Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Agricultural Engineering) by Type "Thesis"
Now showing items 1-20 of 37
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An assessment of the feasibility of quality indicators for the postharvest deterioration of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)
(2014)Sugarcane deterioration remains one of the most important supply chain efficiency leverage points in the South African sugar industry. Cane quality has been identified as an issue that has the potential to improve the ... -
Automated processor for optimizing tractor operation.
(1991)The agricultural tractor is designed as a general purpose machine and consequently, does not perform all its tasks at maximum efficiency. Various methods of increasing the field performance of these vehicles have been ... -
Characterization of flour and starch from Zambian cassava cultivars and application in frozen wheat bread dough.
(2019)Abstract available in pdf. -
Combustion stress in compression-ignition engines.
(1989)South Africa produces alternative fuels from a number of different sources. The properties of a fuel are known to affect the nature of combustion in compression-ignition engines significantly, and have occasionally ... -
A comprehensive qualitative and quantitative assessment of harvesting and other sugarcane supply chain disruptions within the Eston Mill supply area.
(2014)The Eston Mill, which was established in 1994, is the newest in the KwaZulu-Natal sugar belt. Like for most other mills, it can be argued that there are inefficiencies in the supply chain due to systemic issues, which ... -
Computational and numerical analysis of differential equations using spectral based collocation method.
(2019)In this thesis, we develop accurate and computationally efficient spectral collocation-based methods, both modified and new, and apply them to solve differential equations. Spectral collocation-based methods are the most ... -
Crop water requirements for irrigation planning in South Africa.
(1988)Irrigation in 1980 accounted for approximately 52 per cent of the water consumed in Southern Africa. The need for planning water resources in the agricultural sector is therefore apparent. Much of Southern Africa's ... -
Determining an integrated solid waste management action plan for urban Harare city, Zimbabwe: a system dynamics approach.
(2021)Abstract available in PDF. -
Developing a diagnostic heuristic for integrated sugarcane supply and processing systems.
(2019)Innovation is a valuable asset that gives supply chains a competitive edge. Moreover, the adoption of innovative research recommendations in agricultural value chains and integrated sugarcane supply and processing systems ... -
Development and application of decision support systems for improved planning and operation of large dams along the White Nile.
(2015)In this study the regulation of Lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Albert in East Africa are investigated with the objective of maximising hydropower production subject to system constraints for existing and future planned dams ... -
Development and assessment of regionalised approaches to design flood estimation in South Africa.
(2020)Engineers rely on design hydrological information for the design of hydraulic structures, such as dams, bridges, and drainage culverts. No single Design Flood Estimation (DFE) method has been identified internationally ... -
The development and evaluation of a performance-based standards approach for regulating the use of heavy vehicles in South Africa.
(2013)The regulation of the use of vehicles on the road network is aimed at ensuring acceptable safety and recovery of road maintenance costs, as well as minimising congestion, road wear, excessive noise and air pollution. The ... -
Development and optimization of an integrated post-harvest management system for the handling and storage of fresh tomatoes in South African supply chains.
(2017)Abstract available in PDF file. -
The development of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Index and its application to the Southern African Development Community.
(2020)This thesis commences with a review of the development and relevance of the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus as a framework for achieving resource security. Based on academic and grey literature it includes an assessment of ... -
Development of updated design norms for soil and water conservation structures in the sugar industry of South Africa.
(2020)Sugarcane in South Africa is grown on wide-ranging soils, sometimes in non-ideal climates and on steep topographies where soils are vulnerable to erosion. A consequence of unsustainable soil loss is reduction in field ... -
A diagnostic quasi-dimensional model of heat transfer and combustion in compression-ignition engines.
(1989)Investigations into the combustion of alternative fuels in compression-ignition engines in South Africa have underlined the inadequacies of existing zero-dimensional combustion models. The major aspect of concern in ... -
Effect of maturity and postharvest handling of prunus persica ‘landrace’ produced in KwaZulu-Natal: case study of physicochemical properties, tunnel solar drying and quality of processed products.
(2017)Farmers in KwaZulu-Natal produce peach fruit. However, they are faced with overwhelming losses of the fruit due to lack of proper handling techniques, skills and facility during postharvest. In addition, these farmers have ... -
Estimating traffic induced sugarcane losses for various harvesting, loading and infield transport operations in South Africa.
(2016)Infield traffic has been understood to cause adverse field conditions for crop growth. Literature containing traffic induced yield responses for sugarcane was reviewed and synthesised to better estimate the impact of infield ... -
Flood disaster preparedness and impacts on rural households: a comparative study of Mwandi District of Zambia and Eastern Zambezi Region of Namibia.
(2019)The Zambezi Basin is considered vulnerable to climate variability as evidenced by the recurrent floods. The increased occurrence and severity of floods in recent years in areas previously not flooded has inundated parts ...