Adrian Wyngaard was surprised to hear he graduates his MEng Electrical Engineering summa cum laude at this year’s autumn graduation.

The 26-year-old had never even considered working towards this kind of accolade, concentrating instead on the work that interested him.

He is one of the first two students to ever achieve this particular distinction at CPUT – it means both of his examiners for his Masters gave him more than 75% in their final assessment.

Wyngaard’s thesis was overseen by Dr Kessie Govender, a physicist in the Electrical Engineering department.

Govender started the Quantum Physics Research Group in 2014 and Wyngaard joined a year later. He says the other lecturer who also helped get him started on this particular path was Prof Christine Steenkamp from Stellenbosch University.

Growing up Wyngaard was the child who took things apart and he always knew he wanted to study computer engineering. Originally he wanted to get into designing the circuitry that makes up the computer but he soon realised he was interested in both programming and circuit design after his first year at CPUT.

He did his in-service training at the South African Astronomical Observatory and connected to the research environment, which spurred him to return to CPUT.

His Masters topic was Saturated absorption spectroscopy of rubidium and feedback control of Laster frequency for Doppler cooling, which meant investigating how to use a laser to cool atoms.

“We knew it could be done, but could we do it in our lab,” asked Wyngaard.

“Dr Kessie is an experimental physicist and has been working on quantum technologies previously at UKZN. When he joined CPUT he started a new research group in this field."

“We are one of three academic groups in South Africa doing this kind of research.”

He thinks the summa cum laude pass mark will help on his CV when applying for funding. He points out that applying for grants and attending conferences is still slow going because CPUT does not have a physics department dealing with fundamental research so they have to continually justify what the research group is doing. 

“It shows the calibre of students coming through the group. We are learning about quantum physics that is not taught on our engineering curriculum."

“It shows students can learn on their own, and yes, I know that is expected on a Masters level. But, it took two or three years to cover the work required and I did this while also working on my thesis.”

Next, he wants to work on a doctorate as the group continues and see where research and development take them.

Written by Theresa Smith
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Provides coverage for the Applied Sciences and Engineering Faculties and the Wellington Campus.

In a bid to increase the limited pool of expertise in the national energy sector, the Electrical Engineering Department is establishing the Substation Automation and Energy Management Centre.

The centre, which will be based at the Bellville campus, will be headed by Prof Raynitchka Tzoneva, who is also the leader of the National Research Foundation (NRF) niche area ‘Real-Time Distributed Systems’.

Prof Tzoneva said the move to establish the centre comes after the International Electrical Commission (IEC) put in place the new IEC 61850 standards, which govern the building, implementation and operations of Substation Automation Systems.

These systems are highly complex computer systems, which are used by operators in the energy sector to control substations.

Prof Tzoneva said a substation can be defined as a node in an electrical power network where lines and cables are connected for transmission and distribution of electric power. A substation has the capability of transforming electricity, usually from high to low voltage for distribution by a low-voltage network. Most substations have one or more transformers and may have many other functions as well, such as switching, breaking and protection capabilities

However, she said there are few South Africans who have expertise in Substation Automation Systems and the new IEC 61850 standards.

“South Africa has no knowledge of this new way of building Substation Automation Systems. We see the necessity to start working with this new standard and have thus put together the center,” said Prof Tzoneva.

The centre will act as an enabler for education, training, testing, research and development in the in the new technologies, which can help to upgrade and optimize power systems in South Africa as well as the implementation of the various standards which have been set by the IEC.

The centre has also approached Prof Alexander Apostolov, a world class specialist in Substation Automation and one of the creators of the new substation automation technology, to assist in its operations. Prof Apostolov will regularly visit the centre and also co-supervise postgraduate students.

The work of the centre is supported by Eskom, consulting and design organisations, City of Cape Town and vendors such as ABB, Siemens and SEL.

Prof Tzoneva said a group of more than 20 students who are part of the Real-Time Distributed Systems research area will be involved in the centre.

One of the projects they will look at is the revamp of 13 substations at the CPUT Bellville campus reticulation network. The existing network was established in 1986 and is currently still feeding the campus network. However, the network has reached its expected lifetime.

“This is going to be a unique project. Students will work with designers and vendors to implement a project that will benefit the CPUT community,” she said.

All the substations will also be linked to the centre, which will automatically monitor and control the network operations, and will give students access to real-time data for their research projects.

Prof Tzoneva said the students, who refer to themselves as the “Control Group” are doing excellent work in several other research areas.

Prof Tzoneva said from a research and development perspective, the centre could act as a forum for dialogue between universities, vendors, municipalities, and Eskom to work together to build knowledge transfer systems to enable broad-based development of critical expertise to meet industrial needs.

By Candes Keating

Photographs: (top right) Prof Raynitchka Tzoneva and Prof Alexander Apostolov (bottom right) The Control Group (left) Members of the Control Group work on a device

Written by CPUT News
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At Elswood Secondary School teachers are making use of a catapult device to teach complex maths and science principles.

This innovative teaching method is part of the STEM Project, a collaboration between the CPUT Electrical Engineering Department and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), which aims to increase the number and success rate of maths and science learners at local schools.

STEM refers to teaching and learning practices in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and advocates the use of basic and hands-on projects to teach these subjects.

At the Elsies River-based school, teachers will use the catapult to explain and demonstrate science concepts such as mass and motion.

Electrical Engineering lecturers Rhyme Setshedi and Aysha Abrahams, who along with their students recently delivered the catapult at the school, says the project sees students design and construct a device that has relevance to maths and science, which is then donated to a school.

Currently, the CPUT and United States based UAH students are developing a wind tunnel device, which they will introduce early next year at the school. This device will be used by teachers to explain aerodynamic principles.

Science teacher, Lawrence Olyn, says this collaboration has come at the perfect time as the school has seen a drop in the number of maths and science learners.

Olyn says such a hands-on project will facilitate learning and interest the learners.

“I am positive that this initiative will bear positive results and that our learners will end up enjoying these subjects,” he says.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The Centre for Instrumentation Research (CIR) at the Electrical Engineering Department is currently undertaking research that looks into prolonging battery life by preventing premature cell failure.

The main reason for this research, a brainchild of Dr Ian de Vries, is that battery cells are assumed to have similar characteristics, while in reality, they do not. These include charge acceptance, rate of self-discharge, and absolute capacity at a given time.

If these differences are not treated properly they will lead to premature cell failure because of overcharging and overcharging which damages the cells and are dangerous.

According to Nick Prinsloo, an MTech student involved in the research, these cells can be analogous to a chain. “The chain is only as strong as the weakest link. This means that after time cells might weaken and the battery stacks lifetime and runtime is shortened,” he said.

The idea is to make battery cells last longer and increase battery life and usable capacity.

The research applies mainly to large industrial cells, used among other things for forklifts, uninterruptible supplies, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV). Cell chemistries include Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydrate (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) and Lead Acid. The cells are heavy duty with expensive initial installation costs and constant maintenance costs thereafter.

By increasing battery lifetime these costs can be drastically decreased. This comes with the added advantage of having longer operating times between full discharge cycles.

“We want to work on saving the environment...keeping with the green theme that forces us to design and engineer smarter because technologically we can and because it makes sense. Making money while saving our planet and creating jobs”.

“Even though batteries are mass manufactured, matched in batches and capacitivly balanced, after aging, constant charging and discharging, the difference between cells increase and it becomes noticeable”.

In essence this means if all the cells are fine, one bad cell can make the entire stack inoperable and useless.

The research provides a way to ‘balance’ these cells so that they are equal. Balancing is currently done in industry by using power dissipation techniques and is only feasible when charging the cell stack. This research provides a way to minimize power losses, using power electronics, while being able to balance the stack in any operational state. By successfully doing this cell stack run time as well as lifetime is increased.

The CIR is a division in the electrical engineering department that undertakes research specifically related to problems in industry with the aim of finding feasible solutions.

The team working on the Battery Management System (B) is Dr Ian de Vries, head of the research, Doris Karemera (BTech) and Prinsloo (MTech).

By Thami Nkwanyane

Written by CPUT News
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The National Research Foundation (NRF) evaluation and rating system is regarded as one of the most prestigious benchmarks of research excellence in South Africa.

The most recent rating announcement took place in December 2007. Among this year’s recipients were Dr Cecilia Jacobs of the Engineering Faculty, who received an L rating, and Dr Richardt Wilkinson of the Electrical Engineering Department who received a rating of Y- Y2. In addition Prof Pieter van Brakel of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, who was previously rated by the NRF in 2002, received a rating renewal of C - C3.

Dr Cecelia Jacobs is currently co-leader of the Work-Integrated Learning Research Unit, a formally recognised niche area within the NRF. She has published thirteen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and twenty-four national and international conference papers. Among her achievements are the submission of a successful funding proposal for an institution-wide Tertiary Education Linkages Project (TELP) in 1999 which produced a Communication Series of 10 textbooks published by Juta. She also convened the first national conference on “Integrating content and language: Providing access to knowledge through language” in 2001

Dr Jacobs’s body of work concerns the way in which knowledge is structured in different disciplines, and how that knowledge is communicated through discipline-specific language. In her own words, “understanding the way in which a discipline reads and writes itself.” As the recently appointed Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator in the Faculty of Engineering, she continues to encourage collaboration between language practitioners and disciplinary specialists.

Dr Richardt Wilkinson's area of specialisation is power electronics. This field of study looks at how electrical power can be converted from one level to another using electronically controlled switches instead of transformers. Power electronics has implications for renewable energy technologies and research into this field is likely to contribute to solving the current energy crisis.

Dr Wilkinson first became interested in power electronics when he studied the subject as part of his B.Eng at Stellenbosch University . He pursued this interest further in his Masters thesis and PhD studies. His relationship with CPUT began in 2005, when he joined the Centre for Instrumentation Research (CIR) as a postdoctoral research fellow working on inverters to drive ultrasonic transducers. He was appointed as a senior researcher in January 2007 and tasked with jointly running the Centre for Instrumentation Research with Dr Ian de Vries. He was appointed Head of the Centre in January 2008.

Prof Pieter van Brakel was a well-established specialist in the field of info rmation science when he joined the CPUT staff in 2005. At CPUT, he headed the postgraduate office of the e-Innovation Academy (now amalgamated with the Faculty of Informatics and Design). During his academic career, he has published sixty one journal articles in DoE accredited journals and supervised thirty-seven masters and doctoral students.

Prof Van Brakel currently serves as Head of the Research Support Office in the Faculty of Informatics and Design. He also holds the NRF Grant for the programme. “Virtual Communities of Practice” This forward-looking area of research looks at how info rmation technology helps support academic info rmation and knowledge exchange between researchers who are geographically distant from each other. “Information is needed to make good decisions, and info rmation management cannot happen without info rmation technology,” says Prof Van Brakel, commenting on the continuing importance of info rmation science in contemporary society.

Research was been cited as an important growth area for CPUT. The newly rated staff members form part of a productive research community who continue to increase the academic output of the institution.

By Ilana Abratt, Marketing and Communication Department

Written by CPUT News
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The Electrical Engineering Department is developing highly skilled graduates who are well equipped to make a contribution to South Africa’s electrical engineering sector.

This is according to industry representatives who attend the 17^th annual BTech Electrical Engineering Conference held at the Cape Town Campus.

The conference saw close to 100 BTech Electrical Engineering students present the findings of research projects that they completed this year as part of their course requirement. The projects are industry related and aimed at developing students’ problem solving skills.

CONFIDENT: BTech Electrical Engineering student Franco Waterboer takes a look at his conference poster

Industry representatives who evaluated the research project presentations were impressed with students’ professionalism and high quality of work.

Magen Moodley from Eskom says the students exhibited a huge amount of confidence during their presentations.

“I am impressed with the diversity of the projects that students have taken on. The projects are highly relevant to the needs of the industry,” he says.

Moodley, who also evaluates university students who are completing their in-service training at Eskom, says CPUT students are well prepared for the working environment.

On such example is part-time BTech Electrical Engineering student Franco Waterboer who presented his research project that focused on the design of a specialised energy boost convertor.

Waterboer has already been working at an electrical engineering based company for the past year and says the skills he honed at CPUT have stood him in good stead in his current position.

Head of the department, Ben Groenewald says a curriculum that is relevant and in-line with industry’s needs is the key to developing highly skilled graduates.

“We do our best to prepare our students for industry,” says Groenewald.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

With more than 10 000 square meters of space dedicated to research and practical training of students, the Electrical Engineering Department is setting themselves up to lead research activities at CPUT.

The department is currently in the process of constructing a new home on the Bellville Campus that will feature two state-of-the-art, three-storey buildings that will be joined together by a double volume mid-air walkway, which will accommodate student study areas.

Head of the department, Ben Groenewald, says one building will house up to 30 laboratories, each that will be used for the practical training of students in specific areas of electrical engineering.

“The second building will house the department’s six niche areas,” says Groenewald.

INNOVATIVE: The premises consist of two buildings joined by a double-volume mid-air walkway

The first floor of the second building will house the Centre for Distributed Power and Electronic Systems, the Centre for Power Systems Research and the Centre for Instrumentation Research. The second floor will feature the multi-million Rand Centre for Substation Automation and Energy Management Systems, the only centre of its kind in the world.

The top floor will be dedicated to the renowned F’SATI unit and the Product Lifecycle Management Competency Centre, which is the only of its kind in Africa.

The current two buildings housing the Electrical Engineering Department will be converted and used as classroom space.

Groenewald says when conceptualising the building they considered the government requirements for growing the engineering sector and selected a building design that will allow the department to expand their training and grow their research base.

Head of the Programme, Tom van Breda, says it is the first time that the department has made provision for research at such a large scale.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Building computers from atoms may sound far-fetched, but at CPUT this is the future of science and technology.

To make sure the institution becomes a world player in the development of this new technology is a task that is being undertaken by Dr Kessie Govender, a physicist based in the Electrical Engineering Department.

During the next few months, Govender will set up a team of researchers that will focus on the research and development of the basic components that are used in quantum computing and quantum information processing. The workings of these components rely on the principles of quantum physics.

Quantum computers will increase the computational power beyond that which is attainable by a traditional computer. 

For example, these computers will be able to solve mathematical problems such as factorizing a large number into its prime factors, within seconds, whereas current computers could take several hours or days to solve the same problem, says Govender.

“This is the technology of the future” he says.

Govender first began to dabble in this area of research whilst lecturing physics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and still continues to work with quantum researchers there. He later moved to the South African National Space Agency’s directorate in Hermanus, where he was also involved in the technical developmental aspects of ZACUBE-01.

Govender says to conduct this type of research you need a team of people who have a good knowledge of physics.

To grow this area of research, Govender says, engineering curricula at universities will have to look at incorporating more physics into the curriculum.

“Physics opens the door to curiosity and it allows you to branch into a number of other areas,” he says.

Students and staff interested in this area of research should contact Dr Govender on 021 4603762 or via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The Quantum Physics Research Group may only be two years old, but already this team of highly skilled researchers is making huge strides in their field of study.

Established in 2014 by Dr Kessie Govender, a physicist in the Electrical Engineering Department, the group has grown to include five Masters students, one doctoral student as well as three staff members.

A quantum research laboratory has been set up at the Bellville Campus and collaborative links with the University of Stellenbosch, the National Metrology Institute of South Africa and iThemba Labs have been established.

SCIENCE: The group has set up a laboratory at the Electrical Engineering Building on the Bellville Campus

This highly skilled team is focusing their efforts on the research and development of the basic components that are used in quantum computing and quantum information processing.

Govender says the group is engaged in several projects, including the numerical study of laser-atom interactions, nonlinear spectroscopy of Rubidium and the generation of entangled photons via Four wave mixing in cold atoms.

“Entangled photons are a key component in quantum communications and computing,” he says.

The researchers are also exploring microwave (and in the future optical) atomic clocks for possible space/cubesat applications.

Govender says quantum computers and quantum communications will ensure greater cyber security and increase the computational power beyond that which is attainable by a conventional computer. 

For example, these computers will be able to solve mathematical problems such as factorizing a large number into its prime factors, within seconds, whereas current computers could take several hours or days to solve the same problem, he says.

Students, staff, and post docs interested in this area of research can contact Dr Govender via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on the group, see: http://www.cput.ac.za/academic/faculties/engineering/research/quantum_physics

The group is currently supported by the National Research foundation and the National Laser Centre, as well as by the Faculty of Engineering and the Research Office of CPUT

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

A training centre designed to equip underprivileged people with the skills essential to the energy industry has been launched on the Bellville Campus.

Through the use of its didactic equipment and intensive vocational training, junior and senior technicians in the field of electricity will now enter the work environment with advanced practical skills.

Schneider Electric, a global specialist company in energy management, will be deploying its teachers from around the world to provide advanced training on various topics of interest such as entrepreneurship, and using its Access to Energy programme as a vehicle to create employment in communities.

“Through this programme, Schneider Electric provides innovative green solutions that create access to energy in communities where people are living without access to energy,” said Eric Leger, Country President at Schneider Electric Southern Africa.

The centre is part of a national network of five training centres called French South African Schneider Electric Education Centre network (F’SASEC).

F’SASEC forms part of Schneider Electric’s sustainability strategy to train electrical artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds with the ultimate goal of creating employment.

Prof Alexandre Sebastiani, F’SASEC Director at Vaal University of Technology, said the network allows for TVET College graduates to enrol for short courses at CPUT to add to their knowledge as well as for CPUT students to go to the College of Cape Town to learn more about practical work.

Ben Groenewald, Head of CPUT’s Electrical Engineering Department, said he is proud of the partnership involving Schneider Electric, the French Ministry of Education and CPUT, which allows for the interaction between the university and the local college and added that the project’s future looks good.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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A reluctant start in academia transformed into a deeply fulfilling journey for Prof Bennett Alexander, who recently retired after an impactful career, spanning almost 40 years.

The Faculty of Informatics and Design recently bid farewell to Alexander, who served as Assistant Dean since 2017 and first joined the then Peninsula Technikon in 1985.

Academia was not his first career choice. Alexander graduated with an engineering degree from UCT.

However, the harsh realities of apartheid-era South Africa soon shattered those dreams.

“Like many of my contemporaries, I faced significant barriers as a non-White engineer.”

His initial position as an Analogue Test Engineer at SAMES in Pretoria was marked by exclusionary practices, including "whites only" engineering weekend getaways. Undeterred, he moved to the O'kiep Copper Company in Nababeep as a Control Engineer, only to face a strike from the white Mine Workers Union protesting his appointment. His subsequent role as an Instrumentation Engineer at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station highlighted the pervasive racial inequities, as he was denied on-site housing provided to white employees.

“By the latter part of 1984, I found myself at home, contemplating my future. It was then that Franklin Sonn, a neighbour, and Thomas van Breda, a family friend, intervened. On their advice, I accepted a short-term contract at Peninsula Technikon.”

“The plan was to stay for six months before returning to the engineering industry. However, what began as a temporary detour turned into a lifelong vocation. Almost forty years later, I cannot imagine a career outside of education.”

“Reflecting on this path, I realise how special it has been to be part of an institution that nurtures future generations. The obstacles I faced in the industry were not just personal setbacks but catalysts that steered me towards a more impactful and rewarding career.”

In 1985, Alexander joined Peninsula Technikon as a lecturer in the Electrical Engineering department. “Upon my arrival, I reconnected with many old friends and acquaintances from university, and other individuals I had learned about through their reputations for academic excellence. This assembly of talented and dedicated engineering professionals, who had also found themselves at Peninsula Technikon for similar reasons, became the driving force behind the institution's commitment to excellence in education and social justice.”

Alexander’s career is filled with memorable moments and significant milestones. In 1990, he was promoted to Senior Lecturer and in 1992 he was nominated to serve on the Academic Development Team of Peninsula Technikon under the leadership of Brian O'Connell, who later became Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape.

From 1994 to 1995, Alexander served as Acting Head of the Electrical Engineering department, a role that honed his leadership skills. “During this time, I realised the importance of administrative excellence in academic settings.”

In 1996, he obtained his Master’s degree from Indiana State University and in 2000, Alexander established the Electronic Media Centre, which eventually evolved into today's Multimedia Programme. “This initiative reflected my commitment to keeping pace with technological advancements and integrating them into the curriculum.”

In 2001, he became Head of the Information Technology department and seven years later he was conferred the title of Associate Professor. “This recognition was a highlight of my academic career, reflecting years of academic and community work.”

In 2011, Alexander earned a doctoral degree, paving the way for his promotion to Assistant Dean in 2017. “This role has allowed me to shape the future of the faculty and mentor the next generation of academics and professionals.”

Throughout his career, Alexander has been actively involved in learned societies, holding numerous leadership positions. He has chaired the Higher Education ICT Association for over a decade and led various projects, including the TABEISA and TELP projects and several SETA-funded initiatives, focusing primarily on curriculum and learning materials development.

Reflecting on nearly forty years at the institution, Alexander is proud of the many achievements that were made possible through collective efforts and a shared vision for excellence. “Firstly, I take immense pride in the institution itself and its continuous pursuit of excellence. This commitment was a hallmark of Peninsula Technikon and continues to define CPUT today. I see a bright future for our university, driven by its unwavering dedication to innovation and quality education.”

As he steps into retirement, Alexander plans to pursue his passions for jazz music and camping, while staying connected to academia. “Looking back, I am deeply thankful and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to live out my passion for engineering and education. My career unfolded in ways I never could have imagined, and I am grateful for every moment.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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