatigue are often caused ...

Modelling and testing of a low temperature solar organic rankine cycle power plant.

Situmbeko, Shadreck Mubiana. (2016)

The post-apartheid era in South Africa has brought with it great challenges regarding electricity supply with demand far outstripping supply mainly due to the refocusing of the economy to foster industrialisation, the mass ...

The development of methods for the design and evolution of reconfigurable cellular manufacturing systems.

Padayachee, Jared. (2016)

The concept of reconfigurable manufacturing is presently being researched due to the need for production systems that are able to economically respond to changes in markets and the rapid introduction of new products. ...

Manufacturing planning and operations optimisation for mass customisation manufacturing using computational intelligence.

Butler, Louwrens Johannes. (2015)

This study determined whether an Advanced Manufacturing System could be optimised, more effectively than by traditional methods, using new and novel computational intelligence techniques. An Advanced Manufacturing System ...

Design, modelling and optimisation of an isolated small hydropower plant using pumped storage hydropower and control techniques.

Ilupeju, Samuel Ayanrohunmu Olusegun. (2015)

Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) has proved to be a reliable power generation technology, especially in cases of emergency peak power demand. It is best utilised in areas where the availability of water is a challenge because ...

EEG artefact identification and extraction in autonomic wireless network for future coordination and control of semi-autonomous systems.

Onunka, Chiemela. (2015)

Electroencephalographic signals is used to show correlations between specific forms of cognitive activities and robotic hand motion. This research presents EEG artefact identification, extraction and classification for ...