Listing of STERG members

STERG Staff

  • Prof Craig McGregor: Research Group Director; Solar Thermal Spoke Grantholder; Associate Professor at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Mike Owen: Head of Division: Thermo-fluids Dynamics and Associate Professor Senior at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Dr Willie Smit: Research Projects Management; Sr Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Dr Hannes Pretorius: Senior Lecturer: Thermo-fluids at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Mrs Leigh van der Merwe: Admin & Financial Officer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Faculty

  • Mr Johann Bredell: Senior Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Paul Gauche: Associate Professor (Extra-ordinary) at Industrial Engineering; Founder and previous director of STERG; Vice President R&D, Heliogen Inc.
  • Mrs Taneha Hans: Junior Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Jaap Hoffmann: Associate Professor at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Ryno Laubscher: Associate Professor at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Mr Matthew Meas: Junior Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Chris Meyer: Associate Professor at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Josua Meyer: Professor at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Mr Carl Tshamala: Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Johan van der Spuy: Departmental Chairman at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Prof Wikus van Niekerk: Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch University
  • Mr Adam Venter: Junior Lecturer at Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University

Postgraduate researchers

  • Mr Francois Boshoff: PhD Student (Design of an Axial Flow Fan for a Unique Cooling Application)
  • Dr Steve Clark: Post-doc Researcher (Hydrogen development)
  • Mr Matthew Duckitt: MEng Student (Measuring the Performance of the 24ft installed MinwaterCSP Axial Flow Fan)
  • Mr Hennie du Plessis: MEng Student (Quantification of the effect of biomass grate turbulence generation on semi-suspension fired boiler-furnace heat uptake)
  • Mr Chaz Fenner: PhD Student (The development of a micro gas turbine combustor for hydrogen consumption)
  • Mr Michael Fivaz: MEng Student (Upgrading the Compressor Stage of a Micro Gas Turbine)
  • Mr Eduard Fourie: MEng Student (Heat Transfer in Packed Beds of Crushed Rock)
  • Mr Benjamin Gardiner: MEng Student (Design and Configuration of Solar Thermal Multi-Tower Field Layout)
  • Mrs Taneha Hans: PhD Candidate (Transient Operation of a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle Power Generation System)
  • Mr Elzubeir Hassan: PhD Student (Flow and Heat Transfer in Packed Beds of Rock)
  • Mr Martin Janse van Vuuren: MEng Student (Concentrated Solar Thermal in Green Hydrogen Production – use of High Temperature Heat with Solid Oxide Electrode Cells)
  • Mr Chisala Kapumpu: PhD Student (Modelling of the spherical thermocline for storing thermal energy in the rock bed)
  • Mr Mu-een Khan: MEng Student (Design and Testing of a Checker Brick-Based Thermal Energy Storage)
  • Mr Rorisang Lekholoane: Special Student (Design and Testing of a Winch Actuated Heliostat Using Digital Camera Based Feedback)
  • Mr Tristan Le Roux: PhD Student (Axial Fan with Alternate Full Length and Short Blades to Promote Through-Low Near the Hub)
  • Mr Matthew Meas: PhD Candidate (Investigation of the feasibility of a deconstructed gas turbine to compress air for a solar receiver)
  • Mr Arend Moelich: MEng Student (Development of an Optical System for a Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Reactor)
  • Mr Paul Olivier: MEng Student (Photogrammertry for drones)
  • Ms Angelique Palmi: MEng Student (Techno-Economic Assessment and Optimisation of a Hybrid CSP/PV Power Plant)
  • Mr Garrett Ronan: MEng Student (Design and Testing of an Actuated heliostat Using Digital Camera-Based Feedback Control)
  • Mr Francois Rozon: PhD Student (Renewable energy system design for industrial steam users)
  • Mr Jean Schnaar-Campbell: MEng Student (Proof of Concept Aluminium Heliostat)
  • Mr Sarath Simon: MEng Student (Evaluation of local heat transfer and friction factor coefficient distribution in a U-type XCPC solar thermal collector tube operating as a thermosyphon)
  • Mr Wian Strydom: MEng Student (Natural Draft Direct Dry Cooling System Air Side Performance Characteristics)
  • Mr Coenraad Swanepoel: PhD Student (Aerodynamic Noise Reduction on Large Scale Axial Flow Fans)
  • Ms Ellen Thipe: PhD Student (Thermal energy analysis and design tool for a solar greenhouse micro-climate management system in a semi-arid climate)
  • Ms Phakamani Tshuma: MEng Student (Comparison of Rock-Bed TES Charged from CSP technology to using PV Generated Heat (understanding the margin Thermal is still ahead of PV))
  • Mr Richard Turner: Special Student (A Novel Heliostat Facet Design)
  • Mr Zubair Undre: MEng Student (Investigation of the Thermal Stresses in Solar Receivers)
  • Mr Joseph Uti: PhD student (Measuring the Optical Quality of a Heliostat with a Multicoper)
  • Mr Ruan van Breda: PhD Student (Visual odometry system for drones)
  • Mr Johan van der Spuy: MEng Student (Heat Exchanger Optimization for a Natural Draft Direct Dry Cooling System)
  • Mr Dewald van Deventer: MEng Student (Design and Test a Novel X-wing Drone)
  • Mr Jacobus van Zyl: MEng Student (An Integrated Solar Thermal System for Decentralized, Small-Scale Desalination/Water Purification and Power Generation)
  • Mr Qhawe Vava: MEng Student (Financial Analysis of the Historic Bid-Prices of the REIPPP Program to Development Projections of Future RE Costs in South Africa)
  • Mr Adam Venter: PhD Candidate (Construction and validation of a novel implicit axial flow fan model for the purpose of full-scale air-cooled condenser simulation)
  • Mr Waldo Wessels: MEng Student (Design, Build and Test a Quadcopter with a Novel Configuration for Endurance Flights)
  • Mr Brendan Willemse: MEng Student (Investigation of Module Temperatures in Floating Solar Photovoltaic Arrays)

Affiliate members and visiting researchers

  • Dr Kenny Allen: Greenplan Consultants
  • Dr Bernard Bekker: CRSES
  • Dr Michael Brooks:  University KwaZulu-Natal
  • Prof Ken Craig: University of Pretoria
  • Mr Sven du Clou: National Metrology Institute of South Africa
  • Mr Saliem Fakir:  WWF SA
  • Mr Theo Fischer: Escience Associates
  • Dr Paul Harper
  • Mr Gregor Heiming: RWTH Aachen University
  • Dr Lukas Heller: Ricardo
  • Dr Stefan Hess: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  • Mr Carel Jacobs: Stellenbosch University
  • Dr Atul Jadhav: Indian Institute of Packaging
  • Ms Karin Kritzinger: CRSES
  • Prof Sampson Mamphweli: CRSES
  • Mr Riaan Meyer:  CEO, GeoSun Africa
  • Ms Mbali Mtshali: Eskom
  • Mr Jean Pitot:  University KwaZulu-Natal
  • Mr Vikesh Rajpaul: Eskom
  • Dr Christoph Richter:  DLR (German Aerospace Center)
  • Mr Thomas Roos: CSIR
  • Mr Cebo Silinga: Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)
  • Mr Imraan Solwa: International Finance Corporation of UCT