The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Research to develop laser sensor to assess fuel for satellite launch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Research to develop laser sensor to assess fuel for satellite launch

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, JAN. 30. The Instrumentation Department of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has taken up a research to develop a laser sensor to assess the quantum of fuel used to launch a satellite.

L. Kameswara Rao, professor of the department, delivered the keynote address at the University Grants Commission-sponsored national seminar on `Laser in technological and biomedical applications - NATBI 2005' organised by the Department of Physics of St. Joseph's College here on Thursday.

He said that there was no equipment to assess the quantum of liquid hydrogen, fuel used for the launch of a satellite.

Any unpredicted dip in the quantum of the fuel would make it impossible to launch the satellite.

Laser technology would be used to assess the quantum of fuel.

The research involved the use of a photo detector, optic fibre, laser and a diamond prism.

The prism, when dipped in the fuel would emit no reflection of light. When the satellite was launched, the fuel level would register a fall resulting in reflection from the prism. The extent of reflection would be a yardstick to assess the level of the fuel, he said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation would apply the technique once the research was completed in two years.

Prof. Rao called upon the Indian industry to take maximum advantage of laser technology to enhance productivity.

Laser, in the present-day context, had wider applications in various fields starting from the manufacturing process to measurement techniques and from welding to biomedicine.

He said that the conventional use of measurement techniques was a barrier to improve the quality of products.

"Even a slight variation in the thickness of the doors of a car had an adverse impact on its quality," he said.

The Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, V. Athikrishnan, released a souvenir.

The principal of the college, Rev. S. John Britto, and N. Ravi, organising secretary, spoke.

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