Project No

Organisation

Project Title/Brief

Advanced Fossil Fuel Use

AFF-0607-056

Wits

Fuel spray patterns and drop formation of diesel and DME are going to be compared. DME is an alternative cleaner fuel that can be used in the automotive industry.

AFF-0607-107

NWU [Potch]

Testing of a combination of solvent extraction and coal dehydrogenation processes to produce cleaner liquid fuels from coal.

AFF-0607-138

Wits

Determination of CO2 adsorption rates by different coal types and coal bed methane release rates under different temperature and pressure conditions.

AFF-0607-139

Wits

Weighing of carbon loss against efficient removal of potential air pollutants during enhanced coal beneficiation. Economic calculations with regards to carbon loss vs environmental savings by sulphur and trace element recovery during beneficiation will be investigated.

AFF-0607-147

CSIR

Developing and promoting the capability of the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) clean coal technology. Conversion, gasification efficiencies and ash behaviour of different coal using this method will be analysed on the fluidised bed gasifier.

Socio-Economic Development

SED-0607-031

CSIR

Study of grid electrification in SA, looking at adaptations that could catalyse productive activities of the rural population.

SED-0607-039

Rhodes

Investigation of the fuel mix currently used by SMMEs, the underlying reasons behind this choice of fuel mix and the challenges SMMEs face in optimising their fuel usage and what support can be offered to assist them in achieving this.

SED-0607-118

Private

Quantify electricity demand from small businesses in Khayelitsha with an aim of analysing the impact of power outages on small and micro businesses in this study area. Optimal conditions for energy efficiency and fuel switching will be developed.

Environment

ENV-0607-085-86-088

Wits

Phase 1 - Performance assessment of various commercial catalysts in a range of process conditions for new FT concepts. Phase 2 - Development of a range of conditions to be used in the initial labaratory testing programme and then continue to consider the optimisation of the flowsheets. Phase 3 - Identify and take certain concepts for the improvemnt of the competitiveness of FT based fuel and chemical production and at the same time, reduce the environmental footprint of thes activities.

ENV-0607-128

UJ

Build a facility to characterise and quantify trace gas and particle emissions from conventional and the Basa Njengo Magogo fire lighting technology under controlled conditions and generate benefits associated with the latter technology.

Energy Efficiency & DSM

EU-0607-087

Wits

To establish the level of energy intensity of existing comminution equipment and design comminution circuits that are more energy efficient.

EU-0607-099

UCT

To collate data on standby generators: locations, capacity, operational costs. The research will determine the conditions for successful use of standby generators as a demand response resource for electricity.

EU-0607-112

Wits

The design, planning and costruction practices in buildings impact the energy efficiency of the buildings. Energy saving models for buildings based on design protocols, materials, colours, insulation and best approaches to minimise energy consumption in construction will be developed.

EU-0607-113

Wits

Data on household standby power consumption will be collected. A model on standby power load can then be developed and energy efficiency appliance labelling can then start.

EU-0607-122

UCT

Quantification of rebounds that occur when energy efficiency measures are introduced leading to the development of a model that is able to predict the rebound effects and benefits of introducing specific interventions enabling better targeting of energy efficiency programmes.

Energy Policy & Planning

EPP-0607-049

Stellenbosch

A decision support tool will be developed to enable regional and local authorities to assess the potential of bio-energy farming vs alternative land use activities.

EPP-0607-063

UKZN

The research aims to calculate the value of energy services in SA's trade by investigating the energy use requirements of South Africa's manufacturing industries.

EPP-0607-065

TUT

Collate data on research activities including areas of specialisation of the "energy" discipline in SA.

EPP-0607-070

UP

Quantifying (monetisation) the externalities of different power generation methods using international best practice methods.

EPP-0607-074

CSIR

Develop scenario planning tools and forecasts for SA future energy situation taking into account demand, energy mixes technology changes.

EPP-0607-119

Private

Policies, strategies and technologies that would encourage participation of rural women in biofuel production in SA will be investigated by looking at crops and production processes that would encourage this.

EPP-0607-131

TUT

Analysis of options for dsm strategies and from these develop more cost effective demand side management strategies for implementation by electricity supply authorities and consumers.

Energy Infra-Structure

EIM-0607-022

CSIR

Study the effectivess of mobility management strategies (e.g. high occupancy vehicles, Gautrain) on the air pollution and energy consumption of vehicles on the Pretoria-JHB corridor.

EIM-0607-047

Private

The electromechanical battery (flywheel) is a viable alternative for renewable energy storage except for its high cost. The project will investigate new design/manufacture composite of the flywheel to make it cheaper for rural applications.

EIM-0607-077

CSIR

A comparative study of current environmental impact of energy use of automobiles in JHB and Cape Town and an evaluation of existing measures to reduce these impacts.

EIM-0607-080

Private

A double permanent magnet machine has been devoped.This research will look into potential applications, including energy efficiency electric products, solar powered water pump where it could be used as the drive motor.

EIM-0607-082

Private

Investigate a integrated mass transit solution for SA to improve the mobility of people and goods.

EIM-0607-084

Stellenbosch

New improvement technologies of pinning in High-Tc superconductors (HTSC) by the dispersion of nano and micron size ferromagnetic particles such as Ni will be investigated. The impact of these pinning centres on the improvement of the performance of the HTSC will be tested.

EIM-0607-124

Stellenbosch

Development of novel high integrity electric machines and drives for light to medium traction systems, identify most suitable drive train topologies for both passenger and goods transportation systems in SA and apply state of art control techniques such as sensor-less control for use in future transportation systems.

EIM-0607-149

Private

The project aims at quantifying the energy savings and benefits of the installation of solar power generation, water heating and use of gas for cooking and water heating back-up in subruban dwellings.

Renewable & Alternative Energy

REN-0607-003

UWC

Operate a prototype pyrolysis process for the production of biofuels from 'indigenous energy crops' in order to identify and determine the technical and economic feasibility of the conversion technology. Two invasive plant species will be characterised as potential feedstocks. The socio-economic impact of sourcing the feedstock for the conversion from second economy rural communities will be appraised. A feasible 'business model' for commercialisation of the technology will be identified and prepared.

REN-0607-010

Private

Reduce the effect of intermittence of energy production associated with many Renewable Energy technologies. Appropriate energy storage technologies that will enable continuos energy supply to be obtained from intermittent generation sources will be identified.

REN-0607-020

CSIR

Review of local and international development and trends in the field of wastewater and sludge management with a view to assesssing the potential use of domestic wastewater in energy generation with particular emphasis on low income communities, informal settlements and remote and displaced rural areas in SA.

REN-0607-024

UCT

Aqueous Phase Reforming (APR) process of converting biomass to hydrogen will be studied to see which industry is best suited for this process. Factors that make the process viable will also be investigated.

REN-0607-040

Stellenbosch

Investigate the suitability of locally produced triticale for ethanol production in the Western Cape. Analytical protocols will be developed and optimised for determining grainstarch content, fermentable sugar levels and ethanol yield. Correlation between grain ethanol and agronomic characteristics established and used in order to quantify genetic of variability of available germsplasm.

REN-0607-044

Private

A mobile renewable energy research station will be constructed and installed in Antarctica for the use of researchers on testing and public profiling of renewable energy systems. Prior to installation in Antarctita, the renewable energy powered equipments will be tested in local communities e.g. Alexandra.

REN-0607-054

Wits

Verify that selected catalytic sytems that can give rise to carbons that are characterised by interesting structural properties at the nanoscale and/or have properties consistent with high activity required for use in carbon fuei cells. A co-objective is the identification of process conditions required for continuous decomposition of methane.

REN-0607-057B

Wits

Develop a model based on thermodynamics and mass balances that can accurately predict the products from a biochemical reactor across a wide range of feedstock, microbes and operating enviroments.

REN-0607-057C

Wits

Build a reactor which uses bacteria derived from a termite's gut to convert a cellulose feed into a renewable fuel such as ethonal or a methane precursor, acetate. The symbiotic microorganisms in the termite's gut will be cultivated on crystalline cellulose and then of a natural source of cellulose.

ALT-0607-148

UWC

To create a knowledge-base around fuel cell technology which will promote an innovative development environment in South Africa (human resources, technology and application).

Miscellaneous

OTH-0607-043

UJ

Cordination and development of joint activities between the SA partners of the EnerKey Gauteng project which is in partnership with a Germany consortium. The activities will contribute to the development of a full scale bid proposal in April 2007 to the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) funding.