Some STERG members with some members from CRSES on the solar roof laboratory, September 2015.

Listing of STERG members

STERG Staff

  • Prof. Johan van der Spuy:  STERG manager & Professor in Department of M&M Engineering
  • Prof Frank Dinter:  Eskom Chair in CSP
  • Dr Paul Gauché:  Sr Researcher: DST/NRF Solar Thermal Spoke & Helio100 Director
  • Dr Matti Lubkoll: Research Group Coordinator
  • Mrs Leigh van der Merwe:  Administration officer

Faculty

  • Prof Alan Brent:  Professor in School of Public Leadership (Sustainable Development, Linear Fresnel Systems, Policy and Planning)
  • Mr Theuns Dirkse van Schalkwyk: Lecturer
  • Mr Robert Dobson: Lecturer
  • Prof Albert Groenwold:  Sr Lecturer (Structural Optimization)
  • Mr Richard Haines:  Lecturer
  • Prof Thomas Harms:  Head of Division: Thermo-fluids dynamics (CFD, Linear Fresnel, Atmospheric flows)
  • Dr Jaap Hoffmann:  Sr Lecturer (Thermo-fluid dynamics)
  • Prof Chris Meyer:  Sr Lecturer
  • Prof Hanno Reuter:  Sr Lecturer (Wet, Hybrid and Dry-Air Cooling, Power System Modelling)
  • Dr Willie Smit:  Sr Lecturer
  • Prof Wikus van Niekerk:  Director of Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES)
  • Prof Gerhard Venter:  Head of Division: Mechanics
  • Prof Theo von Backström:  Senior Researcher and Emeritus Professor (Solar Chimney, Solar Thermal Storage, CSP Technologies, Turbines, CSP System Analysis)
  • Dr Mike Owen: Lecturer

Postgraduate researchers

  • Mr Chinedu Amadi: MEng (Implement an advanced controller for a quadcopter)
  • Mr Reece Barnes: MEng (Simulation of matching renewable energy with South African electricity production)
  • Mr Nico Basson:  MEng (Investigation of air-cooled steam condenser fan blade damping)
  • Mr Marius Claassen:  PhD Student (Heliostat calibration)
  • Mr Jaco Coetzee:  MEng (Obstacle avoidance for an unmanned aerial vehicle in a dynamic two dimensional environment)
  • Mr Toyisi Craig:  PhD Student (Crossing technology adoption chasm in CSP technologies)
  • Mr Ernest Dall:  MEng (The techno-economic optimization of a CSP desalination plant in Arandis (Namibia))
  • Mr Bradley Da Silva:  MEng (Development of a piston expander for a small steam power plant)
  • Mr Frank Duvenhage: PhD Student
  • Mr Jean-Gerard de la Bat:  Meng (Modelling and design of a testable small-scale free-piston Stirling engine)
  • Dr Lukas Heller:  Postdoctoral Researcher (High Temperature CSP Cycles)
  • Ms Lina Hockaday:  PhD Student (Concentrated solar process heat for preheating and prereduction in minerals processing)
  • Mr Jan-Louis Janse van Vuuren (Optimization and stimulation of the sunspot cycle)
  • Ms Lilongeni Kayofa:  MSc Research (Feasibility of stand alone solar Stirling Engine dish power supply)
  • Ms Faith Kanhukamwe:  MEng Research (Matching renewable energy to the utility)
  • Mr Louis Karsten:  MEng (The Analysis of the Rankine Cycle (ORC) for Smaller CSP Systems)
  • Mr Willem Krog:  MEng (Potential of Solar Process Heat for South African Sugar Mills/STEP-BIO Project)
  • Mr Henk Laubscher:  MEng (Development of cost-effective storage systems for solar thermal application)
  • Mr Robert Laurie:  MEng (Linear fresnel system with molten salt as heat transfer fluid)
  • Mr Anco Lotter: MEng (Range of motion analysis for tracking mechanism of a heliostat employing linear actuators)
  • Dr Matti Lubkoll:  Postdoctoral Researcher (Pressurized air receiver)
  • Ms Mbali Mabaso:  MEng (Energy Modelling: An energy services approach)
  • Mr Timo Meissner:  MEng Research (The accurate assessment of axial flow fan performance for use in air-cooled condensers (fan scaling))
  • Mr Nicholas Minnaar:  MEng Research (The design of an accurate altitude estimator for an unmanned aerial vehicle)
  • Mr Charles Mukwaso:  MEng (Investigation, design, optimization and simulation of a 50 MW CSP plant in Namibia)
  • Mr JC Nel:  MEng (Design and Construction of an Air Receiver for the STERG Test Facility)
  • Mr Edgar Niit:  MEng Research (Advanced Controller for a Quadcopter)
  • Mr Armand Nolte:  MEng (Obstacle avoidance for a autonomous ground vehicle in a concentrated solar power plant)
  • Ms Jessica O’Brien:  MEng (Model contribution that various renewable energy technologies and resources can make to generation of electricity in South Africa)
  • Mr Francis Oppong:  MEng (Micro gas turbine performance evaluation)
  • Mr Christoph Pan:  PhD Student (Simulation and evaluation of CSP plants in Southern Africa )
  • Mr Arvind Pidaparthi:  MEng (Heliostat cost reduction for power tower plants)
  • Mr Ian Poole:  MEng Research (System analysis of trough and tower systems for project development and evaluation of technology and output verification)
  • Mr Gregory Prentice: MEng Research (A management strategy for the commercialisation of renewable energy technologies using the SUNSPOT cycle)
  • Mr Relebohile Ramorakane:  MEng Research (Evaluating parasitic consumption of a CSP plant)
  • Ms Justine Rudman:  MSc Research (Direct environmental impacts of CSP and PV in South Africa)
  • Mr Brian Ssebabi:  PhD Student (Micro-gas turbines for central receiver CSP systems)
  • Mr Jean Swart:  MEng (Techno-economic optimization of CSP plant components)
  • Mr Ruan van Breda: MEng Research (Obstacle Avoidance Drones)
  • Mr Michael Wilkinson: MEng Research (The Development of an Axial Flow Fan for Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger Applications)
  • Mr Daniel Zinner:  MEng Research (Measuring reflectivity of solar mirrors)

 

Affiliate members and visiting researchers

  • Ms Taneha Abrahams:  Stellenbosch University
  • Mr Wilhelm Beyers:  Stellenbosch University
  • Mr Djamal Eddine Benhadji Serradj: Stellenbosch University
  • Dr Michael Brooks:  University KZN
  • Prof. Ken Craig:  University of Pretoria
  • Mr Sven du Clou:  University of KZN
  • Mr Saliem Fakir:  WWF SA
  • Dr Paul Harper
  • Mr Gregor Heiming
  • Dr Eugene Joubert:  CRSES
  • Ms Karin Kritzinger:  CRSES
  • Mr Liam May:  Helio100
  • Mr Riaan Meyer:  CEO, GeoSun Africa
  • Mr Lucas Moeller:  DAAD German Academic Exchange Service
  • Ms Mbali Mtshali:  Eskom
  • Mr Stefan Pfenninger:  Imperial College London
  • Mr Jean Pitot:  University KZN
  • Mr Vikesh Rajpaul:  Eskom
  • Dr Christoph Richter:  DLR (German Aerospace Center)
  • Mr Thomas Roos:  CSIR