The Future of Artillery in 21st Century Warfare

The article visualises the future of Artillery in the 21st century. It brings out the requirement of Artillery in the nine conflicts till datein the 21st Century. It is observed that Artillery is required to perform three primary tasks: First, Surveillance and Target Acquisition; second, engagement of targets; and third, post-strike damage assessment. The future battlespace would be non-linear with the need for simultaneous engagement in the close, intermediate, and depth areas. Based on these aspects, one arrives at the future profile of Artillery and the equipment needed for the task. This results in the type of regiments and their equipment in the Indian context. The Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) Regiments, Gun Regiments, Mortar Regiments, Rocket Regiments, and BrahMos supersonic Cruise Missile Regiments would compose the future set up of Artillery. In view of this, the paper will discuss, ammunition, the weapon of the Artillery; and the aspects of Precision Guided Munitions, Loitering Munitions as also the Long Range ammunition being developed by BAE System, and Lockheed Martin

Characterization of Landraces of rice following DUS guidelines

For the establishment of the distinctness among fifty one landraces of rice, fortysix characters were used. Characterization of fifty one landraces of rice was done using 46agro-morphological traits following Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability test (DUS)during kharif season of 2008 2009 and 2010 at the Zonal Adaptive Research Station,Krishnagar, Nadia, West Bengal. Out of fifty one varieties studied, twenty seven werefound to be distinctive on the basis of twenty two essential and twenty four additionalcharacters. This study will be useful for breeders, researchers and farmers to identify andchoose the restoration and conservation of beneficial genes for crop improvement andalso to seek protection under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act

Aspects of Network Harmonic Impedance Modelling in High Voltage Distribution Networks

This paper evaluates the performance of five leading power system analysis softwares in terms of network harmonic impedance calculation for High Voltage distribution grids. Based on a set of systematic case studies the first part of the work presents a comparative analysis of the software packages in calculation of first resonance point. The different network element models and load models and their impact on the resonance parameters are discussed in detail. The second part of the research work assesses the sensitivity of the resonance parameters (impedance magnitude and frequency) depending on the change of certain network model parameters and compares the results amongst the different software packages. This gives an idea about the robustness of frequency and magnitude response at the resonance point and points out the most sensitive parameter in a HV network

Impact of load dynamics on torsional interactions

This paper evaluates the impact of load dynamics on torsional interactions by considering a mix of static and dynamic loads aggregated at the bulk transmission level. This is essential to investigate the importance of detailed load modelling for subsynchronous resonance (SSR) studies to accurately assess damping contribution and capture system dynamics. SSR interaction with dynamic loads is investigated for both direct on line and drive connected motor loads. Damping contribution from dynamic loads is also assessed based on their location and size. The interaction of dynamic loads with classical SSR phenomenon is observed and introduced as the new concept of (Subsynchronous Resonance Load Interactions (SSR-LI)). SSRLI assumes critical importance for scenarios where the load and generation centers are in close electrical proximity and impact of loads on torsional damping is significant. Finally, the scope for using existing converter interfaced motors for torsional mode damping has been discussed

Vibration Signature Analysis of Shipboard Machinery

A brief description of Vibration Signature Analysis as an effective tool in anticipation and prevention of Shipboard Machinery failures is provided. A case history of marine steam turbine and gearbox vibration signature analysis is given

Absorption lines from magnetically-driven winds in X-ray binaries

High resolution X-ray spectra of black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs) show blueshifted absorption lines from disk winds which seem to be equatorial. Winds occur in the Softer (disk-dominated) states of the outburst and are less prominent or absent in the Harder (power-law dominated) states. We use self-similar magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) accretion-ejection models to explain the disk winds in BHBs. In our models, the density at the base of the outflow from the accretion disk is not a free parameter, but is determined by solving the full set of dynamical MHD equations. Thus the physical properties of the outflow are controlled by the global structure of the disk. We studied different MHD solutions characterized by different values of (a) the disk aspect ratio ($\varepsilon$) and (b) the ejection efficiency ($p$). We use two kinds of MHD solutions depending on the absence (cold solution) or presence (warm solution) of heating at the disk surface. Such heating could be from e.g. dissipation of energy due to MHD turbulence in the disk or from illumination. We use each of these MHD solutions to predict the physical parameters of an outflow; put limits on the ionization parameter ($\xi$), column density and timescales, motivated by observational results; and thus select regions within the outflow which are consistent with the observed winds. The cold MHD solutions cannot account for winds due to their low ejection efficiency. But warm solutions can explain the observed physical quantities in the wind because they can have sufficiently high values of $p$ ($\gtrsim 0.1$, implying larger mass loading at the base of the outflow). Further from our thermodynamic equilibrium curve analysis for the outflowing gas, we found that in the Hard state a range of $\xi$ is thermodynamically unstable, and had to be excluded. This constrain made it impossible to have any wind at all, in the Hard state.Comment: 16 Pages, 10 figures in the main body and 4 figures in the appendix. Accepted for publication in A&