Prelim Bits 07-03-2024 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

INS Jatayu

The existing Naval Detachment Minicoy was upgraded to a naval base and commissioned as INS Jatayu.

• INS Jatayu Naval Base – It will have additional infrastructure such as an airfield, housing, and personnel.
• It will effectively be the country’s 2^nd naval base in Lakshadweep.

Indian Navy’s 1^st base on Minicoy is INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti, was commissioned in 2012. India has had a naval detachment in Minicoy since the 1980s.

• Objective – To incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategic Lakshadweep Islands.
• Significance – Facilitate anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations in the western Arabian Sea.
• Augment India’s capability as the 1^st responder in the region.
• Counter the growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Recently, India and Mauritius jointly inaugurated an airstrip and a jetty that India has built on the Mauritian island of Agaléga off the coast of Africa in the western Indian Ocean.

• Challenges – The fragile ecology of the island may pose challenges for the construction of a jetty (an extension from land out into water).

Reference

The Indian Express| Commissioning of INS Jatayu Naval Base

Trisonic Wind Tunnel (TWT)

Recently, 3 major space infrastructure projects of ISRO was inaugurated which includes a Trisonic Wind Tunnel at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba in Kerala.

• TWT – A unique wind tunnel capable of simulating 3 distinct flight regimes, so the name trisonic
  • Subsonic – Below the speed of sound
  • Transonic – At the speed of sound
  • Hypersonic – Above the speed of sound
• Aim – To test the aerodynamic performance of scaled-down models of rocket and re-entry spacecrafts under various atmospheric conditions.
• Features – It is a 1.2 metre TWT, a state-of-the-art facility and the first of its kind in India.
• It is 160 metres in length with a diameter of 5.4 metres.
• It can simulate flight conditions from 0.2 times the speed of sound (68 m/s) to 4 times the speed of sound (1360 m/s).
• It also contains different sections for different velocity regimen of wind.
• It produces controlled uniform airflow to evaluate aerodynamic characteristics and designs by evaluating forces, moments, load distribution, unsteady pressures, acoustic levels etc.
• Improves design and efficiency – It helps in optimizing the design of rockets and spacecraft, leading to enhanced performance and fuel efficiency.
• Reduce Development costs – It provides a cost-effective alternative to expensive, real-world flight testing, allowing ISRO to iterate and refine designs more efficiently.
• Position India at the forefront – India is also one of only 3 countries to have a wind tunnel that can produce hypersonic speeds after the US and France.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat – Fully conceived by ISRO and executed through Tata Projects and is a classic example of Make in India.
• It will provide self-reliance for the end-to-end design of various upcoming launch projects.

The TWT at VSSC is India’s 3^rd hypersonic wind tunnel (HWT) after the DRDO’s Hypersonic Wind Tunnel at the APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, and the 1.2 metre TWT at National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru.

References

1. The Print| Inauguration of Trisonic Wind Tunnel
2. IDRW| Advantages of TWT

Chandrayaan-4

ISRO is gearing up for the next lunar mission ‘Chandrayaan-4’, to build on the accomplishments of Chandrayaan-3 mission (2023) while attempting more complex objectives.

• Aim – To land on the Moon and also return rocks and soils (lunar regolith) from the lunar surface to India.
• 5 spacecraft modules – Like Chandrayaan-3 it takes lander, rover and the propulsion module along with 2 additional components to return the samples from the Moon.
• Propulsion Module – Similar to Chandrayaan-3, the propulsion module will guide Chandrayaan-4 in lunar orbit, before separating.
• Descender Module – It will make the lunar landing, similar to the Vikram lander on Chandrayaan-3.
• Ascender Module – Once the samples are collected and stored, the ascender module will eject from the lander and begin returning.
• Transfer Module – It will grab the ascender module and getting it out of lunar orbit and will journey back to Earth before the capsule with the rock and soil samples detach.
• Re-entry Module – This will be the capsule carrying the lunar regolith that will land on Earth.
• 2 separate launches – It is the 1^st mission involving 2 launch vehicles aimed at completing a single mission.
  • LVM-3 – It will launch with 3 components (Propulsion Module, the Descender Module and the Ascender Module).
  • Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) – It will launch the Transfer Module and the Re-entry Module.

LVM-3 is India's heaviest launch vehicle.

If successful, Chandrayaan-4 will make India only the 4th nation to bring back samples from the lunar surface.

Reference

India Today| ISRO is gearing for Chandrayaan-4

Zigzag technology in Brick kilns

A recent survey reported that 90% brick kilns in Alwar in Rajasthan shifted to zig-zag technology, and nearly all brick kilns have started using biomass fuel.

• Need – Traditional brick kilns with towering chimneys emits pollutants, such as particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides which can have detrimental effects on both human health and the environment.
• Zig zag technology – A method of firing bricks in a kiln that uses a unique design to reduce emissions of pollutants and increase efficiency.
• Setup - A typical zigzag kiln typically consists of a series of chambers, each section containing a different type of brick.
• The bricks are arranged in a series of parallel rows where each row is offset from the one before it, creating a zigzag pattern.

• Working – Burn the kiln using fuel in a separate chamber, which produces the hot flue gases by the combustion process.
• The hot flue gases are redirected through the same bricks which leads to a more efficient burning process as it heats them from all sides.
• Cool and remove the bricks from the kiln once the firing process is complete.
• Advantages – It results in less fuel consumption, lower emissions of pollutants, and a more consistent and higher-quality product.

Zigzag technology in Brick kilns can reduce black carbon by 60%, particulate matter by 40% and can also reduce the coal needed by 20%.

• Measures taken by India – Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEF&CC) issued a notification in 2022 on brick kilns for the adoption of zig-zag technology.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) directed the entities for using cleaner fuel in the Delhi-NCR region.

References

1. Down To Earth| 90% of Alwar uses Clean Brick Technology
2. CCACoalition| Zig-zag Technology in Brick Kilns

Global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2024

India records 1,036 species for backyard bird count — third highest globally.

GBBC

• The GBBC was launched in 1998, in the USA and was initially restricted to the USA only.
• GBBC is a citizen-driven scientific project aimed at counting and reporting the details of birds in the area of their neighborhood.
• It was an initiative of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society of USA.
• In 2013, it took the global stage turning into a global bird census.
• GBBC India is the Indian implementation of the global Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs for 4 days every February.
• Indian birders have participated in the GBBC since the event went worldwide in 2013.
• GBBC India is coordinated by the Bird Count India collective, a coming-together of a number of groups and organisations that are interested in birds, nature and conservation.

Indian bird enthusiasts celebrated their 12th consecutive year of participation in the GBBC this time.

e-bird

• eBird is an online database of birds with online real-time data about distribution and abundance.
• Started in 2002 and was initially restricted to western hemisphere only.
• Its geographical extension grew over time and in 2010 it got a global status.

GBBC 2024

• India submitted the second-highest number of checklists and the third-highest species among all participating countries.
• Kerala recorded the highest number of checklists (14,023), followed by Tamil Nadu (13,661) and Maharashtra (5,725).
• West Bengal reported the highest number of species (538), followed by Uttarakhand (426) and Assam (420).

This is the first GBBC where birders from all states and Union territories participated.

• Some restricted-range species spotted by Indian birders this year are:
  1. Andaman Serpent-Eagle,
  2. Andaman Woodpecker,
  3. Nilgiri Laughingthrush,
  4. White-headed Starling,
  5. Nilgiri Sholakili,
  6. White-bellied Blue Flycatcher,
  7. Andaman Treepie,
  8. Forest Owlet,
  9. Bugun Liocichla & White-bellied Sholakili

References

1. Down To Earth – India records 1,036 species for backyard bird count
2. Times of India – Great Backyard Bird Count
3. Telegraph India – Counting the winged guests