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27 September 2021 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Dr Jacques Maritz, a lecturer at the UFS Department of Engineering Sciences (EnSci), recently hosted and chaired a mini-symposium on the role of UFS Grid Related Research.

During 2020 the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa campus experienced a loss of electricity supply for 10% of the year which led to emergency generation costs reaching R1.2-million. 

This is one of the problems Dr Jacques Maritz, a lecturer at the UFS Department of Engineering Sciences (EnSci), and the UFS Grid Related Research group are looking to address with their research on green and sustainable digital transformation efforts of local campus power grids.

Dr Maritz recently hosted and chaired a mini-symposium on the role of UFS Grid Related Research during which research strategies, visions and missions were shared by different research groups. These groups included the UFS Grid Related Research Group (presented by Dr Maritz), the UFS Initiative for Digital Futures (presented by Mr Herkulaas Combrink and Prof Katinka de Wet, both interim directors) and the Block Chain Research Group (presented by Mr Riaan Bezuidenhout, a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science and Informatics).  

Dr More Manda, on behalf of merSETA strategy and research, presented its strategic priorities for the next couple of years, which included the observation to drive the development of Digital and Green Skills. Mr Nicolaas Esterhuysen, from UFS Department of University Estates, also presented a live demonstration of the current state of the UFS smart grid. Industry partners presented a synopsis of their efforts and products pertaining to the evolution of digital and green campus grids. 

The symposium highlighted the existing synergies and visions

The symposium boasted an international keynote by Dr Veselin Skendzic (locally supported by Mr Deon Joubert, SEL), a principal research engineer with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories  Inc (SEL), on the detection of power grid faults using the phenomena of travelling waves.

“The symposium highlighted the existing synergies and visions shared between UFS research groups, our industry partners and funders. An innovative model of industry engagement via shared case studies and technical papers, with emphasis on local campus grids, was explored and discussed. 

“The UFS Initiative for Digital Futures placed emphasis on the value-add of multidisciplinary research teams when attempting to solve the most critical social problems, especially in the South African digital paradigm. One of the notable successes of this symposium was that it provided a platform for several research groups within the paradigms of science, engineering and social sciences to synchronise with industry and showcase their expertise towards the effort of creating green and sustainable campus grids,” says Dr Martiz.
Mr Nicolaas Esterhuysen, from UFS Department of University Estates, also presented a live demonstration
of the current state of the UFS smart grid. (Photo:Supplied)

According to him, the critical discussions observed during the symposium aim towards future efforts that include working more closely with industry partners and leveraging internal collaborations in order to advance the digitalisation, optimisation, reliability and research-readiness associated with campus grids. The latter is also part of the mandate of the UFS Grid Related Research Group to build local research instruments that will serve a wider community of scientist and engineers. 

Additional benefit

An additional benefit of a fully digitally twinned campus grid is the value-add of the corresponding data lake, an entity that will serve the establishment of new frontiers in digital R&D exchanges, governed by the appropriate digital ethics, says Dr Maritz.

He continues: “The UFS is in a unique position to compete in the Digital Futures paradigm, with emphasis on its ability to generate innovative digital backbones to serve multidisciplinary research interactions between internal research groups and industry, with unique contributions generated in the field of digital training. The UFS Grid Related Research Group has also been receiving valuable support, training, and guidance from the Emerging Scholars Accelerator Programme (ESAP), led by Dr Henriëtte Van Den Berg, including mentorship by Prof Pieter Meintjes, senior professor at the Department of Physics, UFS. 

“This symposium was part of the engagement efforts by the UFS Grid Related Research Group as the main driver of the merSETA funded UFS project for Digital and Data Engineering, which is closely affiliated with the initiative for Digital Futures.”

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Funding of R8.7million for skills development in manufacturing and teacher training signed over to UFS
2017-06-19

Description: MerSETA funding Tags: MerSETA funding



The MerSETA (Skills and Training Authority for Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Industries) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the University of the Free State (UFS) for a grant of approximately R8.7million on 14 June 2017, which will be disbursed over a three-year period. 

UFS seeks to bridge the skills gap
As a response to the need for skills development in the manufacturing, engineering and related industries sector, and as an institution of higher learning optimally placed to serve the population of central South Africa, the UFS proposed a partnership with MerSETA to address challenges in the sector. The interventions that MerSETA will fund include training for 600 vocational teachers, research and development of a green building mechanical index, in-service training for 60 IT Teachers and microbotics classes for 100 students.

The CEO of MerSETA, and UFS alumnus Dr Raymond Patel, said the funding for rare skills such as in science and engineering are of great importance for the country. The ability to train teachers and to upskill them will yield great results for the economy as a whole. Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Francis Petersen said the UFS partnership with SETAs and with MerSETA in particular should be mutually beneficial, and went a long way in integrating first-generation university students to be better-prepared for university studies.

Collaboration and support key within university departments
The delegates visited the Departments of Education and Engineering Sciences on the Bloemfontein Campus, where they met project leaders Louis Lagrange from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Dr Nixon Teis, Faculty of Education, and Pat Lamusse, Institutional Advancement. Present at the signing ceremony were members of the Rectorate, the Acting Dean of the faculty of Education, Prof Loyiso Jita, and Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Danie Vermeulen, as well as researchers who will be working on the green building mechanical use index and other MerSETA representatives.

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