Date:30/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/04/30/stories/2004043000760300.htm

Back In-house R&D products fetch BHEL Rs 575 cr

Our Bureau

New Delhi , April 29

BHARAT Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has achieved a turnover of Rs 575 crore — nearly seven per cent of the company's total turnover in 2003-04 — from commercialisation of products and systems developed through in-house research and development (R&D) during the last five years.

According to a press release here, this has been achieved owing to a constant thrust on developing new technologies and products, besides improving existing products and systems in terms of reliability, cost and quality through in-house R&D efforts.

New products and systems developed during the year for various sectors of the economy, like power generation and transmission, industry and transportation, include 2 MVA phase shifting transformer , 145 kV gas insulated switchgear for conserving space and ensuring reliable power supply, six jet Pelton hydro turbine for higher operational efficiency in hydro power stations, three-phase AC drive system for 700 HP diesel electric locomotives and India's largest vertical AC motor of 6 MW, 6.6 kV,1500 rpm rating.

One of the significant achievements during the year was the establishment of a `Centre of excellence for simulators', dedicated to developing software packages for improving operational efficiencies of power and process plants, and simulators for training power plant operators.

To enhance power transfer capability and improve system stability between two parallel 33 kV transmission lines, BHEL has developed, for the first time in the country, a 2MVA phase shifting transformer with thyristor-controlled static tap changer. This development is an innovation in the field of flexible AC transmission (FACT) devices and has given a technological edge to BHEL in the transmission sector.

During the year, the company spent about Rs 85 crore on R&D, which was the highest among comparable industries in India. The focus of BHEL's R&D programmes is on areas like modern control and instrumentation systems; clean coal technologies; non-conventional energy systems; improved transmission and distribution products and systems; high efficiency, silt resistant hydel turbines and improved transportation systems.