The S2, nicknamed 'Jigarthanda', is a 24-meter-long facility located at IIT Kanpur’s Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory (HEAL) within the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The S2 was indigenously designed and developed over a period of three years with funding and support from the Aeronautical Research and Development Board (ARDB), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and IIT Kanpur.
The development of the facility was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure (FIST) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) with a sum of Rs 4.5 Crores in 2018.
The facility consists of 4 major sections —free piston driver, compression tube, shock/acceleration tube and test section with high vacuum system for generating and sustaining the hypersonic flow. The complete instrumentation of the facility; pressure sensors and associated equipment/instruments for acquiring and processing the data and the vacuum system with test section and associated instrumentation was acquired through the DST- FIST program.
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Commenting on this, Prof. S. Ganesh, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, "The successful establishment of S2, India's first hypervelocity expansion tunnel test facility, marks a historic milestone for IIT Kanpur and for India's scientific capabilities. I congratulate Prof. Sugarno and his team for their exemplary work in designing and fabricating the hypersonic research infrastructure. S2 will empower India's space and defence organizations with domestic hypersonic testing capabilities for critical projects and missions."
Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim Sugarno, Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Centre for Lasers & Photonics at IIT Kanpur said, "Building S2 has been extremely challenging, requiring in-depth knowledge of physics and precision engineering. The most crucial and challenging aspect was perfecting the 'free piston driver' system, which requires firing a piston at high pressure between 20-35 atmospheres down a 6.5 m. compression tube at speeds of 150-200 m/s, and bringing it to a complete stop or 'soft landing' at the end."
"However, with our expertise, we were able to overcome this. Our team is proud to have designed, built, and tested this one-of-a-kind facility, cementing India's position in the elite global hypersonic research community," he added.
Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dean, Research and Development, IIT Kanpur, said, "S2 highlights IIT Kanpur's research excellence, positioning the institute at the forefront of innovative research and opening doors to groundbreaking advancements in aerospace technology. I am pleased to acknowledge the crucial support received from ARDB and DST."
Prof. G. M. Kamath, Head, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur, said, "With S2, we advance our research horizons, inspiring a new generation of aerospace enthusiasts and fostering innovation and exploration in this exciting field. Being the first in India to develop such a facility enables us to set a new benchmark for hypervelocity research in India and beyond."
S2 represents a tremendous achievement for IIT Kanpur and a major capacity boost for India's space and defence sectors. With sophisticated hypervelocity testing capabilities now available domestically, India is better positioned to develop advanced hypersonic technologies and systems.
Hypersonic research activities are fast growing in India and the implementation of Hypersonic Test Facility in India will enable more aerospace engineers and researchers to pursue hypersonic research. The research activities and data generated in the facility will serve as an input for optimization of existing vehicles as well as futuristic defense and Space Missions.
Establishment of such facility will position India globally for advanced experimental hypersonic research. It is a major capacity boost for India's space and defense sectors and puts India in a better position to develop advanced hypersonic technologies and systems fast-forwarding the Hon’ble PM’s dream of a scientifically advanced nation.
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur was established in 1959 and declared to be an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India through an Act of Parliament. IIT Kanpur is best known for the highest standard of education in science and engineering and for seminal R&D contributions over the years. The institute has a sprawling lush green campus spread over 1055 acres with a large pool of academic and research resources spanning across 19 departments, 25 centres and 3 interdisciplinary programs in engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines with more than 570 full-time faculty members and approximately 9000 students.
For more information, visit www.iitk.ac.in.
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