The ushering of first-year Chemical Engineering students into university learning has evolved significantly and culminated in major developments in student academic performance when four top teams recently competed in a thrilling final of the department’s design competition.

The department’s First-Year Level Coordinator, Ayesha Reiners, said the students had been conducting an integrated project since February as part of a teaching and learning strategy to develop graduate attributes. “The topics in the project were carefully selected to address real-life problems often confronted by chemical engineers in the industry,” Reiners said.

She added that the topics were designed around themes such as waste management, renewable energy, electrochemistry, water purification, Ion separation and biofuel synthesis.

The grand finale was in the form of high competitive exhibitions. The winning team developed a novel method of extracting lead from an aqueous solution onto a bio-sorbent. The team managed to extract more than 95% lead from a synthetic solution. The runner-up successfully converted used cooking oil to biodiesel achieving a 100% conversion.

Student Namhla Siboya said the ground-breaking project managed to combine both education and fun into an instinctive and positively refreshing learning experience. “We had great tutors and mentors who constantly pushed us to do our best,” said Namhla.

Retired CPUT Chemical Engineering Lecturer, Bruce Hendry, was one of the adjudicators. Hendry said he had an exciting experience with the students and was impressed with their projects. “I was also impressed by the preparations behind projects,” he said.

Reiners added that the project runs throughout the year and is embedded in most subjects. The students work in teams with lecturers mentoring them. Students report back regularly in a collaborative seminar. They are given feedback during the seminars but are encouraged to work independently. “This is to inculcate a culture of independent learning, problem-solving, teamwork and engineering design amongst other attributes,” she concluded.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Two CPUT students have clinched first and second prize in a design competition.

The Trashback competition brief was to redesign a wheelie bin for the collection of second-hand clothes to be positioned in various public spaces. It had to be attractive and not be mistaken for a regular garbage bin.

Third-year Graphic Design student Nadia Smith beat the professional competition with her winning concept of a laundry basket.

And fellow third-year Courtney September’s idea of a bin mimicking a wardrobe scooped her the second prize.

The pair first submitted a draft of their idea and was part of a select group of entrants invited to actually create their drop-box during an intense three and a half hour challenge.

Nadia says she intentionally featured mock laundry neatly folded inside because she wanted people to touch the bin and be interested in it.

“The clothes folded inside indicate it is clean items within and encourages people to donate the same,” she says.

“I also used colourful material of different textures like denim and fleece to encourage people to touch it.”

Graphic Design lecturer Margaret Bezuidenhout says she is extremely proud of Nadia and Courtney because they didn’t have much time to complete the task.

“It was tremendous fun and I am hugely proud of both of them and all the others who participated in the project with such enthusiasm,” she says.

Nadia won a stay at a top nature reserve and will assist in the actual making of the bin.

By LAUREN KANSLEY

Written by CPUT News
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