Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Centre For Advanced Research (SJCAR) was set up in the year 2014 to capitalise on the mature infrastructure of equipment and expertise established in the University. The Centre channelizes these resources towards the realization of products that will aid educational institutes of higher learning to achieve the excellence in the academic standards. The Centre has charted its activities under the following broad areas:
a. Development of Analytical Instruments as import substitution Due to high cost of analytical instruments and need to import them, only theoretical concepts are imparted to students in most of the educational institutions. Developing low cost versions would serve for demonstrating the principles of these high technology instruments in laboratory and enabling hands-on experience to students. These projects are carried out with funding from Government Agencies as well as with funding from the University
b. Development of customised instrumentation Development of customised instruments or sensors for research purposes getting fund from the funding institutes
c. Carrying out projects of societal relevance
1. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS
ONGOING PROJECTS:
A low cost Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) has been under development with funding from Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
Project start date: September 2016 Project end date: August 2019 Sanctioned amount: Rs 8.66 lakhs
DSC measures temperature and enthalpy of transitions in material systems. DSC instruments available in market are very expensive to be available in all colleges and universities. The aim of this project is to develop an inexpensive DSC which can be fabricated by the local industries. A power compensated DSC using platinum RTD and a heat flux DSC with thermopile heat sensors are being developed under this project. Enroute to realising the DSC, a sensitive DTA has been already made.
An inexpensive research grade acid solution calorimeter is being developed with funding from University. Acid solution calorimeter can be used for measuring enthalpy of formation of inorganic compounds at 298K. Availability of this instrument would add to the research activities of the Mahavidyalaya and other colleges and universities.
Project start date: July 2018 Project end date: December 2019
Sanctioned amount: Rs 3.5 lakhs
Low cost processor based pH meter: Low cost pH meter has been designed and prototype tested. The version is aimed for students for hands off measurements so that systems durability is prolonged. The system measures ambient temperature and applies the temperature correction when calculating the pH value. This also provides user friendly calibration procedure.
2 COMPLETED PROJECTS:
Single Channel Visible spectra range absorption spectrophotometer as laboratory educational aid. The instrument uses a high resolution constant deviation prism to disperse the strong incident white source. The prism movement mechanism is provided with wavelength display. Manual wavelength calibration can be studied. The spectrophotometer has facility to make incident intensity measurement and attenuated intensity after sample absorption. Using these data, the student can study Beers Lambert’s absorption law.
Development of customized instrumentation for amperometric oxygen sensor
Design and Development of customized electronics for amperometric oxygen sensor under DRDO funding was taken up and completed. Electronics has been developed to control the sensor temperature, to measure of the amperometric current and to correlate the current with oxygen concentration in the range of 0% to 100 %.Project cost: Rs.18.4 lakhs Completed on Dec.2018
3 PROJECTS OF GENERAL SOCIETAL RELEVANCE
As part of the minor project scheme, the electro-gym-cycle was designed and demonstrated by the University. An electro-gym, a car alternator driven by a gymnasium cycle, for charging power batteries was fabricated and successfully demonstrated.
