Publications

This study investigates the thermal stratification characteristics of a single-medium sensible heat storage tank. The thermal energy storage (TES) system under investigation comprises a vertical cylindrical tank fitted with an immersed discharging coil. The study considers three different discharging coil configurations (helical, conical, and inverted conical). A commercial silicone oil (Hytherm 600) is used as the heat storage medium in the tank, and water serves as the discharging fluid. The thermal characteristics during the simultaneous charging and discharging operation are investigated considering a fixed charging temperature of 90 ℃, an oil flow rate of 1.25 L/min, and two different discharging flow rates (water), 0.5 and 2 L/min, respectively. Results indicate enhanced thermal performance for the helical discharging coil at the discharging flow rate of 2 L/min, with a total discharged energy of 3536.8 kJ, and a discharging efficiency of 54.1%. The highest energy discharged (3546.5 kJ) is realized in the case of the inverted conical coil. However, the losses are higher for this storage configuration, leading to a slightly reduced discharging efficiency (53.6%). The thermocline thickness broadens with increasing water flow rates through the discharging coil side. Eventually, the initial thermocline splits to form a stabilized thermocline thickness of 100 mm in the upper section of the tank for a 2 L/min coil flow rate.

Spread over 100 sq. km, the liquefaction features identified in central Kerala, suggest moderate-magnitude earthquakes in the past.

The historical expansion of tea agroforestry in North Bengal, India, over the past 150 years (1876–2023) is a fascinating agricultural and economic transformation journey. The region, particularly the Bengal-Dooars area encompassing Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, has seen significant transformations driven by the cultivation of Camellia sinensis (Tea). During the British colonial period, tea estates (TE) rapidly grew due to favourable conditions. The use of remote sensing technology has further facilitated the efficient management and expansion of the Tea agroforestry ecosystem. From an initial 331 hectares, the area under TE expanded to about 95,800 hectares by 2023. New plantations, modern agricultural practices, and technological advancements drove this growth. While tea plantations boosted the local economy and employment, they also impacted the environment, particularly tree cover. Overall, the historical expansion of TE in North Bengal reflects a complex interplay of economic development, agricultural innovation, and environmental change. This transformation remains to shape the region’s landscape and economy today.

A complete geometrization of the Huygens–Fresnel principle by means of a highly versatile hyperbola theorem is presented, alongside its applications. The unitary framework so developed can concurrently apprehend both optical interference and diffraction phenomena.

Over the past two decades, technological advancements have significantly increased image-based methodologies, particularly the use of camera traps, which have become invaluable tools in ecology for examining a wide range of phenomena, including animal activity patterns, habitat selection, abundance, densities and distributions. In this paper, we examine how and why camera traps transform research practices and methodologies, investigate how animals perceive and adapt to these modern technologies, explore the ethical implications of using such devices in animal research and finally, shed light on the complex interplay between technology, animal behaviour and research ethics in the rapidly evolving fields of human–animal interactions and wildlife studies.