Expert moots learning centres in defence technologies at IITs

The country needs to set up centres of excellence to promote advanced skills in the rarefied field of propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics.

These centres may be set up at premium institutions such as IITs, says B Bhattacharya, Director of Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory.

HIGH ENERGY MATERIALS He said this while inaugurating a three-day International High Energy Materials Conference here on Thursday.

Research and application have advanced significantly in this field in the last 20 years through the use of new materials and new modelling techniques. “India is a large importer of defence systems. This needs to change. Arms and ammunition need to be manufactured in-house,” Bhattacharya said.

This needs not just pure research but also high quality R&D on user-driven requirements. The country does a business of ₹15,000 crore in high energy materials every year.

But 75 per cent of the money goes for importing technology, he added.

JOINT VENTURES We should work with the international community not only for exchange of latest ideas in the domain but also for setting up joint ventures to help build technology. “We must aim to bring down the cost of R&D in this area,” Bhattacharya said.

S Ramakrishnan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, explained how technology has matured enough to make available 200 tonne-capacity boosters now.

“High energy materials such as propellants and pyro devices contribute to 90 per cent of the lift-off weight of rockets,” he said. In fact, propulsion itself is a controlled explosion.

So the first leg of any mission abundantly uses these materials. Other activities during the flight such as stage separation and deployment of spacecraft also need them.

GSLV Mk III, the giant rocket capable of injecting four-ton satellites into geo-synchronous orbits of 36,000 km in altitude, too needs them.

SAFETY PRECAUTION Manjit Singh, Director of Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, said that safety precautions should be adhered to strictly while working in this field.

The test methodology need to be improved and standardised as there is considerable technological gap between India and the international community right now.

The country needs to do a thorough research on how to dispose unusable arms and ammo safely. Environment-friendly disposing methods need to be developed.

MC Dathan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Mahendragiri, said that there is a need to further improve the solid state fuel technology.

There are lots of advantages in using solid state fuels. They are low-cost, less complex and highly reliable.

Suitable combination of solid, liquid and cryo fuels can effectively propel any complex rocket systems.

Composites-based rockets can help reduce mass, he added.

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