From the ICMEESA archive With its uranium enrichment expertise and technology, South Africa is in a strategic position to enrich and market its uranium and, perhaps in future, to provide fuel elements for manifold identical stages. Only thirty years have passed since Enrico Fermi gave a practical demonstration of a controlled fission chain reaction […]
Electrical energy cost represents some 40% of the total cost of ownership of pumping systems, yet many organisations fail to introduce the proper steps to leverage cost reduction through efficiency improvements. The following major barriers must be recognised and addressed to solve this dilemma: Lack of proper metrics: Energy efficiency has traditionally not been […]
From the ICMEESA archive Effluent treatment is based on the ingenuity of chemists and engineers. The chemist may devise a short-cut method for the precipitation of the components but the electrical engineer designs the controls while the mechanical engineer design filters, conveyers, agitators and others. The methods employed in effluent treatment can often be […]
Developing an augmented reality platform for use as a differential drive mobility aid in an enabled environment to help conduct simulations with various wheelchair constructs and to produce pitch and roll actuated actions. Physical or cognitive impairment may compromise the ability to walk. The degree of mobility largely determines the extent to which the […]
From the ICMEESA archive Methods of control for low and high pressure hydraulic braking systems which have been applied successfully to a number of hoists in South Africa. This article describes new and simplified control systems for low pressure and high pressure hydraulic braking systems with emphasis on air brake and low pressure oil […]
A hybrid jet-and-rocket powered vehicle will fire up its 135 000 hp engines to break the sound barrier and the world record alike in a 1600 km/h race at Hakskeen Pan, South Africa. The 14 m, 7 tonne Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) was designed and is being built by the Bloodhound Project, described as […]
From the ICMEESA archive A closer look at South Africa’s most modern power plant, Arnot, focusing on its coal and ash handling plant; boilers; water plant; generators and control and monitoring, among others. Part 1 of this article discussed Arnot power station’s coal and ash handling plant; its boilers; circulation system; superheaters and reheaters […]
The recent Tongaat Mall collapse led to a media frenzy, only to fizzle out over time. The Department of Labour is investigating the “accident” and the question now is, “what will the findings be?” Fatalities, injuries, disease, and inadequate health and safety (H&S) measures, including non-compliance, will continue to occur until the South African […]
The base metals refinery of a major platinum producer in South Africa refines converter matte-containing base metals and platinum group metals (PGMs) using a five-stage hydrometallurgical process. The second-stage leach produces a PGM-rich residue through the extraction of copper and any remaining base metals from the first-stage leach solid residue material. Leaching is performed […]
From the ICMEESA archive: A closer look at South Africa’s most modern power plant, Arnot, focusing on its coal and ash handling plant; boilers; water plant; generators and control and monitoring, among others. Just over twenty years ago, the size of turbo-generators installed in South Africa was 30 MW, but this has been increased […]
