Bangalore: City-based CMR Institute of Technology (CMRIT), Department of Physics organized a guest lecture on piezoelectric materials at the college premises, today. Renowned scientist Dr. Prasanta Kumar Panda, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NAL, Bangalore was the chief guest of the session.

Dr. Prasanta Kumar Panda, Chief Scientist from country’s premier research agency, National Aeronautics limited (CSIR-NAL), said, ”Piezo electric materials have promising applications in Aeronautical Engineering, Energy Harvesting and Radar Technology. Budding engineers are showing interest in making energy harvesting devices through Piezoelectric and currently the NAL laboratory has developed technology to attain high power of the order of 600-700PC per newton, which is a considerable achievement.”

He elaborated on the special properties of piezoelectric materials, which possesses the ability to produce voltage under application of stress and how also spoke about how NAL has successfully produced Piezo electric Zirconoium Titanate (PZT) powder-making technology, which is being transferred to private players, in order to develop accelerometers.

The session gave an insight on the field of piezoelectric sensors on PZT applications in making pressure and temperature sensors in Gas Turbines, that at high speeds of Mach Number 1 (Sound speed), how  high vibration level in aircrafts has to be contained and processes like poling, sintering, used to make PZT powder.