Innovations

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 Bambara Groundnut, or round bean, is widespread in Africa where it is known by various names. It has potential as a cash crop, owing to its nutritional composition, functional properties and antioxidant potential. Consequently, we at CPUT have used the Bambara Groundnut as a raw material to

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

Fly ash, is a waste by-product from the coal-fired electricity generating stations. Power stations need to dispose of the fly ash in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, making the need to utilize fly ash important. The production of zeolites is one way to beneficiate the fly ash waste where

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

The technology relates to an improved method for reclaiming waste beer from a brewing process. The process ensures the sterilization and re-use of beer that would otherwise be lost in the brewing process due to contamination. The method focuses on recovering beer lost in the fermentation stage

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an aquatic weed which has one of the highest growth rates of all plants in the world. This fast-growing plant causes numerous problems in water bodies. These problems are related to navigation, recreation, irrigation and hydropower generation. The complete