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Volume 28
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: While the PDF files of the journal papers are freely downloadable, The South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering asserts its copyright to the papers published here. No part of the papers may be reproduced without full acknowledgement of the source and written permission from the Institution. The papers or their PDF files may not be displayed publicly on any other website. The PDF files of the papers may be stored or printed for individual bona fide research purposes only but not for commercial gain.
R&D Journals for 2012 - Volume 28.
How to use the R&D Journal File Library: File Some files are large (in excess of 2MB) and may take some time to download. Scroll down to find the specific paper you seek. Click on the 'more' link to view the full title, abstract and authors. If you are not sure of the title of the paper you are searching for, try the ‘community search’ button on the top left corner of this page. Enter a keyword then select search. If the keyword you use is in the abstract, all papers that contain this keyword will show in the results of your search.
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System Integration Performed on the CAESAR USAR...
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Administration
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2012/11/30
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TITLE: System Integration Performed on the CAESAR USAR Robot
AUTHORS: R. Stopforth and G. Bright
DATE PUBLISHED: 1 June 2012
ABSTRACT: Rescuers have lost their lives in events requiring them to go into dangerous areas that have unstable structures, gases and environments. Robots are necessary for search and rescue purposes, to access concealed places and environments that fire fighters and rescue personnel cannot gain entry to. The contractible arms elevating search and rescue (CAESAR) robot was designed and developed to assist rescuers in urban search and rescue (USAR) scenarios. For the performance and reliability required in locating victims, different systems are integrated and used.
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Experimental Evaluation of a Ranque-Hilsch Vortex
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Administration
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2013/02/04
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TITLE: Experimental Evaluation of a Ranque-Hilsch Vortex Tube as a Particle Separator
AUTHORS: A. Burger and R.T. Dobson
DATE PUBLISHED: 20 October 2012
ABSTRACT: The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) is a Generation IV graphite-moderated helium cooled nuclear reactor developed in South Africa from the German Arbeitsgemeinschaft Versuchreaktor (AVR). After decommissioning of the AVR plant, radioactive isotopes of silver 44Ag110 as well as graphite particles were found in the primary helium coolant loop of the reactor. Hence the main objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube (RHVT) as a separation device for removing graphite particles from a helium coolant stream. This objective was accomplished by designing and building an experimental test apparatus and measuring the particle separation efficiency of the RHVT under different operating conditions. It was found that the RHVT is a very efficient particle separator...
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Fuel Properties & Engine Performance of Kenyan...
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Administration
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2013/02/04
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TITLE: Fuel Properties and Engine Performance of Kenyan and Tanzanian Jatropha Biodiesel
AUTHOR: Paul Maina
DATE PUBLISHED: 20 November 2012
ABSTRACT: Jatropha curcas oil was extracted from jatropha seeds of Kenyan and Tanzanian origin. Biodiesel was then produced by two step acid-base catalytic transesterification process due to the amount of free fatty acids (FFA) in the oil. Physicochemical properties of the produced biodiesel were tested according to international standards and were found to be different according to the source of biodiesel, though both were still within the requirements. Engine performance tests were carried out in an Audi, 1.9 litres, turbocharged direct injection, compression ignition engine at different loads. The biodiesels from different regions were found to have different engine performance behaviours, thus it was concluded that different regions produce fuel of different characteristics.
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Photovoltaic Panel Temperature & Power Output...
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Administration
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2013/02/04
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TITLE: Photovoltaic Panel Temperature & Power Output Analysis Tool
AUTHORS: N. Marc-Alain Mutombo and Freddie L. Inambao
DATE PUBLISHED: 28 July 2012
ABSTRACT: The extensive use of photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce electricity due to the increase of fossil fuel cost and environmental consideration has become wide spread. The performance of a PV array is affected by temperature, solar insolation, shading, and array configuration. A MATLAB®-based modeling and simulation scheme is presented suitable for studying the current-voltage and power-voltage characteristics of a PV array under outdoor conditions and PV module physical component properties. The validity of the modeling approach was demonstrated by comparing its predicted operating temperature changes and system daily electrical energy produced with the measured data acquired from an experimental rig at the Energy Research and Development Center (ERDC) of Da-Yeh University in Taiwan...
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Performance Characteristics of an Air-Cooled Steam
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Administration
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2013/02/07
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TITLE: Performance Characteristics of an Air-Cooled Steam Condenser with a Hybrid Dephlegmator
AUTHORS: J.A. Heyns and D.G. Kröger
DATE PUBLISHED: 27 August 2012
ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the performance characteristics of a power plant incorporating a steam turbine and a direct air-cooled dry/wet condenser operating at different ambient temperatures. The proposed cooling system uses existing A-frame air-cooled condenser (ACC) technology and through the introduction of a hybrid (dry/wet) dephlegmator achieves measurable enhancement in cooling performance when ambient temperatures are high. During these periods the hybrid (dry/wet) condenser operating in a wet mode can achieve the same increased turbine performance as an oversized air-cooled condenser or an air-cooled condenser with adiabatic cooling (spray cooling) of the inlet air at a considerably lower cost. For the same turbine power output the water consumed by an air-cooled condenser incorporating a hybrid (dry/wet)...
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Temperature Distribution for a Friction Taper...
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Administration
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2013/03/19
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TITLE: Temperature Distribution for a Friction Taper Stud Weld in Thick Walled 10CrMo910 Steel
AUTHORS: D.G. Hattingh and C. van Zyl
DATE PUBLISHED: October 2012
ABSTRACT: Heat distribution by direct measurement, as a function of weld time and position, during friction taper stud welding (FTSW) in 10CrMo910 thick wall steam pipe coupon is investigated. As expected, the main hotspots during welding were identified to be close to the top surface just before weld completion and at the bottom centre surface of the plug weld at the interface line. The maximum temperature of 1102 °C was recorded at the tool hole interface within 3 s after the start of the weld. This corresponds to the initial “dry friction” stage where the heat generation initiates due to friction between the tool and parent plate. The weld power calculated from motor torque increases rapidly at the start of the weld and reached a peak value after 8 s, while a temperature of 964 °C was reached after 34 s...
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