| |
Tata Consultancy Services, a leading Indian IT Company exhibited at Paris International Air show 2007. DefenceIntegration.org visited their stand and also the Corporate House in Mumbai where we had a chance to discuss the whole aerospace industry and India’s role in that. Tata Consultancy Services, known as TCS in India, is ranked 23rd in this year’s annual listing of the world’s leading IT Companies. Additionally, TCS was the only Indian company ranked among the top 10 most profitable companies on the list with a return equity of 46%. A part of the Tata Group, India’s largest Industrial multinational, TCS has over 89,000 of the world’s best trained IT consultants in 47 countries. TCS generates consolidated revenues of US $4.3 billion for fiscal year ended 31st March 2007. TCS has a great range of Engineering & IT Solutions for; the Aerospace Industry. Aero Structures, Aero Engines and derivatives, Aero systems, Avionics, Technical Publication Services and Radio Frequency Identification are some of the services which TCS provides to Aerospace Industry. Some notable Global Aerospace companies they have worked with are Finnmechania, Boeing, Bombardier, Airbus, Pratt and Whitney, SME Aerospace.
About Aero Systems DefenceIntegration's Nidhi (below) asked: With regards to TCS Hydraulic and Braking Systems, how does TCS perceive the move towards replacing hydraulic assembly for braking and other systems with entirely electronic systems, how far will this go (the all-electric plane) and how long will this change take? What are the obstacles and how does TCS see these obstacles being overcome, such as, electrification is usually followed by miniaturization, which is where some of the real benefits can be found, what timeframe does TCS perceive for this change?
TCS Answered: The all - electric/electronic planes can be viewed as the future technology to increase the reliability and reduce the maintenance on the aircraft. Already systems like Fly-by-Wire and Brake-by- wire are being developed and implemented in Military and Civil aircrafts. Currently complete hydraulic assemblies are not replaceable due to their inherent specific advantages. The challenge is to develop electrical/electronic equipments which can generate equivalent power required to carry out the same functions. Miniaturisation of the Hydraulics is an on going R&D which will provide more benefits in near future.
In systems like this, the road map is to reduce the hydraulic circuit to local application such as actuators with miniature hydraulic pumps built-in which are activated by
|
|
|
|
signal wires from the cockpit. Already development has happened and in another 3 to 5 years full electrical/electronic systems will be available with the use of NANO and MEMS technologies.
About Avionics Nidhi asked:
Question: Flight Data Acquisition and Analysis Systems: Currently, in military applications the race is on for high band width communication of massive data throughput from sensors onboard to base stations.
What is the view within TCS on the development of in-flight transfer of data back to ground?
TCS Answered: It is true that different types of military programs, such as UAVs, AWACS etc. require huge amount of in-flight data to be transmitted to ground stations, for control
and intelligence gathering. TCS is exploring opportunities in this field with suitable OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to work either on-board systems or ground control systems in order to provide suitable control, display and data storage functions to the users.
Nidhi asked: What timeframe would be put on take-up in military and civil applications and even, will their ever be take up of civil/ military communication of sensor data back to base
before the vehicle returns physically and the data gets downloaded?
TCS Answered: This kind of data transfer normally takes place in real time as the requirement is mission critical in case of un-manned flights. In case of manned flights, the requirement becomes safety critical especially when aircraft are being flown on development sorties. Hence, suitable telemetry systems are placed on board and on ground to capture critical flight parameters from sensors and download them to ground station in real time for monitoring and control purposes. For civil applications also, the data (such as position, velocity, height etc.) needs to be transmitted in real time for safe and reliable Air Traffic Control applications.
Nidhi asked: For the military, the advantage is simple, complete data downloads in-flight saves the return trip time for the intelligence to be acquired?
TCS Answered: It is not only a question of saving time for return trip. The tactical advantage can only be acquired when data (such as for intelligence purpose) is made available in real time. Stale data is as good as no data made available.
Nidhi asked: How does TCS envisage this technology developing and when, what systems currently offer in-flight communication of high bandwidth data?
TCS Answered: The need for high data transfer bandwidth is increasing day by day, not only for military applications, but for civil applications as well. In near future (say ten years), it is
anticipated that individuals may be commuting extensively via sky-cars and air-taxis, increasing the traffic in the sky many fold. Air Traffic Controls (ATCs) will have tough time controlling the skies for safe flying. Suitable communication protocols such as ADS-B are being developed and will be implemented in time to offer conditions for safe flying. Systems are being developed which can show virtual highways in the sky to the pilot through headup displays. TCS is exploring opportunities of hardware and software development in this area and thus, be a part of this emerging technology. |
|
