SRM students design eco-friendly aircraft

The student team from the Department of Aerospace, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, SRM University, participated in a contest organised by NASA in May 2011 and won the third place under foreign university team's category. The team's members were Akshay Garg (graduated in June 2011), Surya Kiran Peravalli (IV year), Abdul Sayeed Khan (III year) and Pate Sweety Prakash (III year). It was ably guided by G. Mahendra Perumal, Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, SRM University.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of U.S. had invited students to propose ideas and designs for future aircraft that used less fuel, produced less harmful emission and made less noise.

NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project documents the feasibility, benefits, and technical risks associated with vehicle concepts and enabling technologies that will help mitigate the impact of aviation on the earth's environment.

In order to engage and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, NASA poses technical challenges every year to both high school and college-level students in the area of environmentally responsible aviation.

Towards this, students are invited to submit their ideas and designs for vehicle or propulsion concepts and technologies that will assist in meeting the next decade goals. The contest is open to both U.S. citizens and foreign students.

The SRM student team developed a conceptual aircraft, ‘SERA (SRM Environmentally Responsible) Airliner', which is incorporated with many innovative design features.

The team designed an airplane for 200 passengers incorporating efficient technologies in many aspects such as fuel efficiency, aerodynamic performance with small take-off and landing distances, use of modern composites with better strength and latest advanced technologies to manufacture these composites, lesser emission than the present aircraft in terms of both pollution and noise, and better airport performance considering passenger convenience.