Digendranath Swain of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, is one of the winners of this year’s Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards in Space Science and Technology. Here, he talks about his work on the structural engineering of rocket components using experimental mechanics.
What I do
I am a scientist at VSSC’s structural engineering entity. My small team examines the structural integrity of rocket components. We develop and utilise specialised experimental and optical tools, which are non-invasive, for on-ground qualification and acceptance tests of various structures in launch vehicles (LV).
LVs are single-shot applications, so the performance of each structural component, from the time of take off to satellite injection, is critical. Our work has contributed significantly to the structural qualification of LVM3, SSLV, TV-D1, RLV-TD, PSLV, and GSLV missions. Next are the Gaganyaan mission and the new generation launch vehicle (NGLV).
How I do it
The specialised tools we use are typically used for academic and research purposes within the laboratory. Implementing them outside the comfort of the lab comes with unique challenges.
Our research has yielded several innovations, including patented technologies. For instance, we have developed an indigenous system, IMPRESS (Indian-Make Portable and Real-time Shearography System), for non-destructive testing of rocket hardware. We have also devised an easier method to evaluate the elastic properties of specialised materials. Other developments include a simplified method to carry out measurements that will help in the design of solid propulsion systems.
{{/usCountry}}Our research has yielded several innovations, including patented technologies. For instance, we have developed an indigenous system, IMPRESS (Indian-Make Portable and Real-time Shearography System), for non-destructive testing of rocket hardware. We have also devised an easier method to evaluate the elastic properties of specialised materials. Other developments include a simplified method to carry out measurements that will help in the design of solid propulsion systems.
{{/usCountry}}My doctoral research at IIT Kanpur was on growth biomechanics. This may seem out of place with structural engineering of rocket components, but growth biomechanics is based on the principles of advanced solid mechanics, and my doctoral research provided me with knowledge that I could use in experimental and applied mechanics. We were probably one of the first research groups in the country to initiate such work.
We have attempted to model the development of soft and hard tissues mathematically. This research can also be utilised to model the experimental outcomes in living tissues subjected to microgravity in the Gaganyaan and Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) missions.