Dr Michael Brooks is the academic leader of UKZN's Mechanical Engineering discipline. He is the co-founder of the UKZN Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG) and the Group for Solar Energy Thermodynamics (GSET). He earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Natal, followed by MScEng and PhD degrees from Stellenbosch University.

His research interests include thermal management systems, solar radiometry and rocket propulsion. He is a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a member of the AIAA Terrestrial Energy Systems Technical Committee and a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship as visiting researcher to the University of Florida in 2007. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering (SAIMechE).

Aerospace propulsion and thermal management systems 

Fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics

Renewable energy and solar thermal conversion systems

Solar radiometry

Leverone F., Pitot J., Veale K. and Brooks M., “Performance Sensitivity Study on a Blowdown Nitrous Oxide Paraffin Wax Hybrid Sounding Rocket”, Acta Astronautica, 160, 230–239, 2019

Govender P., Matthews A. and Brooks M.J., “Cluster analysis for classification and forecasting of solar irradiance in Durban, South Africa”, Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, 29:2, May 2018

Genevieve B., Pitot de la Beaujardiere J.F. and Brooks M.J., "A Computational Tool for Predicting Hybrid Rocket Motor Performance", R&D Journal of the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering, 33, 56-65, 2017

Veale K., Adali S., Pitot J. and Brooks M. "A Review of the Performance and Structural Considerations of Paraffin Wax Hybrid Rocket Fuels with Additives", Acta Astronautica, 141, 196–208, 2017

Govender, T., Brooks M.J. and Bemont B.C., "The Effect of Multi-Trailer Systems on the Efficiency of Container Movements Between the Ship and Stacks at the Durban Container Terminal", South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, Vol 28(4), pp 80-94, December 2017

Brooks M.J., von Backström T.W. and van Dyk E.E. “Performance Characteristics of a Perforated Shadow Band in the Presence of Cloud”, Solar Energy, 139, pp. 533-546, December 2016

Du Clou S., Brooks M.J., Lear W.E., Sherif S.A. and Khalil E.E. “Performance and Control of a Pulse Thermal Loop Heat Transport System”, AIAA Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Vol. 29, No. 4, 826-834, 2015

Perumall P.A., Pitot J. and Brooks M.J. “A New Measurement-Based Algorithm for the Temporal Resolution of the Clear-Sky Solar Resource”, R&D Journal of the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering, 31, 27-34, 2015

Brooks M.J., du Clou S., van Niekerk J.L., Gauche P., Leonard C., Mouzouris M.J., Meyer R., van der Westhuizen N., van Dyk E.E., Vorster F.J. “SAURAN: A New Resource for Solar Radiometric Data in Southern Africa”, Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, 26:1, February 2015