Dr. R. B. Grover
Technical Adviser to Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and
Head, Technology Transfer and Collaboration Division, BARC
Introduction
The French engineer Sadi Carnot (1796-1832) published "Reflections on the Motive Power of Heat" in 1824 and this was the first scientific publication on the theory of heat engines. By then the steam engine was commonly used in the industry. It was developed by Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729) for pumping water out of mines in England and was improved by James Watt (1736-1819) and others. Almost all the inventions of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century have similarity with steam engine in the fact that scientific principles to explain and understand the invention were developed subsequent to the invention. During that period, technologist was an isolated inventor and the relationship between science and technology was hazy. The Nineteenth Century witnessed a lot of progress in the technological activity, but it still remained a craft. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), and Werner von Siemens (1816-92) in the electrical industry saw themselves as "specialists in invention", as did the father of organic chemistry, Justus von Liebig (1803-73) of Germany1. However, with the turn of the Twentieth Century, situation began to change. Technological work became increasingly specialised and was invariably based on scientific effort. Technology began to be defined as the application of science to products and processes. By the middle of forties another change took place. The relationship between science and technology became much more intimate. Today the earlier definition that the technology is application of science to products and processes needs change. In many hi-tech areas such as atomic energy, space exploration, information science, pharmaceuticals and others, it is difficult to ascertain the end of scientific inquiry and beginning of technology development. The scientist, who does the basic research and the technologist, who develops the specific product or process have to be closely linked. Many times the two may be one and the same person or the same group.
Technology development alone is not enough. It has to achieve a maturity level, which is capable of application in the industrial domain in a competitive environment. To do that it has to be transferred from the laboratory, where it has been developed, to an industrial organisation, from where it could go to the market place. Therefore to achieve success in a hi-tech area, while synergy between science and technology development is the first requisite, an organic linkage between the laboratory developing the technology and the industry receiving the technology is the second requisite. Fulfillment of both these requisites requires a broad-based organisation having multiple units with seamless boundaries. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is one such organisation incorporating research centers engaged in research and technology development and closely linked industrial units. Synergy between research, technology development and industrial application benefits all the agencies involved. Through proper management of technology and in-house technology transfer, DAE has now blossomed into research centres, industrial units, corporations and fully aided autonomous institutions. This has helped us to be self-reliant in all aspects of nuclear fuel cycle, starting with prospecting and mining of uranium and ending with the back-end of the fuel cycle, which involves reprocessing of the spent fuel and nuclear waste management. Today in India the nuclear power reactors are built and operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL). The Atomic Minerals Directorate of Exploration and Research (AMD) does prospecting of uranium. The Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) mines uranium. The Heavy Water Board produces heavy water and the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) produces fuel. Most of the research & development work, which led to the setting up of these industrial units, was done at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay. Some of the activities were subsequently taken over by other research centres: Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam for fast reactors, Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT) at Indore for accelerators and lasers, and Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) at Calcutta for accelerators.
Technology Transfer
In this article, I would like to dwell on the mechanisms of technology transfer adopted and nurtured by the DAE. Some of these were planned, while some have happened spontaneously. We may classify them as follows:
1. In-house technology transfer.
2. Development of indigenous vendors and technology spill over.
3. Technology Crossover
4. Technology Transfer to outside Agencies :
- Technologies developed as per mandate
- Technology spin-offs
5. Technology diffusion.
In-house Technology Transfer
The first stage of the three-stage nuclear power programme is in industrial domain and today we have ten nuclear power reactors in operation. The designs of new reactors have progressively evolved to incorporate advanced features to further improve safety, reliability and economics. As India gains experience and masters various aspects of nuclear technology, performance of Indian nuclear plants is improving. Average capacity factors of Indian nuclear plants in 1998-99 was a record 75%. So far they have produced more than 130 billion units of electricity and India has accumulated about 150 reactor-years of operation free of any incident involving release of radioactivity to the environment. Four pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) are currently under construction and another ten are planned for construction in the near future. These include the 500 MWe PHWRs which are fully designed and developed in India. More units are planned for construction in near future.
For manufacture of different complex and large sized components of PHWRs, DAE has interacted with Indian Industry and helped them to adapt to the sophisticated technologies for the manufacturing processes, highest level of quality control, quality surveillance and quality assurance. First of a kind manufacturing of many components to meet the critical requirements of various international nuclear codes was done in BARC. The Indian Industry was not at all familiar with various international codes such as ‘ASME code for Boiler and Pressure Vessel’ and by interacting with engineers from NPCIL and BARC, they could learn a lot. NPCIL had to modify equipment design to suit the manufacturing capability available in India. Various test facilities were set up in BARC to qualify the components and equipment manufactured by Indian Industry. Similar effort is now being put by IGCAR for the technology development of Fast Breeder Reactor. As a ‘spill over’2, the vendors have used the expertise generated to manufacture sophisticated equipment for manufacturing complex equipment for other sectors of the Indian economy. This has led to a win-win situation. Increased capability of the vendors is a signal to us to take up further challenges.
Technology Crossover
Nuclear engineering is a multidisciplinary subject and technologies developed for nuclear sector reflect the inherent complexity. Besides being complex they are also versatile and have the potential to crossover to other sectors of economy. We have fully exploited this potential. For example, in the electronics and instrumentation area the most significant in-house technology transfer was the setting up of Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., (ECIL). ECIL has used the basic technology provided by BARC to expand its activities and today it serves a number of core sectors of the economy including defence, space, steel, telecommunications, thermal power plants and petrochemical in addition to nuclear. BARC has acquired expertise to develop systems for reactor control and using this expertise a few years back, the Centre developed thyristor-based chopper-controlled system for the control of suburban electric trains running on 1500 volts DC and transferred this technology to ECIL and BHEL. This system results in a power saving of 25% and has already been installed on a few rakes in Mumbai. Continuing work in this area, an advanced control system for electric locomotives running on 25 kV has been developed for use on long distance trains. Similarly using expertise in the development of systems for non-destructive technique (NDT) and signal control, BARC has developed an instrumented PIG (Pipe Inspection Gauge) for inspection of cross-country oil pipelines. Likewise using the expertise in the area of servo controls, BARC has built antenna control systems for a number of other agencies in the area of communication, space and defence. More recently, BARC has completed the tasks of design of control system antennae of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) that has been set up by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research near Pune, for tracking stellar radio sources. Ten out of a total of 34 systems were built by BARC. Remaining units were built by industry to our design.
Developing processing routes for zirconium and uranium generated expertise in processing various low grade and complex ores by adopting techniques such as leaching in aggressive conditions, separation of chemically similar metals, halide processing, metellothermic reduction and processing of highly reactive and toxic materials in vacuum and protective atmosphere. The experience gained in these areas has been utilised by BARC to develop processes for the production of many uncommon metals such as beryllium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, rare earths, gallium and common metals and alloys like nickel, cobalt and low carbon specialty Ferro-alloys.
This is only an illustrative list and there are many more items wherein technology crossover from DAE has helped to strengthen the hi-tech base in the country.
Technology Transfer to outside Agencies
Production and application of radioisotopes is an important part of the mandate of the DAE. The DAE has developed significant applications of radiation technology in areas such as health, agriculture, water as well as in a number of industrial applications. The two research reactors in Trombay, Dhruva and Cirus, produce a wide variety of radioisotopes and several applications in medicine, industry, agriculture and food preservation have been developed and implemented.
In the field of agriculture, the services offered by BARC cover crop improvement programmes, fertilizer and pesticide related studies, food preservation by radiation processing and water management. BARC has been helping in different aspects of water management all over the country. These include study of artificial recharge of ground water systems, the study of silt movement in ports, flow measurements in rivers and seepage identification in dams. Studies carried out in Cauvery delta to identify the degree of interconnection between the upper and lower ground water zones under it; silt movements in the new Mangalore Port and in the Hooghly river estuary; flow measurements in river Tiesta in Sikkim and water seepage identification in Chaskaman dam in Pune; and the leak detection in the dry dock in Visakhapatnam are a few examples.
Improvement of crop plants using ionising radiation is a very important application of atomic energy. Genetic mutation of crop plants resulting in improved yields, better characteristics or disease resistance is a continuous endeavour. Heritable variations occur spontaneously in all living organisms and are largely due to mutations of genes. Radiation induced mutations enhance the range of variability, from which plant breeders can select and combine desired characteristics to produce better crop plants. BARC has so far developed and released for commercial cultivation 22 varieties (10 of pulses, 8 of groundnut, 2 of mustard, 1 each of rice and jute) of improved crop plants. Amongst the improved crop varieties, two varieties of groundnut and black gram (urid) are very popular among farmers of Maharashtra and are being cultivated over large areas. Radiation- induced mutant of black gram produced by BARC accounts for 90% of the cultivation of this pulse in the State of Maharashtra. Similarly, Trombay produced groundnut varieties are being used for large scale cultivation in Maharashtra and other States and account for 11% of the national production. In 1993-94, there was an increase in the production of Urid in Maharashtra because of the BARC variety to the tune of 120 million kgs. Assuming a price of Rs20.00 a kg, total additional revenue generated works out to Rs 240 Crores. Similar societal benefits have accrued to the nation from some other varieties as well. However we have not been able to get reliable data for making estimates for other varieties.
Many spin-offs3 have been generated by technology development work done by us and these have been transferred to private industry for a nominal fee. These are in all areas: electronics, electrical, mechanical chemical, biotechnology and others. An illustrative list from BARC is given in the Table 1. IGCAR has transferred technologies for the manufacture of sodium flow meter and sodium level sensor. We also provide consultancy in hi-tech areas to industry on demand and the Table 2 gives a list of areas where units of DAE can provide consultancy. Some recently completed consultancy assignments by BARC include gamma scanning of process equipment for Reliance Industry Limited (RIL), Reliance Petroleum Limited, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Petrochemical Corporation Limited, National Organic Chemical India Limited, residence time distribution (RTD) studies in a reactor for RIL, radioisotope pigging of ATF pipeline for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, stress Analysis and strain measurement jobs for Humphreys & Glasglow, Tata Electric Company, Thermax and life time estimation studies for Tata Electric Company. IGCAR has been consulted for its expertise in the area of non-destructive evaluation (NDE), welding technology and failure analysis by a number of agencies within the country for purposes of quality enhancement, life extension of components and structures and for solution of difficult practical problems which need certain R&D in the laboratory before actual implementation in the field. Agencies which have benefitted from such interaction include, among others, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Madras Refineries Limited, Gujarat State Fertiliser Corporation, Tamilnadu Petro Products Limited, Nagarjuna Fertilisers & Chemicals , Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited, Indian Air Force, Indian space Research Organisation, National Aeronautics Limited, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, G.R. Engineering Limited, Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Raman Boards and Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board.
Technology diffusion
Lastly I would like to talk about technology diffusion from our activities by giving a few examples. BARC developed techniques for radiography and conducted courses for training personnel in the use of these techniques including safety precautions in handling of radioisotopes. Till date about 5000 persons have been trained and are working in the industry in India and gulf countries, where certification given by BARC is accepted. BARC conducts courses in the area of nuclear medicine and nearly 100 nuclear medicine centres and 500 Radioimmunoassay centres are working in the country. We induct engineers and scientists in units of DAE after providing them training for one year and atmosphere in our units is such that this training continues throughout the stay of a scientist or engineer with us. Many of our personnel who have gone to other government departments and private industry, have carried with them the wide experience in working on hi-tech problems. Thus the diffusion of knowledge and technology created by the DAE into various sectors of economy is the invisible gain of the investments in the department by the nation.
Conclusion
In addition to transfer of technologies, research centres of the DAE have also manufactured certain hi-tech products as per the demands of the other agencies. Examples include electron beam welding machines for DRDO, aerosol generators for hospitals, thoria buttons for General Electric, USA, medical lasers to hospitals, PC interface cards for old gamma cameras to various developing countries and also to some hospitals in India. Manufacturing hi-tech products requires certain skills, which the industry finds uneconomical to maintain. As a result, we have to nurture hi-tech technologies on the basis of in-house applications till such time that the industry finds them commercially attractive. As far as industry is concerned, such technologies may be said to be ahead of time. To cite an example, BARC has developed the technology for building Capacitor Banks for Energy Storage, which provides a very efficient way of configuring individual capacitors in a sub-bank unit upto 10 kilo joules and many such sub-bank units upto a maximum of 8 numbers in parallel to give a maximum of 80 kilo joules. Such energy storage banks have applications in electro-magnetic forming, impulse magenetisation and de-magnetisation etc.
DAE has thus acted as a catalyst for growth to hi-tech in India. Every possible mechanism of technology transfer has been utilised by conscious efforts or a situation has been created where it has been made possible to transfer or spread the technology by other means such as spill- over, crossover, spin offs or diffusion.
Table 1 : Spin-off Technologies from BARC for Transfer to Industry
I. Technologies already transferred
(These have been transferred on non- exclusive basis and are available to any interested entrepreneur )
A. Environment and Health
1. Bilirubin Strips
2. Infra-red Carbon Monoxide Analyser
3. Carbon Monoxide Monitor (catalytic)
4. Nitric Oxide Monitor
5. Sulphur Dioxide Monitor
6. Ozone Generator
7. NOX and NH3 to NO Converter
8. Ozone Monitor
9. Air Quality Data Processor
10. TLD Badge Reader
11. Special Cylindrical Particulate Filter
12. Microprocessor Based Electromyograph
13. Particulate Respirator Filter Canister
14. TLD Badge for Personnel Monitoring
15. Impedence Plethysmograph
16. Portable Radiation Monitors (package of the three Units) :
l Industrial Radiation Monitor (INDRAM)
l Secondary Standard Dosemeter SSD-590
l Clinical Dosemeter
l Universal Dosemeter
l Beam Therapy Dosemeter BTD-2A
B. Electronics, Electrical and Mechanical
1. Space Quality Silicon Solar Cells
2. Microprocessor Based PABX/ PAX
3. Automatic Fraction Collector
4. X-Ray Generator Power Supply
5. Electromechanical Actuator
6. Surface Area Measuring Apparatus
7. Image Analysis System
8. Drag Cup Induction AC Servo Motor
9. Pneumatic Pick and Place Robot
10. High Security Electronic Lock
11. Eccentric Collet Chuck
12. Technique for Tee/branch formation in tubular products
13. Laser Tube power supply for low power He-Ne lasers
14. Distributed CCTV control system
15. Hospital Information Management System (Software)
16. 8 K MCA PC Add on Card PCA-95
17. Front Office Postal Machine
18. Foldable Solar Dryer
19. Triode Sputter Ion Pumps
20. Lascan Dia Gauge
21. Master Slave Servo Manipulator
22. Particle Size Classifier
C. Chemical and Metallurgy
1. Low Carbon Ferroalloys
2. Osmotic Dehydration of Fruits
3. Carbon Blocks / Bricks Refractory
4. Production of Elemental Phosphorus
5. Enrichment of Nitrogen-15
6. Production of Sulphur Hexafluoride
7. Advanced Pressure Electrolyser for production of H2 / O2
8. Reverse Osmosis Plant (Tubular Module)
9. Boron Carbide B4C
10. Reverse Osmosis Plant (Plate Module)
11. Zirconium Oxide/ Oxychloride
12. Field kit for Identification of Molybdenum in steel
13. Field Kit for Identification of Nickel&Chromium in steel
14. Aluminium Zirconium Master Alloy
16. Preparation of CaSO4: Dy TLD Phosphor
17. Process for the Enzymatic Production of Invert Sugar Syrup
18. Process for production of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
19. A Biopesticide based on Bacillus Thuringiensis
D. Radioisotope Applications
1. Gamma Radiography Equipment
2. Technique of Mercury Inventory in Electrolytic cell
3. Gamma Switch
II. New Technologies Available for Transfer
A. Environment and Health
1. Infra Red Methane Gas Alarm Unit
2. Dust Respirator
3. Airline Respirator
4. Dry Aerosol generation/ inhalation system
5. Accreditation of Personnel Monitoring TLD Laborator
B. Electronics, Electrical and Mechanical
1. Potentiostat/ Galvanostat
2. Controlled-Potential Coulometer
3. Optical Encoder and Display Unit
4. Canned Motors
5. Servo Power Amplifier for AC Servomotor
6. 20-kV, 10-80 kJ Energy Storage Capacitor Bank
7. Oxygen Measuring System
8. Laser based Digital Data Communication System
9. Glass to metal Seals
10. Intelligent Braille System
11. 100 MSPS Transient/ Waveform Digitizer
12. Electron Beam Welding Machine
13. High and Ultra High Vacuum Bellows Sealed Valves
14. Motion Feed Throughs for Ultra High Vacuum
15. Bayard Alpert Vacuum Gauge
19. Clinical Dosimeter RD4-B
C. Chemical and Metallurgy
1. L.T.V. Deaeration System
2. Shipborne Desalination Plant/ Fresh Water Generator
3. Improved Method for Fluoride Removal from Aqueous Effulent
4. Silver and sulphide ion selective electrode
5. Di2ethyl hexyl Phosphoric acid (D2EHPA)
1. Isotope Applications in Industry
· Gamma scanning of process towers
· Leak detection of buried pipelines, heat exchangers using radioactive tracers
· Location of leakage in pipelines and other systems using radioactive sources
2. Radiography Testing & other NDT Techniques
· Special and unusual isotope radiography
· Eddy current imaging
· In situ metallography
· Acoustic emission
· Digital signal analysis
· Laser holography and interferometry
3. Vibration Assessment and Diagnostics
· Modal analysis of structures for qualifying the analytical model
· Dynamic response measurement
· Design qualification through modal studies
· Trouble shooting of structures like piping and rotating machinery
· Piping qualification as per ASME operation & maintenance codes
· Diagnostics of structures and machinery by mechanical signature analysis
4. Analytical Chemistry Services for applications to
· Geological Materials
· Metals & Alloys
· Environmental Materials
· Forensic Science
· Archaeology
5. Chemical Engineering
· Process evaluation and review
· Integrated energy management, process retrofitting and process re-engineering
· Commissioning assistance and safety assessment
6. Structural Analysis and Design
10. Computer aided manufacturing
11. Desalination techniques
12. Vacuum engineering
13. Advanced process instrumentation and controls
14. Process equipment design
15. Robotics & remote handling
16. Heat transfer and fluid flow
17. Tissue culture and bio-reactors
18. Digital sgnal processing techniques & applications
19. Parallel processing & reality applications
1 Peter Drucker, 1967
2 The term spill over has been used to describe why private sector under-invests in R&D as the knowledge generated invariably spills over and the investors are not able to appropriate the full returns from the investment. However, in DAE technology spill over from our activities has created a strong base for hi-tech in India.
3 The term technology spin-off has been used to describe technologies, which have been transferred by DAE to outside industry without doing any significant fine-tuning for its usage by others. In many cases the transfer has been on ‘as is where is basis’.