Richard Nkhoma

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Malawi University of Science and Technology

This study investigates and contrasts the final year (capstone) engineering projects at three public universities in Southern Africa: Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The research examines their practices, structures, assessme...

Renewable energy mini-grids are considered a cost-effective way to provide electricity for a large proportion of the population in developing countries who do not have access to it. Compared with standalone home systems and national grid systems, mini-grids can potentially offer a better service. They can be deployed faster, making them essential f...

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of socioeconomic factors on electricity usage and assess the feasibility of implementing a mini-grid system in Kasangazi, Malawi. The primary aim is to understand the community’s current and potential utilisation of electrical equipment. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was used to...

The issue of e-waste recycling is the uncharted territory in in most developing countries with a full potential to be a source of secondary resources. Every year there are tonnes of electronic materials with precious metals in them that lie in the landfills as there are no economically viable methods to extract them. Many people have attempted to r...

Purpose This study aims to investigate the intricate relationships between a community energy system, water resources and biodiversity conservation, with a specific focus on augmenting community energy resilience in Bondo. The primary objective is to gain an in-depth understanding of how community members perceive and experience the challenges rela...

The study reported in this article aimed to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms driving the adoption and usage of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural Malawian households, particularly among communities that have not received prior solar energy interventions. It used a qualitative approach to investigate the experiences of solar PV syste...

Purpose The study compares how work-integrated learning (WIL) placement positioning, duration, assessment strategies and environment at three Southern African universities influence engineering students' academic and employability outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative case study approach that drew on the principles of...

The COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the most significant disruptions to education in this century. Universities responded differently to the restrictions. For example, some universities in Southern Africa closed and had no academic activities for months. These universities had little online teaching and learning, opting for a phased return to fac...

Thin-walled Al-Si alloy precision casting components are used for various applications due to their excellent castability, corrosion resistance as well as high strength to weight ratio. It is very difficult to achieve all the set requirements due to the complexity of thin-walled components through casting processes usually used in producing the alu...

Synopsis The effects of welding current, electrode force, and welding time in a resistance spot weld were studied to investigate the effectiveness of welded joints between a thin EN10130: DC04 material and a thicker 817M40 part, through analysis of the microstructural and mechanical properties. All welded specimens were subjected to tensile testing...

In this study, 0.12Cr, 0.12Ni and 0.06Mo were added to the ordinary Si-Mn steel to investigate the effect of chemistry on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Si-Mn steel. Various combinations were done but these produced optimal results. The steels were hardened and soaked at different temperatures with reports coming from only heat...

A modelled constitutive equation derived from hot working tests to predict hot rolling mill loads is proposed and validated against industrial hot rolling data for AISI 321 stainless steel. Good correlation is found between the predicted mean flow stress, the Zener-Hollomon Z parameter and actual industrial mill load values from mill logs if allowa...

Although the austenitic stainless steels 304 and 321 are often treated nominally as equivalents in their hot rolling characteristics, the question remains whether any subtle differences between the two allow further optimisation of their respective hot rolling schedules. The hot workability of these two types of austenitic stainless steels were com...