Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015 Doc

DIVISION: Mechanics

NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Annie Bekker ABEK1

PROJECT TITLE: The reconstruction and assessment of human vibration on the Dynamic Seat Testing Facility

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) No

DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes) Mechatronic (Yes)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

A time-signal of a recorded vibration stimulus from a harsh environment will be reconstructed on the platform of the Dynamic Seat Testing Facility in the Structural Laboratory. This stimulus will be recorded on the chassis of a vehicle while driving over a rough road. The necessary user interface and analysis tools are to be developed in LabView and MATLAB to enable vibration reconstruction on the platform of the dynamic seat testing facility from a computer interface. The reconstructed signal in the laboratory should match the test signal in both the time and frequency domain on a test seat for different seated subjects. The algorithm will be validated through physical tests on the platform with seated subjects. This will involve the measurement of the seat transmissibility function and will require real-time vibration signal analysis for human comfort according to ISO 2631-1.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical):

ABEK2

PROJECT TITLE: The manipulation of vehicle interior sound by the use of image processing to identify sound phenomena from spectrograms.



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

The exhilaration of driving a vehicle is closely related to the sound quality and noise experienced by the occupants in the passenger cabin. Current advances in sound trouble shooting include the use of image recognition in sound spectrograms. These spectrograms involve the presentation of data such that a colour plot of sound the sound magnitude at each frequency is presented as a function of time. Various sounds (such as rattles and squeaks, pure tones, vehicle accelerations) will be recorded. Artificial

sound manipulation concepts will be generated, such as frequency and amplitude modulation functions. The stimuli will be presented as spectrograms and exposed to image processing techniques to attempt to identify the prevailing patterns that characterize different sounds. These techniques will be implemented to manipulate and enhance vehicle drive-train sounds in the passenger cabin.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None

ABEK3

PROJECT TITLE: DEVELOPMENT OF PAIRED COMPARISON PROCEDURES FOR SOUND QUALITY METRICS

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) Yes


STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The development of sound quality metrics entails paired comparison testing (similar to eye tests performed by an optometrist) in a laboratory environment through binaural headphones. The paired comparison test is a simple procedure that can be used with untrained jurors (e.g. customers). A jury is asked to listen to pairs of sounds and then choose one based upon a question, for example; Which sound do you think is the more powerful? or Which sound do you think is louder? Paired comparison testing is a very time consuming process. The purpose of this

project is to develop some paired comparison test procedures with an interface in MATLAB. This entails a thorough literature survey and the engineering design of a sound quality test. These procedures will be evaluated in terms of efficiency and accuracy through jury testing of recorded sound stimuli.


ABEK4

PROJECT TITLE: The use of vibration in railway condition monitoring

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes / no) No

DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes) Mechatronic (No)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

In the rail environment, the maintenance of the infrastructure and rolling stock assets are important for optimal performance. Because it is geographical dispersed, the infrastructure offers unique challenges and one such challenge is the condition based assessment of the perway system (consisting of the rails, sleepers, rail pads, rail clips and sub structure).

Part of condition assessment, the geometry of the rails in the perway system is measured with laser measurement equipment on a mobile unit. But the effectiveness of the

perway in terms of damping, stability, etc cannot be effectively measured. Therefore rail operators rely on visual inspection to identify critical perway sections for maintenance, or time based maintenance to periodically maintain sections.

The purpose of this project is to determine whether the condition of a perway system can be determined, based on frequency responses. After a literature review, the student will study the sensitivity of different perway conditions in the frequency domain. This will be undertaken through simulation and experiments. The perway will be modelled as a single system (incl rail/sleeper pads/sleeper/ballast), and the expected outcome of the project is to compare the condition of perway sections. The investigation could include the proposal of a design to enable the excitation and measurement of the perway system such that these conditions could be determined in the field.

The results will be validated at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Western Cape.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Methods

ABEK 5

PROJECT TITLE: Design and construction of a vibration damper / absorber for of small-scale tubular turbine towers


DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes) Yes Mechatronic (No)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

A high voltage conductor pipe spans 10 m and is experiencing resonance of its lower vibration modes as a result of wind excitation. A modal measurement will be conducted to determine the frequencies and mode shapes of the lower modes as well as the associated vibration levels as a result of the vibration excitation. A finite element model of the pipe will be validated through the experimental modal measurement results. This model will be used to aid the design of a vibration damper to limit the excitation of the vibration modes. The current industry solution includes

the use of a Stockbridge damper which presents some limitations. This project will endeavour to eliminate the lower vibration modes of the conductor pipe by proposing an alternative concept which will be benchmarked against the Stockbridge damper solution. The success of the designed solution will be evaluated by experimental testing and vibration analysis. This project will find direct applicability to a current challenge in industry.

Researchers from Stellenbosch University are studying the responses of two small-scale tubular towers which are constructed at the Mariendahl test site (near Elsenburg). The one tower is 18 m high and is designed for wind turbine systems up to a power level of 20 kW. The other tower is 24 m high and is designed to handle power levels up to 50 kW. In this project the resonance vibration frequencies of these towers must be determined along with the turbine rotor (three-blade turbine rotor) speeds that will generate resonance in these towers. This project includes the design of a vibration damper / absorber to reduce the effects of resonance on the tubular tower. The concept could also include targets for top-tower mass as part of a likely investigation in Finite Elements.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite element modelling

ABEK6

PROJECT TITLE: The design and construction of a musical instrument for the illustration of the natural frequencies of systems

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No) Yes

DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes/No) Yes Mechatronic (Yes/No) No

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

A musical instrument will be designed and built with the express goal to offer an audio-visual or audio-sensory demonstration of the modes of continuous systems with the use of existing laboratory equipment. The natural frequencies of this instrument will be determined by experimental modal analysis and could be confirmed by finite element modelling of the design. Engineering judgement is required to determine the factors that cause the deviation between the mathematical boundary conditions and the real life structure. This work can be complimented by the possible use of material testing, optimization or image processing techniques. Other innovative means, such as the design of an instrument to provide sensory feedback of the sound experience could additionally be investigated.


ABEK7

PROJECT TITLE: The design and evaluation device to remove stickers from a casting mold


DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes/No) Yes Mechatronic (Yes/No) No

STUDENT: Inance Bonsma 16978242

DESCRIPTION:

BHP Billiton Samancor are experiencing problems with the removal of minerals that stick to casting molds during a plant process. The vibration modes of a casting mold will be determined experimentally in the laboratory. A mold will be transported from Samancor to the Structural Laboratory for the purposes of these experiments. A device will be designed to enable the vibro-acoustric excitation of the mould structure to remove stickers from the mould surface. This will include the evaluation of the current pricker bar solution and other concepts such as an acoustic horn. The problem statement and design specifications will be

obtained by on-site study at BHP Billiton Samancor, Meyerton. The sample mold, refined testing and building of the acoustic horn model will be investigated at the University Stellenbosch. The variation in the dynamic response as a result of the location of stickers and plant boundary conditions will be investigated through Finite Element Modelling.


NAAM VAN DOSENT: Prof JL van Niekerk

JLvN1

PROJECT TITLE: Develop a one-way power take-off device for wave energy

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes)


STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Many wave energy converters, such as floating buoys and platforms, have to convert a tension force in one direction to rotary motion that can drive a generator. Frequently these devices are also equipped with a flywheel to smooth the power.

In this project the student needs to design, build and test a device to convert a tension force to rotary motion with the required clutches to ensure that the cable that connects the buoy with an anchor remains taught. A representative test-setup will be build and installed in the laboratory to test the device.


JLvN2

PROJECT TITLE: Development and commissioning of an automatic son follower for a parabolic dish


DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes) Mechatronic (Preferred)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Stellenbosch University received a donation of a McDonald Douglas parabolic solar dish and a Stirling engine. The system has been installed on the roof of the old Marine Laboratory and must now be commissioned.

The project will consist of the acquisition and installation of a new PLC controller, the programming of the system and the commissioning of the system.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM

JLvN3

PROJECT TITLE: Further development and testing of an ocean current device


DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes) Mechatronic (Preferably)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: With the recent rise in the price of electricity the self-generation of electricity is becoming a viable option. In this project a hybrid power system will be developed that will include at least a small hydro-electrical generator, a battery storage system and one other generator. The price of the system will be compared to the price of electricity from Eskom or the local municipality. A complete set of specifications as well as an implementation plan must be developed.


NAME OF LECTURER: Gerhard Venter

GV1

PROJECT TITLE: Material properties using Digital Image Correlation

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (no)

DIRECTION: Mechanical (yes) Mechatronic (no)

STUDENT: N/A

DESCRIPTION:

The department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering has recently purchased a digital image correlation (DIC) system. The DIC system makes use of digital images to provide the full strain field of a component (as opposed to strain at a single point when measured with a strain gauge). For this project, the student will investigate the use of this new DIC system for determining material properties of linear elastic materials like steel and aluminium. The student will have to compare the DIC data with the more traditional way of determining material properties and will have to comment on accuracy, speed, ease of use, cost, etc. The ultimate goal would be to determine if the DIC could be used to determine linear elastic material properties and if so, under what conditions. The final outcome should be a methodology for using the DIC to determine linear elastic material properties.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM 414

GV2

PROJECT TITLE: Commissioning a PLC based controller for a wheel test bench

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (yes)

DIRECTION: Mechanical (no) Mechatronic (yes)

STUDENT: N/A

DESCRIPTION:

The goal of this project is to perform the final commissioning of a PLC based controller for an automotive wheel test bench that was recently acquired. A virtual test panel should be created on the computer (using Wonderware) to control the test bench, instead of using the touch-pad based interface that is currently available on the PLC hardware. The project will also include the optimization of the PID control parameters that is part of the PLC based controller. Finally, data collected by the PLC should be downloaded to the PC in real time during the execution of the tests.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): N/A

GV3

PROJECT TITLE: Rubber heat generation and distribution test facility



STUDENT: N/A

DESCRIPTION:

The heat generation in a rubber tires is currently being studied. A big part of this study is the determination of material properties for the rubber and using that in a numerical simulation to determine (1) how heat is generated (due to hysteresis) and (2) how the resulting heat is distributed throughout the tire.

The goal of this study would be to design, build and test a device that can be use to load/un-load a piece a of rubber in a controlled environment. The temperature distribution as a result of the load/un-load cycles must be measured with the goal of comparing the results to that of a numerical simulation. The device must thus be of such a nature that it can be used to verify both the material properties as well as the numerical simulation techniques used.


GV4

PROJECT TITLE: Inflatable wing for remote controlled aircraft



STUDENT: N/A

DESCRIPTION:

The goal here is to design, build and test an inflatable wing for a typical remote controlled aircraft. A specific aircraft with specific payload requirements will be selected as a candidate aircraft. The challenge would be to design build and test an inflatable wing for this aircraft. This would include (1) finding an appropriate material, (2) identifying appropriate construction methods, (3) design a wing that is both structurally as well as aerodynamically sound and (4) perform basic experimental verification to ensure that the wing would be able to perform as required.


GV5

PROJECT TITLE: Thermal analysis of blocked heat exchanger tube



STUDENT: N/A

DESCRIPTION:

This project will deal with the blocking of flow channels, and consequential overheating of material, inside an internally finned tube heated from one side, as is typically encountered in a heat exchanger. The student will have to model the thermal stresses and deformation of a particular tube and investigate the influence of this tube on the remainder of the heat exchanger. The simulation will be performed using Finite Element analysis. Both full blocking as well as partial blocking will be considered. Local overheating might also lead to an increased heat transfer to neighbouring channels that could result in a runaway problem. Ideally, the simulation should be verified experimentally.


NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Deborah Blaine

DCB1

PROJECT TITLE: Mechanical testing at elevated temperature

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (Yes/No)

DIRECTION: Mechanical (Yes/No) Mechatronic (Yes/No)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

This project entails designing a removable rig that can be used in conjunction with a typical tensile

testing setup on the current mechanical testing apparatus available in the Mechanical and

Mechatronic Engineering Structures Laboratory. The rig must be capable of heating a sample in-

situ to allow tensile testing of materials at elevated temperatures. The heating device must be able

to reasonably control the temperature so that repeatable measurements over a wide range of

temperatures can be collected. The rig must be designed, built and tested, and operating and

maintenances instructions must be compiled for the safe and accurate measurement of

mechanical properties at temperature.


DCB2

PROJECT TITLE: Linking microstructure to mechanical properties for sintered titanium



STUDENT :

DESCRIPTION: Several final year and postgraduate projects over the past years have focused on producing

titanium from powder using the press-and-sinter process. There are numerous samples available

that have been characterised by different students in terms of their material and mechanical

properties. This study requires the student to collate the available data, confirm the reported

properties, and then produce high quality metallographic samples, along with micrographs of the

microstructures of the sintered titanium produced under different processing conditions. In order to

do this, the student will have to develop a metallographic preparation technique that is specifically

applicable to sintered titanium. Following the collection of data and microstructures, an analysis of

the material is required in order to link microstructural features to mechanical and material

properties.


DCB3

PROJECT TITLE: Utilising Boeings Ti6Al4V PREP (Plasma Rotating Electrode Powder) waste



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

Boeing, USA, manufactures PREP (Plasma Rotating Electrode Powder) out of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy for producing aerospace parts for their aircraft. PREP powder is spherical and can be produced with a wide range of sizes in one batch. Typically, Boeing only uses a specific range of particle sizes for their parts, and as such, discards a significant portion of the PREP powder batch. As the efficacy of PM (powder metallurgy) processes lies in the minimal waste level of material, this undermines one of the prime advantages of using PM technology. Boeing has supplied the excess powder from a few of their PREP batches to Stellenbosch University for the purpose of exploring ideas for utilising this discarded portion of the batch.

This project entails characterising the excess batch PREP, and then developing innovative manufacturing procedures for using the powder in conventional press-and-sinter and/or powder injection moulding processes. The results will be shared with Boeings global materials research team.


DCB4

PROJECT TITLE: Measuring density gradients in die-compacted and sintered metal powders



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

The quality of products manufactured by the powder metallurgy press-and-sinter process is dependent on the level of defects and intensity of the density gradients in the die-compacted or green part. Typically, metal powders are mixed with organic lubricants that reduce inter-particle friction and friction with the die wall, thereby improving the homogeneity of the green compact. However, with titanium powder, the reactivity of the metal with the lubricant is such that lubricants cannot be used without degrading the final sintered properties of the product. The result is that titanium powders are die-compacted with little or no lubricant, and compaction defects such as delamination, high density gradients and internal flaws are common. These flaws typically worsen during subsequent sintering.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the quality of die-compacted and then sintered titanium shapes in order to determine the source and evolution of defects and density gradients during processing. Following on from this evaluation, the student is required to create a list of recommendation for improving the green compact quality. These recommendations must be tested and a report of best-practise for die compaction of titanium powder must be compiled. Computer tomography (CT scanner) will be used as a tool to evaluate internal defects and density gradients in the green compacts.


DCB5

PROJECT TITLE: Machining performance of sintered titanium



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

Machining titanium is a challenging task as the strength of the material is high, while the thermal conductivity is low. This leads to high temperatures in the workpiece during machining. Initial studies have shown that machining sintered titanium is dependent on the materials residual porosity level. In this study, the student is required to use research from previous final year projects, pertaining to the relationship between the sintered strength, thermal conductivity and the materials porosity, to evaluate tool wear and workpiece surface integrity after machining of sintered titanium. This may require repeating or extending some of the strength and thermal conductivity experiments. The student will be required to design, program and execute CNC machining of sintered titanium samples for evaluation.


DCB6

PROJECT TITLE: FAST sintering of nanoparticles



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Field-activated sintering (FAST) is a technique for sintering nano- and submicron-sized powder

particles into almost fully dense materials with superlative material properties. FAST makes use of

a pulsed DC electric current (2400 A at 12 V, on for 3 ms, off for 9 ms) that supposedly creates a

unique electric field in the powder compact, that influences the sintering response. In comparison,

conventional sintering uses convection to heat the powder compact and there is no electric field

created in the sample. There is much debate in the academic arena as to whether there is any real

influence of the pulsed DC electric current or not. In collaboration with E&E engineering, an

adapted-FAST device has been designed and built that does not require the specialised power

supply to operate.

For this project, the student is required to use the adapted FAST device to sinter nanopowders. A

design of experiments approach must be followed to determine the effects of varying the electric

current pulse (intensity, pulse period and duration) on the sintered material. A graphics user

interface must be developed to control the current and voltage delivered to the device. The

powders are supplied by UKZNs Department of Chemistry and the FAST-sintered products will be

tested for their catalytic usefulness.


NAME OF LECTURER: Albert Groenwold

AG1

PROJECT TITLE: Hi-speed, large angle mirror scanner

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? (No)


STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

High speed optical scanning has many applications. They are for example used in image projectors and displays, printers, and components in various sensor applications. Recently, researchers at the CSIR have become interested in the development of a high speed (approximately 5kHz) large angle (10 degrees peak-to-peak) mirror scanner. A relatively simple, promising candidate design capable of meeting these specifications has been identified in the literature [1]. The mechanism significantly amplifies the vibratory response produced by a piezoelectric actuator to achieve the required rotations. The project will involve the conceptualization, manufacture and testing of the high speed mirror scanner.

(a) (b)

Figure 1. Illustration of (a) Possible scanner application and (b) Finite element modelling of device depicting the vibrator response. Both figures from [1].

References

[1] J.-H. Park, J. Adeko and H. Sato. High-speed metal-based optical microscanners using stainless-steel substrate and piezoelectric thick films prepared by aerosol deposition method. Sensors and Actuators A 135:86-91. 2007.


AG2

PROJECT TITLE: Wax-actuated switch



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: With the advent of smart grid technologies, more and more emphasis is being placed on the need to have better control over household electricity usage without the need for more human input. A very important aspect of this is the ability to interrupt the power supply to some dumb appliance.

Currently this can be done by charging a large capacitor, which unloads a pulse of power to an electromagnetic coil. The magnetic field then causes a mechanical switch to change state. However, this solution is expensive due to the required hardware, and also due to the cost of the supporting circuitry which needs to handle a high voltage and large current.

This aim of this project is to design an alternative switching solution, which makes use of the concept of wax actuation. This involves the melting of wax and using the resulting change in density to do work. The main requirement is that the switch has to be operated with a low power input, but it is acceptable if the switch takes several minutes to achieve full actuation.

The project will involve the conceptualization, manufacture and demonstration of a wax-actuated switch; dramatic improvement of an existing design is envisioned.


AG3

PROJECT TITLE: Composite materials testing



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The candidate will be involved in manufacturing and testing samples to specified standards to capture tensile, compression and shear data. The effect of resin content on the material properties will also be investigated.

The specifics of the tests are unfortunately not known at this stage, but this project will be done in conjunction with a number of companies involved in the aeronautical industry. Students may need to travel to Pretoria for short periods of time (but this will certainly not interfere with normal classes).


AG4

PROJECT TITLE: Fracture mechanics testing



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The candidate will be involved in manufacturing and testing samples to specified standards to capture fracture mechanics characteristics using standard fracture mechanics specimens. The effects of welding on fracture toughness are to be determined, and experimental results are to be compared with numerical and analytical results. Interested readers are referred to

http://www.twi.co.uk/content/kscsw011.html

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Strength of Materials 3

AG5

PROJECT TITLE: A study of the interaction between interlaminar failure of composite

panels with identical adjacent ply arrangements



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Panels constructed from composite materials loaded under uni- or bi-axial loads

normally fail in buckling. An alternative failure mechanism is interlaminar failure. However, even

though the classical failure of composite materials is fairly well understood, interlaminate failure

is not as well understood, and designers often make use of heuristics to design composite panels

w.r.t interlaminate failure. One of these heuristics is that the number of adjacent layers with

identical ply arrangements should be restricted. In this study, the characterization of these number

of layers is to be studied using analytical and experimental techniques.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Strength of Materials 3

AG6

PROJECT TITLE: The implementation of cellular automata on field programmable gate

arrays (FPGAs) Mechatronic



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: A cellular automaton is a collection of "colored" cells on a grid of specified shape

that evolves through a number of discrete time steps according to a set of rules based on the

states of neighboring cells. The rules are then applied iteratively for as many time steps as

desired. von Neumann was one of the first people to consider such a model, and incorporated a

cellular model into his "universal constructor." Cellular automata were studied in the early 1950s

as a possible model for biological systems (Wolfram, S. A New Kind of Science. Champaign, IL:

Wolfram Media, 2002, p. 48). Comprehensive studies of cellular automata have been performed

by S. Wolfram starting in the 1980s, and Wolfram's fundamental research in the field culminated in

the publication of his book A New Kind of Science in which Wolfram presents a gigantic collection

of results concerning automata, among which are a number of ground breaking new discoveries.

See http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CellularAutomaton.html

In this study, the students will have to develop and implement cellular automata for specific tasks

on firstly, a serial computational device, and secondly, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

The physical phenomena to be modelled is not prescribed, but should be interesting to engineers.

Examples are to model the topological design of structures and mechanisms or manipulators. The

physical phenomena to be modelled should be agreed upon with me before February 28, 2009.

Interested students should be reasonably comfortable with using a computer.


AFDELING: Ontwerp en Megatronika DIVISION: Design and Mechatronics

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Corn Coetzee

CC1

PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a corrugator for paper boards


DIRECTION: Mechanical (yes / no) Yes Mechatronic (yes / no) No

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

Packaging enhances and protects the goods we buy through its distribution, from processing, manufacturing, handling and storage to the final and ultimate user of the goods. Packaging has many other important functions, such as protecting the product from damage or contamination, keeping the products together so it does not spill, identifying and advertising the products, protection during transport and ease of transport, and facilitating stacking and storing of the products.

Two parts are involved in the manufacturing process of corrugated boards. During the first part, the fluting is corrugated between two rolls. In the second part the liners are glued to the outside of the fluting. In this project, we will only focus on the design of the corrugator, i.e., the first part of the manufacturing process.

Nampak R&D requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory scale corrugator in order to fabricate corrugated board samples for material development and evaluation. The corrugator must be designed to take A4 sized sheets of paper to produce different types of fluting (sinusoidal wave forms).

Possible opportunities to continue with this work on post- graduate level.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): None.

CC2

PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a single-facer/double-backer for paper boards



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:


Two parts are involved in the manufacturing process of corrugated boards. During the first part, the fluting is corrugated between two rolls. In the second part the liners are glued to the outside of the fluting. In this project, we will only focus on the design of the single-facer/double-backer, i.e., the second part of the manufacturing process.

Nampak R&D requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory scale single-facer/double-backer in order to fabricate corrugated board samples for material development and evaluation. The single-facer/double-backer must be designed to take A4 sized sheets and already corrugated fluting. A liner must then be glued to the one side of the flute to form a single-face board or on both sides to form a double-backer board.

Possible opportunities to continue with this work on post-graduate level.


CC3

PROJECT TITLE: The design and testing of a corrugated tray torsion and base sag tester



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:


The structural performance of corrugated paper boards and boxes can be measured using tensile tests, edge compression tests and box compression tests. Nampak R&D is however looking for new methods to measure the board and box structural performance. Proposed new methods include the Corrugated Tray Torsion Test and the Base Sag Test. Nampak requires the design and commissioning of a laboratory Corrugated Tray Torsion and Base Sag Tester. The best method for Tray Torsion and Base Sag testing needs to be established and implemented. The results from these tests then need to be correlated to other standard mechanical properties of the corrugated board and box. The Finite Element Method will be used to model the corrugated paper board and box and the results compared to measurements.

Possible opportunities to continue with this work on post-graduate level.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method (FEM)

Box compression test

Edge compression test

Tray torsion test

CC4

PROJECT TITLE: The rolling resistance of bicycle wheels



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

Rolling resistance is the energy that is lost when the tyre is rolling and the main reason for loss of energy is the constant deformation of the tyre. Tyre pressure, tyre diameter, tyre construction, tyre tread and other factors all have an effect on rolling resistance. The higher the tyre pressure, the less is tyre deformation and thus the rolling resistance.

Small diameter tyres have a higher rolling resistance at the same tyre pressure, because tyre deformation is proportionally more important, in other words the tyre is "less round". Wider tyres roll better than narrow ones if the inflation pressures are the same. Generally, smooth treads roll better than coarse treads. Tall lugs and wide gaps usually have a detrimental effect on rolling resistance.

A test bench should be designed and used to measure the rolling resistance of different tyres: 26 versus 29, different tyre widths, pressures and loads. This test bench would be used for higher speeds. An existing test bench used for measuring the rolling resistance of 4x4 tyres should be adapted to measure the slow speed resistance of mountain bike tyres over sandy, rocky and uneven terrains.


CC5

PROJECT TITLE: The dynamic angle of repose



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a numerical method used for the modelling of granular materials such as loose rock, grains and soil. DEM is used to model agricultural processes such as fertiliser spreading, plough-soil interaction, and in the mining industry to model bulk materials handling such as conveyor belts and transfer chutes.

It is important to specify the correct material properties otherwise the DEM model can not be accurate. The static angle of repose is often used to determine the material friction. However, for dynamic modelling, the dynamic angle of repose is a better measure of the frictional properties. The dynamic angle of repose is measured in a rotating drum as shown below.

In this project, an existing rotating drum setup should be modified so that particles up to 40 mm in size can be tested. Safety measures should also be added such as an emergency stop and barriers and the drum should only be accessible when stationary. The effect of drum diameter, width, fins, rotational speed and the drum friction coefficient on the results should be quantified. Different materials should be tested, and the static angle of repose compared to the dynamic angle of repose.

A DEM simulation of the experiments (rotating drum and slump-test) should also be conducted and the results compared to the experimental results. A sensitivity study should also be conducted to determine how sensitive the angle of repose is to a change in the material properties, specifically the inter-particle friction and the particle shape.


Rotating drum

CC6

PROJECT TITLE: Off road radiator damage



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Driving off-road often requires negotiating deep water crossings. Water can be sucked in by the engine, resulting in serious mechanical damage, but another danger is damaging the radiator. When the radiator fan is submerged or partially submerged under water, the fan blades tend to flex towards the radiator. The fan blades can damage the radiator fins and tubes resulting in a leak.

A test facility should be designed to measure the fan blade deformation under water. Various setups should be considered, such as electrically driven fans versus mechanically driven fans with viscous couplings, what effect the water has on the behaviour of the viscous coupling, plastic fans versus steel fans, submerged depth, etc. A simple and effective method of preventing radiator damage should be proposed and tested. In the second part of the project, a Finite Element Model (FEM) of a fan should be constructed and analysed. The fan blade deflection should be compared to experimental measurements.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method (FEM)

CC7

PROJEK TITEL: Ontwikkeling en toets van n EEM-DEM intervlak

KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja / nee) Nee

RIGTING: Meganies (ja / nee) ja Megatronies (ja / nee) nee

STUDENT:

BESKRYWING: Die Eindige Element Metode (EEM) en die Diskreet Element Metode (DEM) is twee verskillende numeriese metodes. DEM is n metode vir die modellering van diskrete stelsels soos partikelvloei. Hierdie metode modelleer elke individuele partikel as n sfeer en kan gebruik word om partikelvloei te voorspel. EEM is n metode vir die modellering van kontinuum probleme soos staal strukture.

Soms is dit egter handig om van beide metodes gebruik te maak. Neem as voorbeeld die lem van n stootskraper. DEM kan gebruik word om die vloei van grond voor die lem te modelleer. Sterkte analises van die lem self, moet egter met EEM gedoen word.

Die resultaat vanaf die DEM pakket is tipies die posisie, snelheid en versnelling van elke individuele partikel. Die kontak punt en kontak kragte tussen alle partikels en die lem kan ook verkry word. Die resultaat vanaf n tipiese EEM model is spannings en vervormings in die struktuur self wat dan gebruik kan word om te bepaal of die struktuur sal faal onder die belasting of nie.

Vir die EEM model, is dit egter nodig om die kragte wat die partikels (grond) op die lem uitoefen as intree waardes te verskaf. Vir die doel van hierdie projek moet daar n rekenaar kode (program) ontwikkel word wat die resultate van die DEM model kan verwerk in so n mate dat dit deur n spesifieke EEM model ingelees kan word. n Klein eksperimentele opstelling moet ontwerp en gebruik word as verifikasie.

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies): Eindige Element Metode

DEM model met partikels

EEM model van impak oppervlak

NAAM VAN DOSENT: Danie Els

DNJE1

PROJECT TITLE: Design of downwind wind generator system


DIRECTION: Mechanical

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: In small scale wind turbines downwind turbine rotors (i.e. with the rotor blades on the lee side of the tower) are often used. Also direct drive wind generators, i.e. without the use of gearboxes, are used. These direct drive generators are relatively large in diameter.

Direct drive wind generator Recently a new concept of wind generator is proposed that consists of two generator components, the one generator (IG) connected to the turbine and running at slip speed and the other generator (SG) connected to the power grid and running at synchronous speed. In this project the mechanical structure and bearing systems of the turbine-rotor and the two generator components (IG and SG) running on a common drive shaft must be designed. On the one side of the drive shaft (i.e. on the downwind side of the tower) the turbine runs on a hub bearing system that is mounted on the drive shaft. Also mounted on this side of the drive shaft is the IG. On the other side of the drive shaft (i.e. on the upwind side of the tower) the SG is mounted. The mechanical strength analysis and design of the bearing systems must be done taking into account all loads including the thrust-load of the turbine rotor. Also balanced mass-load for the top tower to avoid gyroscopic loads must be considered in the design. The project has the aim to build a prototype system.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM.

DNJE2

PROJECT TITLE: Fan blade tip displacement



STUDENT:

Stellenbosch University fan test facility

DESCRIPTION:

The tips of working (rotating) large fans are displaced by the aerodynamic lift and drag forces. Unsteady inlet flow conditions can cause the blade to vibrate. The standard method of measuring the displacements and vibrations is to place strain gauges at the root of the blade and the correlating the strain gauge output with static tip displacement. There is a large uncertainty between calibration the and dynamic displacements, because of effects such as centrifugal stiffening and more complex blade deformations

The objective of this project is to measure the true tip displacements of fan blades under operational conditions by optical or any other methods and correlate it with the strain gauge measurements. A dynamic Finite Element Model (FEM) or Discrete Element Model (DEM) must be constructed to correlate the experimental values with the theoretical values.


DNJE3

PROJECT TITLE: Swing-arm slump tester for granular material



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The slope (angle of repose) of a heap of granular material is an important parameter used in the characterisation of a granular material. The packing, speed of release, and various other parameters play a major role in the shape of the heap. To minimize the number of variables that influence the flow during the forming of a heap, a swing-arm slump tester is used to find the angle of repose in a consistent and repeatable way. The objectives of this project are:

1. Design and build a swing-arm slump tester for large particles.

2. Develop a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model for the swing-arm tester. Here the student must do self-study and research into granular flow theory and DEM methodology.

3. Conduct physical tests on a range of granular materials and replicate with the DEM model to calibrate the micro mechanical parameters for DEM simulations.


DNJE4

PROJECT TITLE: Extended Octagonal Ring Transduced

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? ( no)


STUDENT:

Example of an extended octognal ring transducer

Agricultural application

DESCRIPTION: Extended octagonal ring transducers are popular devices for force and moment measurements in agricultural engineering research due to its capability to measure the X and Y forces as well as the resultant moment independently. It consists of a machined steel or aluminium block. Strain gauges are mounted at strain nodes, i.e. at points where there are no contribution from other force components. The accurate location of the strain nodes and subsequent positioning of the strain gauges is critical in producing a transducer with low cross sensitivities between the force components. The objective of this project is to design, optimize and manufacture such an extended octogonal ring trancducer. It must be calibrated and tested under various conditions. The sucsessfull outcome of this project depends on the demonstration of accuracy and low cross sensitivity.

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): FEM.

DNJE5

PROJECT TITLE: Shell Eco-marathon I: CVT



STUDENT:

Shell Eco-marathon NuVinci CVT

BACKGROUND:

Shell Eco-marathon challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. The winners are the teams that go the furthest using the least amount of energy.

http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/ecomarathon.html

Stellenbosch University aims to participate in the future in the class for electric vehicles. The SU team will consist of students from M&M and from E&E.

In order to send the team to the international event additional sponsors must be obtained.

DESCRIPTION M&M PROJECT I: CVT

The student is responsible for the design of a continuous variable transmission (CVT) for the propulsion system of the car. The objective of the project is to mechanically optimize the performance of the electric motor and battery system over the full race taking into account track and driving conditions.

This will require from the student to construct a detailed simulation to obtain the best driving strategy and base the design on that strategy.

IMPORTANT:

This is a team project which will require the students to manage their time very well. They must meet on a regular basis to coordinate all the work. If one member underperforms everyone else suffers.


DNJE6

PROJECT TITLE: Automatic Dart Gun Sighting System


DIRECTION: Mechatronic

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION:

Dart guns shoot darts filled with drugs that temporarily sedates an animal so that it may be captured safely or to deliver medication such as antibiotics. It is important to note that the kinetic impact energy of the dart must be limited, depending on the type of animal, to prevent injuries or death. The accuracy of the system is also very important to prevent injury.

The objective of the project is to develop an automatic sighting system that will:

1. Calculate maximum allowable impact velocity depending on the type of animal and mass of dart

2. Measure range to target with supplied laser range finder. 3. Get local GPS coordinates and calculate local gravitation acceleration 4. Get environmental parameters such as air density and wind velocity. 5. Calculate muzzle velocity and elevation depending on the range, dart mass, impact

velocity, etc. 6. Calculate and control gas pressure to obtain required muzzle velocity 7. Set sight to correct elevation 8. Repeat 5-8 for a moving target until dart is fired.


DNJE7

PROJECT TITLE: Firearm test mount



STUDENT:

Firearm test mount

DESCRIPTION:

The effective testing of firearms requires a mounting that emulates the human shoulder during firing.

The objective of this project is to design and build the non-linear mass-spring-damper system for the mounting. It must apply a recoil reaction force during firing that is as close as possible to the force a human shoulder would exert on the firearm under similar conditions.

This project will require from the student to do self-study into advanced dynamics, advanced numerical methods, human anatomy and ergonomics.


NAAM VAN DOSENT: Dawie van den Heever DVDH1

PROJEKTITEL: Proprioception in Sport

KAN PROJEK IN EERSTE SEMESTER AFGEHANDEL WORD? Nee

RIGTING: Megatronies

STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Proprioception refers to the bodys ability to sense movement within joints and joint position. This ability enables us to know where our limbs are in space without having to look. It is obvious that this ability plays a crucial role in sports. But how does this ability extend to a sense of position of a cricket bat or tennis racket for professional athlete? An active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA) is a device that is used to measure a persons proprioceptive ability of different body parts.

The aim of this project is to design and build an AMEDA to measure the proprioceptive ability of athletes and especially their sense of where the sweet spot is in their bat or racket (or whichever weapon the sport dictates).

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies):

DVDH2

PROJEKTITEL: Parkinsons rails



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING: Parkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement related; these include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.

Physical therapists are constantly exploring new methods to help people with this disease with their movement-related problems. A big focus is on helping them walk without stumbling or falling. But in order to assess the success of the methods employed, the physical therapist needs to track the patients progress.

The aim of this project is to design and build a set of rails that can be used to track the progress of Parkinsons patients. The idea is that the patients will walk with the rail(s) on their side(s) and use the rails for support every time they feel they are going to stumble. The rails must record the forces it experience each time the patient uses it for support and must also notify the therapist if a certain threshold is exceeded. This will aid the therapist in tracking the progress by tracking the intensity en frequency the patient uses the rails for support.


DVDH3

PROJEKTITEL: The neural correlates of blushing



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Blushing is a physiological response to emotional stimuli, caused by the vasodilation of cutaneous blood vessels. This response is typically associated with the social, self-conscious emotion of embarrassment and is often a primary complaint of patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. The Cape Universities Brain Imaging Centre (CUBIC) is in the process of conducting a study exploring the neural correlates of blushing using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. However, they need an objective method of assessing whether or not the protocol elicited blushing in the patient or not (they dont want to rely only on the patients word). And they would further like to know the exact moment blushing occurred.

Thus, the aim of this project is to design, build and test an MRI compatible device for measuring the onset of blushing.


DVDH4

PROJEKTITEL: Portable ECG monitoring

KAN PROJEK IN EERSTE SEMESTER AFGEHANDEL WORD? (Nee)


STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is the recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Traditionally this is in the form of a transthoracic interpretation of the electical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the surface of the skin and recorded or displayed by a device external to the body. However, ECG recording devices are normally restricted to labs or hospitals and this limits the environment and duration of traditional ECG recordings.

There is a need for a portable, wireless ECG monitoring device, that can monitor a persons heart activity during his/her normal day without providing too much discomfort. The aim of this project will therefore be to design, build and test such a device.


DVDH5

PROJEKTITEL: Robot Wars I



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Design and build a robot to fight another robot at the end of the year. The robots must comply to the RULES AND REGULATIONS ROBOT WARS 2014 documentation that can be found at http://ieeesbmalta.org . The robot will fall under the official hobbyweight robot class. There will also be a further cost restriction not mentioned in the rules and regulations document.


DVDH6

PROJEKTITEL: Robot Wars II



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Design and build a robot to fight another robot at the end of the year. The robots must comply to the RULES AND REGULATIONS ROBOT WARS 2014 documentation that can be found at http://ieeesbmalta.org . The robot will fall under the official hobbyweight robot class. There will also be a further cost restriction not mentioned in the rules and regulations document.


DVDH7

PROJEKTITEL: Sideline concussion test



STUDENT: Josh Fischer 17000548

BESKRYWING:

A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury and alters the way the brain functions. Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport, such as rugby or boxing. In South Africa, rugby has the highest incidence of concussion amongst collision team sports. 10 to 15% of high school rugby players will suffer a concussion in any season. Up to 50% of high school rugby players would have suffered a concussion in their high school playing careers. A high index of suspicion of potential head injury is required when assessing any athlete who has sustained a collision or has multiple injuries. A concussion causes a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, which may not be recognized if subtle.

The aim of this project is to develop an automatic screening device to do a quick sideline test for a concussion. Published medical studies have determined that deficiencies in saccadic eye movements can be an indicator of concussion. This phenomenon can be used to develop a device capable of diagnosing any apparent deficiency in saccadic eye movement and warn a player of possible concussion.


NAME OF LECTURER: Cobus Muller

JHM1

PROJEK TITEL: Kunsmatige elektroniese geaktueerde hand toestel

KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? Nee


STUDENT: J Janse van Vuuren (16988477)

BESKRYWING:

Die omvang van die projek behels dat n toestel ontwerp word wat die basiese funksies van n menslike hand sal kan vervul. Hierdie funksies sluit in vashou, optel en verskuif. Die toestel moet in die drie modes gebruik kan word met verskillende grade van druk wat toegepas word deur die vashou meganisme. Verskillende tipes materiaal moet dus hanteer kan word sonder dat dit beskadig word. Die beweging moet beheer word deur `n gemete sein verkry van een of ander menslike respons, bv. EMG of hand bewegings. Suksesvolle uitvoering van die projek behels `n prototipe wat die werking van die toestel demonstreer deur byvoorbeeld `n appel op te tel en te verskuif sonder dat dit beskadig word.

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies): Geen.

JHM2

PROJECT TITLE: Wheelchair gait simulator

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? No

DIRECTION: Mechanical or Mechatronic

STUDENT: A Basson (17049164)

BESKRYWING: The project proposal is to design a wheelchair that has an added function to simulate gait in order to help prevent paraplegics from getting associated infections. Specific outcomes of the project include the following:

A completed prototype of the proposed design

Successful testing on the prototype with abled and disabled individuals

Simulation results of the mechanical design and possibly of the blood flow within a

human body

The final year project outcomes involves, designing a wheelchair with the required

additional built in function, building a prototype of the design, and testing how accurately

the design simulates the movement of walking. The feasibility of the design will be tested

by means of motion sensors available at the Biomedical Engineering Research

department (BERG) of Stellenbosch University, as well as the Material Science and

Manufacturing Department of the CSIR. Using the motion sensors and associated

equipment, the motion associated with normal gait will be captured and compared to the

simulated gait motion that the prototype delivers. The error between the actual and the

simulated gait motions will then determine the feasibility of the design. The final year

project will focus on the mechanical and technical knowledge required to design a feasible

wheelchair. Successful completion will entail a functioning prototype that simulates gait

motion of the hip and knee joints.


JHM3

PROJECT TITLE: Passive gait simulator



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Tad McGeer illustrated the concept of a

human-like frame that walks down an

incline in a passive manner1. The system is

thus energy efficient in that it doesnt need

to draw any energy from a source in order

to control its motion. In this project, the

candidate will design and build a passive

dynamic walker that simulates the principles

of normal gait. This project will be

challenging in the sense that complimentary

knowledge of human gait will be needed

and implemented into the mechanical

system. The candidate will first derive a

mathematical model that will be used to

guide the design choices. A prototype will

then be build and the passive gait will be

simulated.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_d

ynamics

http://ruina.tam.cornell.edu/hplab/pdw.html


JHM4

PROJECT TITLE: Fibre-optic motion capturing system



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

This is an ongoing effort to design and

develop a motion capturing system that

relies on fibre optic technology. A

methodology to measure simple finger

movements has been developed and the

next step will be the refinement of this

method and expansion to other joints in the

body. As a first step, the movement of the

whole hand will need to be captured

followed by the lower arm and in the end

the shoulder. The candidate will be

responsible for the

1. hardware design

2. Data acquisition

3. Data processing and biomechanical

modelling

4. And real-time presentation

The accuracy of the system will need to be

benchmarked to proof the viability of the

system. Complimentary sensors and

measurement techniques will in all

probability need to be included to improve

on the accuracy. The candidate will be

responsible to interface different

measurement systems.

http://www.metamotion.com/hardware/motio

n-capture-hardware-gloves-Datagloves.htm


JHM5

PROJECT TITLE: Run cycle



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

Traffic congestion is a major problem in

Stellenbosch. Add cyclists who do not have

designated paths, and you have a recipe for

disaster. Skateboards have become a

viable means of transportation to get quickly

from A to B, but it requires a special set of

skills. Pedestrians may still exercise the

safest means of transport at the expense of

longer travelling times. A run-cycle may

offer an attractive alternative in that it may

speed up traveling, while being simpler to

operate and safe for use on sidewalks. The

candidate will need to design and built a

prototype of a run-cycle with safety features

required for safe transportation in

Stellenbosch. The design must be light and

must be compact enough to be stored in

class.

http://www.likecool.com/brand-Gear-Bike-

17.html


JHM6

PROJECT TITLE: No hands chess



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

A chess robot must be designed that can

pick and place chess pieces on a standard

chess board based on a command from an

operator or virtual player. The hardware

must form part of a software interface that

either allows person vs. person, or person

vs. computer. The candidate will therefore

need to design the pick and place system,

as well as the computer interface and a

simple artificial intelligence chess algorithm

(available code can be used and adjusted).


JHM7

PROJECT TITLE: Ping pong shooter



STUDENT:

BESKRYWING:

A mechanism able to shoot a ping-pong ball

at a moving target must be designed and

build. The device must be fully automated

in that after receiving the command, it

should acquire the target, measure the

distance and speed at which the target is

traveling and then shoot it. The aim-

algorithm must be demonstrated in a

software simulation before the prototype is

built. The candidate will also need to build

the target and design a motion path on

which it can move, i.e. back-forth, left-right,

and up-down. The shooter must first strike a

stationary target, before implementing more

degrees of freedom. The gun may only fire

single shots and must be reloaded

manually.

http://blog.uberpong.com/terrifying-ping-

pong-gun/


NAME OF LECTURER: Dr Thorsten Becker

TBEC1

PROJECT TITLE: Auger shot peening analysis.



STUDENT: WJ Kuhn 17171830

DESCRIPTION: Auger is used worldwide as an efficient way to feed livestock. It is important that Auger is manufactured correctly with sufficient mechanical properties to meet the demanding environmental conditions. Equipment downtime can have significant cost implications for livestock companies. Technical Systems, a company that manufactures Auger, shot peens their product after it has been formed from a flat wire into the required coil shape. Technical Systems wishes to know whether the mechanical properties of the auger will be improved if the flat wire was first shot peened before being formed into a coil. This project will require:

1. Designing and conducting physical experiments. 2. Analysing the different mechanical properties of the Auger through the use of

devices such as strain gauges and Neutron Diffraction instruments to analyse principle stress components i.e. axial, radial and hoop components.

3. Processing this data to determine which process produces the best viable auger.


Final auger geometry

Auger used is the in livestock industry to transport chicken feed Flat wire used to manufacture auger

TBEC2

PROJECT TITLE: Fatigue and crack growth investigation of 3D printed Titanium alloys.



STUDENT: L Bornschlegell 15528421

DESCRIPTION: The next generation of manufacturing methodologies is 3D printing, also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). These techniques are capable of producing parts to high precision and build complexity while producing little material waste. The technique has shown great potential in the biomedical industry and in the aerospace industry. This project is focused on Material Science and forms part of a research drive that aims to evaluate the material performance of the SLM produced Titanium alloys. This project will focus on fatigue and fracture toughness analyses. This project will require:

1. Designing and conducting physical experiments. 2. Measure crack growth behaviour of SLM produced parts. 3. Measure fracture toughness of SLM produced parts. 4. Comparison of obtained data to conventional wrought titanium alloys.


TBEC3

PROJECT TITLE: Microstructural investigation of 3D printed Titanium alloys.



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The next generation of manufacturing methodologies is 3D printing, also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). These techniques are capable of producing parts to high precision and build complexity while producing little material waste. The technique has shown great potential in the biomedical industry and in the aerospace industry. This project is focused on Material Science and forms part of a research drive that aims to evaluate the material performance of the SLM produced Titanium alloys. Previous work has shown that the material behaviour is directly related to its microstructure (see figure), which can be tailored by specific heat-treatments.

This project will require: 1. Designing and conducting physical experiments. 2. Investigate various heat-treatments and the resultant microstructure. 3. Measuring tensile properties of SLM produced parts. 4. Recommendations will be made for the application of SLM produced parts for

industrial applications.


TBEC4

PROJECT TITLE: Measuring material properties using digital image correlation.


DIRECTION: Mechanical (yes) Mechatronic (yes)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The fast rising demand of electrical energy in South Africa has forced Eskom to vastly exceed the designed lifetime of existing power plants. Exceeding this design lifetime can have detrimental effects on the plants reliability. In its most basic form, plant reliability is critically dependent on the material condition and integrity that make up the structures, machines and systems within the plant. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) offers an attractive, alternative way to characterise the material condition. DIC essentially tracks pixels in digital images to provide a displacement measurement of the surface. This project focuses on Strength of Materials and aims to use DIC to measure degradation mechanisms. This project will require:

1. Designing and conducting physical experiments. 2. Use the Virtual Field Method (VFM) to extract mechanical properties. 3. Comparison of obtained data to conventional property measurement methods.

Required skills: Matlab

Elective module required (only for Mechanical): Finite Element Method.

TBEC5

PROJECT TITLE: Arcan fatigue and fracture testing.



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: The fast rising demand of electrical energy in South Africa has forced Eskom to vastly exceed the designed lifetime of existing power plants. Exceeding this design lifetime can have detrimental effects on the plants reliability. In its most basic form, plant reliability is critically dependent on the material condition and integrity that make up the structures, machines and systems within the plant. One of the key failures is mixed mode fracture, whereby failure occurs due to tearing and shearing. The modified Arcan fixture allows for tests to be conducted of such failures, enabling the generation of precise mixed failures modes. In particular, this allows the detailed experimental study of the laws of crack propagation. This project is focused on Material Science and aims to conduct mixed mode failure tests. Part of this process is in the critical analysis of the existing Arcan design, and various other proposed designs, to minimise experimental scatter. This project will require:

1. Modify the existing Arcan fixture. 2. Conduct physical experiments to determine mixed mode fracture properties.


TBEC6

PROJECT TITLE: Design, construction and commission of fatigue crack length measurement system.


DIRECTION: Mechanical (No) Mechatronic (Yes)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Optical techniques are often used to observe and measure specimens during mechanical testing. This can help understand the degradation mechanisms that are related to fatigue cracking including crack nucleation, growth and coalescence. One of the particular requirements is the ability to accurately measure crack lengths during fatigue crack growth rate investigations. This project focuses on Design and aims to design and commission a system that will allow for accurate crack length measurements. The system should be digital and allow for crack measurements to 0.05mm.

This project will require: 1. Designing and build a crack length measuring system. 2. Commission this system by performing physical experiments.



TBEC7

PROJECT TITLE: Design of in-situ Double Torsion rig.


DIRECTION: Mechanical (No) Mechatronic (Yes)

STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) is the next generation in measurement techniques that allow for full volume, 3D measurements. The technique uses volume images acquired from X-ray Computed Tomography systems (like the ones used to scan your brain), correlates the volume image data between two scans to calculate displacements. This project focuses on Design and aims to design a Double Torsion test rig that can be placed inside the Micro X-ray Computed Tomography system (currently available in the Forestry department) that will allow for volume images to be taken during. The rig should allow for a range of specimen sizes and be able to measure load and load point displacement data.

This project will require: 1. Design and build a miniature in situ Double Torsion rig. 2. Commission this system by performing physical experiments.


TBEC8

PROJECT TITLE: Design and implementation of a DIY digital image correlation system.



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Digital Image Correlation (DIC) allows for the full field surface measurements to be obtained throughout the deformation of a material. The basis of DIC is the matching of one point from a digital image of an objects surface before loading to a point on the objects surface taken at after loading. Commercial DIC systems exist that allow for the computation of such full field displacement fields. These however are very expensive and a two-dimensional DIY DIC system may be built at a much lower cost.

This project focuses on Design and aims to design and commission a DIC system. A Matlab based DIC algorithm is available. The system should be able to acquire images to compute the displacement data, capture load and displacement data, and provide the required test conditions, i.e. lighting.

This project will require: 1. Design and build a DIY 2D Digital Image Correlation system. 2. Commission this system by performing physical experiments.



NAAM VAN DOSENT: Willie Smit WS1

PROJECT TITLE: Gimbal control by means of Google Glass



STUDENT: Josua Blom - 17098017

DESCRIPTION: A camera mounted on a gimbal has to track the head movement of a user with a head mounted display. The camera has to stream live video to the users head up display (HUD). The HUD and integrated sensors for the head mounted display will be in the form of Google Glass.

The camera and gimbal combination will use the same sensors to track the users head position as reference. If the users head moves to the right a certain number of degrees, the gimbal has to move the camera to track the same path as the users head and end up in the same position as the users head. This may include one or two axis movement.

The gimbal, camera and the necessary hardware and control boards (such as Arduino boards) will be bought out. A presentable and functional hardware and software package needs to be put together that adhere to the above requirements.

Practical applications of such a system include use on drones for search and rescue operations, security monitoring applications etc.


WS2

PROJECT TITLE: Determining North by means of a digital camera



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Heliostats reflect solar rays onto a central tower in a concentrated solar power plant. The cost of a heliostat field is at least 25% of the total power plant cost.

Heliostats are currently controlled in an open loop fashion. The heliostat has to be accurately manufactured in order to achieve the desired accuracy required by open loop control, which makes it costly.

This project is part of a research effort by STERG to make heliostats cheaper. The idea is to fit heliostats with more sensors so that they can still be controlled accurately even though they are manufactured less accurately.

This project has to determine how accurately North can be estimated by a heliostat that is fitted with an optical camera. The position of the sun will be measured by an optical camera. The measured position of the sun will be compared with its known position. North can then be determined based on this comparison. A prototype system has to be designed, implemented and tested.


WS3

PROJECT TITLE: Determining the elevation angle of a heliostat by means of a camera



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Heliostats reflect solar rays onto a central tower in a concentrated solar power plant. The cost of a heliostat field is at least 25% of the total power plant cost.

Heliostats are currently controlled in an open loop fashion. The heliostat has to be accurately manufactured in order to achieve the desired accuracy required by open loop control, which makes it costly.

This project is part of a research effort by STERG to make heliostats cheaper. The idea is to fit heliostats with more sensors so that they can still be controlled accurately even though they are manufactured less accurately.

This project has to determine how accurately the elevation angle of a heliostat can be estimated by means of an optical camera fitted to the heliostat. The position of a beacon relative to the heliostat is accurately known. Image processing algorithms should find the coordinates of a beacon in the image. The coordinates should be used to determine the elevation angle of the camera and hence the heliostat. An inclinometer will be used to provide ground truth.


WS4

PROJECT TITLE: Quadcopter with steering fins



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: There is a need in STERG to have quadcopters that can hold their positions while flying accurately. One issue with a quadcopter is that it has to pitch or roll in order to move horizontally.

A quadcopter should be able to hold position more accurately if it is fitted with controllable fins below the motors. Changing the orientation of the fins will create a horizontal force to move the quadcopter.

The aim of this project is to fit an existing quadcopter with controllable fins. The existing flight controller should be programmed to use the fins for controlling the position of a quadcopter.


WS5

PROJECT TITLE: An obstacle avoidance sensor for the Arduino platform



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Design, implement and demonstrate an obstacle avoidance sensor for the Arduino platform. The sensor should use an optical flow field to detect obstacles. It should be fitted to an Arduino Robot to demonstrate its functionality. The robot should be able to move around in an office block without bumping into obstacles.

Only students with good programming skills and that have used Arduino products before should consider this project.


WS6

PROJECT TITLE: Optical flow sensor for a quadcopter



STUDENT:

DESCRIPTION: Quadcopters are typically fitted with a GPS module, a 3-axis acceleratomer, a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis magnetometer. These sensors allow the quadcopter to estimate its pose fairly accurately.

The aim of this project is to design an optical flow sensor for the quadcopter. The sensor will point downwards so that it is able to measure horizontal and vertical speeds of the quadcopter, as well as the pitch, tilt and yaw rates. These measurements will complement the other measurements to provide a more accurate estimate of the quadcopters pose.

The sensor has to be implemented on the Arduino platform. Only students with good programming skills, an above average mark for mathematics and that have used Arduino products before should consider this project.


WS7

PROJEK TITEL: n Automatiese Beheerstelsel vir die Algemene Swembad

KAN DIE PROJEK IN DIE EERSTE SEMESTER VOLTOOI WORD? (ja)

RIGTING: Meganies (nee) Megatronies (ja)

STUDENT: RJ van Wyk 14312212

BESKRYWING:

'n Stelsel moet ontwerp word wat automaties die eienskappe van 'n swembad monitor en aanpas. Dit sluit in die pH, temperatuur, water vlak, ensovoorts. Die sensore moet aan 'n node gekoppel word wat deel vorm van 'n Arduino + XigBee stelsel om die data te ontvang. Die data sal dan na 'n Rasberry Pie gestuur word om verwerk te word asook om verskeie verslae te genereer wat na gekyk kan word deur die verbruiker.

Insluitend sal daar 'n stelsel ontwerp moet word wat die nodige middels kan byvoeg tot die sisteem soos dit benodig word. Bv. as die pH nie reg is, as die water te laag is, as die temperatuur te laag is, moet die sisteem automaties kan aanpas.

Keusevak wat vereis word (slegs van toepassing op Meganies): Geen.

NAME OF LECTURER: Prof C Scheffer CS1

PROJECT TITLE: Development of a measurement system to estimate the gestational age of a Neonate.

CAN PROJECT BE COMPLETED IN THE 1st SEMESTER? Yes

DIRECTION: Mechanical - no Mechatronic - yes

STUDENT:

Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015 Doc

Documents

Transcript of Gekombineerde Lys Rondte 1 2015 Doc