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An indoor positioning system using multiple methods and tools
No full textThesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.Recently, the deployment and availability of wireless technology have led to the development of location and positioning services. These Location Based Services (LBSs) are attracting the attention of researchers and mobile service providers. With the importance of ubiquitous computing, the main challenge seen in the LBS is in the mobile positioning or localization within reasonable and certain accuracy. The Global Positioning System (GPS), as a widely known and used navigation system, is only appropriate for use in outdoor environments, due to the lack of line-of-sight (LOS) in satellite signals that they cannot be used accurately inside buildings and premises. Apart from GPS, Wi-Fi is among others, a widely used technology as it is an already existing infrastructure in most places. This work proposes and presents an indoor positioning system. As opposed to an Ad-hoc Positioning System (APS), it uses a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN). The system makes use of an already existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. Moreover, the approach tests the positioning of a node with its neighbours in a mesh network using multi-hopping functionality. The positioning measurements used were the ICMP echo requests, RSSI and RTS/CTS requests and responses. The positioning method used was the trilateral technique, in combination with the idea of the fingerprinting method. Through research and experimentation, this study developed a system which shows potential as a positioning system with an error of about 2 m – 3 m. The hybridization of the methods proves an enhancement in the system though improvements are still require
Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of a selection of South African indigenous fruits
No full textThesis (MTech (Chemistry))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.It has recently been confirmed that people consuming 7+ portions of fruit and vegetables daily have a lower risk of mortality from any cause. With a fifth of the population of South Africa falling below the poverty line, it has been found that rural adults have a very low daily intake of fruit and vegetables; at the same time rural children are consuming a primarily maize-based diet. This low dietary diversity translates into a higher level of infectious diseases in children younger than five years. Interventions at national level included promoting the growing of underexploited traditional indigenous vegetables and fruits in home gardens, in the hope that rural households would help themselves in diversifying their cereal-based diet, while using crops they are accustomed to in their environment. Ten indigenous South African fruits found in the Western Cape were evaluated for their potential to make a positive contribution to the diet of rural communities and were compared with Blueberry and Cranberry, the North American ‘gold standards’. The following determinations were carried out on 12 samples: Total Phenolic Content, Total Flavanols and Total Monomeric Anthocyanins were analysed using the Folin-Ciocalteu, Mazza and pH Differential methods. Total Antioxidant Capacity was assessed using the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), DPPH and Molybdenum Reduction assays. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORACFL) was also determined. Iron Chelating Activity, one of the methods recommended to reflect other antioxidant mechanisms, was also investigated. The fruits possessing the highest concentration of Total Phenolic Content (Mazza) were Christmas berry, Bietou, Wild Olive and Wild Plum, at levels significantly higher than those of the two control berries, Blueberry and Cranberry. The fruits yielding the highest results for the TEAC assay were Wild Plum, Wild Olive, Tortoise berry, Christmas berry and Colpoon. The fruits giving the highest results for the DPPH assay were Wild Plum, Colpoon, Wild Olive, and Christmas berry. The fruits showing the highest results for the Molybdenum Reduction assay were Wild Olive, Wild Plum, Christmas berry, and Tortoise berry. The fruits yielding the highest results for the ORAC Total Antioxidant Capacity assay were Colpoon, Christmas berry, Wild Olive, Crossberry, Wild Plum, Waterberry followed by Blueberry and Cranberry. The results from the Iron Chelating Activity assay revealed a ranking of Christmas berry, Blueberry, followed by Num-num. On combining the results of eight assays, namely TPC (Mazza), TF, TA, TEAC, DPPH, TAC, TPC (FCR), ICA to give an Antioxidant Potency Composite Index, the fruits with the highest iv rankings were (1) Wild Plum, (2) Wild Olive, (3) Colpoon, and (4) Christmas berry. By comparison the northern hemisphere control berries ranked (5) Blueberry and (9) Cranberry. These findings show that by introducing even small servings of indigenous fruits into the diet, an important and inexpensive source of natural antioxidants could be accessed and the mean daily ORAC intake could thereby be boosted significantly by about 4,000 µmol Trolox Equivalents to bring the Total ORAC consumed to within optimum levels (6,000 µmol Trolox Equivalents and above). These bioactive plant compounds have the potential to deliver immense benefits to health to impoverished South African adults, as well as rural children, well beyond basic nutrition
Solvates and salts of selected fenamates
No full textThesis (MTech (Chemistry))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.Solvatomorphism of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is one of the most studied areas in pharmaceutical science. Since APIs are exposed to solvents during many stages of their production, knowledge of the consequences from such exposure is essential. Salt formation has been known to improve some physicochemical properties of an API. Amongst these properties, API solubility is one of the most important characteristics as their use in the market is determined by this feature. Research presented here investigated the solvates and salts of mefenamic acid (MA) and tolfenamic acid (TFA); both representing fenamic acids belonging to a class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Solvates were obtained by reactions of TFA and MA with the solvents 2-picoline, 3-picoline, 4-picoline, 3-bromopyridine and 3-chloropyridine. A solvate polymorph of MA and 2-picoline was isolated. The salts were obtained by using diethanolamine, ethylenediamine, 1-methylpiperazine, and triethylamine in combination with the fenamic acids. Morpholine formed a salt with TFA, but not with MA. Instead a zwitterionic form of MA was synthesised when the latter was mixed with morpholine. The resulting compounds were characterised and their crystal structures analysed. It was found that the conformation of the acids in the solvate and the salt compounds differed. Moreover, within the solvates, the conformation of the fenamate backbone varied depending on the acid and the solvent used for crystallisation. Although similar solvents were utilized, the structural packing arrangements of TFA solvates were very different from the arrangements associated with MA. The thermal analyses of the salts/solvates were determined by using both thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The compounds were further investigated after manual grinding and the preparation of slurries. These preparation methods were successful for most compounds but not for MA•2PIC and (MA-)(EDM+). Instead, the recrystallization, grinding and slurry investigations of MA•2PIC yielded a polymorph of this particular solvate. In the case of (MA-)(EDM+), the PXRD results obtained from both the pulverised and slurry samples were completely different from one another and also from those determined for the starting materials.
Generally, the desolvation studies of the MA salts and solvates produced the same crystal form as occurred in the starting material. The exception was (MA-)(TA+) wherein desolvation produced a mixture of two polymorphs of MA
Manufacture and stabilisation of highly concentrated emulsions using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquiozane nanomolecules
No full textThesis (MTech (Chemistry))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.The subject of this current study concerns highly concentrated emulsions of the explosive grade. A distinguishing characteristic of these systems is a high internal to external phase volume ratio. The volume fraction of the aqueous phase of such an emulsion generally far exceeds the close packing limit. Continuous phase of the system is a supersaturated aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate inorganic salt. In combination with high internal phase concentration, this inevitably leads to the destabilisation of the system. The thermodynamic instability of such systems is attributed to two major factors: 1) crystallisation of dispersed phase and 2) coalescence of the individual droplets within the bulk. This poses a significant problem since destabilisation of the bulk emulsion in turn leads to partial or complete loss of sensitivity to detonation of the final product of which highly concentrated emulsion is the base. Since the invention of such types of bulk explosives, a considerable and on-going effort has targeted the improvement of the stability of these systems, with a scope primarily focused on the use of various surfactant agents with different properties as well as stabilising mixtures containing numerous surfactants. In recent years, a new approach has been explored: the stabilisation of highly concentrated emulsions with the use of solid fumed silica nanoparticles. This is a promising new field of study, already being implemented by manufacturers and actively developing.
The focus of this present study is to investigate and lay the ground work for further research in the principally new approach towards the stabilisation of highly concentrated emulsions with the use of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquiozane nanomolecules. These are unique compounds possessing hybrid inorganic-organic structures and properties, and carrying a range of advantages over currently implemented surfactants. As opposed to silica nanoparticles, these compounds are not solid particles but can be regarded as molecular silica. This investigation will focus on the general possibility of implementation of such compounds as stabiliser agents for emulsions in general, and highly concentrated emulsions of the explosive grade in particular, and the resultant effects on the stability. Effects on stability will be investigated both when used solely and in combination with common surfactants. In addition, stability both on shelf and under stress will be investigated within the framework of the study
Agent-based energy management system for remote community microgrid
No full textthesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Technology: Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering
at the Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyRural communities are often unable to access electrical energy due to their distant location away from the national grid. Renewable energy sources (RESs) make it possible to provide electrical energy to these isolated areas. Sustainable generation is possible at a local level and is not dependant on connection to a national power grid.
Microgrids are small scale, stand-alone electricity networks that harness energy at its geographical location, from natural resources. These small scale power grids are either connected to a national grid or operate separately by obtaining their power from an RES. Microgrids are becoming increasingly popular because they can provide electricity, independently of the national grid. The size of microgrid systems are dependent on the amount of energy that needs to be drawn and the amount of energy that has to be stored. Mechanical and electrical system component sizes become bigger due to increased operational energy requirements. Increases in component sizes are required on growing power networks when higher current levels are drawn. Energy management of microgrids must thus be introduced to prevent overloading the power grid network and to extend the operational life of the storage batteries. Energy management systems consist of different components which are seen as operational units. Operational units are responsible for measurement, communication, decision–making and power supply switching control, to manipulate the power output to meet the energy demands. Due to the increasing popularity of DC home appliances, it is important to explore the possibility of keeping these microgrids on a DC voltage basis. Electrical generation equipment such as photovoltaic panels can be used to generate DC at designed voltage levels. The energy management system connects the user loads and generation units together to form the microgrid. The aim of this study was to carry out the design of an agent–based energy management system for rural and under-developed communities. It investigates how the control of the output of the energy management system can be carried out to service the loads. The simulations were done using the following software packages: Simulink, Matlab, and SimPowerSystems.
PV sources, energy management system (EMS) and user load parameters are varied in the simulation software to observe how the control algorithm executes load shedding. A stokvel-type charge share concept is dealt with where the state-of-charge (SOC) of batteries and user consumption will determine how grid loads are managed. Load shedding within the grid is executed by monitoring energy flow and calculating how much energy is allowed to be used by each consumer. The energy management system is programmed to always provide the largest amount of energy to the consumer with the lowest energy consumption for each day. The batteries store surplus electrical energy during the day. Load shedding starts at 18:00 each day. Users will be disconnected from the grid whenever their allotted energy capacity were depleted
The adoption of e-commerce in the Lesotho tourism industry
No full textDissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology in Business Information Systems in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyOver the years, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been revolutionising global markets. Just as developed nations, there has been a push for developing countries to adopt ICT as leverage towards improving their economic development. However, in the current era ICT adoption has not been as widespread as anticipated in some parts of the world with its use in developing countries especially, lagging behind. This is particularly so amongst the small, medium, micro-enterprise (SMME) sector, which is an important driver of the economy in the developing world.
SMMEs in developing countries have largely been hindered in the uptake of ICTs. This is, in part, due to underlying issues such as high cost of ICT, inadequate and unreliable infrastructure as well as lack of policy which promotes competition and growth of the ICT sectors. Amongst varying applications of ICTs, e-Commerce is one area in particular in which SMMEs have been relatively slow to adopt. In the current era many African countries have already taken firm steps to address infrastructure and ICT access issues. However improved access on its own will not result in economic growth. Thus it is important to also understand aspects of ICT adoption in developing countries.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors affecting e-commerce adoption in a developing country. Lesotho presented itself as an ideal case to investigate e-commerce adoption amongst SMMEs in the Lesotho tourism industry. This study provides a deeper explanation of the factors that influence e-commerce uptake in the Lesotho tourism sector. In the extant literature, several studies and a number of generic models and frameworks on technology adoption explain a generalised understanding of technology adoption. None of these provide a contextualised perspective prevalent to businesses in the typical developing country environment.
Evidence for the study was collected via questionnaire and interviews with businesses. Questionnaires were distributed, in the first instance, to understand the level of adoption of e- commerce amongst tourism businesses in Lesotho, and to assess what the internet was being used for. Based on this initial assessment, which confirmed the research problem, the researcher conducted interviews to investigate the actual adoption issues amongst tourism SMMEs in Lesotho. In addition, the discussion with SMMEs involved observations and examining the organisation‟s online activities or websites (where applicable) as well as the investigation of the country‟s e-commerce environment.
The study was premised on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model as its framework. The results showed that SMMEs used the Internet on a daily basis for various purposes. However e-commerce services were not used by businesses even though there appeared to be a general consensus amongst respondents that e-commerce would increase productivity. The findings revealed that dimensions of the UTAUT model provided a sensible explanation regarding behavioural intention to adopt and use e-commerce amongst tourism SMMEs in the Lesotho tourism sector. In addition new dimensions in respect of adoption were identified, viz. national culture and facilitating conditions. From national culture and facilitating conditions dimensions, factors such as nepotism, masculinity, technological resources, costs, education and organisation‟s size were found to be mitigating factors against e-commerce adoption amongst SMMEs in the Lesotho tourism industry. Finally, an adapted UTAUT model is proposed for further study of e-commerce adoption in a developing country context
Social media risks in large and medium enterprises in the Cape Metropole : the role of internal auditors
No full textThesis (MTech (Internal Auditing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.Social media has undoubtedly emerged as one of the greatest developments in this technology driven generation. Despite its existence from years back, social media popularity has recently surged drastically, with billions of users worldwide reported to be on at least one social media platform. This increase in users of social media has further been necessitated by governmental and private-sector initiatives to boost Internet connectivity to bridge the digital divide globally.
Mobile Internet access has also fuelled the use of social media as it allows easy and economical connectivity anytime, anywhere. The availability of hundreds of social media platforms has presented businesses with several opportunities to conduct business activities using social media. The use of social media has been
reported to avail businesses with plenty of benefits when this use is strategically aligned to business objectives. On the flipside of the coin, these social media platforms have also emerged as new hunting grounds for fraudsters and other information-technology related criminals. As with any invention, engaging social media for business has its own inherent risks; this further complicates existing information-technology risks and also presents businesses with new risks.
Despite blossoming into a global phenomenon, social media has no universally accepted frameworks or approaches (thus no safeguards) when engaging with it, resulting in almost unlimited risk exposures. The uncertainly, i.e. risks surrounding social media platforms, proves problematic in determining the optimum social media platform to use in business. Furthermore, organisations are facing challenges in deciding whether to formally adopt it or totally ignore it, with
the latter emerging not to be a viable option. The complex nature of social media has made it difficult for enterprises to place a monetary value and determine a return on investment on these platforms. From a governance perspective, it remains a challenge for most enterprises to identify and appoint
individuals responsible for social media management within businesses, although recently social media strategist positions have been surfacing. Due to their nature, the social media trigger matters relating to governance, risk and compliance, which imply that internal auditors therefore are expected to champion the adoption of social media in enterprises. As a relatively new concept, the role that internal auditors should play towards social media appears not to be well defined. Through examination of existing guidelines, an attempt is made to define the role of internal auditors towards social media
Social capital and organisational performance : a case study of a professional soccer league (PSL) club in South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Sport Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.This research investigated the relationship between Social Capital created by Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and organisational performance at Ajax Cape
Town FC a professional football club in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL).
A mixed methods approach was selected for data collection and interviews,
questionnaires and content analysis were the tools used to collect data.The data
collected suggested that Ajax Cape Town FC employed CSR initiatives that successfully
created social capital, and consequently enjoyed various benefits from these activities.
The CSR activities facilitated access to the club’s target market, developed and
improved mutually beneficial relations with the community and subsequently Ajax Cape
Town FC experienced increased trust, a positive brand image and stronger loyalty from
their fans and the broader community. The outcomes of this study provided an insight
into a South African professional football club and demonstrate how CSR initiatives can
be used to successfully improve organisational performance
Pre-conditions, challenges and opportunities for community-based tourism in Mpondoland in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.Research indicates that community-based tourism (CBT) has economic relevance and is often viewed as an alternative source of income for rural communities that are endowed with rich cultural and natural tourism resources, yet the success of CBT projects is negligible. This research was designed to explore the importance of considering pre-conditions for CBT before proceeding with the actual implementation of the project with a sample of CBT project members directly involved in CBT. Ignoring this fundamental step often led to failure of CBT projects.
The research sought to establish whether the CBT projects in Mpondoland were either faced with challenges or presented with opportunities and to propose a CBT Pre-condition Management and Evaluation Model (PEM). The participants were selected because of their relevant knowledge and experience in relation to the case. All seventeen members who were operating a CBT business at the time of the study in the village of Noqhekwane and all five members from the village of Ndengane were approached to participate in the study. This study employed a mixed-methods approach for data collection, more specifically, the qualitative approach was used to gather more in-depth information from respondents, based on their CBT project in the context of their specific socio-economic status, their local environment, education levels, management and background of their project, and infrastructures of the area. Interpretive analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data using thematic categories from the analysis as sub-headings. Other data collected from the responses was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0
Modeling and control of a dual-mode grid-integrated renewable energy system
No full textThesis (MTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.From the electric power generation perspective, the last three decades have been characterized by sustained growth in the amount of Distributed Power Generation (DPG) systems integrated into the electric grid. This trend is anticipated to continue, especially in light of the widespread acceptance of the many benefits envisaged in the increase of renewable-based power generation.
The potential for grid-integrated DPG systems to significantly contribute to electric power supply reliability has consistently attracted extensive research in recent times, although concerns continue to be raised over their adverse impact on the normal grid operation at high penetration levels. These concerns largely stem from the limited controllability of most DPG systems, which tend to exhibit large output impedance variation, and non-deterministic power output characteristics. There has therefore also been a growing need to develop effective control strategies that can enhance the overall impact of the DPG systems on the grid operation, thus improving their synergistic properties, and probably also enabling an even higher penetration level into the utility grid.
In line with this identified need, this thesis discusses the modeling and controller design for an inverter-based DPG system with the capability to effectively operate both in grid-connected and autonomous (i.e. independent of the utility grid) operational modes. The dual-mode operation of the DPG is made possible by incorporating into the inverter interface control scheme the means to ensure seamless transition of the DPG between the grid-connected and autonomous modes of operation. The intention is to have a grid-integrated inverter-based DPG system whose operation approximates that of an online Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system, in that it is able to sustain power supply to the local load in the absence of the grid supply, which would be desirable for critical loads, for which the level of power supply reliability guaranteed by the grid often falls short of the requirements. The work developed in this thesis considers three of the aspects associated with grid-integrated DPG systems that are equipped with autonomous-mode operation capability