Sponsor: CRG, ANRF (formerly SERB), Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 63.36 lakhs
Investigators: Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (PI)| Dr. Manabendra Pathak (co-PI) | Duration: May 2024 - May 2027
This project focuses on creating an efficient and robust thermal management system for Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Since batteries generate significant heat, effective cooling is crucial to prevent thermal runaway and ensure optimal performance between 20-50°C. The research aims to design, fabricate, and test an advanced battery thermal management system that overcomes the limitations of current air and indirect liquid cooling methods, especially in challenging conditions like high ambient temperatures or heavy traffic.
Sponsor: CRG, ANRF (formerly SERB), Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 32.83 lakhs
Investigators: Dr. Manabendra Pathak (PI) | Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (co-PI)| Duration: November 2021 - March 2025
Flow boiling in microchannels is a highly effective method for cooling high-power-density electronics but suffers from instabilities caused by explosive vapor growth. This project introduced a novel nanoporous membrane-based vapor venting technique to mitigate these instabilities. By using a hydrophobic membrane to selectively remove vapor, the system prevents the formation of an upstream compressible volume, thereby enhancing heat transfer rates and increasing the critical heat flux limit.
Sponsor: Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, DAE, Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 32.991 lakhs
Investigators: Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (PI)| Dr. Manabendra Pathak (co-PI) | Duration: November 2019 - May 2025
This research investigated the failure behavior of Zircaloy-4 nuclear fuel pins under simulated Loss-of-Coolant-Accident (LOCA) conditions. The study focused on how pre-oxidation (simulating high burnup) affects the cladding's microstructure and mechanical response, including creep, rupture, and embrittlement. By conducting burst tests in a steam environment, the project developed a burst criterion model that improves the understanding of fuel clad safety for Indian PHWRs.
Sponsor: CRG, ANRF (formerly SERB), Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 36 lakhs
Investigators: Dr. Manabendra Pathak (PI) | Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (co-PI)| Duration: May 2016 - March 2021
The project mainly focuses on the development of a self-adaptive cooling system based on a closed-loop two-phase thermosyphon (CLTPT) with enhanced heat transfer in the evaporator and the condenser. The first part of the report explains heat transfer enhancement with structured surfaces, and the second part presents the temperature-controlled self-adaptive thermosyphon loop. A closed-loop two-phase thermosyphon (CLTPT) is a gravity-assisted heat dissipation device that works on the principle of evaporation and condensation to facilitate large amounts of heat transfer without any pumping device. An efficient heat transfer mechanism should act in the evaporator and the condenser to produce a sufficient buoyancy effect in the loop. In the first part of the work, an effort is being made to enhance the heat transfer in the evaporator section with a structured heating surface.
Sponsor: Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, DAE, Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 31.18 Lacs
Investigators: Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (PI)| Dr. Manabendra Pathak (co-PI) | Duration: October 2014 - December 2017
This project aimed to determine the effects of hydrogen embrittlement on the mechanical properties of Zircaloy-4 fuel cladding. The research used experimental and numerical techniques to study how the presence of hydrides alters creep performance, crack behavior, and burst characteristics during normal operation and accident scenarios like LOCA. The findings are crucial for understanding the degradation and lifespan of cladding in water-cooled nuclear reactors.
Sponsor: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, DAE, Govt. of India | Amount: Rs. 25.445 Lacs
Investigators: Dr. Mohd. Kaleem Khan (PI) | Duration: January 2010 - May 2013
The research work was undertaken with an objective to develop the burst criterion for zircaloy- clad tubes used in Indian pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) in an outside inert environment. To serve this objective, an indigenous experimental clad burst facility was developed at IIT Patna. The clad specimens were heated at different heating rates (17 to 81 K/s) and at different internal overpressures (20, 40, 60 and 80 bar) until they burst. A total of 36 tubes were tested for burst for different combinations of heating rate and internal overpressure. The temperature, pressure and wall displacement were measured online. The offline measurements were also conducted on the burst specimen to determine the burst parameters like circumference and thickness at the burst location. These parameters were then used to determine the burst stress and burst strains.The results of the burst criterion have been validated with the present and past data. It is worth mentioning that the proposed burst criterion model has also taken into account the effect of pressure rise during the heating of clad specimen. It has been found that the inclusion of rate of pressure-rise has a remarkable effect on the predicted burst parameters and has resulted in a better agreement with the experimental data.