Numerical Simulation of Spatially constrained Elastic Rods
Professor: R. Ganesh
UID: ME02
Experimental investigation of Mechanical Metamaterials
Professor: R. Ganesh
UID: ME03
Design of a machine for manufacturing an electrode for car
batteries
Professor: P. P. Date
UID: ME04
Development of a lumped parameter model to study the dynamics of a
freight car
Professor: Salil S. Kulkarni
UID: ME05
Titania Nanotubes Growth for Biomedical Implants
Professor: Rakesh Mote
UID: ME06
ML based defect detection and process optimization of Ultra
Precision Machining
Professor: Rakesh Mote
UID: ME07
Femtosecond laser micro fabrication - system development or
process analysis
Professor: Deepak Marla
UID: ME08
ME01
Description: Li Ion batteries have limitations especially
when operating in Indian environments with 50 deg C as the
ambient temperature (summers in Rajasthan, MP. Delhi Maharashtra
to name a few places), so that power from batteries is needed
for thermal management of batteries. If alternatives which can
perform at relatively higher temperatures upto say, 75 deg C,
then battery cooling systems still have a chance to manage
battery temperature without drawing power from the battery.
Hence it might be worthwhile comparing the Li Ion batteries with
its alternatives (no power needed from the battery for cooling)
taking the thermal management into account.
>Number of students: 1
>Year of study: Students entering 4th/5th year
>CPI:8
Prerequisites: Should be good in thermal sciences and in
simulations using ANSYS Fluent etc.
Duration: 6 months
Learning outcome: An understanding of how temperature
affects the functioning of a battery, Limitations of battery
cooling systems and examination of alternatives to Li Ion
batteries. Finding a superior solution accounting for power
consumed in cooling of Li Ion batteries will be an enriching
experience for the student.
Weekly time commitment:6 hours
General expectations: Regular meetings, discussion of the
approach, results etc. at least ONCE per week is important. Some
novel thinking will be welcome.
Assignment:Google "Alternatives to Li Ion battery" and
plenty of material will come. Specifically review solid state
batteries, sodium ion batteries, Al air batteries, Lithium
Sulphur Batteries
Instructions for assignment:I expect students to collect
literature first and get started. I do give students papers, but
only after being convinced about their diligence.
ME02
Description: "A wide range of physical systems such as
drilling, endoscopy, robotics etc. employ slender rods in
constrained spaces. The constraints on the deformation of the
rod significantly affect their buckling modes, and also play an
important role in determining the dynamics of the system. In
this project, the student will explore a relatively new
framework adapted from the computer graphics community to
investigate the buckling and post-buckling configurations of
slender rods in curved channels. References:
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2015.0547,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2019.112741,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76965-3,
https://doi.org/10.2118/174949-PA"
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: BB or above in ME 201/202 (or
equivalent course in other departments)
Prerequisites:Familiarity with numerical methods and
programming in Python/MATLAB. Interest in computational
mechanics.
Duration: 2-3 months. Can be extended as SLP/BTP.
Learning outcome: The student will get exposure to
advanced theories in solid mechanics for modeling physical
systems. Further, the student will also learn to implement
numerical methods to simulate physical systems using these
models.
Weekly time commitment: Based on student interest
General expectations: This project is suitable for
students interested in exploring research in computational solid
mechanics. The student will also get sufficient exposure to
computational programming as a part of this project.
Instructions for assignment: Please watch the above
seminar (only the first hour or so), and explore the code on
github. Make changes to the axial stretching example to simulate
torsional deformation
(https://docs.cosseratrods.org/en/latest/guide/example_cases.html).
If you are not familiar with Python, go through the paper (third
link) and provide a write up of your understanding (as well as
any questions you may have) of section 4.1.
ME03
Description: "Metamaterials are artificially designed
materials whose mechanical properties are a function of geometry
as well as material properties. In this regard, Kirigami, the
art of making cuts in materials, endows some interesting
properties in 2-D sheets. Specifically, plane sheets can be
morphed into curved 3D geometries upon the application of load,
which endows the sheet with out-of-plane bending stiffness
orders of magnitude higher than the uncut sheet (see this link
for a practical example:
https://ecocushionpaper.com/?page_id=3671). In this project, we
will quantify the mechanical properties of macro-scale Kirigami
Metamaterials using experimental tools. Time permitting, we will
explore non-destructive characterization using Scanning Laser
Doppler Vibrometry. References:
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.084301,
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.2.110601"
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 3rd year
CPI: BB or above in ME 201/202 (or any equivalent in
other departments)
Prerequisites: Interest in exploring experimental
techniques
Duration: 2 months (can be extended as SLP/BTP)
Learning outcome: Various experimental techniques for
static and dynamic characterization of soft elastic structures
Instructions for assignment: Read the above research
paper, and summarize your broad understanding (you are not
expected to derive or understand the derivation of all
formulae). In addition, also note down any questions you may
have as you go through this paper.
ME04
Description: Variety of car batteries are being produced.
Study the functioning of various kinds of batteries and how
their electrodes are manufactured. The project is about
designing a machine for manufacturing the electrodes in the
battery. This includes slitting and coating of the substrate,
calendering and cutting out the electrodes.
Number of students: 2
Year of study: Students entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria:8
Prerequisites: Nothing special
Duration: 6 months
Learning outcome: Students will learn about the battery
manufacturing processes involved and the various issues arising
in them, especially due to manufacturing related effects.
Weekly time commitment: 6 hrs/week per head
General expectations: Regular progress and one meeting
per week to review the progress.Review of the work at least once
a week is a must.
Assignment: Google the title and you will get enough
literature.
Instructions for assignment: Summarise about 5 papers
over a months time and then start with the process of designing
the machine.
ME05
Description: "Indian Railways carries more than 1.2
billion tonnes of freight traffic every year over an extensive
rail network. It carries various types of commodities including
coal, iron ore, steel, cement, fertilizers, etc. It is therefore
essential to have a thorough understanding of the behaviour of
the freight car system under various operating conditions as
this influences the operating costs and also the safety aspects.
In order to understand the dynamic behaviour of the entire
freight car system, one needs to understand the dynamic
behaviour of an individual car, the car track interaction, car-
car interaction, etc. In view of this, it is important to build
accurate mathematical models of the various components and
sub-systems influencing the dynamics of the freight car system.
In addition, it is also essential to have accurate models so
that modified and new freight cars can be thoroughly analyzed
before being commissioned. The current work will focus on
developing a lumped parameter model of freight car."
Number of students: 2
Year of study: Students entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria:=8
Prerequisites: Good understanding of kinematics and
dynamics, experienced in writing codes in MATLAB
Duration: 2-3 months, longer if the student is interested
Learning outcome: "1. Reading and understanding journal
papers 2 .developing mathematical models and their
implementation 3. Interpretation and analysis of results"
Instructions for assignment: Read sections 1 and 2.1 only
of the given research paper. It is not expected that you
understand each and every equation but you should have an
understanding of how one can derive such equations
ME06
Description: Titania Nanotubes grown over Biomedical
implants can improve antibacterial and osteointegration
functionality of biomedical implants. The project aims at
studying the growth kinetics and performance evaluation of the
nanotube growth.
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 3rd year, Students
entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: ABOVE 8
Prerequisites: NONE
Duration: 6 months
Learning outcome:
Weekly time commitment: 24 hours
General expectations:
Assignment:
Instructions for assignment:
ME07
Description: Ultra Precision Machining processes are used
to produce components at nanometric surface quality required by
optoelectronic, medical, and strategic devices. The project aims
at classifying, analysing, and predicting the surface defects
using ML approach.
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 3rd year, Students
entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: > 8
Prerequisites: Manufacturing Processes, Some exposure to
ML/Data Sc
Duration: 6m to 1 yr
Learning outcome:
Weekly time commitment: 24
General expectations:
Assignment:
Instructions for assignment:
ME08
Description: "Femtosecond lasers have emerged as a
powerful tool in microfabrication due to their ultrashort pulse
duration. These lasers provide unparalleled precision and
control, allowing for the creation of intricate microscale
structures with high accuracy. Their unique characteristics,
such as minimal heat-affected zones and reduced collateral
damage, make them ideal for working with delicate materials.
Femtosecond lasers find extensive use in microfabrication
processes with applications in microelectronics, microfluidic
devices, biomedical implants, photonic devices, etc. With their
exceptional capabilities, femtosecond lasers have opened up new
frontiers in microfabrication, facilitating advancements in
technology and scientific research. The students are expected to
do some literature survey and come up with a component or
product that can be fabricated using femtosecond lasers.
Besides, one project will also be on physics-based modelling of
femtosecond laser interaction with materials. "
Number of students: 3
Year of study: Students entering 2nd year, Students
entering 3rd year
CPI eligibility criteria: No CPI criteria for
experimental work, but CPI>9 is required for modelling and
simulation
Prerequisites: NA
Duration: At least three months
Learning outcome: The following are the expected learning
outcomes: (i) understand the fundamentals of femtosecond lasers
and optics, (ii) hands-on training of using femtosecond lasers ,
(iii) understanding the physics of laser-matter interaction,
(iv) design of experiments, (v) material characterisation
techniques, (iv) modelling and simulation (optional).
Weekly time commitment: 40 hours
General expectations: The students are expected to do
some literature survey and come up with a component or product
that can be fabricated using femtosecond lasers.
Assignment: The students can use scopus.com or
sciencedirect.com to get some basic information on femtosecond
laser microfabrication and identify a potential component or
product that could be developed.
Instructions for assignment: "The write up should be of
1-2 pages. It should contain a description of the component or
product to be fabricated and its potential applications. If you
are interested in modelling and simulation, no write up is
required. However, you are required to have an understanding of
finite difference method and have good coding skills. "
CL09
Description: Consider a drop of water (with negligible weight)
suspended in the air. At equilibrium, the flow field is zero
everywhere in the continuum limit. Numerical simulation of this
system, however, shows an unphysical flow field near the
water-air interface. This effect is attributed to the diffuse
representation of the water-air interface in the model instead
of a sharp one. The project aims to minimize these unphysical
flow fields, known as spurious currents, by carefully analyzing
discretization errors. The Lattice Boltzmann method will be used
to simulate and analyze the discretization errors.
Number of students: 2
Year of study: Students entering 3rd year, Students entering
4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: 8
Prerequisites: basic knowledge of fluid dynamical equations,
numerical methods and c++ programming
Instructions for assignment: Write a two paragraph summary of
the paper
CL10
Description: The goal is to analyse commercially available
reactors in lab and pilot plant settings based on vendor
literature, patents and journal publications. The approach will
be a mix of critical analysis and mathematical modelling using
tools like Comsol, Matlab etc. Technical domains include heat
transfer, mixing and chemical compatibility. The final output
will include a report, numerical analysis and selection models
preferably web based. Scope includes stirred reactors, pilot
plants and flow Reactors including microreactors. We should be
able to predict where reactor Technology is headed.
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 3rd year, Students entering
4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: 9
Prerequisites: Good numerical and programming skills and
interest in industrial chemical engineering
Duration: Summer break. 2.5 months. Extendible based on
performance
Learning outcome: Deep understanding of commerical lab and pilot
reactors and their models.
Weekly time commitment: 30
General expectations:
Assignment:
Instructions for assignment:
CL11
Description: Green hydrogen is a very important part of the
global drive for clean energy and sustainability. However
handling Hydrogen in residential and transportation settings is
a very challenging and dangerous task. Many nations and
organizations have historically had codes and regulations that
apply to Hydrogen users to reduce risk by mandating best
practices. As India enters green Hydrogen in a big way there is
a need to come up with a good framework of regulations in this
area. The goal of this project is to critically analyze global
regulations and understand similarities and differences between
codes from US, Germany and other nations. Finally, the aim is to
make recommendations for a comprehensive Indian code for
Hydrogen use.
Number of students: 1
Year of study: Students entering 2nd year, Students entering 3rd
year, Students entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: 8.8
Prerequisites:
Duration: 2 months
Learning outcome: Deep understanding of the safety risks and
mitigation measures for Hydrogen
Weekly time commitment: 30
General expectations:
Assignment:
Instructions for assignment: Come up with a short, half page
summary of what are the major international codes that apply to
hydrogen safety.
CL12
Description: CCUS is a suite of technologies that works towards
removal of CO2 from anthropogenic sources and atmosphere and
converts or stores it for various applications. The National
Centre of Excellence in CCU is a premiere body of the Govt of
India that works on pathways for large-scale decarbonization
through RD&D in this sector. In this project, the candidate will
assist in carrying out the life-cycle and techno-economic
assessment of specific CCUS sites and sectors in India. Further,
a detailed market-based assessment of current status and gaps in
deployment mechanisms will be carried out.
Number of students: 3
Year of study: Students entering 2nd year, Students entering 3rd
year, Students entering 4th/5th year
CPI eligibility criteria: 7
Prerequisites: Basic understanding of one or more of the
following: ArcGIS, IHS Markit, Aspen Plus.
Duration: 8 weeks
Learning outcome: The candidate will gain experience in leading
pathways to decarbonization, specifically with transferable
skills in the sustainability and energy transition industry.
Weekly time commitment: 40
General expectations: A brief SOP of 15-20 lines may be provided
by the candidate. The shortlisting and selection by the faculty
will be final. Any certification of project work will be
provided only after completion.