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New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Crucial test: Samudrayaan inches closer to mission
BENGALURU: India's ambitious first-manned ocean mission Samudrayaan is inching closer to reality, with ISRO on Wednesday announcing that the testing of the personnel sphere of the Matsya-6000 submersible, along with the development of materials for realisation, were successfully carried out at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). 'The first welding on the actual hardware and detailed evaluation has been completed. High-penetration welding of this scale, ie. of 80-mm weld thickness, over 7,100-mm length with 32 minutes of weld duration, was carried out for the first time in the country,' ISRO said. Matsya-6000 is a sphere comprising a diameter of 2,260-mm, made of Titanium, and is expected to withstand external pressure of up to 600bar under low temp situations of -3 degrees C. It is capable of carrying a three-member crew, up to 6 km deep into the ocean. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) signed an MoU with VSSC for the development of the special human-occupied spherical vessel, as a part of Samudrayaan, under the Deep Ocean Mission. The scientists also said a major challenge in realising the spherical vessel was the development of reliable, high-penetration Electron Beam Welding process and the high-energy (7.5MeV) X-ray facility for the Non-Destructive Evaluation. This is essential for the certification of the human-rated product, the ISRO team said. The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Bengaluru developed the process and infrastructure for the welding process and NDE. ISRO said the LPSC has the facility and expertise to carry out welding up to 20-mm thickness. To meet the high-power demand, the EBW machine was augmented from 15kW to 40kW rating, along with additional facilities for chemical cleaning and handling equipment for the higher size and mass. For the NDE, the existing X-ray facility in kV range was augmented to 7.5MeV range. Multiple NDE techniques were employed, which complement each other in ascertaining weld quality, including Time of Flight Diffraction and Dual Linear Array Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing, the team concluded.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
India develops personnel sphere, completes welding on submersible after 700 trials
MATSYA-6000 NEW DELHI: In a landmark achievement for India's Deep Ocean Mission, Isro has successfully developed the personnel sphere for the submersible vessel MATSYA-6000, designed to carry humans up to 6,000 metres (6km) below the ocean surface, by completing a critical welding process after 700 weld trials. 'Samudrayaan', a project under the Deep Ocean Mission of the ministry of earth sciences (MoES), aims to strengthen India's capabilities in deep-sea exploration. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), under MoES, collaborated with Isro's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to design and fabricate the spherical crew compartment. The Deep Ocean mission will allow scientists to explore unexplored deep-sea areas, assess mineral resources like nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, and study marine biodiversity. The mission is expected to be realised by 2026. Central to the Samudrayaan effort is the creation of a human occupied vehicle (HOV) that can withstand extreme pressure and temperature conditions on the seafloor. 'At the heart of the HOV is a titanium personnel sphere, a 2,260mm diameter enclosure with 80mm thick walls, made from a high-strength alloy. Designed by VSSC, the sphere is built to endure pressure up to 600 bar and temperatures as low as -3°C,' Isro said Wednesday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dolly Parton, 79, Removes Her Makeup and Stuns Everyone The Noodle Box Undo One of the biggest challenges scientists faced in creating this weld lay in the properties of titanium as a metal. While titanium is known for its strength, it can be difficult to weld. The technical challenge was developing a reliable electron beam welding process capable of fusing thick (80-102 mm) titanium plates. Isro's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Bengaluru, took charge of augmenting its welding facility from a 15kW to a 40kW EBW capacity. LPSC developed the process and infrastructure for the welding process and non-destructive evaluation (NDE). While LPSC had the expertise to carry out welding up to 20mm thickness, it augmented the EBW machine from a 15kW rating to 40kW, while also making alterations to the chemical cleaning and handling equipment to accommodate the increased size and mass. Over 700 weld trials were conducted to optimise the process parameters, ensuring high quality and structural integrity. For quality assurance, Isro enhanced its X-ray radiography capability, one of the highest energy levels used in India, allowing detailed non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of the welded joints. The breakthrough came with the successful completion of the first high-penetration weld on the actual sphere hardware. This involved 80mm thick welds over a 7,100mm length, achieved in a continuous 32-minute operation, 'a national first in scale and precision' as per Isro. The milestone marks a significant leap for India's underwater exploration ambitions and brings Matsya-6000 closer to sea trials. Once complete, the vehicle will be among the very few human submersibles in the world capable of reaching such depths, opening new frontiers for deep sea science, resource exploration and technology development.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
'Samudrayaan' project: Deep Sea Mission crosses milestone with successful weld of human-rated submersible
BENGALURU: In a step towards India's first human mission into the deep ocean, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and Isro 's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) have successfully completed a critical welding process for Matsya-6000 — a crewed submersible being developed under the Ministry of Earth Sciences' 'Samudrayaan' project. Samudrayaan is part of the Deep Ocean Mission and aims to send a three-member crew into the ocean up to a depth of 6km. Central to this effort is the creation of a Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) that can withstand extreme pressure and temperature conditions on the seafloor. 'At the heart of the HOV is a titanium personnel sphere, a 2,260 mm diameter enclosure with 80 mm thick walls, made from a high-strength Ti6Al4V (ELI grade) alloy. Designed by VSSC, the sphere is built to endure pressure up to 600 bar and temperatures as low as -3°C,' Isro said Wednesday. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Challenges It added that the critical challenge in realising this human-rated vessel lay in developing a reliable high-penetration Electron Beam Welding (EBW) process to join the thick titanium components. 'This required welding depths between 80mm and 102mm, a first for the country. The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) led this effort, establishing the necessary welding infrastructure and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) facilities,' Isro said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo LPSC's Bengaluru facility, which previously handled EBW up to 20mm, was significantly upgraded, Isro said, adding that the EBW machine was enhanced from 15kW to 40kW capacity, and additional systems were installed for chemical cleaning and handling the high mass components. 'The existing X-ray testing system, which operated in the kilovolt range, was similarly upgraded to a 7.5 MeV facility to enable deeper inspection. To ensure safety and certification, multiple NDE methods were employed to verify weld quality — including Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) and Dual Linear Array Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (DLA PAUT). 700 trials Nearly 700 welding trials were carried out to fine-tune process parameters. Artificial defects were introduced in test samples to validate and calibrate the inspection techniques. Third-party agencies are reviewing and certifying the welding specifications, qualification protocols and NDE processes. The breakthrough came with the successful completion of the first high-penetration weld on the actual sphere hardware. This involved 80 mm thick welds over a 7,100 mm length, achieved in a continuous 32-minute operation, 'a national first in scale and precision' as per Isro. The milestone marks a significant leap for India's underwater exploration ambitions and brings Matsya-6000 closer to sea trials. Once complete, the vehicle will be among the very few human submersibles in the world capable of reaching such depths, opening new frontiers for deep sea science, resource exploration and technology development.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Consumers owe Jal Board Rs 1.42 lakh cr in pending water bills, Delhi Police top defaulter
The residents of Delhi owe the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Rs 1.42 lakh crore in pending water bills, officials have said. Of this, domestic consumers only owe the board Rs 15,000 crore, or 10.5% of the total amount. Officials said that consumers in the commercial category owe the DJB Rs 66,000 crore, followed by government departments, whose unpaid bills stand at Rs 61,000 crore, while domestic consumers owe the board Rs 15,000 crore. In the government category, officials said, Delhi Police tops the list of defaulters, followed by Delhi and Central government departments. At present, there are around 26.5 lakh consumers in 41 zones of DJB, said officials. The government is already working on a one-time scheme to waive the late payment surcharge (LPSC) of water bills of consumers falling under domestic and government categories. 'Work on the plan is currently going on. The plan will be ready in the next one-and-a-half months… by September. The government will waive LPSC charges. People will only have to pay the principal amount… the modalities for the same are being prepared,' Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said. According to officials, the pending bills have been adding up over the last 10 years. 'There are about 29 lakh water connections in Delhi, which is very less as compared to the city's population. The problem is that 70%-80% of the consumers claim that they have received inflated bills. Many also complain about irregular readings… To at least get the basic principal amount from domestic consumers, which stands at Rs 5,600 crore to Rs 6,000 crore, the government is planning to bring the waiver scheme,' said an official. Also, to avoid metering issues in the future, the government is planning to revamp the billing system and implement smart meters to collect water bills in Delhi, officials said. Officials further said that the government plans to do away with the scheme to provide 20,000 liters of free water per month to every household with a functional water meter. 'The scheme was brought by the previous AAP government. The BJP government is planning to make this scheme exclusive to people from the economically weaker sections, who genuinely require free water,' the official said. Officials further said the BJP government plans to revise water tariffs in Delhi.
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
DJB faces ₹1.42 lakh crore unpaid dues: Parvesh Verma
New Delhi, Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday said the Delhi Jal Board is staring at an unprecedented financial crisis, with pending water bills around ₹1.42 lakh crore across the city. DJB faces ₹ 1.42 lakh crore unpaid dues: Parvesh Verma The DJB, which is in charge of supplying water, has been facing a major cash crunch. "In three categories, we have identified that the commercial category has the highest amount of dues ₹66,000 crore followed by the government category ₹61,000 crore and then domestic ₹15,000 crore," said Verma. The minister said these are mostly Late Payment Surcharge , adding the government plans to waive it off for domestic and government categories. The amount of charge that would be waived off is yet to be decided, he said. The DJB, which as well manages the sewage system, including collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater, in Delhi is also burdened by a debt exceeding ₹70,000 crore, including principal and interest amounts. Verma said the Delhi government has approached the Centre to assist in recovering dues from various government establishments. "We have also requested the Centre to help the government in getting the bill dues from several government establishments owed to us. The Board urgently needs funds to execute several infrastructure projects, including the cleaning of the Yamuna and upgrading the water supply network," he added. At least ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 crore in revenue will be collected after the LPSC waiver in the domestic and government categories, according to the government estimates. The establishments like private schools and hospitals are all included under the commercial category besides the government buildings and offices. Currently, the DJB has around 29 lakh registered customers. "We plan to waive off LPSC charges and the system will be ready within a month," said Verma. According to officials, there is also an issue of high compound interest rates on late bills around 18 per cent which increases the total bill amount significantly. In a step towards reducing consumer disputes regarding faulty meters and meter reading issues, the DJB is also planning to replace all mechanical water meters with smart water meters, they said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
