Australian Air Show — Good market potential for … Air Show — Good market potential for NAL's in AustraliaHANSA T ... Australian Air Show — Good market potential ... the challenges

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Australian Air Show — Good market potential for NAL's in AustraliaHANSA

THE National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore's all composite 2-seater trainer

aircraft (VT-HOD) took active part and successfully flew at the Australian International Air Show: 2007 at Avalon near Melbourne. The Air Show was held during

20-25 March 2007 and flew on all trade days exhibiting its skills in front of a global audience at the Avalon airport. This is the first time that the participated in an International Air show outside the country.

In addition to the static and flight display of , posters on NAL technologies, and models of NAL's , and the now — under development 4/5 seater General Aviation Aircraft were displayed at the joint NAL and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) stall in the exhibition during the Air Show. Also on display was the composite Main Landing Gear for the developed by Sir Lawrence Wackett Aerospace Centre of RMIT University.

NAL's participation in the air show gave an opportunity to the concerned authorities and operators in Australia to see the aircraft and its flight performance. It also gave an opportunity to the concerned industries / customers to interact on possible manufacture and marketing of

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in Australia. The occasion was also utilised for a detailed discussion with CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia) on the steps towards possible certification of

in Australia. An approach in this direction with a time plan of 6 months has been agreed to by both sides and action has been initiated.

Australian Air Show — Good market potential for NAL's in AustraliaHANSA

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The HANSA aircraft, which wasexported in semi-knocked downcondition, was re-assembled atGippsland Aeronautics (GA). GA isan Australian Company located atLatrobe Valley in the state ofVictoria, that is engaged in designingand manufacturing commercialaircraft from first principles. NAL'spilot AVM (Retd.) A.S. Lamba, aveteran Test Pilot for over 40 years,conducted the demonstration flightsin the Air Show. The HANSA aircraftperformed very well and wasappreciated by all.

A number of pilots, whowere given demonstration rides,appreciated the pleasant features ofthe aircraft. To name a few,Captain David Wheatland,Demonstration and Display Pilot,Gippsland Aeronautics, said, “Ipersonally enjoyed the opportunityto fly the HANSA-3 and explore itsvery pleasant handlingcharacteristics during the period ofthe recent Australian International

Air Show at Avalon in Victoria. Theaircraft is very satisfying to fly in thecircuit pattern and is positive torespond to proportionate controlinputs. It is suitably equipped forVFR by night and day and exhibitsexcellent response and handlingcharacteristics. It is forgiving ofmishandling, has very good lowspeed ability and is rewarding topilots who use appropriate andproportionate handling skills. Hefurther added, “I am sure that thereis a future for the HANSA-3 as a first-rate basic training aircraft to meet

the challenges of India’s anticipateddemand for skilled aircrews in thecoming years”.

Another pilot, Capt. AlanCampbell, Chief Flying Instructor,Gippsland Aeronautics, recorded,“The HANSA-3 would be unusual asan ab initio trainer in Australia dueto its turbo-charged Rotax andconstant speed propeller. This ismainly because the majority of flightschools in Australia cater in somemeasure for private recreationalpilots who look for simple aircraft

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systems. First impression fromlooking at the HANSA-3 is that therelatively high aspect ratio wing,tapering back to the tips, will givethe aeroplane good performance frommodest power output, and good glideperformance, with nice handling asa bonus. Entry to the cockpit iseasier than it may appear, and verycomfortable once inside. Controls falleasily to hand. At close to MTOWthe HANSA’s take-off and climbperformance, while modest, iscertainly better than expected, and

NAL’s HANSA in Australian Air S in Australian Air S in Australian Air S in Australian Air S in Australian Air Showhowhowhowhow

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well within the norm for a trainer.Handling is a delight, with light andwell co-ordinated controls, and ittakes some discipline to rememberthat the aeroplane is not aerobatic.Visibility all round is excellent, andthe Rotax is smooth and quiet, so thata day’s work in the HANSA-3 wouldnot be any too stressful. All round, avery pleasant and useful aircraft fortraining pilots.”

Capt. Jerry, Flight Instructorand CFI of Latrobe Valley RegionalFlying Club and quite a few otherenthusiastic pilots hadfamiliarization flights and expressedtheir satisfaction and happiness over

the excellent features of the traineraircraft.

The market survey indicates agood market potential for the two-seater trainer aircraft in Australia.Given that a number of Australianflying clubs and aviation enthusiastsare looking to buy aircraft of thisclass, NAL hopes to profitablymarket HANSA in Australia after itscertification in that country. Pricedat around 70 lakh, HANSA issignificantly cheaper than any otheraircraft of its class.

NAL’s participation in the AirShow was facilitated andcoordinated by Sir Lawrence

Wackett Centre for AerospaceDesign Technology, RoyalMelbourne Institute of Technology(RMIT) University, Melbourne. Infact, the initiatives taken by Dr A.R.Upadhya, Director, NAL and DrArvind K. Sinha, Director, SirLawrence Wackett Centre, resultedin this participation. The extensivecoordination on the Australian sideby Dr Sinha and on the Indian sideby Dr K. Yegna Narayan, Head, C-CADD, Mr R. Rangarajan, Project


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Director (HANSA), Mr M.S.Chidananda, Project Director(SARAS), made this participationmore fruitful.

An eight member technicalteam led by Shri R. Rangarajanfrom NAL ensured that the aircraftwas always available in the ready-to-fly condition. The assembly andtest flights of HANSA aircraft werecarried out at M/s. GippslandAeronautics.

Among the VIPs who visitedNAL stall were Shri P.P. Shukla,Indian High Commissioner inAustralia; Capt. SudharshanShrikande (IN), Defence Advisor,High Commission of India inCanberra, Australia and DrBelmonte, Chairman, Sir LawrenceWackett Centre and Pro Vice-Chancellor, RMIT University. Theyevinced keen interest in NAL’saircraft programmes. A frameworkfor agreement between NAL, RMITand Mahindra Plexion TechnologiesPvt. Ltd, to jointly work on CivilAviation Programmes was exchangedin the presence of the HighCommissioner. On the business side,there were a number of tradevisitors who enquired about detailsof HANSA and SARAS aircraft.

In conclusion, AustralianInternational Air Show: 2007provided an excellent opportunityto showcase NAL’s capabilities andits HANSA aircraft, and thediscussions that NAL team hadwith various visitors indicate aconsiderable measure of confidenceand expectations of tremendousgrowth in aerospace R&D in Indiacontributing to internationalcollaborations.

CSIR Network Project onAdvanced Manufacturing Technology

THE CSIR project ondeveloping capabilities inAdvanced Manufacturing

Technology embraces a clutch ofcomponent projects:

• Developing capabilities onapplications of Virtual RealityTools in Integrated ProductDevelopment

• Capability building on designand development of AutonomousMobile Robot for manufaturing

• Near net shape manufacturing ofBio-implants and engineeringcomponents from advancedceramics and metals

• Development of Near Net ShapeComponents of Al-Alloy bySqueeze Casting Process

• Development of ManufacturingTechnology for Production ofWide Ferromagnetic MetallicGlass Ribbons

• Near-net-shape manufacturingtechnology through AustemperdDuctile Iron (ADI) route

• Standardization of processparameters of Metal InjectionMouldings for production ofengineering components

• Development of near-net-shapemanufacturing of ceramicparticulate reinforcedcomposites of Al-alloy byinvestment casting process(MMC)

• Development Of Robocasting(Mouldless Casting) TechnologyFor advanced ceramiccomponents

• Development of Rapid ToolingMethods for Injection Moldingsand Pressure Die Casting.

The Central MechanicalResearch Engineering ResearchInstitute (CMERI), Durgapur, is thenodal institute of this project. Theparticipating institutes include:Advanced Materials and ProcessesResearch Institute (AMPRI),Bhopal; Central Glass & CeramicsLaboratory (CGCRI), Kolkata;Central Scientific InstrumentsOrganisation (CSIO); Chandigarh;National Aerospace Laboratories(NAL), Bangalore; NationalInstitute for InterdisciplinaryScience and Technology (NIST),Thiruvananthapuram, andStructural Engineering ResearchCentre (SERC), Chennai.

Some of the achievements,according to the CMERI TriennialReport 2003-06, brought outrecently, in the area are as follows:• The Virtual Reality Laboratory

has been established with facilityfor simulation & visualization inimmersive environment

• First prototype of the 10 HPTractor (christened KrishiShakti)has been successfully developedand tested

• Navigational algorithms havebeen developed and tested onvarious platforms of AutonomousMobile Robot

• Theoretical studies pertaining toHexapod Robot have beenconcluded

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Wheeled Robot at CMERI

• Technology for ultrasonic rangefinder has been established

MIM (Metal InjectionMoulding) Technology

• Components of geometrical andmanufacturing intricacies havebeen developed at the laboratoryscale

• Simulation studies pertaining toTwo Phase Mold Filling havebeen concluded

• Negotiations with OrdnanceFactory Board and TVS areunderway for the industrialapplication of MIM technology

Biomedical Implants

• Technology demonstration hasbeen undertaken for thedevelopment of patient-specificbiomedical implants

• Surgical demonstration has beenundertaken for implantation ofdental and orbital implants

Metal Matrix Composites

• MMC automotive components(rocker arm, cylinder head forengines) have been developedthrough Rapid Prototyping andInvestment Casting route.

Robocasting

• Robocasting machine with2½ axis simultaneousinterpolation has been developedfor layer-by-layer casting ofceramic parts

• Linkage with the GTRE,Bangalore is being established.

Rapid Tooling

• RT moulds have been developedthrough Direct Metal LaserSintering and Rapid Prototyping-Investment Casting route.

Austempered Ductile Iron

• Technology for crankshafts &automotive componentsincluding Crankshafts for 35 HPtractor manufactured by ITL,Hoshiarpur, 5 HP Water Pumpmanufactured by KOEL, Pune,14.5 HP Ambassador Carmanufactured by HindustanMotors have been successfullydeveloped and tested.

Some of the initiativesundertaken under the networkproject are highlighted here:.

Autonomous Mobile Robotics

Some research work has beendone on mobile robotics in differentuniversities and researchorganizations in India.For example,Bhabha Atomic Research Center(BARC), Mumbai, has developedwheeled type of mobile robot incollaboration with IIT, Kanpur. Thesystem has been designed fordisposal of explosives. IIT, Bombayhas developed one legged typemobile robot for BARC. R & DE(Engineers), Pune and CAIR,Bangalore are engaged indevelopment of mobile robot butthese are not autonomous type.

CMERI is engaged in R&Dactivities on Mobile Robotics forquite some time. It had developed atele-operated mobile robot for

Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC),Kalapakkam for mopping of spilledheavy water. It also developed anAGV, which follows fixed path usingwire-guided navigation. Theinstitute has also developed aRemotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)for Department of OceanDevelopment (DOD), Governmentof India. Recently, the institute hasdeveloped a mobile platform thatnavigates autonomously on thelaboratory floor.

The institute has nowundertaken the leading role, inassociation with CSIO, indeveloping R & D facilities andcapabilities on Autonomous MobileRobotics as a part of the CSIRnetwork project on AdvancedManufacturing Technology. Initialefforts are directed towards thedevelopment of autonomous mobilerobotic systems for indoorapplications, specially for assistingmanufacturing processes. For


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CAD model of femur

CAD model of hip prosthesis implanted in femur

experimentation, a mobile platformhas been developed as test bed. Twodriving wheels of the mobileplatform are directly coupled withstepper motors, which arecontrolled independently. Twoadditional castor wheels areprovided for balancing. The roboticvehicle carries a battery bank aspower source and does not have anyphysical link or cable. An array ofultrasonic range finders is mountedin front of the robot. It has an on-board computer on it. The robot, asserver is networked with a remoteclient computer by wireless LAN.The server transfers rangeinformation obtained by its rangefinders to the client. To incorporateintelligence, a Fuzzy LogicController (FLC) has beendeveloped for dynamic pathplanning. The FLC resides in theclient and it gives the deviation angleof the robot from sensor data. Fromthis, control commands for motionof the robot is generated.

The sensors gather the positiondata of the obstacles at somesampling rate and feed these datainto the fuzzy controller. The fuzzycontroller processes the input dataand takes fuzzy decision as to whichpath the robot should follow so thatit can reach its goal position without

colliding with any obstacle. Thedeveloped FLC is a two-input, one-output system. The inputs are (1)“Obstacle Distance” from the robotand (2) “Obstacle Angle”, i.e., theangle of obstacle from the path ofthe robot. The fuzzy rule baseconsists of 25 rules.

The software, developed inmodular approach, consists of seven

modules. The modules aredistributed and shared by the clientand the server. The sensors on thevehicle acquire the data by DASmodule and the data are sent to theclient by network. The FLC in theclient processes the data and findsout the deviation angle for safenavigation of the robot. An algorithmhas been developed and tested bysimulation.

The robot avoided the obstaclesand reached the target positionsafely. Two problems were faced: (1)The robot exhibited a left or rightbias and (2) If the obstacles arespaced very closely the robot isunable to avoid all the obstacles. Theproblems arise owing to inherentweakness of FLC.

Presently, work is on to developan upgraded version of mobile robotwith much higher speed, equippedwith a host of powerful sensors.Powerful sensor fusion algorithmswill be developed for mapping theenvironment as accurately aspossible. A manipulator will bemounted on the mobile robot fordoing some specific tasks inmanufacturing. The developedsystem will be used for materialhandling and transportation in theindoor environment. The vehicle willbe driven by two DC motors andthese motors will be controlledindependently. It will be equippedwith a number of sensors likeultrasonic range finder, laser rangefinder, camera, compass, proximityswitch, etc. The environmental dataacquired by the sensors will beprocessed by the on board computer.The navigational algorithm willreside in the on board computer.The operator will give the initial and

final pose of the system through theGUI in the remote computer. TheAMR will navigate to the indicatedtable and align itself with the tablesuitably such that the manipulatoron the vehicle can collect theintended jobs from the table. To dothis work, the manipulator will atfirst come over the jobs with somepose error. Then it will take theimage of the jobs with the help of acamera fitted on the gripper. Byimage processing technique, themanipulator will align the gripperboth for position and orientationerror and properly grip the job.

Rapid Prototyping for Near NetShape biomedical Implants

Rapid Prototyping (RP) can bedefined as the fabrication of aphysical, 3D part of freeform shapesdirectly from a numericaldescription, e.g. a computer-aideddesign (CAD) by a quick, highlyautomated and flexible process ofmanufacture. The size and shape ofimplants required for orthopaedicsurgery differ from human tohuman. For this reason, tailor-made


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3D model of 35 HP engine crankshaft

ADI crankshaft of 35 HP, cylindertractor engine crankshaft

components are needed forreplacement whenever damage ofinternal bones has taken place.CGCRI and CMERI have jointlytaken up a project to develop variouspatient-specific Near Net Shapebiomedical implants some of whichhave already developed followingconventional routes.

With the development of RapidPrototyping and Rapid Tooling (RT)and other relevant medical imagingsoftware, it is proposed to establishthe process of making tailor madeartificial implants/limbs through theprocess of Medical Imaging – SolidModeling – Selective LaserSintering as well as InvestmentCasting route. If the process can beestablished, it will fulfill thedemanding need of the society.

However, metallic implantsmade by investment castinggenerally contain porosity and thusare inferior in quality as far asstrength is concerned compared tothe corresponding forged andmachined components. So thealternative routes to build thecomponent may be vacuum castingor metal sintering and then suckingliquid metal into the voids of thepart in vacuum. All these routes willbe attempted in the present project.

A bright scope exists in India aswell as elsewhere to develop theideal implants like stents, load-bearing vertebral/bone-fillingimplants for spinal surgery andstate-of-the-art dental and hipimplants. Since these items are alsoin the research stage even in themost advanced countries, therewould also have a very good exportpotential.

Near Net ShapeManufacturing of Componentof Al based Particulate MetalMatrix Composites

As the demand for innovativelight material in the manufacture ofautomotive components, such ascylinder blocks, cylinder heads,pistons and piston rings isincreasing, several methods havebeen attempted to introduce newmaterial for meeting the specificrequirements Particle reinforcedlight metals are nowadays assumingincreasing importance because oftheir potential as low cost, highmodulus and strength and high wearresistance material. There areseveral ways to fabricate MMCs,e.g. powder metallurgy, moltenmetal mixing, sand casting, diecasting, centrifugal casting,compocasting, pressure die casting,squeeze casting, investmentcasting, spray deposition, in situreaction synthesis.

Under the CSIR networkproject, particulate reinforcedcomposites based on aluminiummatrix and SiC particles, as thereinforcing phase has beensynthesized and prepared ininvestment casting process. Themicrostructure, fluidity index,hardness, mechanical propertieshave been investigated andcompared to 356 Al-alloy withoutSiC reinforcement. Work is on toobtain better composite properties.

Metallic Glass

Extensive work on metallicglass has been carried out in Indiaat Banaras Hindu University; Indian

Institute of Science, Bangalore; IIT-Kharagpur & Kanpur; DMRL; etc

The majority of the work onmetallic glass carried out at NMLhas been on the development of Fe-based alloy for magnetic application.The soft magnetic amorphousmaterials or synonymously calledmetallic glasses have replaced theconventional electrical steels intransformer cores due to theirefficient power saving capacity.

Process Technology forManufacturing of ADIComponents

Austempered Ductile Iron(ADI) is a type of the cast iron withexceptional properties impartedthrough customized metallurgy. It isfar superior to common cast irons.The austempering process is notnew and has been utilized since1930’s on cast and wrought steels.It was first commercially applied onductile iron in 1972 and by 1998world wide production wasapproaching 100,000 tonnes


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Fatigue testing of 5 HP water pump crankshaft (SERC)

testing of the crankshafts inlaboratory is essential to assess theperformance of the part.

Fatigue testing of ADIcrankshafts of 5 HP pump enginewas carried out at SERC, Chennai,using computer controlled servohydraulic UTM. The crankshaftswere subjected to rigorous fatiguetesting under cyclic bending up to10 million cycles. Test results showthat the fatigue performance of ADIis comparable to that of the forgedsteel crankshaft. After finalmachining and balancing operation,another ADI crankshaft wassubjected to the extensive field trialsfor more than 100 hours. Noabnormalities were noticed.

Subsequently the crankshaft of4-cylinder car engine wasfabricated. After completion ofnecessary DT & NDT, thecrankshaft was fixed in the car andextensive field tests were carriedout. Oil temperature and vibrationof the engine were monitored andno abnormalities were noticedduring 5000 km test run.

Metal Injection Moulding

Injection moulding is recognizedas a high volume manufacturingmethod for small, complex shapedplastic components. On the otherhand Powder Metallurgy process isthe well-established route forproduction of small axis symmetrycomponents from the materialdifficult to process by conventionalroute. Metal Injection Moulding(MIM) process has evolved bycombining the above two processesand has become an attractive andgrowing manufacturing technology

annually. ADI material has strengthequal to that of wrought steel withelongation up to 10%. It has animproved strength to weight ratioover steel and is potentially lessexpensive to produce near net shapein mass quantities. Thesecharacters along with superiormechanical properties that can beachieved with judicious alloying andcontrolled austempering, makesADI competitive for manyapplications where wrought steelhad dominated in the past.

Although the material has beenproduced commercially for severalyears, most notably in USA, it hasnot yet penetrated very far into theIndian market. Considering theadvantages of ADI components overthe conventional forged components,CMERI has taken up a project on “Development of ADI componentsthrough sand casting route” Theobjective of this project is to developthe manufacturing technologysuitable for production of specificengineering components in NNSform. Crankshafts of differentengines, which are currently beingmanufactured through forging andmachining route, have beenidentified as target components.

Alloy chemistry was selectedbased upon the geometry and theend application of the selectedcomponents. Initial experimentswere conducted on the cast and heattreated samples to optimise theprocess parameters to achieve thecomparable mechanical propertiesof the forged component. 3D modelsof crankshaft were prepared from2D drawings to run thecomputerised methodology.

Standardization of the process

parameters for casting was donethrough computer simulation usingAFS solidification software.Crankshafts were cast with theoptimized alloy composition in sandmoulds and machined (includingstraight & angular drills forlubrication) leaving the machiningallowance required for heattreatment and final finishingoperation. Subsequently thecomponents were heat treated andmachined to the final dimension.Heat treatment parameters mainlyaustenitising temperature and time,austempering temperature and timehave direct influence on themechanical properties of ADI.Laboratory experiments are beingcarried out on test samples to accessthe effects of above parameters onmechanical properties of differentgrades of ADI.

Since several factors likematerial property, geometry andmanufacturing process, influencethe fatigue life of crankshafts, fatigue


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in engineering sector.Under the CSIR network

project on Advanced ManufacturingTechnology a project “Developmentof Metal Injection Molding Processfor manufacturing of complexgeometry components” has beeninitiated at CMERI. This is the firstindigenous R&D effort to developthe complex geometry engineeringcomponent from feedstock as wellas from metal powders . Theprimary objectives of the project are:

• Development of process route ofMIM for manufacturing ofengineering components fromsteel feedstock – 4140 and 316L.

• Optimisation of parametersrelated with preparation offeedstocks, moulding, debindingand sintering processes.

• Mathematical modeling andsimulation for two phase diefilling with feedstocks.

Squeeze Casting

Squeeze casting appears to be avery promising approach to castsound castings of both ferrous andnon-ferrous metals, because it addsspecial benefits of pressure diecasting (high production andrepeatability), and forging (finergrain size). In squeeze casting, theapplied pressure plays a veryimportant role.

Recently, researchers at theNational Institute forInterdisciplinary Science andTechnology (NIST),Thiruvananthapuram, haveperformed experimental studies onsqueeze casting using Al-2124 (Al-4.4 Cu-1.5 Mg-0.6 Mn) alloy to

understand the effect of appliedpressure on microstructure. Squareblocks of size 100x100x50 mm wereproduced using the facility availablein the laboratory. The optimumprocessing parameter of squeezecasting such as the squeezepressure, dwell time, temperature,etc. could be established for gettingthe product having refinedmicrostructure and enhancedmechanical properties. A squeezepressure of the order of 100 MPa isfound to be necessary to produce acasting having a porosity level lessthan 0.1%. The microstructuralfeatures of the squeeze cast materialshowed a very fine Dendrite ArmSpacing (DAS) of the order of 20µm(a decrease of 27% compared toconventionally cast counterpart).The characterization of the squeezecast material with respect tomechanical properties after properT6 heat treatment revealed about22-25% increase in the strengthproperties.

Some experimental work hasbeen also done in the past inAdvanced Materials and ProcessesResearch Institute (AMPRI),Bhopal. It was felt that CSIR shouldtake a major initiative in developingcapability in this near net shapemanufacturing technology since thiswill immensely benefit our auto-industry, which is becoming globallycompetitive.

The primary objective ofsqueeze casting task undertaken in“Developing Capabilities onAdvanced ManufacturingTechnologies” is to design anddevelop vertical type direct squeezecasting machine for aluminium alloyautomotive parts. It is envisaged that

the proposed system consist of autotransferring of metered moltenmetal into the die cavity. Thehydraulic press of squeezingcapacity of 300 tonnes could becapable of casting a component upto 3kg weight. Figure 10 shows theconceptual design of proposedsystem, which is expected toproduce net shape casting in semiautomatic mode.

Rapid Tooling for InjectionMoulding

Competition is forcing areduction in the lead-time todevelop a mould for injection-moulded parts. Rapid toolingprocesses, based directly orindirectly on rapid prototypingtechnologies, are being explored forthis purpose. However, theseprocesses are still emerging and notvery well understood, especially interms of their influence on moldmanufacturability (essentiallyquality and cost), and the quality ofparts produced in such molds.Further, there is no single RTprocess that can produce mould,which can be used as an alternativeto conventional mould makingpractices. This situation leads tothree future research directions:

(1) Secondary treatment of existingRT moulds to enhance theirperformances in injectionmoulding,

(2) Process modeling andcharacterization to understandthe process capabilities enablingappropriate RT process selectionand mold design formanufacturability and


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(3) RT application for EDMelectrode, used in conventionalmold making.

The major limitations of thepresent RT processes include, softermould material, poor accuracy andsurface finish, porosity leading tolow mould strength and earliermould failures and low thermalconductivity. Some of theselimitations can be overcome throughsecondary treatments including postsintering, metal infiltration, hardmetal coating, and through newalternative indirect RT routes todevelop tool steel molds. Similarly,process modeling can enhance theperformance of RT and it alsofacilitates RT process selection andmold design for easymanufacturability. The performanceof RP based EDM electrodes canbe enhanced by minimizing theporosities and increasing theconductivity of the material byinfiltration and hard coatings, whichare still not studied to a greaterextent. These challenges have beentaken up for investigation atCMERI under CSIR networkproject. on advanced manufacturingtechnologies.

The main goal of thisinvestigation is to develop rapidtooling processes that can producethe moulds and or EDM electrodesto be used for rapid development ofinjection mouldings. In line with thisthe project objectives are delineatedas below.

1. Improved RT Process forinjection moulds and EDMelectrodesa. RP integrated investment

casting of mould inserts

b. RP integrated gel castingand sintering

c. Direct metal lasersintering direct mould

d. SLA based direct mould

2. Investigations on effect of RTmould in injection moulding

3. Investigations on accuracy, RTmould failures analysis andmouldlife predictions

4. To generate mould designguidelines for RTmanufacturability

The key results achieved include

1. Injection mould developmentthrough RP integratedinvestment casting

2. Investigations on effect ofinjection moulding parameterson part quality in DMLS moulds

3. Investigations of effect ofgeometry on accuracy in RTprocesses (SLA and DMLS)

4. Form governance (straightness,flatness and circularity)prediction in DMLS and SLA

5. Preliminary study onapplications of DMLS models asEDM electrode

This research will be extendedtowards enhancing the performanceof selected RT processes throughhard coating and minimizing theporosity levels. Similar approacheswould be extended for newer RTprocess to develop alternativemethods, enabling easy RT processselection for specific requirements.

National Seminar onGas Hydrates

ANational Seminar on‘Gas Hydrates – APotential Source of Energy’

was held at the Indo-RussianCentre for Gas Hydrates atNational Institute of OceanTechnology (NIOT) Campus,Chennai, during 4-5 February2007. It was jointly organized byNational Geophysical ResearchInstitute (NGRI), Hyderabad, andNIOT, and sponsored by theMinistry of Earth Sciences.Scientists and researchers fromseveral institutes (NGRI, NIO,NIOT and NCAOR), industries(ONGC and DGH) anduniversities [Osmania, Andhra,Pondichery, ISM, BHU and IIT(Kharagpur and Roorkee)]participated in this seminar.Academician I. Nigamutulin,Director, Shiroshov Institute ofOceanology, Moscow; Dr A.Paramanov, Director, EDBOE,Moscow; Dr Vladimir Stoyanov,Vice Director, EDBOE and DrSergey Sukonkin, Head,Underwater Robotics, EDBOE,participated from Russia. Theseminar was aimed at bringingtogether scientists andtechnologists at a commonplatform to discuss and shareknowledge on the ongoingactivities and plan futurestrategies for exploration andexploitation of gas hydrates, whichis considered as the future majorenergy resource of India. Apartfrom one Plenary Session, theseminar had three TechnicalSessions on (i) Modeling of

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Physical Parameters, (ii)Geochemical Analysis and (iii)Laboratory Studies & Exploitationof Gas Hydrates, and one PosterSession. Thirty-six technical paperswere presented orally and 18 paperswere displayed in the poster session.

Dr P.S. Goel, Secretary,Ministry of Earth Sciences, GOI,inaugurated the seminar andpresided over the inauguration. Prof.Harsh Gupta, former Secretary,Department of Ocean Developmentand Raja Ramanna Fellow, NGRI,was the Chief Guest and Dr N. SatyaNandan, Secretary General,International Seabed Authority(ISBA), was the Guest of Honour. DrS. Kathiroli, Director, NIOT,extended a warm welcome to thedignitaries, invitees, students anddelegates. In his introductoryremarks, Dr V.P. Dimri, Director,NGRI, gave an overview of theseminar and stressed the need of gashydrates research in our country. Inhis keynote address, Prof. Harsh

Gupta presentedthe energyscenario in theworld and India,and high lightedthe importance ofgas hydrates. Heoutlined thev a r i o u sparameters suchas bathymetry,s e a f l o o rt e m p e r a t u r e ,s e d i m e n tthickness, rate ofsedimentation,TOC, etc. thatindicate good

prospects ofgas hydratesin the vasto f f s h o r eregion ofIndia. Heopined thatgas hydratescould meetthe over-w h e l m i n gdemand ofour energyrequirement.He narratedthe scientific work that is going onand future strategies that are to befollowed for the exploration of gashydrates within the Indian exclusiveeconomic zone. He also showed thelocations of gas hydrates reservoirthat have been identified based onseismic experiment and later onvalidated by drilling under NGHP.Prof. Gupta laid emphasis on thedevelopment of extractiontechnology and was optimistic about

the production of gas from gashydrates by next decade or so.

The abstract volume wasreleased by Dr Satya Nandan, whoin his address stressed the need ofexploration and exploitation of gashydrates.

Dr P.S. Goel in his inauguraladdress remarked that India shouldnot be an energy-starved nation, ashuge amount of gas deposits areavailable in the form of gas hydratesin the vast continental margins ofIndia. He remarked that gashydrates would have a specialmention whenever non-conventional energy resources willbe talked about. Finally, Dr

Kalachand Sain, Scientist, NGRIand convener of the seminar,extended the vote of thanks to thedignitaries for sharing their visionon gas hydrates. He also expressedgratitude to the dignitaries for theirunstinted support and valuableadvice for organizing the seminar.

The ‘Plenary Session’ waschaired by Dr P.S. Goel in whicheight lead papers based on research

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Prof. Harsh Gupta delivering his key note address atNational Seminar on Gas Hydrates

Dr P.S. Goel delivering his presidential address atNational Seminar on Gas Hydrates

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system is to be considered as adynamic multi phase. Prof. I.Nigamutulin, Director of ShiroshovInstitute of Oceanology, Moscow,presented the gas hydrates activitiesin Russia and encouraged furthercooperation between India andRussia on exploration andexploitation of gas hydrates. DrN.K. Thakur of NGRI drewinferences based on vivid illustrationof probable gas-hydrate models thatmight/might not produce BSR(marker for gas hydrates) on seismicsection, which is a prerequisite foridentification of gas hydrates. So thestudy is important as gas hydrateshave been found by drilling withoutany BSR at many places around theworld. Dr M.V. Ramana of NIOpresented the NIO’s gas hydratesactivities along the continentalmargins of India. He suggested forhigh frequency sparker survey forseismic attenuation and collection of40-60 m coring for geochemicalstudies for further investigation ofgas hydrates. Dr I. Dutta of DGHpresented the log data in Mallik wellin Mackenzie Delta, Canada. Theimportant result is that NMR logshows low porosity in hydrateformation, whereas the neutron anddensity porosity of gas-hydrate-laden sediment is similar to that ofwater bearing formations.

The next session on ‘Modelingof Physical Parameters’, chaired byDr T. Ramprasad from NIO, wasdedicated to the study of physicalproperties that govern theformation, identification andquantification of gas hydrates. It hadnine technical presentations byscientists from NIO, NIOT andNGRI. Dr Ramprasad showed that

BSR can be used to estimategeothermal gradient and heaflowwithout any heat probe in themarine environment. Dr SaurabhVerma of NGRI emphasized the needof marine electromagnetic methodsfor the delineation of gas hydrates,where seismic method cannot detectany BSR. Dr Kalachand Sain showedthat AVO A-B crossplot can be usedas an important tool to detect free-gas below gas hydrates, irrespectiveof saturation of overlying gashydrates, and quantify the gashydrates and free-gas. Dr N.Satyavani of NGRI pointed out thatreflection strength andinstantaneous frequency can aid inidentifying gas hydrates and/or free-gas, where BSR becomes a suspect.Shri Maheswar Ojha of NGRIdelineated 12% gas hydrates and3.5% free-gas across a BSR in theMakran accretionary prism using anovel approach of estimating Vp/Vsratios based on traveltime inversionfollowed by AVA modeling. Dr M.V.Ramana presented the utility ofgeophysical, geochemical andmicrobial proxies for identifying gashydrates. Dr S. Ramesh of NIOTreported the results of winterexpedition, carried out at the LakeBaikal in 2006 under ILTP betweenIndia’s Institutes (NIOT, NGRI andNIO) and the Limnological Instituteof Russia. The massive gas hydratesintermixed with clays wererecovered by gravity corer atdifferent location of the Malenki mudvolcano in 1280-1320 m water depth.Shri D. Venkata Rao of NIOTpresented the results of summerexpedition, carried out at the LakeBaikal in 2005 under the ILTPbetween India’s Institutes (NIOT,

work done by both nationalinstitutes and industry werepresented. Dr Pushpendra Kumarof ONGC presented thepreliminary results of JoidesResolution Drilling Ship, usingwhich drilling/coring/LWD/MWDoperations were carried out byNGHP in the Indian offshore, incollaboration with USGS. Recoveryof gas hydrates samples establishedthe presence of gas hydrates in theKrishna-Godavari, Mahanadi andAndaman basins, where gashydrates were earlier recognizedusing seismic experiments by NGHPmembers (DGH, ONGC, GAIL,OIL, NIO, NIOT and NGRI). DrV.P. Dimri presented details of theenhanced oil recovery procedureand pointed out that similarapproach can be adopted for theextraction of gas from gas hydrates.Dr Kalachand Sain presentedvarious seismic tools like traveltimetomography, waveform inversion,AVO inversion, AVO A-B crossplots,seismic attributes (blanking,reflection strength, instantaneousfrequency etc.), quality factors andeffective medium theory, andshowed their application to marineseismic reflection data for theidentification and quantification ofgas hydrates. To better constrain thequantification of gas hydrates, helaid emphasis on studying both P-and S-wave seismic velocities andhence acquisition of large offsetMCS and OBS data. Dr R.N. Singhof NGRI elucidated the theoreticalaspects of thermo-mechanicalmodeling to understand theformation of gas hydrates deposits.Since gas hydrates are stable at highpressure and cool temperature, the


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NGRI and NIO) and the RussianInstitutes (Limnological Instituteand Sonic Group ofVNIIOkeangeologia). The expeditionrecovered 160 cm long gravity core,of which first 40 cm contained thefine mud and remaining 120 cm wasgas hydrates with intercalations ofthin clay layers.

Dr Balesh Kumar of NGRI, whochaired third session on‘Geochemical Analysis’, presented apaper relating to the molecular andisotopic composition of gasesassociated with gas hydrates toidentify the biogenic or thermogenicorigin of gas hydrates. Shri A Peketiof NIO showed evidence of methanegas in the shelf region off Goa andMumbai between 15 - 30 m waterdepth. Shri Anil Kumar of ISMreported the synthesis of ethane gashydrates in laboratory and observedthat gas-hydrate always nucleatedirrespective of temperature,pressure, rate of stirring andsaturation rate of water at theinterface. Dr Kocherla Muralidharof NIO showed evidence ofauthigenic carbonates in thesediments collected from the waterdepths between 2665 and 3210 m inthe Goa offshore. Dr Uma Shankarof NGRI showed various proxiessuch as venting through the seafloor,pockmarks, seafloor collapse, faultsacting as migration path for fluidflow, transparent sediments due togas-charged, reduction of amplitudestrength, diaper, mud-volcano,VAMP, etc. for establishing gashydrates in absence of BSR. Onbehalf of Ms Ranjana Ghosh ofNGRI, who could not attend theseminar, Dr Sain presented a casestudy of estimating physical

parameters like porosity, density,thermal conductivity, temperature,geothermal gradient, hydratessaturation, electrical resistivity andheat flow using the seismic velocityacross a BSR in the Cascadiamargin. Dr A. Majumdar of NIOhighlighted the coupled process ofanaerobic methane oxidation andsulfate reduction, forming thesulfate-methane interface (SMI),and demonstrated significant sulfatereduction within few meters ofsediment cores in the Krishna-Godavari offshore, which indicatesthe probability of gas hydratesoccurrences. Ms Judith Gonsalvesof NIO presented the distributarypatterns of physiological groups ofbacteria in offshore Goa, and showedthat the bacterial count in seepsediments was an order ofmagnitude higher than that in non-seep sediments.

Shri D. Venkat Rao chaired thesession ‘Laboratory studies andexploitation of gas hydrates’ inwhich Dr P.S.R. Prasad of NGRIpresented the results of molecularinteractions and structuraltransition by studying thevibrational spectra (IR and Raman)of tetrahydrofuran hydrates andcarbon-dioxide clathrates in naturalquartz veins. Dr S. Ramesh reportedthat a submersible fitted with multi-beam sonar, and methane, oxygen,temperature and conductivitysensors, was being developed atNIOT in collaboration withEDBOE, Russia, that could be usedfor gas hydrates investigation. Dr A.Mandal of ISM showed theexperimental results for theformation and decomposition ofethane hydrates. Dr P. Dewangan

mentioned conditioning of MCSdata before performing the AVOanalysis of BSR and showed anexample in the western margin ofIndia. Dr Vikas Mahato of ISMreviewed possible methods ofproducing gas from gas hydrates bydepressurization, thermalstimulation, inhibitor injection,carbon dioxide swapping orcombination of these. Shri N.Vedachalam of NIOT described thepower distribution and datatelemetry control for submersibleoperation. Dr D.V. Borole of NIOdiscussed the importance ofradiochemical and stable isotopestudies, which can provide the ageand dynamics of carbon pool andhelp to understand the genesis of gashydrates. Shri M. Palaniappan ofNIOT described in detail the design,capabilities and status ofdevelopment of ROV. ShriShivaprasad of NGRI described theinvestigation on the effect of low wt%of methanol on THF hydrates usingRaman Spectroscopy anddemonstrated that the methanolinhibits the hydrates formation at allconcentrations but an increase inwt% shifts the dissociation ofhydrates to lower temperatureexponentially. Shri M. Selvakumarof NIOT presented the navigationscheme and manipulator operationsfor the submersible

Eighteen papers were displayedat the poster session, which waschaired by Dr Kalachand Sain. Theposter of Shri Maheswar Ojha fromNGRI was adjudged the best posterpresenter award by a committee,and he was presented a certificateand a cash prize ofRs 5000/-.


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Dr Pushpendra Kumar of ONGC, Drs.M.V. Ramana and Ramprasad of NIO, Drs.R.N. Singh, S. K. Verma, B. Kumar andKalachand Sain of NGRI participated inthe Panel Discussion, which wasmoderated by Dr S.K. Das, Adviser to theMinistry of Earth Sciences, GOI. In itemerged the need to develop scientificmethods for the identification andquantitative assessment of gas hydratesalong the continental margins of India, andfor this, a large-offset multi-channel orocean-bottom seismic data with suitableparameters may be acquired. It wasdecided to acquire high-frequency seismicdata for attenuation studies and 40-60 mcoring for geochemical studies with a viewto detecting gas hydrates when BSRbecomes suspicious. The reservoirproperties should be thoroughly studied tounderstand the flow assurance problem.Depending on type of host rock, thetechnology for production has to bedeveloped indigenously. Besides hugepotential, the gas hydrates haveimplications as environmental hazard. Thepanel therefore also discussedprecautionary measures while exploitinggas hydrates. Marine Electromagneticsurvey, the panel observed, can beconducted in conjunction with seismicsurvey, as this will provide complementaryinformation on the detection andquantification of gas hydrates. Laboratorystudies should be encouraged tounderstand the nucleation, formation,composition and structure of gas hydrates.The multi-parametric ROV will play animportant role in validating the groundtruth. It was concluded that lot of scientificefforts (to understand the nature ofdistribution of gas hydrates andunderlying free-gas) and technologicaldevelopments (to tap gas hydrates fromconventional or non-conventionalreservoirs) are required.

Indo-Norwegian Workshop onEnhanced Recovery from Oilfields

Atwo-day Indo-Norwegian workshop on “4-D

seismic with special reference to Balol and VasaiOil Fields: Enhanced Oil Recovery” was held at the

National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad,from 17 March 2007. Norwegian Institute of Science andTechnology (NTNU) and NGRI jointly sponsored the workshop.Shri Apurba Saha, Executive Director and Assest Manager,Mumbai High, ONGC Ltd, inaugurated and Shri P.L. Narayana,Chief, Monitoring Unit, Indo-Norwegian programme ofInternational Cooperation Presided.

In his inaugural address, Shri Saha said that drilling involveshuge expenditure and therefore , new wells must be drilled usingmore effective techniques and maximize the production. Hepointed out that many oil fields have already crossed the maturityphase and entered the declining phase. He emphasized, “if you

Prof. Martin Landro, NTNU, Norway and Project Coordinator,Indo-Norwegian programme delivering a talk during the workshop

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ExhibitionsExhibitionsExhibitionsExhibitionsExhibitions

have to sustain production, theonly way is to find new fieldsin geologically complex areasand exploit the marginal fieldsalready discovered throughcost effective technologies andre-exploit the existing fields.”He complimented NGRI for itsefforts in undertaking a largenumber of hydrocarbonexploration programmes andassured that ONGC willprovide funds for suchprogrammes. He expressedthat ONGC expects to workclosely with NGRI andsupport its efforts towards 4-Dseismic reservoir modeling forenhanced oil recovery from theabandoned wells.

Dr V.P. Dimri, Director,NGRI, in his welcome addressoutlined the Indo-Norwegianprogramme at NGRI. He saidthat at present two Norwegianprogrammes, one ingroundwater pollution studiesand the other on enhancing oilrecovery from heavy oil fieldsare underway. Referring to thecollaboration programmes, DrDimri said that under the Indo-Norwegian collaborativeresearch programme the two-year project was taken up inFebruary 2005 with the focuson enhancing secondary oilrecovery from wells across thecountry. He pointed out thatat present, with available

technology, only 20-30% of oilcan be extracted from reservoirsin India whereas in developedcountries this rate is 50% ormore. Norwey being a leadingcountry in this field, a tripartiteMoU has been signed betweenInstitute of Petroleum andGeophysics, NTNU, NGRI, andONGC Ltd. Under thisprogramme a pilot study ofBalol oil field in Cambay basinhas been taken up jointly bythese three organizations.

Shri P.L. Narayana said thatIndia and Norway aremaintaining cordial relations.Under the Indo-Norwegianco-operation there are 30ongoing projects in variousareas. Most of these projectswill be over by June 2007. Hefurther said India and Norwayentered a bilateral co-operationfive years back with a view toutilizing the S&T developmentsfor the betterment of society.Dr A.K. Pandey, Scientist,NGRI proposed a vote ofthanks.

During the workshop about20 papers spread over fivetechnical sessions werepresented by NGRI, ONGCand NTNU scientists. Theworkshop provided anopportunity to discuss the latestdevelopments in seismic andhydrocarbon exploration andproduction enhancement.

NEIST participationin exhibition

THE North - East Institute of Sci-ence and Technology (NEIST)(erstwhile Regional Research

Laboratory), Jorhat, represented by Dr B.G. Unni and Shri S. B. Wann, Scientists andMs Archana Bora, Project Assistant of theBiotechnology Division, participated in theSericultural Exhibition held in connectionwith the ‘Vanya Reshom Krishimela’ during24-25 March, 2007. The exhibition wasorganised by the Central Muga & EriResearch & Training Institute, CSB,Lahdoigarh, Jorhat. The exhibition wasinaugurated by Shri P Gogoi, Minister ofSericulture, Handloom and Textiles,Government of Assam.

In the exhibition, NEIST teamdemonstrated and released a medicinal plantbased bioformulation called ‘Muga Heal’developed by Dr Unni and his group to themuga farmers for field trials. In silkwormsthe diseases associated with pathogenicbacteria come under the general termcalled ‘flacherie’ which refers to theflaccid condition exhibited by infectedsilkworm owing to different ailments. As aresult it affects large population ofsilkworms resulting in decrease in their silkproducing capacity. Intensive researchwas carried out in NEIST during the lastcouple of years to find an antibacterial agent to control the disease. It wasdiscovered that the dried fruits of Terminaliachebula (locally called Hilikha) is the mostappropriate for controlling the flacheriediseases.

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