Makoena Raymond (Tshepo) Botete

Degree completed: MEng Research (Mechanical)

“Prediction of fibre waviness formation on composite panels with ply drop-off during autoclave curing process”

To manufacture stiffened composite panels, the stiffener is glued to the flat panel and cured in the autoclave. If the thermal expansion is not matched, the panel will deform once it is taken out of the autoclave and is allowed to cool down. Therefore, the project focus on coming up with a method to design the panel for thermal expansion to match the stiffener while ensuring the combination is as stiff and as light as possible.

Currently: Junior lecturer and PhD student at Stellenbosch University doing research on laser-based additive manufacturing of Titanium Alloys.

Previous studies: Matriculated from Makgofe High School in 2009 and immediately enrolled for BSc Physical and Mineral Science at University of Limpopo. Two years later switched to BEng (Mechanical) at Stellenbosch University to follow his passion, completed in 2016.

Originally from: Moletjie village, Limpopo, South Africa.

Email: 16557891@sun.ac.za

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Mareli Malan

Degree completed:  MEng Research (Mechanical), April 2019

“Particle swarm optimisation: An algorithm using support vector classification based constraint approximations”

Create an altered version of the particle swarm optimization algorithm for solving non-trivial, nonlinear, constrained engineering optimisation problems that works better with equality constraint(s) or for problems with an optimum on the boundary of the feasible space than current methods, by using support vector classification to approximate the feasibility boundary.

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical), Stellenbosch University, 2015.

Background: Matriculated from Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof.

Originally from: Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.

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Marga C. Viljoen

Degree completed:  MScEng (Mechanical), April 2019

“An Experimentally Validated Material Model for the Biological Materials Used in Replacement Heart Valves”

Heart valve disease is a problem that affects many people across the globe. There are two commonly used types of replacement heart valves: mechanical valves and bioprosthetic heart valves. Bioprosthetic heart valves are more advantageous to the patient because they mimic the behaviour of human heart valves more closely and require little or no lifestyle changes after implantation. Bioprosthetic heart valves also tend to fail gradually leaving more time (than with mechanical valves) to diagnose the problem before it is too late [1] and they are implantable through less invasive operative procedures [2, 3, 4].

The main problem with bioprosthetic heart valves is that they are far less durable than mechanical valves. In order to design these replacement valves for better durability, it is crucial to use very accurate material models for the replacement valve’s leaflet materials.

  1. Tillquist, MN., Maddox, MM. Cardiac crossroads: deciding between mechanical or bioprosthetic heart valve replacement. Patient Preference and Adherence, Vol. 5, 2011, pp 91-99.
  2. Kheradvar, Arash et al. “Emerging Trends In Heart Valve Engineering: Part II. Novel And Standard Technologies For Aortic Valve Replacement”. Annals of Biomedical Engineering4 (2014): 844-857.
  3. Kheradvar, Arash et al. “Emerging Trends In Heart Valve Engineering: Part IV. Computational Modeling And Experimental Studies”. Annals of Biomedical Engineering10 (2015): 2314-2333.
  4. Kheradvar, Arash et al. “Emerging Trends In Heart Valve Engineering: Part I. Solutions For Future”. Annals of Biomedical Engineering4 (2014): 833-843.

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical), Stellenbosch University, 2015.

Background: Matriculated from Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof.

Originally from: Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.

Future: Would like to go into the design of prosthetics or implants.

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Inance Bonsma

Degree completed: MEng Research (Mechanical)

E-mail: 16978242@sun.ac.za

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Du Toit Viljoen

Degree completed:  MEng Research (Mechanical), March 2018

 “Comparing different approaches to determine 2D orthotropic material properties”

When obtaining material properties, one usually use a direct method (using stress-strain data). I am investigating and comparing two inverse methods, namely the FEM model updating- and the Virtual Fields method.

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical) from Stellenbosch, 2015.

Background: Matriculated from Duineveld High, Upington.

Originally from: Postmasburg, Northen Cape, South Africa. Raised on a farm.

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Ivan van Jaarsveld

Degree completed:  MEng Research (Mechanical), March 2018

“Predict Sealing Envelope of Gland to Film Fitments”

The aim of this project was to develop a method that utilizes historical and present manufacturing data to predict the optimum sealing strength of gland seals.

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical) at Stellenbosch University.

Background:  Matriculated from Namakwaland High School.

Originally from: Aggeneys, Northern Cape, South Africa.

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Tristan S. Steele

Degree completed: MEng Research (Mechanical), March 2018

“Coupled Structural and Electromagnetic Analysis of a Radio Telescope”

The aim is to perform a complete structural and electromagnetic analysis of a radio telescope to determine the effects of deformation on the telescope’s performance.

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical), Stellenbosch University, 2015.

Originally from: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

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Severin Azankpo

Degree completed:  MEng Research (Mechanical), March 2017

“Surface Accuracy and Pointing Error Prediction of a 32 m Diameter Radio Astronomy Telescope”

To numerically simulate and quantify the surface and pointing performance of a 32 m diameter class radio astronomy telescope owing to its structural deformation mainly influenced by gravity, wind and thermal load.

Previous studies: BSc Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Originally from: Ghana.

E-mail: 19611285@sun.ac.za

Publications:

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Brendan Nickerson

Degree completed: MEng Research (Mechanical), March 2017

“Fatigue Analysis of Class 5M Railway Bogie”

Designing a numerical procedure that can be used to determine the dynamic loads and fatigue life of the Commonwealth bogie employed on the Class 5M train in South Africa.

Currently: PhD student, Stellenbosch University (moved to another research group)

Previous studies: BEng (Mechanical), Stellenbosch University, 2014.

Originally from:  Born and raised in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

Future: Interested in working in academics and research.

E-mail:  16603087@sun.ac.za

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Jeanette Marais

Degree completed December 2016.

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Wilbur van Blommestein

Degree completed December 2016.

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