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SA R&D Catalogue » Aircraft Design » UCT
Blast Impact and Survivability Research Unit (BISRU):
In 2003, BISRU was accredited as a formal research group; primarily due to a request from industry
to form a Centre of Excellence in Blast Protection and Survivability. The objective of BISRU is
engineering research that saves lives - in particular in scenarios where humans are subjected to
blast and impact situations.
The objective of the research work during the past 25 years has been and continues to be to strive
to reduce risk of injury and save lives through fundamental principles of science and engineering,
using experimental, analytical and computational tools and techniques to understand the
mechanics and dynamics of blast and impact loads.
Aeronautical Research Group:
The Department of Mechanical Engineering has recently embarked on a number of research
projects in the field of aeronautical engineering.
Although the BSc(Eng) in mechanical engineering at the University of Cape Town is a general
degree without specialisation and the Department had not been doing much aeronautical
research in the past. The appointment of Professor Chris Redelinghuys a few years ago has led
to the establishment of such a research focus. Chris' formal postgraduate education has been
in the field of aeronautical engineering and he has substantial local and international industrial
experience in flight vehicle simulation and design, particularly related to flight mechanics and
applied aerodynamics. He is currently the Western Cape Representative of the National Aerospace
Centre.
Sasol Advanced Fuels Laboratory:
The focus of the Sasol Advanced Fuels Laboratory is on medium to long-term synthetic-fuel
applications research. There is also a conscious intent to build capacity for Sasol's future growth.
The research work entails the study of combustion in engines, and it ranges from the study of
current synthetic fuels in current engines to future fuels and future engine concepts.
- Core capabilities include the application of synthetic fuels to current and future engine
technologies and fuel and engine based research.
- Infrastructure includes gas turbine test cell; emissions monitoring; combustion visualisation.
- Research programmes are focused on semi- and fully synthetic jet fuel.
| Capabilities/Skills/Expertise |
- Corrosion, wear, and thermal testing
- Fibre metal laminates
- Heat treatment and specimen preparation
- Semi- and fully synthetic jet fuel
- Analytical, computational and experimental analysis of blast events, including transportation
accidents
- Development of new metal alloys, polymers, ceramics and hard materials
- Flight mechanics and applied aerodynamics
- Fracture mechanics research
- Fuel and engine based research
- Materials characterisation and development of new materials
- Theoretical and computational modelling of structural mechanics and fluid dynamics.
Aerodynamics and aircraft design
Contact person: Professor Gerald Nurick (BISRU)
Tel: +27(0)21 650 3234
Email: Gerald.Nurick@uct.ac.za
Website: www.bisru.uct.ac.za
or
Contact person: Professor Chris Redelinghuys
(Aeronautical Research Group)
Tel: +27(0)21 650 2699
Email: Christiaan.Redelinghuys.uct.ac.za
Website: www.ebe.uct.ac.za/research/groupings
or
Contact person: Adjunct Professor Andy Yates
Tel: +27(0)21 650 2699
Email: Andy.Yates@sasol.com
Website: www.safl.uct.ac.za
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