Chennai:

The ‘Shri S Ramakrishnan Centre of Excellence in Fluid and Thermal Science Research’ will Support ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives, promoting self-reliance in advanced space technologies as well as attract global talent and research funding. This will position India as a leader in thermal sciences research for space applications.

 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan inaugurated a new research centre of thermal sciences for space applications at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on Monday.

This state-of-the-art research facility, housed at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will focus on critical advancements in spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal management, a key area for India's expanding space ambitions.

This apart, the centre will also serve as a nodal centre for research in heat transfer, cooling systems and fluid dynamics. These are essential for the next generation of spacecraft and satellite technologies. Scientists and engineers from ISRO will work alongside faculty and researchers from IIT Madras to address complex thermal challenges in space applications.

A game-changer for India's space programme:

This initiative is a game-changer for India's space program as thermal control is vital to satellite longevity, spacecraft safety and mission success. Research at this Centre of Excellence (CoE) will directly impact upcoming lunar, Mars and deep-space missions, ensuring India remains at the forefront of space technology.

During the occasion, the ‘Arcot Ramachandran Seminar Hall’ was also inaugurated by Prof V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, in the presence of Dr Narayanan. The hall has been named after Prof Arcot Ramachandran (1923 - 2018), a world-renowned professor of heat transfer, who was the director of IIT Madras between 1967 and 1973. He was instrumental in establishing the Heat Transfer and Thermal Power laboratory at IIT Madras.

The research centre was inaugurated in the presence of Prof V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, Dr S Somanath, Dr Vikram Sarabhai professor, ISRO, centre coordinator Prof Arvind Pattamatta, department of mechanical engineering, IIT Madras, Prof P Chandramouli, head, department of mechanical engineering, IIT Madras, Dr PV Venkitakrishnan, Professor of Practice, department of mechanical engineering, IIT Madras, faculty, researchers and students.

Looking forward to the collaboration, Prof Kamakoti said, “More and more we explore the space, we have an increasing need for technologies that could handle thermal and cooling requirements. I am sure the proposed centre, jointly with ISRO, shall develop very effective solutions for the same.”

Key Roles of the centre:

Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Thermal Management: Addressing heat dissipation challenges in satellites and launch vehicles.

Experimental & Numerical Studies on Cooling Systems: Developing efficient cooling solutions using micro heat pipes, spray cooling, vapour chambers and two-phase heat transfer devices.

High-Fidelity Simulation & Testing Facilities: Utilising cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental setups for real-world validation

Capacity Building & Training: Encouraging ISRO scientists to pursue advanced degrees at IIT Madras while fostering industry-academia collaborations.

Highlighting the expected outcomes from this new research centre, its coordinator Prof Arvind Pattamatta, department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “In the medium term (next 3-5 Years), we are hoping to achieve breakthroughs in Advanced Thermal Management such as development of new active and passive cooling techniques for spacecraft electronics and prototyping and Testing of Next-Gen Heat Pipes, which are innovative cooling systems for long-duration space missions.

Further integration with ISRO’s space missions and incorporation of new research findings into upcoming ISRO satellite and launch vehicle projects will also be a focus area.”

Expected outcomes in long-term (Beyond 5 years):

Revolutionising Spacecraft Design: Laying the groundwork for high-performance, reusable space vehicles with superior thermal control.

Enhancing India’s Deep Space Exploration Capabilities: Supporting future missions such as Gaganyaan, lunar and interplanetary missions.

Boosting Indigenous Space Technology: Reducing reliance on foreign technology by developing cutting-edge thermal management solutions within India

Read More ;

Apple Introduces End-to-End Encryption for RCS on iPhone To Secure Cross-Platform Conversation