The Energy and Environment Programme (EEP) teaches and carries out policy-focused research in energy, environment, and climate change. Despite the pandemic, EEP faculty and researchers published eleven papers in peer-reviewed journals, five papers in conference proceedings, one book chapter, and eight articles in national newspapers/magazines and delivered invited talks in other institutions. EEP faculty prepared a NIAS Policy Brief on a transition plan for the power sector.
Power distribution companies (DISCOMs) in India are experiencing financial stress. The high cost of power procurement is one of the key reasons for this financial stress. This is mainly due to a fragmented approach to power sector reforms. The authors offer insights and propose recommendations to address this situation.
Thermal stratification characteristics are investigated and analyzed in detail for three chosen shapes of TES, namely truncated-cone, paraboloid, and cylinder, using a two-dimensional unsteady numerical model. Results of the numerical model on cylindrical TES is found to have good agreement with the findings of the in-house experiments. . At every AR investigated for the two shapes of TES, Richardson number for the paraboloid TES is greater than that of the truncated-cone TES, qualitatively suggesting a better temperature stratification in the paraboloid TES.
As part of a SERB-funded research Project, NIAS drafted proposals for a “Sustainable Coal Mining Bill” and an “Environment, Forest, and Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill,” to create a unified, empowered, and inter-disciplinary environmental regulator for coal mines. These proposals were discussed during a virtual stakeholder consultation workshop on September 5, 2020.
In this study, a tractable and computationally fast numerical model comprising of two simplified non-equilibrium energy equations for the working fluid and the phase change material (PCM), respectively, is developed to account for the radiation effects at the high temperatures in the cascaded multi-layered packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage (PBLTS). It is found that the radiative heat transfer plays a significant role at high temperature (> 650 °C) in dictating the performance of the thermal energy storage system during the charging operation.
Prof Mahalingam has served as a full-time regulator, having been a Member of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board for five years from its inception in 2007. She was also energy member of National Security Advisory Board that advises the Prime Minister through the National Security Advisor on issues related to India's national security. She has also been Visiting Fellow at international universities, Senior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi and guest faculty at LBSNAA, Foreign Services Institute, National Defence College etc. Prof Sudha Mahalingam has been awarded Doctorate by the University of Technology, Sydney in March 2020 on the thesis topic A Review of Independent Regulation in India’s Downstream Hydrocarbon Sector.
The paper analyses the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which is aimed at reducing subsidies and encouraging privatization, especially in the distribution segment of the power sector. The paper argues that the central government must hold off on passing any hasty legislation on the subject and adopt a more scientific and less ideological approach to deal with the travails of the power sector.
A.V. Krishnan is a mechanical engineer from Bangalore University and joined BHEL, Tiruchi as an Engineer Trainee in January 1976. He worked in Product Development (Boilers), Field Engineering Services and R&D for six years after which he moved to Quality Assurance and Business Excellence group after undergoing ‘One year training in Statistical Quality Control & Operations Research’ at Indian Statistical Institute, Chennai. He then worked for 21 years in various disciplines of Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Laboratories. Subsequently, he headed the “Welding Research Institute” at BHEL, Tiruchi. After serving as a General Manager in the BHEL Corporate Office and as the CEO of the BHEL Boiler Auxiliaries Plant at Ranipet, he was promoted as Executive Director in 2008. In June 2009, he was appointed as Executive Director of BHEL’s flagship manufacturing complex at Tiruchi where he served till his superannuation from BHEL in July 2015. In the EEC Program, Prof Krishna works on clean coal technologies, the role and economic viability of nuclear power in India, power flow analysis, and optimal electricity supply options for India.
Research Interests: Clean coal technologies, economic viability of nuclear power in India, optimal power supply options for India, power flow analysis.