Department of Aerospace Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, Tamil Nadu, India

Ongoing Major Projects

Exploring cutting-edge advancements in high-speed impact testing and ballistic research.

125mm APFSDS Projectile

Development of 125 mm Kinetic Energy Projectiles

  • Muzzle velocity: 1780 m/s
  • Projectile assembly mass: ~13% lighter than existing systems
  • Improved sabot design for reliable lift separation
  • Enhanced obturator design for sealing & gas management
  • Optimised penetrator & wind-shield for increased Depth of Penetration

Indian Smart Ammunition (ISA)


  • To develop a 155 mm Smart Ammunition to reduce the dispersion error within CEP of 10 m NAViC/GPS based Guidance system and actuated canards.
  • Roll isolation with rotating base.
  • To withstand 15000g during interior ballistic phase

Development of 30 mm Kinetic Energy Projectiles

  • Muzzle velocity: 1207 m/s
  • A design for anti-spinning fins
  • 50 mm DoP on RHA

Funded Projects

Theoretical Estimates of Blast Effects on Various Anti-Tank Threats

This is an ongoing one year consultancy project to carry out the analysis of an Active Protection System (APS) used to counter attack an anti-tank threat, funded by HEMRL.

A Study on Traumatic Brain Injury due to Weak Blast Loading on Helmet-head Assembly

This is an ongoing one year exploratory project is to carry out the study on Blast Induced Trauma caused by the weak blast loadigng on the head and helmet assmebly. This is funded by ICSR, IITM. The aim is to capture the blast aerodynamics and the structural response of the head-helmet model computationally and experimentally.

CFD simulations of the flow through Muzzle brakes and Bore Evacuator Projectiles

This ongoing one year consultancy project is to do the CFD simulations of the flow through improved muzzle brakes and bore evacuator barrels.

Simulation Study on an Implosion Driven Launcher

This is an ongoing consultancy project from ARDE, Pune, for simulating the projectile motion in an implosion driven launcher. This 1 year project is expected to deliver the design parameters for the implosion driven launcher to be built in ARDE.

Variable Camber Morphing Wing

This is an ongoing sponsored research project in which I am a co-PI, from DRDO, for the design and the development of a variable camber morphing wing as part of the Center of Propulsion Technology Research Activities, IITM.

Experimental Study on Starting Transients in a Vacuum Ejector-Diffuser System

This work is to experimentally investigate the short transients and its behavior during the start-up for of an ejector-diffuser system used as a vacuum pump, for various flow and configurations parameters, predict the presence of the recirculation zone and its behavior during the start-up of the vacuum ejector system, predict the nature of oscillations in the secondary and mixing chamber and its damping and estimate the influence of various flow and configuration parameters in the damping of the oscillations.

Flow characterization studies and performance analysis of an annular aerospike nozzle

This is a closed, ISRO funded, In the present project, the flow characterization studies and performance evaluation of an annular aero-spike nozzle equivalent to the an existing engine of ISRO are being carried out. The performance of the engine is being obtained through a as series of cold and hot flow studies at ground level and high altitude conditions with varying back pressure conditions. The performance of the engine are evaluated through the thrust measurements under various nozzle configurations and flow conditions by capturing the pressure data and flow fields using flow visualization methods. The data captured will be used for actual engine development.

Flow Characteristics in Transitional Ballsitic regimes of Supersonic Projectiles

This is a closed, 3 year project funded by IC&SR . The objective was to study the unsteady aerodynamics of supersonic projectile in transitional ballistic ragimes. A two stage gas gun is built to accelarte the projectile to supersonic speeds at required Mach numbers. Time resolved schlieren images have been obtained to visualize the transient flow fields and projectile flow-field interactions.

Computational study of the launch dynamics of supersonic projectiles

This is a closed, 1 year project. It was funded by Keimyung University. The project obejective was to computationally simulate the launch dyanmics of supersonic projectiles. The influence of viscosity and projectile shapes on the unsteady aerodynamics of the moving projectile in the vicinity of the launch tube was analized. Unsteady drag coefficent of the projectile was estimated for various conditions.