Research

Industrial Consultancy project on 'Validation of Structural Integrity of HRDF Antenna Design Models'

Role: Principal Investigator, (June 2019 - July 2019)

The objective of the project was to validate HRDF antenna design by testing it's structural integrity. Two HRDF Antenna designs (Unit: A and B) were examined as per the requirement from the industry partner. The units were subjected to aerodynamic loading in the open jet test facility at the aerospace department lab and the designs were approved for freestream velocity upto 200 m/s.

DRDO research grant project on 'Design and Characterization of Radial Outward Flow Turbine'

Role: Co-Principal Investigator, (December 2017- December 2019)

Objectives of this project were:

1. Characterize and understand the failure modes of existing turbogenerator

2. Design turbogenerator impeller and inlet duct to achieve the subscribed parameters viz. power output between operational velocity, and structural sustainability.

I installed data acquisition system and LabVIEW data processing unit to develop an experimental setup for characterizing existing turbogenerator design. Based on the results, inlet duct of turbogenerator was redesigned to optimize the mass flow rate and a new impeller was designed. In the design process of impeller, simulation in ANSYS workbench software were followed by experimental testing.

As an outcome, a turbogenerator with improved starting velocity, cut-off velocity, velocity required for minimum power and overall power output, was successfully delivered to the industry. Currently, trials are ongoing for induction of the prototype in the service.

Master's Thesis: 'Experimental Investigation of Instabilities in Pipe Flow'

Role: Student, Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Debopam Das, (August 2013 - June 2015)

In this project, I designed and fabricated an experimental setup to investigate the evolution of instabilities in pipe and annular pipe flows at Dr. Debopam Das' Unsteady Aerodynamics Lab. Trapezoidal velocity profile was simulated using a controlled piston movement. Onset of instabilities were observed during the decelerating phase of flow as inflection velocity profile was generated. It was found that these instabilities grow with time and evolution of turbulent flow takes place depending on flow parameters. As a part of the work, Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (TR-PIV) analysis was done to study the structures formed in unstable flow. Analytical solution, proposed by Das & Arakeri (1998) and by Ashok (2012), was also verified and found to be in agreement with experimental results.

This work was presented in International Conference on Theoretical, Applied, Computational and Experimental Mechanics at IIT Kharagpur (December 2017).

Industrial Internship: 'Experimental Study of Effects of Gurney Flap and Passive Air Jet Vortex Generators on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Finite Wing at Low Reynolds Number'

Role: Student Intern, Supervisor: Sh. Arivoli Durai, Sc 'C', National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, (January 2012 - June 2012)

In this work the effect of passive air jet vortex generators (AJVGs) and Gurney Flap on wing characteristics was studied. The objective was to enhance lift generation capabilities of a wing at low Reynolds number. Using force balance and oil flow visualization technique it was demonstrated that AJVGs re-energizes boundary layer and delays flow separation, consequently delaying the stall to higher angle of attack, thereby increasing C_{L,max}. Oil flow visualization and pitching moment data showed that Gurney flap work by altering pressure distribution around airfoil in favor of increased C_{L}=C_{D} and produces nose-down pitching moment. The results found application in Micro Aerial Vehicles development program of NAL, Bangalore.

The work is presented in National Conference on advanced and futuristic trends in aerospace engineering (AFTAE-2015) at PEC, Chandigarh.

Ongoing project: 'Turbulence Characterization of Low Subsonic Wind Tunnel at Department of Aerospace, PEC'

Role: Principal Investigator, (October 2019 onward)

The objective is to improve turbulence characteristics of existing low speed wind tunnel. Turbulence results are being acquired using Hot Wire Anemometer (Constant Temperature Operation). Currently the turbulence screens are identified as potential source of turbulence and are being replaced.

Siag, T., & Das, D., (2017, December). Experimental investigation of evolution of instabilities in pipe flow (Page - 32), presented at Seventh International Conference on Theoretical, Applied, Computational and Experimental Mechanics, IIT Kharagpur, 28-30 December 2017.

Khurana, P., et al, (2017, December). Supersonic Nozzle Design using method of Characteristics (Page - 20), presented at Seventh International Conference on Theoretical, Applied, Computational and Experimental Mechanics, IIT Kharagpur, 28-30 December 2017.

Siag, T., & Durai, A., (2015). Experimental Study of Gurney Flap and Passive Air Jet Vortex Generators, presented at Advanced and Futuristic Trends in Aerospace Engineering, PEC Chandigarh, 2015.