My Conventional Energy Systems class went to the Koeberg and Ankerlig power stations for site visits today. Koeberg is the only nuclear power station in Africa, so it is a pretty exceptional place to visit. Ankerlig is a new gas turbine power station that Eskom uses to meet peak electricity demand in the Western Cape.
I was one of the drivers of the University of Stellenbosch vans, so I left my vehicle at the motor pool on the University of Stellenbosch campus. Because we couldn't take our laptops on site at the power plants, I left my laptop at the Sustainability Institute (just outside Stellenbosch).
We left Stellenbosch at 11 AM and arrived at Ankerlig for a Noon tour. (We drove past the Klipheuwel wind turbines on the route to Ankerlig.) Our tour at Koeberg started at about 13h30 and ended at about 17h00. By the time we were off site, it was about 17h30, which was too late for me to get back to Stellenbosch and then to Bellville for my refrigeration class which starts at 18h30. (We were scheduled to be done and off-site by 16h15. What to do?
After a LOT of hand-wringing and discussion, we made a plan. I drove the University of Stellenbosch van to the CPUT-Bellville campus and got out. I taught my lecture at 18h30 without my notes and without my laptop presentation. It would have been a disaster, except that the topic was convective and radiative heat transfer, which I know thoroughly. Then, Walter (one of the students) drove the University of Stellenbosch van to the Sustainability Institute to drop all the passengers. Walter drove the van onward to the motor pool and turned it in. Then, Richard (another student) drove from the Sustainability Institute to the CPUT-Bellville campus with my laptop. He listened to the last 30 minutes of my 2-hour lecture, and thereafter drove me to the University of Stellenbosch campus where my car had been parked from 08h00 in the morning.
It was a very long day. Fortunately everyone remained safe throughout the process and everyone was able to meet their obligations.
I should also point out that Tracy had her first personal interview for her research project. She met with the NGK's parliamentary liaison.
Today more than usual, I am aware of the goodness of the people around me that allows me to simply get along. Tracy was on duty at home getting the kids fed and off to bed. She is brilliant. The students Walter and Richard helped me with rides and driving around the Western Cape. They were wonderfully willing to help out. And students at both campuses have been submitting to my teaching throughout this week (especially) and this year in general. Thank you all!
--Matt