Thesis (M. Tech. (Mech. Eng.)) -- Central University of Technology, Free state, 2010 / The purpose of this research is to minimize the use of active systems in providing thermal comfort in single-family detached, middle to high income residential buildings in Bloemfontein. The typical case study house was selected according to the criteria as reviewed by Mathews et al., (1999). Measurements were taken for seven days (18 – 24 May 2009). The measurements were carried out in the winter period for Bloemfontein, South Africa. Ecolog TH1, humidity and temperature data logger was used in doing the measurements. These measurements included indoor temperatures and indoor relative humidity. Temperature swings of 8.43 ºC and thermal lag of 1 hour were observed. For the period of seven days (168 hours), the house was thermally comfortable for 84 hours. Thermal analysis for the base case house was done using Ecotect™ (building analysis software) and the simulated results were compared with the measured results. A mean bias error (MBE) of between 10.3% ≤≤11.5% was obtained on the initial calibration. The final calibration of the model yielded error between0.364% ≤≤0.365%. The final calibration model which presented a small error was adopted as the base case. Passive strategies were incorporated to the Ecotect™ model (final calibrated model) singly and in combination; then both thermal and space load simulations were obtained and compared to simulations from the original situation (base case) for assessing improvements in terms of thermal comfort and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy consumption. Annual HVAC electricity savings of up to 55.2 % were obtained from incorporating passive strategies in combination. Incorporating passive strategies resulted in small improvements in thermal comfort.

Thesis (Ph.D Ed.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2007 / Since the advent of multicultural democratic governance in 1994, transformation has become crucial in South African higher education. This study is focused on the current discourses in Free State higher education institutions, especially after the mergers of the formerly black institutions and their white counterparts. The learning guide has been used to capture those debates, hence the location of its positioning between the dominant and the dominated discourses. The realisation that African culture and knowledge was being sidelined to the margins of the centre of knowledge production at higher education institutions necessitated this study. The study was qualitative, and has used Buskens-Meulenberg’s Free Attitude Interview (FAI) as an instrument to collect data. The in-depth interview with open-ended questions was used to put into practice Buskens-Meulenberg’s FAI and collect data from the respondents. In-depth interviews with-open ended questions were employed to obtain data from the nine academic respondents who constituted the sampled population. The instrumentation and the mode of data collection were important for this study because of their compatibility with critical theory and qualitative research, giving a “voice” and “space” for the voiceless – the subaltern culture, the formerly and still marginalised and peripheralised, the excluded – to be heard. Textually Oriented Discourse Analysis (TODA) was used in the analysis and interpretation of the texts through which the findings mentioned below were arrived at. The study was able to uncover the importance of the Africanisation of higher education in South Africa which seemed to be excluded in the agenda of the powers that be on the transformation of higher education. Critical theory was essential for this study because of its emancipatory underpinnings. The quantitative paradigm could not be used because of its tendency to maintain the status quo, which in the context of this study could entrench and perpetuate the exclusion and marginalisation of the subaltern culture from the centre of knowledge production. The study has taken care of the basics of TODA, namely ensuring that “textual or conversational structures” derive their framework from the cognitive, social, historical, cultural, or political contexts and in this way has prevented the interpretation of texts based only on surface structures and meanings of isolated and abstract sentences, especially from experts of the dominant discourse. This helped the study to obtain the following findings from the respondents: (i) Although the dominant discourse was diplomatic about benefiting financially from the compilation of learning guides, all indicators essentially pointed towards the existence of monetary gains from the process, even though the guides were purported to be less expensive compared to textbooks. (ii) Learning guides were only effective to the extent of helping students pass their courses, but on the other critical outcomes as outlined in the resource-based learning method document, they were lacking (see Chapter Four). (iii) The dominant discourse generally felt that it would be impossible for all the different cultures of South Africa to be incorporated into the curriculum of higher education. However, for the dominated culture, inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in curriculum was non-negotiable and fundamental to any meaningful transformation of higher education in South Africa. (iv) The learning guide was regarded by the dominant discourse as neutral in the current debates in Free State higher education. The dominated discourse thought otherwise. In Chapter Four the dominated discourse clearly substantiated their position of learning guides as a tool for domesticating the dominated culture for the maintenance of the status quo. Considering the above findings, the study concluded that higher education transformation still had a long way to go before it bore any meaningful fruits for the downtrodden and poor people of South Africa, who happen to be Black. Under the present arrangement African culture will be dominated, demolished and diminished, and Eurocentricism will continue to reign supreme. A constant inflow of black academics with higher education qualifications (Ph.D.) may eventually tip the scales of justice may provided they continue with emancipatory discourses among the subaltern culture. In view of the above findings and conclusions, the study recommends that policy makers should intervene and formulate African cultural friendly policies as a matter of urgency and stop being advocates of Eurocentricism. In the same way that there are assessment mechanisms for quality control and assurance, there should be mechanisms for assessing higher education institutions on transformation issues. This can assist in a swift integration of the two cultures at the merged institutions for the emergence of a new African Institutional Identity. Moreover, this can only happen if African intellectuals establish Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a centre and a space for the subaltern and alternative “voice” to be heard.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Environmental Health)) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2013 / Malnutrition and concomitant infections are major contributing factors to child morbidity and mortality in developing countries such as South Africa. Globally, children benefiting from school feeding programmes are generally from communities with low socio-economic statuses. The meals provided through feeding schemes, such as the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in South Africa, are aimed at significantly supplementing the beneficiaries’ daily energy and nutrient requirements. The possible nutrient deficiency of meals provided through such programmes compromises the nutritional well-being of children, promotes malnutrition and renders children more susceptible to infectious diseases. Furthermore, illness, particularly caused by diarrhoeal and infectious diseases, is a major factor contributing to child malnutrition as the human body is unable to efficiently digest foods and absorb nutrients during illness. Therefore, the microbiological safety of the foods served to children via feeding schemes is essential. In an effort to contribute towards the safety and wholesomeness of foodstuffs served through the NSNP, the present study was conducted with a view to assess the nutritional quality and safety of the foodstuffs. The knowledge, attitudes and practises (KAP) of food handlers and NSNP representatives/committee members at the schools were also investigated in order to assess origins of potential food contamination. Data collected via nutritional analyses of meals served to school children were compared to the nutrient-based standards set by the United Kingdom as guidelines for an average school lunch. The carbohydrate, energy, calcium and zinc contents of the school meals were below the standards, the majority of the meals met the protein and iron standards and all meals complied with the standards for lipid and vitamin C contents. During the microbiological analysis study, preparation surfaces yielded higher counts of all detected organisms (total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and yeasts and moulds) compared to the hands of food handlers. Therefore possible sources of contamination may be foodstuffs, animal pests and environmental elements such as dust. However, significant differences of surface microbial counts could not be established (P > 0.05) and thus cross-contamination may have resulted among surfaces, possibly augmented by shortfalls in cleaning regimes. The majority of the participants of the questionnaire survey reportedly washed their hands and cleaned all surfaces several times during the day with water and detergent. In addition, a disinfectant was used by some of the food preparers during cleaning. Furthermore, participants stated that their aprons were washed daily. These claims were in agreement with the findings of the surface microbial study with regards to the hands, however, they did not match the findings of the preparation surfaces which contained the highest counts of total coliforms, E. coli and S. aureus of the three surfaces analysed, and aprons responsible for the highest yeast and mould counts. Improper storage and food preparation methods, such as the application of high temperatures, excessive exposure to UV light and oxygen, and high moisture conditions, may result in the deterioration of nutrients. Storage conditions which may permit pest infestation may also increase the risk of food-related illnesses and risk could be further elevated by application of improper cleaning and sanitation practices. In order for the NSNP to operate effectively, it is essential that the national and provincial Departments of Basic Education, which are responsible for the overall administration of the NSNP, and schools’ personnel function in an integrated manner through support structures and effective communication. Infrastructural limitations (lack of proper kitchen facilities and ventilation) and shortage of resources while administering the NSNP were the main challenges observed during the present study. Due to these hurdles, adhering to food safety practices and maintaining nutritional quality of foods may be a challenge. Continuous training in personal and general hygiene is also a necessity in preserving food safety. Furthermore, nutritional quality of foodstuffs may be preserved through proper storage practices and application of preparation methods which minimize loss of nutrients.

Thesis (D. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013. / A major concern for developing countries including South Africa is the high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequity. Developing countries have accordingly been pre-occupied with finding solutions to these problems. Drawing on the success of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) from the developed countries such as the US and the UK, developing nations have embraced the idea of promoting development through SMMEs. But the overall performance of the small business sector in most developing countries has rather been dismal and as such have not been able to contribute optimally to the development agenda. Adopting a strategic management perspective, this study hypothesised that an integration of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientations (MO) glued together by innovativeness (INNO) would yield superior outcomes than the stand-alone effects of these strategic postures. To test the hypothesis, a sample of 198 small scale agricultural enterprises (SSAEs) in the Vryburg region was surveyed. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed on the data generated. The empirical findings showed that EO + MO + INNO interactively exhibited positive and significant correlation with the performance (sales growth and profitability) of SSAEs in the Vryburg region. However, the inter-correlations of EO + MO + INNO with business performance were practically moderate. The moderate correlations create opportunities for strengthening the entrepreneurial and market orientations and innovativeness of SSAES and in fact small businesses in general. An intensive and co-ordinated intervention of government and NGOs in transforming the small business sector into the real engine of growth of the economy is imperative. The study also attempted to predict firm performance holding EO + EO + INNO as predictor variables. Multi linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analysis however did not yield significant predictions of performance of SSAEs. This outcome provides a launch pad for further research into the proposed model in different settings because this study was mainly exploratory and executed in a rural and agricultural environments. Notwithstanding, the study made important contributions to the literature. It showed that it was possible to integrate EO + MO + INNO (previously viewed by many authors as exclusive constructs) into a single business model for the synergic enhancement of small business performance. It is hoped this would stimulate economic growth and development especially in developing countries.

Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006 / This study provides an analysis of the impact of the introduction of the FET system at Colleges in the Free State, with reference to Motheo FET College. The aim of the research was to explore the perceptions of Motheo FET staff on the implementation of the FET system. It is believed that these perceptions have far-reaching implications on aspirations of the stakeholders with regard to the implementation and success of the FET system at Motheo FET College. The literature has revealed that legislation, namely, the FET Act 98 of 1998, the SAQA Act 58 of 1995 and the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998, form an indispensable past of the FET sector and also provide all stakeholders with a frame of reference and guidelines to manage the new FET system for Motheo FET College effectively and efficiently. The study also has revealed that success in the FET sector will be achieved by closing the gap between “education and training” and also ”theory and practice”. Removal of the fragmentations in education through a co-ordinated, flexible and high-quality FET system will result in employability and employment opportunities for FET learners. It has become clear that the above objective may be best achieved by strengthening co-operation between the Department of Education and the Department of Labour, in which case a new system of learnership should be identified as a mechanism to enhance collaboration between the aforementioned departments. A literature study, interviews, observations and site analysis were used as data collection methods. Four major themes were formulated from the analysis of data, namely, transformation of the FET sector, ensuring equity in all respects regarding FET matters and ensuring equality in all aspects within the FET sector. The important findings were discussed at length and thereafter, the summary, discussions, conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the findings.

Thesis (M. Tech. Marketing) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2010

Thesis (D. Tech. ( Mechanical Engineering )) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2012 / In this study an alternative indirect Rapid Tooling process is proposed. It essentially consists of producing sand moulds by Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes followed by casting of tools in the moulds. Various features of this tool making method have been investigated. A process chain for the proposed tool manufacturing method was conceptually developed. This process chain referred to as Rapid Casting for Tooling (RCT) is made up of five steps including Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling, casting simulation, AM of moulds, metal casting and finishing operations. A validation stage is also provided to determine the suitability of the tool geometry and material for RCT. The theoretical assessment of the RCT process chain indicated that it has potential benefits such as short manufacturing time, low manufacturing cost and good quality of tools in terms of surface finish and dimensional accuracy. Focusing on the step of AM of the sand moulds, the selection of available AM processes between the Laser Sintering (LS) using an EOSINT S 700 machine and Three Dimensional Printing using a Z-Corporation Spectrum 550 printer was addressed by means of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The criteria considered at this stage were manufacturing time, manufacturing cost, surface finish and dimensional accuracy. LS was found to be the most suitable for RCT compared to Three Dimensional Printing. The overall preferences for these two alternatives were respectively calculated at 73% and 27%. LS was then used as the default AM process of sand moulds in the present research work. A practical implementation of RCT to the manufacturing of foundry tooling used a case study provided by a local foundry. It consisted of the production of a sand casting pattern in cast iron for a high pressure moulding machine. The investigation confirmed the feasibility of RCT for producing foundry tools. In addition it demonstrated the crucial role of casting simulation in the prevention of casting defects and the prediction of tool properties. The challenges of RCT were found to be exogenous mainly related to workmanship. An assessment of RCT manufacturing time and cost was conducted using the case study above mentioned as well as an additional one dealing with the manufacturing of an aluminium die for the production of lost wax patterns. Durations and prices of RCT steps were carefully recorded and aggregated. The results indicated that the AM of moulds was the rate determining and cost driving step of RCT if procurement of technology was considered to be a sunk cost. Overall RCT was found to be faster but more expensive than machining and investment casting. Modern surface analyses and scanning techniques were used to assess the quality of RCT tools in terms of surface finish and dimensional accuracy. The best surface finish obtained for the cast dies had Ra and Rz respectively equal to 3.23 μm and 11.38 μm. In terms of dimensional accuracy, 82% of cast die points coincided with die Computer Aided Design (CAD) data which is within the typical tolerances of sand cast products. The investigation also showed that mould coating contributed slightly to the improvement of the cast tool surface finish. Finally this study also found that the additive manufacturing of the sand mould was the chief factor responsible for the loss of dimensional accuracy. Because of the above, it was concluded that light machining will always be required to improve the surface finish and the dimensional accuracy of cast tools. Durability was the last characteristic of RCT tools to be assessed. This property was empirically inferred from the mechanical properties and metallographic analysis of castings. Merit of durability figures of 0.048 to 0.152 were obtained for the cast tools. It was found that tools obtained from Direct Croning (DC) moulds have merit of durability figures three times higher than the tools produced from Z-Cast moulds thus a better resistance to abrasion wear of the former tools compared to the latter.

Thesis (D. Tech. (Electrical Engineering)) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2012 / Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) has emerged as a key technology for automatic identification and promises to revolutionize business processes. While RFID technology adoption is improving rapidly, reliable and widespread deployment of this technology still faces many significant challenges. The key deployment challenges include how to use the simple, unreliable raw data generated by RFID deployments to make business decisions; and how to manage a large number of deployed RFID devices. In this thesis, a multi-agent based RFID middleware which addresses some of the RFID data and device management challenges was developed. The middleware developed abstracts the auto-identification applications from physical RFID device specific details and provides necessary services such as device management, data cleaning, event generation, query capabilities and event persistence. The use of software agent technology offers a more scalable and distributed system architecture for the proposed middleware. As part of a multi-agent system, application-independent domain ontology for RFID devices was developed. This ontology can be used or extended in any application interested with RFID domain ontology. In order to address the event processing tasks within the proposed middleware system, a temporal-based RFID data model which considers both applications’ temporal and spatial granules in the data model itself for efficient event processing was developed. The developed data model extends the conventional Entity-Relationship constructs by adding a time attribute to the model. By maintaining the history of events and state changes, the data model captures the fundamental RFID application logic within the data model. Hence, this new data model supports efficient generation of application level events, updating, querying and analysis of both recent and historical events. As part of the RFID middleware, an adaptive sliding-window based data cleaning scheme for reducing missed readings from RFID data streams (called WSTD) was also developed. The WSTD scheme models the unreliability of the RFID readings by viewing RFID streams as a statistical sample of tags in the physical world, and exploits techniques grounded in sampling theory to drive its cleaning processes. The WSTD scheme is capable of efficiently coping with both environmental variations and tag dynamics by automatically and continuously adapting its cleaning window size, based on observed readings.

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009