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- Paridhaan: Celebrating the myriad hues of India May 2, 2022
“India is the One land that all men desire to see and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined” – Mark Twain
His words express the wonder of experiencing the myriad shades of culture thriving on the Indian landscape. Celebrations marking the beauty of our enriching tradition are indeed reminders of the boundless diversity of this country. An ethnic day is an occasion to look back and marvel at the greatness of Indian civilization. It endows us with an opportunity to embrace and rejoice in the shimmering diversity of our motherland. Such good times are meant to be cherished forever as it ties together the manifold differences our people foster.
The Department of Student Affairs proudly organised ‘Paridhaan’, an Ethnic-Cultural event for celebrating the rich Indian heritage. Students came decked up parading the exquisite fashion culture existing across different parts of the nation. The day was brimming with high-sprits and festivity as students from different parts of the country came attired in their traditional outfits flaunting their cultural legacy. An array of dance and musical performances was organised for students to put their talent and vigour on display.
There were programmes ranging from solo musical performances to dance medleys and fashion shows. The stage was set on fire with a live opera performance of Sanjana, who mesmerised the crowd with her mellifluous voice. Equally stunning was the musical entertainment of Amrit who weaved magic with his Santoor, playing the Hamsadhwani raga. Each performer enthralled the audience with different musical stylings, such as mashups, raps and so on. The crowd was also clamouring with joy at the rocking dance performances by the students of the dance club.
The major highlight of the day was the fashion show. The participants adorned the stage with ravishing ethnic outfits representing their cultural distinctiveness. There were portrayals of different dressing styles of India as well as countries like China and Africa. Donning the garbs of different regions from Assam to Gujarat and Kerala, even dating back to the times of the Mughal Era, the show dazzled the crowd with enchanting hues. The celebrations came to a closure with a few more delightful performances. All the SRM dignitaries including the Vice-Chancellor, Prof V S Rao, took part in the celebrations and congratulated the students for making the event a huge success.
Continue reading → - Unwinding the transgender travails April 26, 2022
Embracing one’s transgender identity is a tremendous act of courage in a world that refuses to acknowledge their very existence. The narrations of their trials and tribulations continue to prevail despite the measures taken by the state machinery to assert their rights or the transgender revolution that spilt over in recent times. So long as the society continues to deny them a conducive space to exert their existence, the transgender community will have to endure hardships in all walks of life. The present-day researchers have increasingly shifted their focus on the LGBTQIA+ community to unravel their survival tales and awaken the population to their basic human rights.
Dr Anu Kuriakose, Assistant Professor from the Department of English, has also been looking into transgender lives and the anomalies in their representation. Her research analyses the inclusion and representation of transgender people in Indian films with a specific focus on the shift in representational politics and inclusive strategies in films of late. She has recently published a paper titled “Deconstructing the Trans-Inclusivity Myth in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui” in the Economic and Political Weekly.
The article offers a critical reading of the Hindi film Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021), which appears to maintain an inclusive outlook towards the queer community. Through the article, Dr Anu draws attention to the glaring presence of transphobic and homophobic attributes even in such progressive films. Her research attempts to analyse whether there have been any significant shifts in trans representation and inclusion in contemporary cinema.
She has also published two chapters, “The Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on Employment and Livelihood Opportunities of Transgender Community in Kerala” and “The Double Marginalization of Transgender People During the COVID 19 Pandemic”, in the books COVID-19 Pandemic and the New Normal and Keralam in the Path of Survival respectively. The works recount the unspoken sufferings underwent by the transgender community in Kerala during the pandemic times. The chapters were co-authored by her peer, Dr Vinshi P K.
Her upcoming research plans include addressing gender diversity and inclusion in academic discourses in the vernacular of Kerala and critically reviewing the representational politics of trans femininity in visual cultural texts. By researching the portrayals of transgender community, Dr Anu intends to enhance awareness on the deviant representation of queer community in the realms of literature.
Continue reading → - High gain boost converter fed inverter for better power supply April 26, 2022
The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering is glad to announce that Dr Ramanjaneya Reddy, Assistant Professor; his students, Mr Rahul Kotana and Ms SK Hima Bindu have published a paper titled “High Gain Boost Converter Fed Single-Phase Sine Pulse Width Modulated Inverter” in the journal ‘International Journal of Renewable Energy Research’ having a Scopus site score of 4.2.
Abstract of the Research
A high gain boost converter fed single-phase voltage source inverter with its control for DC to AC power conversion in uninterrupted power supply and renewable energy applications is presented in this paper. The conventional DC-DC boost converter with a coupled inductor and switched capacitor is utilised to obtain high gain. Further, the output voltage of the inverter is controlled by the sinusoidal pulse width modulation technique. The detailed design and analysis of a high gain boost converter fed single-phase voltage source inverter is presented. The sine pulse width modulation control scheme for the voltage source inverter is also developed and presented. To validate the high gain boost converter fed single-phase voltage source inverter, the simulation model is developed in the LTspice software environment, and the results are validated. The results show high gain boost converter achieves a gain of about 10 and the single-phase voltage source inverter can provide an rms voltage of 228 V without using the step-up transformer. The total harmonic distortion of output current is found to be below 4.
About the Research
Energy is an essential factor for the functioning and economic development of the industrialized world. It plays a key role in our day-to-day life. On the other hand, energy management has become a critical factor for our successive economic prosperity. The energy consumption process frequently needs either DC-AC conversion or AC-DC conversion. The DC-AC conversion finds its major application in uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and renewable energy (RE). To supply during power outages, most UPS systems use batteries, usually lead-acid, as the storage mechanism. The battery is supposed to provide the backup in the absence of the grid supply. However, the voltage provided by the battery alone may not be enough to provide the backup. At first, the battery output power which is DC needs to be converted to AC with the help of an inverter. Apparently, the output of the inverter needs to be stepped up with the help of a step-up transformer to achieve an output of 220V 50Hz. An alternative approach to the same process is by using a power electronic converter called the DC-DC boost converter. The boosting of battery/PV voltage can be achieved with the help of a standard boost converter as shown in Fig. 1(b), or by using a battery capable of supplying higher voltage and a step-up transformer as shown in Fig. 1(a). High power batteries and step-up transformers can be eliminated if a high gain boost (HGB) converter is used instead of a standard boost converter. The HGB converter fed DC-AC conversion system is presented in this paper which eliminates the step-up transformer. The circuit configuration of the proposed work is depicted in Fig. 2.
Practical Implementations of the Research
The DC-AC conversion method proposed is based on the HGB converter fed single-phase SPWM inverter. The proposed model is best suited when a low voltage DC supply is available, and a standard 230V AC output is needed to deliver the load. The detailed design and analysis of the HGB converter are carried out, and the gain of the converter is achieved at around 10, which is very high compared with conventional boost converter topologies. A unipolar SPWM control scheme is developed in LTspice to control the single-phase VSI. The simulation results of the complete DC-AC conversion system are in close agreement with the design parameters. Further, the total harmonic distortion of the output current waveform is around 4% which is well below the international standards. In addition, the complete model consisting of both HGB converter and single-phase VSI are successfully simulated for an input of 36 V DC and produced an rms output voltage of 228 V.
In future, the DC-AC conversion method based on a high gain boost converter can be extended with the three-phase voltage source inverter with electric drive applications.
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- C-SMILE: Pertinent feedbacks and effective learning April 21, 2022
“The correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting” – Plutarch
Where would you go to get the most appropriate feedback to improve your learning? Whom would you approach? An active learner requires continuous assessment. Exposure to relevant remarks can make a significant impact in the learning output. Choosing the right source of feedback is important to locate your position in the learning ecosystem. This is where C-SMILE enters the frame.
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is delighted to inform you that the patent application (202241010415) entitled ‘Classification of Student’s Misconceptions in Individualized Learning Environments (C-SMILE)’ got published. The patent application was submitted by Associate professor Dr Sobin C C and BTech final year student Meka Varsha as part of the Capstone Project.
C-SMILE is an innovative platform which allows students to take assessment and receive feedback based on their performance and misconceptions. This targets to refine their conceptual and individualised learning. The platform offers the benefits of automated identification of misconceptions and classification of their level of conceptual clarity. This eventually leads to pertinent feedbacks and ensures quality learning. It also helps engineering educators to classify their students into different categories based on their level of conceptual clarity. Short quizzes and multi-level assessments can utilise the objective of this platform.
Dr Sobin C C and Meka Varsha have collaborated with Mr Subheesh N P from IIT Madras and Mr Jahfar Ali from IIT Hyderabad as part of this work. The team has already published 2 conference papers. One of them is in the prestigious IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON 2022), which is the flagship conference of IEEE Education Society.
The researchers are now working on to extend this concept to incorporate Bloom’s taxonomy to formulate more specific questions based on their level in the cognitive domain.
Continue reading → - Presenting our first doctorate holder: Dr Vasavi Dutt April 21, 2022
The university revels in its monumental achievement of bringing out the maiden doctorate degree holder, Dr Vasavi Dutt, within four years of its inception. Dr Vasavi Dutt enrolled as a PhD scholar in the Department of Chemistry, under the supervision of Dr Nimai Mishra, Assistant Professor, in 2018. She received the academic honour for her research thesis titled “Improvement of Photoluminescence and Achieving the Stabilization of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Light-emitting Applications”. Dr Vasavi has been an extremely diligent student and she mustered up immense courage to bring her research to closure even during the testing times of the pandemic.In the words of Dr Nimai Mishra, “It was a great privilege for me to supervise Ms Vasavi, (correct me Dr Vasavi now) as my first PhD student. She joined my research lab in July 2018 when there was no lab at all, and we started our work at Chemistry BTech Lab”. Dr Mishra was gleaming with pride as he spoke more about his scholar, “During these three and a half years, I had relentless scientific discussions with Vasavi which enriched both of us. Her attitude towards research was remarkable, whenever I gave her a research problem, she used to come up with a detailed outline of how to go ahead with the project”. He also praised her for all her accomplishments which include the publication of 13 research papers, filing of 3 patents and winning the best poster in national & internal conferences.
Dr Vasavi also shared her happiness for having received the mentorship of Dr Mishra, “Working in Dr Nimai Mishra’s lab was a great experience. I had the opportunity to engage and initiate multiple research topics and collaborations. He has always encouraged me to explore new fields to broaden perspectives and bring together new ideas”. She also expressed her gratitude to him for being a welcoming and approachable mentor. “I’m eternally thankful to Dr Mishra for his friendship, empathy, and moreover, for his great sense of humour”. She currently resides in the US with her family. Now that she has successfully completed her PhD, soon she would start looking for a job or rather pursue a post-doctoral fellowship in America.
Dr Vasavi was out of words to thank the university for facilitating and bringing the best in technology and infrastructure for advanced research. “I can never thank my university enough for extending a hospitable environment and nutritious food for all the doctorate students”, she further mentioned. The university serves as a promised land for thousands of research aspirants like her to head towards their dream of making unfeigned contributions to academia.
- Do you think CSIR-JRF is a tough nut to crack? Persistence is the key April 21, 2022
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Jesni M Jacob, currently doing research under Dr Mahesh Kumar Ravva narrates her journey to achieving CSIR-JRF All India Rank of 65 through persistent efforts.
I’m working in the field of computational chemistry on designing and developing organic molecules for OLED applications. Securing an AIR of 65 in the CSIR JRF in Chemical Science June 2021 exam is a dream come true moment for me.
In 2019, I completed my post-graduate studies at Madras Christian College, Chennai. The four-year-long journey from zero to JRF AIR 65 was of hard work, patience, sleepless nights, sacrifices and even frustrated moments. It was challenging to remain motivated after multiple unsuccessful attempts. But I wasn’t ready to give up hope. I believed in myself and dreamed big with faith in God Almighty.
My previous attempts didn’t provide me with any hope of continuing my preparation because my marks were consistently far below the cutoffs. That made me realise one thing: without coaching and ample guidance, qualifying for CSIR JRF is a toiling task for an average student. But I learned that with strong passion, proper dedication, and right strategies of do’s and don’ts, any aspiring student can pass the exam with flying colours.
After each attempt, I learned from my mistakes and tried to optimise my strategies. One should never try to cover the entire syllabus and be bothered about it. I analysed the unit-wise weightage and narrowed it down to a few important topics that I found exciting and comfortable.
- Choose topics carefully and focus solely on mastering them.
- Try to stick to and rely on reliable standard textbooks as much as possible.
- The SRMAP library provided me with excellent access to a wide range of standard texts.
The JRF aspirants should try to solve previous years’ questions from standard exams (CSIR, GATE, IISc, etc.) and note new concepts or approaches every day. Enjoy and prepare short notes with a lot of scribbling and highlighting in various colours. Notes should be concise and simple to revise later. But don’t spend too much time making notes.
I made time for exam preparation along with my work and research activities. I’m grateful to my family, teachers, and especially my guide- Dr Mahesh Kumar Ravva, for their constant support and encouragement. He gave me a safe space to express my desire to ace the exam and my anxieties about it. Dr Mahesh always listened to my concerns and helped me to gain clarity on my thoughts. He always encouraged me to dream big and shared his perspectives and lessons from his life experiences. He is a great mentor, motivator, and teacher to me.
Continue reading → - Optimising the anaerobic digestion process April 18, 2022
Publishing a paper in the second-best journal in the discipline of Environmental Engineering and having an impact factor of 9.7 is obviously a significant achievement. The Department of Environmental Science is elated to inform you that the paper, “Dynamic Simulation and Optimization of Anaerobic Digestion Processes using MATLAB” has been published by Dr Karthik Rajendran, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, and his PhD student, Mr Prabhakaran G in ‘Bioresource Technology’ journal.
Abstract of the research
Time series-based modelling provides a fundamental understanding of process fluctuations in an anaerobic digestion process. However, such models are scarce in literature. In this work, a dynamic model was developed based on modified Hill’s model using MATLAB, which can predict biomethane production with time series. This model can predict the biomethane production for both batch and continuous processes, across substrates and at diverse conditions such as total solids, loading rate, and days of operation. The deviation between the literature and the developed model was less than ±7.6%, which shows the accuracy and robustness of this model. Moreover, statistical analysis showed there was no significant difference between literature and simulation, verifying the null hypothesis. Finding a steady and optimized loading rate was necessary from an industrial perspective, which usually requires extensive experimental data. With the developed model, a stable and optimal methane yield generating loading rate could be identified at minimal input.
About the research
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a natural process that converts organic waste into biogas, in the absence of oxygen, which can be used as cooking fuel or for electricity generation. Biogas generation depends on various operational parameters of the AD processes like temperature, organic loading rate, and pH. For example, the speed of a car depends on various parameters like mileage per litre, type of fuel (petrol or diesel), engine power, type of gear, and road type. The optimum speed of a car can be defined by the manufacturer. Likewise, the optimum biogas/ biomethane can be calculated by computer simulations. If the loading rate is increased, the biogas yield increases up to a particular time and then decreases due to overloading like human bodies (eating a large amount of food may strain or cause failure of the digestive system), then the biogas plant will be a failure.
Optimising the loading rate through experiment was not easy, as multiple trials were necessary and it will take a longer time and high cost. In this work, the researchers did the optimisation based on the loading rate over the time period. The loading rate was optimised to maximum methane production, which also showed the region of stability from an operational perspective.
Practical implementations of the research
The practical implications of this work are, to use it in real-time operations of an AD plant and in research laboratories to estimate the best region of operation in terms of loading rate and yield. This work shows that longer days of operation could optimise better loading rates or could help in reaching a steady-state condition in real-time biogas plants.
Future research plans
Real-time biogas plants are deficient in the availability of data to do the computer simulation by using the mathematical model. To overcome this problem, researchers are planning to do Artificial Intelligence (Machine learning)- based biogas prediction by data-driven techniques. It will reduce the complexity with higher accuracy. In future, the machine learning model will integrate with real-time bioreactor for self-diagnosis and better decision making.
- Supercapacitor electrodes for enhanced energy storage April 18, 2022
The Department of Physics is happy to announce that Prof Ranjit Thapa and his PhD Scholar Mr Samadhan Kapse have published a paper titled “Supercapacitor electrodes based on quasi-one-dimensional van der Waals TiS3 nanosheets: experimental findings and theoretical validation” in the Nature indexed journal ‘Applied Physics Letters’ having an impact factor of 3.79. The Paper is published in collaboration with Abhinandan Patra and Chandra Sekhar Rout from Jain University and Dattatray J Late from Amity University.
Abstract of the Research
To cease the ever-increasing energy demand, additional enthusiastic focus has been given to generate more sustainable energy from alternative renewable sources. The storage of these energies for future usage solely depends on the energy storage devices. A diversity of electrode materials based on two-dimensional (2D) transition metals and their derivatives have enticed the whole world owing to their tunable properties. Transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs- MX3 type) is the emergent class of 2D materials that gathered a lot of interest because of their quasi-one-dimensional anisotropic properties with the van der Waals force of attraction in between the layers. Herein, TiS3 being an MX3-type of material is preferred as the electrode for supercapacitor application with detailed experimental investigations and theoretical validation. The highest capacitance attained for TiS3 is found to be 235 F/g (105 C/g) at 5 mV/s with a battery type of charge storage mechanism. The asymmetric device is fabricated using Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets as negative electrode and a brilliant 91 % of capacitance retention is accomplished with an extensive potential window of 1.5 V. The investigational discoveries are substantiated by theoretical simulation in terms of the quantum capacitance assessment and charge storage mechanisms.
About the Research
In this work, a battery type TMTC material i.e., TiS3 has been synthesized and characterized by different analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, FESEM and TEM to gain information on its structural and morphological aspects. The electrochemical performance was found to be promising by considering its good energy storage performance. High capacitance of 235 F/g (105 C/g) at 5 mV/s was achieved and the asymmetric supercapacitor devices disclosed outstanding cycling stability of 91 % over 6000 GCD cycles. In addition, the theoretical simulations also validated the experimental findings through the evaluation of the quantum capacitance. The higher conductivity, abundant electrochemical active sites, swift faradic redox kinetics and well-connected pathway for ion transfer characteristics pave the way for TiS3 to emerge as an eminent material for energy storage application in the long run.
Social Implications
Energy storage devices come into picture whenever there is a prerequisite of storing renewable energy. Among the numerous energy storage devices, batteries and ultracapacitors have acquired more popularity in nanotechnology and optoelectronics field. The high stability, accuracy, swift functionality, power density and reversibility are the key factors that have positioned ultracapacitors at the forefront of all energy storage devices. On the contrary, the low energy density and high cost of supercapacitor electrodes try to put them in the back seat of the wheels of the energy industry. Henceforth, in recent times the development of supercapattery (abbreviated for supercapacitor and battery) types of materials has become a way out which tie the aces like high specific power of supercapacitors with the high energy density of batteries. These materials exhibit capacitive or battery type behaviour on the basis of materials properties, electrolytic ions, design of the electrochemical cell. Due to these advantages and superior energy storage performance, the demand for this kind of material is growing.
Theoretical quantum capacitance is an important parameter to investigate the supercapacitor performance of low dimensional materials such as electrodes. This approach is highly cost-effective for the rapid screening of various materials for supercapacitor applications.
- Accelerating research in the Quantum-dot Cellular Automata domain April 16, 2022
The Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering is glad to announce that our PhD scholar, Mr Vasudeva Bevara and BTech students, Mr Shakamuri Narendra Chowdary and Mr Bolem Venkata Surendra Babu, published a paper titled ‘High performance 2n: 1: 2n Reversible MUX/DEMUX Architecture for Quantum-dot Cellular Automata’ in the international journal ‘Numerical Modelling: Electronic Networks, Devices and Fields (SCI Index)’ under the supervision of Dr Pradyut Kumar Sanki.
Abstract of the Research
Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) lead to fundamental changes in nanoscale technology. It promises small area, low power & high-speed structures for digital circuit design. This paper presents efficient low power structures of Reversible Multiplexer & Demultiplexer (RMD) modules based on the QCA technology. The simulation result shows that the proposed RMD modules have utilised less area & low power consumption. The simulation, layout & energy dissipation analysis of the proposed RMD module has been carried out using the QCA Designer-E simulation tool.
Essentially, CMOS is used as a well-known traditional technology in the design of the Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) circuits, which leads to the introduction of QCA as new nanotechnology to overcome the limitations of CMOS technology, such as material, physical, power, heat & economic challenges.
In reversible computation, the power dissipation occurs only when the computation is started or when the output is permanently stored. The reversible logic circuits are being investigated to prevent data loss in irreversible logic circuits. The reversible logic circuits provide zero loss of energy/information making the logic circuits the most suitable for QCA nanotechnologies. This has resulted in widespread interest in the design of reversible logic circuits based on QCA over the last few years.
In this paper, a modular 2n: 1 reversible multiplexer & 1: 2n reversible demultiplexer design in a single circuit is proposed. The 2:1 multiplexer & 1: 2 demultiplexer is realised in a single module i.e., 3 × 3 RMD. The 3 × 3 RMD is formed fundamental building block of the modular 2n: 1 reversible multiplexer & 1: 2n reversible demultiplexer design is extended to large RMD design.
Practical Implementations of the Research
This work can push forward research in the QCA domain and overcome the limitations of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Soon the era of Beyond CMOS will start as the scaling of the current CMOS technology will reach the fundamental limit. QCA (Quantum-dot Cellular Automata) is the transistor less computation paradigm and viable candidate for Beyond CMOS device technology.
So, they have implemented the High Performance 2n: 1: 2n Reversible MUX/DEMUX Architecture for Quantum-dot Cellular Automata compared to other researcher works. In future, the research team would like to explore deeper into QCA technology and design efficient circuits which are small sized, with less cell count and less power consumption.
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- Forging ahead with the light of 44 years: India’s most impactful VC, Prof V S Rao April 13, 2022
SRM University- AP is proud to announce that our Vice-Chancellor, Prof V S Rao, has been conferred with EduStar India’s Most Impactful Vice-Chancellor award. The prestigious award ceremony was held on April 9, 2022, in Delhi, hosted by Daily Indian Media and Star Brands. The event was organised to felicitate the “Most Impactful and Most promising Awards specifically for Vice Chancellors & Chancellors”, who have contributed to higher education in India. Prominent leaders of premiere institutions across India were recognised in the ceremony for their outstanding involvement in the field of education.
The prestigious gathering witnessed the participation of about 8% of the Vice-Chancellors of Indian private universities. The noteworthy guidance of these veteran leaders had an enormous impact in the domain of higher education.
Receiving the title award, Prof V S Rao thanked EduStar for recognising his contribution to the higher education industry. He expressed, “The education and training given at BITS Pilani made me what I am today. Receiving this award on the eve of 44 years of service in academics makes it more special. I feel proud to be associated with SRM University-AP, a university focused on research, innovation and entrepreneurship.”Prof V S Rao was one of the significant awardees among the Vice-Chancellors of various universities such as Lovely Professional University, Dy Patil University and many other elite institutions in the country.
“It is a moment of pride for the university to have our Vice-Chancellor awarded with EduStar India’s Most Impactful Vice Chancellor title. On behalf of SRM Group of Institutions, I congratulate Prof V S Rao for this achievement”, said Dr P Sathyanarayanan, President, SRM Group of Institutions.Dr Arindam Chaudhuri, the organiser of the award ceremony, shared his views and thoughts on the need for application-oriented education and emphasised the role of leaders of such universities who could make it happen.
A felicitation ceremony was organised in the university in honour of the respected Vice-Chancellor. Honourable Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof D Narayana Rao and Registrar, Dr R Premkumar, were also present at this illustrious occasion.
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