Vijayawada: Students exhorted to work on LTA systems

Vijayawada: “If we start working today towards developing Lighter Than Air (LTA) systems, in 10 years India will lead the way in sustainable air transportation,” stated Prof Rajkumar S Pant, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, in his lecture at SRM University-AP.

The seasoned expert from the prestigious institute of IIT Bombay delivered a lecture on ‘The Design and Development of Lighter Than Air Systems’ on Monday as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series 2023 organised by the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The lecture extensively discussed the latest developments in the area of conceptual design, sizing, design, development and flight/field testing of LTA Systems.

In his lecture, Prof Pant encouraged students to explore the dynamics of Lighter Than Air Systems, beginning with aerostats and then gradually proceeding to more complex airships. The session highlighted the disaster of Hindenburg, breaking the myth that airship transportation is dangerous and unreliable. Prof Pant engaged the session with video presentations on the building, developing and working of airships and aerostats that have been conducted at the Lighter-Than-Air Systems Laboratory of IIT Bombay. His lecture also showcased some of the research and development activities that have been carried out in the LTA Systems Laboratory of IIT Bombay including Project HERCARA, and other projects carried out in collaboration with ISRO and DRDO.

The distinguished lecture was followed by a workshop on ‘Sizing of Reusable Indoor Hot Air Balloons (RIHAB)’. The workshop provided students with practical knowledge and hands-on experience on LTE systems and vehicles inducing research interest in the domain of aerospace engineering and sustainable air transportation.