Working smarter

As I become older, I regret that there are some inventions, electrical and otherwise, which will not be created in my life time. It would be a tragedy if I did not share the invention ideas with... 

Fusion reactors: Tokamak

In 'nuclear fission', the nucleus of an atom breaks up into two lighter nuclei. Okay. I will say that again. You get some atoms which are heavier than others, right? Like lead is heavier than iron... 

Killing the professions

I am a qualified electrical engineer who holds a university degree and is registered as a professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). I am a member of the South... 

Redoubling Your Effort

The definition of 'fanaticism' is when you redouble your effort when your aim is forgotten. And in that world of climate change, that area of cosy illusions and comforting half truths, this has... 

A small town in Germany

"Come on, Terence, " said Harry, "don't you know about the Hannover Fair ?" "In Hannover, Germany?" I said. "Exactly," he answered. 

My Mini Budget speech

I read an article that summed up the points made in the speech of our latest Finance Minister, Tito Mobweni. It is a document that is full of this new unit of currency, the 'bn'. Forgive me, I am... 

Electric healing

Many years ago, I had a conversation with a very nice physiotherapist.  The subject got onto electrotherapy, the curing of muscular aliments by the application of electricity. She explained to me... 

Potential issues with charging electric vehicles

All the big automotive manufactures are making electric vehicles (EV). Why? I mean that, right now, internal combustion (IC) engines, gearboxes, drive systems, instrumentation . . . the whole lot .... 

Electric cars one more time

Audi recently flighted a number of advertisements about its new all-electric car. This is due in 2019 and, if my job was to be an electrical reviewer, I might well go on from there, citing charge... 

The elephant in the room

From Wikipedia: "The expression 'the elephant in the room' defines a situation which refers to a question, problem, solution or controversial issue which is obvious to everyone who knows about the... 

Adventures on the Eskom system – Part 4

In my last column on the Eskom integrated power system, I explained that I worked for Eskom as the senior engineer for operations in the Eastern Cape for nearly two years. My region, the Eastern... 

Yet more adventures on the Eskom system

In my last column on the Eskom integrated power system, I explained that I worked for the State-owned power utility as the senior engineer for operations in the Eastern Cape for nearly two years.... 

Recorded music

From the first voice and music recordings of the 1800s, nothing much changed in the early part of the 1900s. Wind-up gramophones with paper mache cones were used for the reproduction of music that... 

Adventures on the interconnected electricity system

In my last column on the Eskom intergrated power system, I explained that I worked for electricity utility as the senior engineer for operations in the Eastern Cape for just under two years. The... 

A reflection on latest IRP iteration

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a government plan that supposedly sets out  the future development of the South African electricity generation system. In theory, government passes the plan... 

Adventures on the interconnected power system

  I worked for State-owned power utility Eskom as the senior engineer for operations in the Eastern Cape for just under two years. It was a fabulous job. I reported to the chief engineer, who, in... 

Electric cars: a real good thing?

When I was young, our family would go to the Natal South Coast on holiday. The roads were not great; so, we would have to stay overnight halfway to Durban. At holiday times, there was a lot of... 

Riots and strikes

We are in an era of strikes and riots. Workers at State-owned power utility Eskom have been on strike for weeks and have just settled, the taxi drives are on strike, the public workers union are... 

Playing with mental clarity

There is a serious disconnect between engineers and production idea people.  Production idea people want to innovate. They want a new thing every year. They do not want improvements, they want... 

Professional fees

You can get advice from a fairly good consulting engineer at a rate of about $700 for an eight-hour day which is near enough to R1 200 an hour. This would be a person who is registered as a... 

Engineering gut feel

So, there I was at a site meeting. As acoustics engineers, we had designed a roof build-up for the building which was under construction; firstly, to comply with thermal insulation requirements... 

The elephant in the substation

Everybody knows that renewable energy is great for us all: it is free, it does not pollute, it keeps big bad Eskom on its toes and it  represents huge investments in South Africa. What is there not... 

The war is over

Alan Campbell mentioned to me that, since this column is titled Electrically Speaking, it really should be about electricity. Good point. Well, water is normally supplied by pumps, and pumps work... 

People say . . .

In the Santam television advert, the ever-so-twee sweet likkel girl says that the first person to live to 200 has already been born. Well, she would know, wouldn't she? These sort of statements are... 

Unbundling Eskom

It should be evident to everybody that State-owned electricity utility Eskom is in the following condition: (a) The road transport coal supply contractors have for years been ripping off the system... 

Operation North Pole II

In last week's column, I told of Abwehr officer (German intelligence officer) Herman Giskes, head of Abwehr Section IIIF, who set his mind to capturing British agents who were either dropped by... 

Operation North Pole

Once upon a time, I tell the youth, there was a world war called World War II. Germany and Italy were fighting the UK, France and the US. The Germans invaded and occupied France, Holland, Belgium... 

Honest fee proposal

I thought what it would be like to write a fee proposal in which I was honest about the services we will offer in a fee proposal for a contract. Here it is: Dear Client, 

Error messages and biometrics

I thought I would write about error messages but it isnot a long enough topic for a whole column, so, in the later part of this column, I will also write about biometric identification. Error... 

The ‘going to the moon’ conspiracy

One of the problems with the 'common man' is that he is really very stupid. Such persons not only do not know but do not know that they do not know. I recently heard somebody discussing the bible.... 

Really back in the day

When I was in first year at the University of the Witwatersrand, in 1972, there were two computers. One was called IBM 360 West and the other IBM 360 East. West was for us students, East was for... 

Wheel of industrial safety has turned too far

There is no hotter topic than safety matters on mines and industrial plants. It has become a religion. Like all religions, it causes some unintended problems. When I was young, I worked for a... 

Wither fundamental knowledge?

I was drinking at the bar Elsabe used to call A Touch of Sadness. I was with an architect and Pierre F, a brilliant French fine artist and great conversationalist. Oh, yes, he has a doctorate in... 

Some opportunities

An unusual quiz: you are asked a set of questions which are largely hypothetical but, nevertheless, interesting. The questions are (as far as I remember) as follows: Would you chose to be (a)... 

Electronic loneliness: the nature of communication

I claim that communication is only possible between two systems which have different information content. The information content of a system is the probability that it will receive a message it... 

Goodbye to copper

Copper, the metal, has been around for a very long time. The Copper Age predates the Bronze and Iron ages and ran from about 4500 BC to 3500 BC. Copper has stuck with us – wooden ships were... 

Cattle class

I was in Uganda. Lovely people, beautiful scenery, traffic nightmare, airport nightmare. Entebbe International Airport is 40 km from the capital, Kampala. It takes two hours to travel from Entebbe... 

Driverless cars and robots

Let us imagine that two robots, Og and Box, are playing chess against each other. To make sure the game progresses, Og is allowed to make a move every seven seconds. Box is allowed to move every... 

Engineering design that’s deplorable

My experience with my Mercedes-Benz C180 has been an engineering delight. The driving and ride and interior are a matter for discussion in a motoring magazine – I am talking about engineering, bru.... 

New Cabinet appointments

When I worked for State-owned power utility Eskom, the top position went to either to engineer or an accountant, often turn by turn. When the engineer was in charge, the system was solid and...