Five-year strategic plan envisions higher spend, new focus areas
Bhel Corporate (R&D), Hyderabad, which drives the entire research activity of the public sector company, has drawn up a strategic plan for the next five years. The spend on R&D and engineering is expected to go up to 2.5%, or more than R2,000 crore, of turnover, in tune with the overall turnover target of R1,01,600 crore set for 2017. The Corporate R&D is now looking at a technology shift from conventional research to market-oriented research for ensuring sustainable growth during 2012-17.
Bhel spent R1,162 crore on research and development during 2011-12, which was 18% more than the previous year, and translated to 2.3% of the company?s turnover of R49,301 crore. The share of in-house R&D inputs in last year?s turnover was pegged at R9,512 crore.
According to S Sekar, general manager, R&D, the focus will be intensified on areas in which the company has expertise like transportation technology, transmission & distribution, renewable energy, advanced materials development, indigenisation and futuristic technology areas.
The group has set up eight centres of excellence (CoEs) to consolidate in high technology areas. ?We are bringing in a technology shift in key business areas like advanced/ultra super-critical power technology, integrated gassification combined cycle technology, carbon capture initiatives, solar and wind energy, higher rating transmission systems and advanced systems for traction applications,? Sekar said. In the process of strengthening product development and engineering, the company will be focusing more on developing partnerships and alliances for transforming R&D activities.
Bhel has set up a centre for nanotechnology to use nanotechnology applications in developing materials that go into core components. ?The centre is working towards material development for power plant components, nano-structured coating for wear and other applications, electrical insulating materials, solar cells, carbon nano-tube applications, fuel cells, nano-material synthesis and nano- sensors,? he elaborated.
A significant development at the R&D centre is the improvement of power availability through the IEC 61850-compliant substation automation system (SAS). The SAS is capable of executing substation control commands and monitoring substation from remote locale, thus, enabling better control and monitoring.
Another focus area of Bhel research is solar power technology. The centre of nano technology has taken up a project to provide uninterrupted lighting system with solar energy using LED, or light emitting diode. Bhel has signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation and IIT Rajasthan, for joint development work in concentrated solar area. The products and systems developed through this arrangement are expected to be tested and demonstrated at the solar field being created at IIT-Rajasthan?s upcoming campus in Jodhpur.
The Hyderabad centre has filed 351 claims for intellectual property rights. These include 143 patent applications, 206 for copyright and two for design and about 297 patents granted.