Prof. B. V. A. Rao with the Hydraulic Vibration Machine

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Fluid Mechanics

Academic Facilities , Faculty , Equipment

The Hydraulic Vibration Machine was designed and developed at the Machine Dynamics Laboratory of IIT Madras under Prof. B. V. A. Rao’s supervision. A team of technologists helped develop this machine. According to a report in The Hindu (30 August 1971), the machine was made for the first time in India, and it was made with indigenous materials. The cost of the machine, at 20,000 rupees, was around one fifth of imported ones. It was developed to test “vibration of machine structures and components'' according to the report. The report also mentions that the Thumba Space Research Station, Kerala had placed an order for the machine.

Prof. B. V. A. Rao completed his Ph. D. from the Technical University, Dresden, Germany in 1961 and after two years at IIT Bombay, he joined IIT Madras in 1963 in the Applied Mechanics Department. He was at IIT Madras until his retirement in 1993.

Collection:

Gourishankar Collection

Album Name:

Fluid Mechanics

Photograph ID:

001/0339/IMG_105735

Album ID:

0339

Photographer:

C. Gourishankar (1936-2002). A geologist by qualification, Gourishankar started his career as a photographer after working for many years with the Geological Survey of India. In everything that he did, Gourishankar strove to achieve flawlessness and impeccable quality. Thus his photography too was characterised by this drive for perfection. Every photograph that Gourishankar took was meticulously planned and shot and printed with diligence and patience. Gourishankar carried out most of the official photography at IIT Madras in the 1960s.

Place:

Fluid Mechanics Laboratory