ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING HOD EXPLORES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SELF-EXCITED SYNCHRONOUS RELUCTANCE GENERATOR AS HE EARNS HIS DOCTORAL DEGREE

A boyhood dream of one day traveling to space may not yet have materialized for a WSU academic, but his dogged determination for academic success has enabled him to reach heights many can only dream of.

Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at WSU, Dr Samuel Adjei-Frimpong’s academic achievements have recently been further distinguished by the attainment of a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Johannesburg this past July.

His doctoral research, titled “Development of Self-Excited Synchronous Reluctance Generator with a Slitted-Rotor Core for Enhanced Performance,” marks a significant contribution to the field.

“I have always wanted to become an engineer from a very young age and used to tell my friends that I would be the first person from my village to go to outer space. My elder siblings then advised me to take maths and science seriously if I wanted to become an engineer—advice that I wholeheartedly embraced,” he said.

Central to Adjei-Frimpong’s research is the development of a novel standalone synchronous reluctance generator that is compact, quieter, and suitable to be fitted with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for urban rooftops to generate electric power.

Thanks to his interest in space travel , Adjei-Frimpong, grew up in Manso-Amenfi, located in the Western Region of Ghana, nourished by a strong foundation in mathematics and physics.

This dedication ultimately led him to graduate with a BSc (Honours) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1995.

His association with WSU began in 2002, three years after he arrived in South Africa, when he was employed as a junior lecturer in the electrical engineering department of the then Border Technikon.

“Almost 12 years later, in 2014, I was appointed as Head of Department.One of the greatest highlights of my career as departmental head was the opportunity to align the National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, which was offered at both Butterworth and Buffalo City campuses. I also led the department to obtain accreditation for its BTech degree in Electrical Engineering for the first time,” boasted Adjei-Frimpong.

Looking ahead, he said he will use the knowledge and experience he has gained to assist the department in developing and solidifying the Honours and Master's degree programmes for the benefit of the local community.

In his concluding remarks, Adjei-Frimpong said, “I will continue to pursue cutting-edge innovation and research that will benefit the community. I have also begun working with a staff member who requires co-supervision for his master’s studies.”

By Thando Cezula