Nuclear Scientist at NWU receives sought after award

Potchefstroom - Werner van Antwerpen has proven to be a true ambassador for South Africa, the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) and the Post-Graduate School for Nuclear Science and Engineering when he recently received the Harry Mandil Award for exceptional masters degree research in the field of nuclear engineering.

Van Antwerpen is currently a PhD student in Nuclear Engineering at the NWU, and completed his M.Eng in Nuclear Engineering (Cum Laude) in August 2007. The title of this thesis was “Multi-quadrant performance simulation for subsonic axial flow compressors”. This research provided an integrated simulation that can be applied to predict the performance of the plant during normal operation as well as start-up transients, and is a significant contribution towards the advancement of high temperature gas cooled reactor power plant technology. “It is a real honor for me to attain this award. I’m blessed in more ways than one. I’m just a result of the educational excellence that the school set out to achieve” says Van Antwerpen.

Late Harry Mandil is one of the founders of MPR, an interdisciplinary engineering firm which has been established in 1964. The firm has a wide international practice, and has also recently grounded it’s roots in South Africa. The MPR firmly supports education and research, and has established this international award in honour of the best master’s degree student in nuclear engineering.

The Post Graduate School for Nuclear Science and Engineering was the first to be awarded a chair in Nuclear Engineering in South Africa, and the achievements of this speaks loudly of the NWU’s drive towards pioneering innovation. Van Antwerpen was also the only South African delegate chosen to partake in the European Nuclear Education Network Association’s (ENEN) International Youth Conference on Energetics in Budapest which took place early in June. Van Antwerpen was also announced as one of the tree winners during this conference. As part of the price he has been invited to do a presentation at the next ENEN conference this year in Paris, or next year in Barcelona. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Werner van Antwerpen, Prof Jat du Toit at the Mechanical Engineering and Prof Mariëtte Lowes, Vice-rector: Academic.