India’s Indigenous Cryogenic Engine tested successfully

Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully tested it’s indigenously designed Cryogenic Engine at Mehendragiri, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Cryogenic engines used before are Russian one. US and Russia only had self developed cryogenic engine. This new cryogenic engine will be used in GSLV D-3 mission next year.

Cryogenic engines are rocket motors designed for liquid fuels that have to be held at very low ‘cryogenic’ temperatures, as they would otherwise be gas at normal temperatures.

Normally used fuels are hydrogen and oxygen which are held at a low temperature of  20 Kelvin and 80 Kelvin respectively to remain in liquid form. The cryogenic engine develops a thrust of 73 kilo Newtons (kN) in vacuum with a specific impulse of 454 seconds (7.56 minutes) and can carry 2.2 tonnes.

Working on a staged combustion cycle with an integrated turbo-pump, the engine will have 42,000 rotations per minute (rpm). It also has two steering engines developing a thrust of 2 kN each to enable three-axis control of the launch vehicle during the flight mission.

The cryogenic engine will be integrated with propellant tanks, stage structures and associated feed lines of the launch vehicle for the flight mission in April next from the spaceport at Sriharikota, about 80 km north of Chennai.

The central government Friday approved the development of semi-cryogenic engines for space transportation at a cost of Rs.1,798 crore (approx Rs.18 billion) with a foreign exchange component of Rs.588 crore (Rs.5.88 billion).The semi-cryogenic engines will facilitate applications for future space missions like the reusable launch vehicle, the unified launch vehicle and the vehicle for inter-planetary missions.

(With IANS inputs)

Four New Nuclear Reactors in Kudankulam

Kudankulam is a small place in the southern part of Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, South India. Two nuclear reactors are under construction in the site. The project is joint venture of Nuclear Corporation of India and Russia. The first reactor is expected to start it’s production by the early months of 2009.

Additionally four new reactors are being planned for construction. The agreement for construction will be signed by the two countries in few days. Once, completed this plan will produce 40 % of India’s total Nuclear Power.

KudanKulam Photos:

Saina Nehwal wins World Junior Badminton Title

A few days after Vishwanathan Anand won the World Chess Championship, young Indian Shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the World Junior Badminton Championship Title today. (Oct 2, 2008) This championship tournament was held at Pune, India. Saina Nehwal is a young shuttler from Hyderabad. Saina Nehwal beat her Japanese opponent Sayaka Sato 21-9, 21-18 in straight sets.

The match lasted for only 25 minutes. Saina Nehwal won the Commonwealth Junior Games gold recently. She has progressed upto the Quarterfinals of Beijing Olympics. It is notable that Saina Nehwal lost in the finals of this championship tournament in 2006.

Saina Nehawal said, “It is a great felling to win this time..”, after clinching the title. She will be playing China Open and Hong Kong Open later this month. She is hoping to do well there also. She is also the National Champion and Chinese Taipei Open. Her coach Gopichand said that She really played like a Champion. Saina Nehwal is currently ranked No:11 in world ranking. I like to see one of the ’1′ to go away…

Jai Hind!!…

Winds drives Tamil Nadu from Power Shortage

All over our country we’re witness severe shortage of power. Our local consumption and industrial consumptions has also increased very rapidly. But our power production is gradually decreasing due to decline generation from Wind energy. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat contribute for the major portion of our wind energy production. Northern states of India are worst hit than Southern states. Tamil Nadu government took several steps to solve this crisis.

Tamil Nadu got extra quota from the centre recently. Now, the Wind mills are producing more than 1800 MW from a low of 60MW. Power cut is abolished in 4 main districts and only minimal in other parts. Due to rain, the consumption of electricity is also lowered. Most of the wind energy production comes from Tirunelveli and Kannaya Kumari. It has been raining heavily there for the last two days. Papanasam in Tirunelveli District produces Hydel Electricity from Papanasam Dam. Due to rain this production is also increased.

Tamil Nadu’s qouta from Kalpakkam has increased from 63MW to 160 MW. If this favourable condition continues we can manage.

A little relieve from Power Cuts in Tamil Nadu

People all over India is been suffering a lot for the past one month due to mandatory power cuts. In Tamil Nadu also there is a shortage of 1500 MegaWatt electricity. Small villages are the most hit by this. Traders association of Tamil Nadu has also called for a State Bandh on 16, September 2008. But, surpraisingly a little relief for people in Tamil Nadu. Centre has granted extra 600 MW of electricity for Tamil Nadu.

The shortage is due to the failure of Wind Mills near the southern districts of Tirunelveli and Kannyakumari. The power generation dropped to just 70MW. But, due to wind prevalance the power generation has been normalised back to 1500MW. So, In Tamil Nadu power shortage is a little bit cooled. Sources say that there won’t be any power cuts in major parts of the state for the next 3 days.

There is no power cut from yesterday in all parts of Tamil Nadu. All these are short relief only. The efficient use of power and the use of nuclear technology can only cure this when we see on long term basis.