Innovations

The technology relates to a sol-gel based, uniform carbon-coating method for producing high-performance lithium-ion batteries. This method makes use of organic phosphoric acid as carbon and phosphoric sources to produce uniformly carbon-coated lithium-ion batteries that overcome the challenges of

The invention relates to an energy-generating system that makes use of polyethylene plastics (that would otherwise result in environmental pollution) to produce synthesis gas (syngas). Unlike conventional gasification systems that rely on oxygen, this system ensures that the gasification of

The technology relates to a system which harvests thermal energy from various sources (e.g., sunlight, cars, power plants, factories and other industries) and converts it into electricity. In this system, heat energy is harvested and then stored in a storage tank, using water as energy storage

The invention relates to a low-cost, portable, self-aligning rooftop wind turbine designed to capture moderate-velocity wind and generate electricity efficiently for household use. Current large-scale wind turbines in South Africa are located far field and the energy generated must be transported

The technology relates to an upright tubular fixed-bed reactor body comprising a heat -dissipating pipe, which extends from the reactor tube wall, to ensure that heat is effectively transferred in highly exothermic reactors such as Ficher-Tropsch, which are prone to heat build-up. The heat pipe is

The North-West University (NWU) has pioneered the novel use of Europium-Tellurium-Oxide (ETO) in the production of clean energy. ETO is a light-chargeable catalyst material that exhibits sustained and enhanced activity after light excitation has ended. Its unique characteristics present an

Surfactants are amphipathic molecules with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that partition preferentially at the interface between fluid phases such as oil/water or air/water interfaces. Such characteristics confer excellent detergency, emulsifying, foaming, and dispersing traits, which

The collection and preservation of biological material for further DNA and RNA analysis are critical to many biomedical fields, from medical diagnostics to forensics and biodiversity conservation. The Forensic DNA lab at the University of the Western Cape has developed a novel, proprietary DNA

The invention relates to the design of a robust membrane for desalination using membrane distillation (MD). Although MD technology has advanced over the years, its industrial application for the treatment of brackish water and seawater is still lagging. This invention exhibits advantages over the

A method and apparatus for treating a fluid utilising nanoscience. The impurities in the fluid are trapped by the charged nanoparticles. The fluid is contained in a reactor that includes a moving magnetic system. When the reactor is in use, the moving magnetic system excites the charged

Academic staff rating index (AR Index) is an interactive platform for supervision management. It is designed to enhance the student-supervisor relationship while also providing a rating index for supervisors. AR index aims to improve transparency and quality of academic student supervision by

The technology relates to an upright tubular fixed-bed reactor body comprising of a heat-dissipating pipe, which extends from the reactor tube wall, to ensure that heat is effectively transferred in highly exothermic reactors such as Fischer-Tropsch, which are prone to heat build-up. The heat pipe