Latest news with #NAL
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
NAL transfers environment-friendly solar absorber coating technology to Mysuru startup
National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) announced the successful technology transfer of its next-generation solar absorber coating, NALSUN-NG, to Helix Solar Private Limited, an emerging clean-tech startup based in Mysuru. On June 23, NAL said the technology enables domestic manufacturing of flat plate solar water heaters, potentially reducing monthly imports of five to six lakh evacuated tube collectors. NALSUN-NG is a breakthrough graphene oxide-based solar selective coating, specifically engineered for photothermal applications, such as solar water heaters. Developed entirely in-house by NAL, it is the first eco-friendly, water-based coating of its kind in India. Unlike traditional coatings that rely on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and flammable solvents, NALSUN-NG uses only non-toxic, RoHS- and REACH-compliant inorganic materials. Most current commercial coatings use capital-intensive physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, or contain harmful VOCs. In contrast, NALSUN-NG requires minimal investment in infrastructure, has no flammable components, and poses no effluent treatment challenges making it ideal for local manufacturing and rural deployment. The coating has undergone rigorous testing aligned with ASTM and International Energy Agency (IEA) standards. It is certified by NABL-accredited laboratories, and its intellectual property is protected under Indian and international patents. With a lifespan exceeding 20 years, NALSUN-NG is trademarked and has already been successfully commercialised. This transfer marks the second successful licensing of the NALSUN-NG technology, following its earlier adoption by an industry partner where it has already been commercialised and integrated into solar thermal systems.
United News of India
16-06-2025
- General
- United News of India
Seat malfunction may have caused AI crash: Expert
Bengaluru, June 16 (UNI) Aviation expert Shaligram Muralidhar, who is a retired deputy director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), said on Monday a possible mechanical failure in the pilot's seat might have contributed to the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad, calling it an emerging theory in addition to the earlier suspicion of fuel contamination. In an interview with UNI, Muralidhar explained that aircraft pilot seats are designed to move both forward-backward and side-to-side to ensure proper access to flight controls. These seats are held in place by a latching mechanism, typically secured by a pin. 'It is suspected that the locking pin may have been broken or defective. During takeoff, when the pilot applied full power, the seat might have slid backward due to acceleration. As a result, the pilot's hand, which was on the throttle lever, could have unintentionally pulled it back to idle,' he said. This sudden reduction in power during the rotation phase of takeoff could have led to a catastrophic loss of thrust, preventing the aircraft from gaining the necessary lift, Muralidhar added. He also recalled a similar incident involving a Boeing 737, where a seat malfunction during takeoff led to a throttle rollback. In that case, the aircraft sustained damage and had to be called back mid-air. Emphasising that this remains a probable cause and not a confirmed one, Muralidhar said the actual sequence of events can only be established after analysing the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR). 'Only the DFDR data can confirm if the throttle lever was pulled back due to the seat movement. Until then, this remains one of the possible scenarios under technical scrutiny,' he said. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. UNI BDN PRS
Canada Standard
14-06-2025
- General
- Canada Standard
Expert discusses possibility of
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 14 (ANI): Former Deputy Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Saligram J. Murlidhar, called the Ahmedabad plane crash one of the most unfortunate incidents in India's recent history, and raised the possibility of fuel contamination as a major factor behind the tragic incident. Speaking to ANI, Saligram J. Murlidhar said, 'The Ahmedabad plane crash was one of the most unfortunate incidents in Indian recent history. The aircraft is a Boeing Dreamliner. It is one of the most ultramodern aircraft with all the safety precautions, navigation, and it is almost foolproof.' According to Murlidhar, the aircraft carried more than 35 tons of fuel, and its inability to gain altitude suggested a major technical failure. He explained that authorities were trying to locate the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to analyse the final moments of the flight. 'The first thing they have to do is to locate the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). They have to pull out the memory card from the FDR, mount it on a healthy unit, which can be replayed, and then download the data to a computer to start your analysis. Similarly, you get the data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and you try to synchronise those two to see what the conversation that has taken place, and then you try to correlate the root cause of this crash,' Murlidhar explained. Murlidhar ruled out a bird strike as a possibility for both engines failing simultaneously, stating that such an event would not have affected both engines at once. 'If we look into the possibility of both the engines malfunctioning, it cannot be due to a bird strike because if it is due to a bird strike, then you will get some arcing sparking and smoke and both the engines will not encounter the bird strike at the same time,' he noted. The expert suggested that fuel contamination may have been the cause of the crash, as it could lead to a thrust loss or power failure in both engines. 'One of the reasons that can cause thrust loss, power loss, which prevented the aircraft from climbing, is fuel contamination. So if the fuel is contaminated, both engines will behave the same way, and the thrust generated is less, and the aircraft could not sustain the climb rate. It descended and it fell because it contained more than 35 tons of fuel to reach London. The moment it crashed, there was a big, huge fireball,' he added. On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls. Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said. (ANI)
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Expert discusses possibility of "fuel contamination" behind Ahmedabad plane crash
Chennai: Former Deputy Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Saligram J. Murlidhar, called the Ahmedabad plane crash one of the most unfortunate incidents in India's recent history, and raised the possibility of fuel contamination as a major factor behind the tragic incident. Speaking to ANI, Saligram J. Murlidhar said, "The Ahmedabad plane crash was one of the most unfortunate incidents in Indian recent history. The aircraft is a Boeing Dreamliner . It is one of the most ultramodern aircraft with all the safety precautions, navigation, and it is almost foolproof." According to Murlidhar, the aircraft carried more than 35 tons of fuel, and its inability to gain altitude suggested a major technical failure. He explained that authorities were trying to locate the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to analyse the final moments of the flight. "The first thing they have to do is to locate the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). They have to pull out the memory card from the FDR, mount it on a healthy unit, which can be replayed, and then download the data to a computer to start your analysis. Similarly, you get the data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and you try to synchronise those two to see what the conversation that has taken place, and then you try to correlate the root cause of this crash," Murlidhar explained. Live Events Murlidhar ruled out a bird strike as a possibility for both engines failing simultaneously, stating that such an event would not have affected both engines at once. "If we look into the possibility of both the engines malfunctioning, it cannot be due to a bird strike because if it is due to a bird strike, then you will get some arcing sparking and smoke and both the engines will not encounter the bird strike at the same time," he noted. The expert suggested that fuel contamination may have been the cause of the crash, as it could lead to a thrust loss or power failure in both engines. "One of the reasons that can cause thrust loss, power loss, which prevented the aircraft from climbing, is fuel contamination. So if the fuel is contaminated, both engines will behave the same way, and the thrust generated is less, and the aircraft could not sustain the climb rate. It descended and it fell because it contained more than 35 tons of fuel to reach London. The moment it crashed, there was a big, huge fireball," he added. On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls. Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad air crash: Overloading, ‘bird hit' among probable causes, say experts
While the causes of the A1-171 flight crash in Ahmedabad are being investigated and information from the flight data and cockpit voice-recorder was awaited, aviation experts theorise — judging from videos of the plane's short flight — that overloading, a potential bird hit and the rare instance of both engines failing could have prevented the air-plane from getting sufficient 'lift' to ascend. The 787-Dreamliner has maximum take-off weight of 227.9 tonnes and a fuel capacity of 126,206 litres. The twin engines are equipped, even under the worst scenario, to operate for up to 330 minutes on a single engine. 'The odds of both engines failing simultaneously during take-off are quite small or about one in a billion,' Abhay Pashilkar, Director, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), which designs civilian planes, told The Hindu. A plausible scenario was the plane being overloaded, he explained. This meant an incorrect estimate of the combined weight of the loaded airplane and the quantity of available fuel. This along with the external temperature determines the speed at which the plane must attain to keep rising and a misjudgment on that can cause the plane to stall and drop. 'High temperatures on a hot day can thin out the air, meaning you get less lift from the same speed. Weight, temperature altitude all affect lift. Prior to take-off, the pilots have charts and are informed of the weights and the necessary speeds for specific altitudes,' said Mr. Pashilkar. 'If the pilot didn't hit the appropriate speeds, it would reflect in the flight recorder and we will know.' Growth of grass Aviation expert Capt. Mohan Ranganathan told The Hindu that a 'bird hit,' or birds being sucked into both engines couldn't be ruled out. He explained that growth of grass near the runway during the monsoon season attracts a lot of insects, which in turn, attract birds. 'I suspect bird ingestion may have happened. And from the footage that we have seen, the landing gear did not retract. If that happened, the aircraft could have climbed higher and travelled further and possibly would crossed the residential areas,' said Capt. Ranganathan. In January 2009, an Airbus A320, taking off from the LaGuardia airport, New York city, encountered a flock of birds that caused both engines to malfunction. This led to the pilot taking the unusual decision to land the plane on the Hudson River but in the process, also successfully rescuing all the 155 passengers on board. The Ahmedabad air crash has once again brought the spotlight back on safety with regard to Boeing aircraft, including the Dreamliner. Though this is the first time a Dreamliner has crashed, the aircraft has faced safety issues earlier. The initial lot of Dreamliner aircraft faced heating of batteries and forced groundings of planes. The manufacturer also had halted deliveries of their existing orders and reworked on some design aspects after concerns were raised over design of fuselage. There are more than 1,100 787s in service, with several leading international airlines reliant on them. The two major crashes in recent years that were due to faults on Boeing planes were using the then new 737 Max model, in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. Last month, Boeing agreed to a $1.1bn-deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid prosecution over crashes which collectively killed 346 people. To be sure, these weren't Dreamliners.
