Basant Parida
A humble Mechanical & Aerospace Engineer celebrates 53 years of his active professional life with a fond recollection of the dedicated services rendered to his Motherland - India, to the adopted land USA - where he was welcomed (post-superannuation in India in 2003) to serve in the U.S. National Interest, and in a few other countries around the world.
Basant Parida
About Me
Personally, a devoted karma yogi with a very supportive family is presently based in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts. Still professionally and spiritually active by the grace of God keeps maintaining contacts with extended family members, friends, alumni of IIT-KGP/IISc-BLR, and colleagues here in the USA, in India, and beyond.
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Professionally, a past Director of Innovation and a Senior subject matter expert (SME) with experience in developing innovative design solutions to challenging engineering problems, including several approved International patents. Has extensive academic experience in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses as well as developing advanced course curricula at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur for over two decades. Professional research expertise includes knowledge of advanced metallic and composite materials and evaluation of the structural integrity of complex damage tolerant structures. An elected Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and a former member of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International for over 27 years since 1990.
Specialties: Research and development of innovative solutions to the safety-critical problems of mechanical and transportation engineering systems - including the structural integrity of engineering structures made of metallic, composite, and hybrid materials. Conversant with relevant ASTM International, FAR (Part 25), ASME, and American Railroad (DOT/FRA) Standards, and Regulations.
Hobbies: Reading Vedantic literature, Traveling, Photography, Listening to classical/nostalgic music, visiting scenic places of mother Nature anywhere.
Spiritually, an austere explorer aspiring to pursue Advait Vedanta teachings, SriVidya sadhana, and yogic meditations toward the attainment of self-realization while sharing the spiritual wisdom among all those interested in the eternal quest for liberation. Presently, assisting a Global-IITians 4 Quantum-Consciousness Forum to explore the Power of Conscious Intention of an observer-in-the-loop on the outcome of certain Quantum Mechanics Experiments!
आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः
Aa No Bhadrah Krtavo Yantu Vishwatah
“Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions”.
Let me strive to spread the light of wisdom and compassion to the entire humanity - to make our fragile habitat - this Blue Planet a better place to live and share in peace and harmony with all the co-inhabitants in God’s creation including yet unborn generations of species to come!
CURRENT POSITION
Technical Consultant (Part-Time) to KEA Technologies, Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA
November 2017 – Present
My responsibilities include research and development of innovative solutions to challenging safety-critical structural and transportation system problems.
Education / Post - Doctoral Research
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Ph.D., Aeronautical Engineering -1977
Dissertation on - Some Studies on the Local Buckling Behaviour of Thin Tensile panels with Rectangular Cutouts
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
M.E., Aeronautical Engineering -1968
With specialization in Aircraft Structures
Utkal University
B. Sc. Engg., Mechanical Engineering -1966
Graduated from the University College of Engineering ( Presently - Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), an Autonomous University with a credible Accreditation), located in Burla, India - the site of India's longest earthen Dam - the "Hirakud Dam" in Odisha.
Post - Doctoral Research - Under the U.S. Academy of Sciences - NRC Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
January, 1990 - July, 1992
Conducted advanced research on the fatigue and fracture behavior of certain engineered materials as a part of Integrated High-Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program of specific interest to the U. S. Air Force
Post - Doctoral Research at Kiev Institute of Civil Aviation (Later Renamed - National Aviation University of Ukraine) - Under the Govt. of India's Indo - USSR Academic & Cultural Exchange Program
September, 1976 - August, 1978
Pursued research on the assessment of fatigue crack propagation, fracture toughness and the endurance behavior of the Russian make aircraft grade Aluminum alloys such as D 16 - ATV and others. These Al-alloys were supplied by the Antonov Aircraft Factory located in the outskirt of Kiev and are extensively used by MiG series aircraft - many variants of which are flown by the Indian Air Force, the fourth largest Air Force in the world.
Affiliations / Membership of Professional Societies
Experience
Professional Positions Held
QinetiQ, North America, Inc. (QNA) - Formerly Foster-Miller, Inc. (FMI), Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
August 2003 - November 2016
Senior Principal Subject Matter Expert and Director, Innovation, Transportation Group, QNA
Key Accomplishments at QinetiQ North America(QNA):
• Provided innovative conceptual designs and Finite Element Analyses of several variants of mine blast-resistant seats for performance evaluation and potential use in combat vehicles - under a U. S. Army Research Laboratory program - (2003 – 2004)
• Offered innovative egress mechanisms to enhance crew safety under locomotive collision and derailment conditions - under DOT/Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Program (2003 – 2005)
• Provided assessment and validation of explosive fuel vapor conditions within the locomotive fuel tank and its mitigation method - under DOT/FRA Program (2005 – 2008)
• Provided (in support of another group of Foster-Miller/QNA) Finite Element Analysis and fatigue assessment of “Boat Trap” manifold assembly for evaluation of its endurance against the repeated deployment of a known conflagration charge - (2004 – 2005)
• Provided (in support of another group of Foster-Miller/QNA) innovative use of FEA and component testing techniques including RPG-Net mesh size optimization and hardpoint configuration toward the defeat of Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) -IRAD initiative (2005 – 2009)
• Under the Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) Composite High-Pressure Vessel End Cap Design initiative (2009) - offered innovative designs and design validation (for compliance with ASME Pressure Vessel Code) through Finite Element Analysis of end caps for KMS composite high-pressure vessels used in KMS desalination plants
• Offered an innovative design solution, Finite Element Simulations, prototype development, and testing of a novel Shock Energy Absorber (SEA) for use in locomotives to prevent override under the head-on-collision scenario - DOT/FRA Program on Advanced Cushioning Device to Prevent Locomotive Override (2008 - 2010)
• Provided (in support of TSG Products Group) the structural analysis toward design validation and structural integrity evaluation of the Q-NET support structures for several variants of military personnel carrier vehicles under a major Customer Initiative (2010 – 2011)
• Under the DOT/FRA Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) Program (2010-2012) - Offered an innovative design concept for an optimized Audible Warning Device (AWD) for use in locomotives with potential for minimization of noise impact on wayside communities while maintaining public safety at highway-rail grade crossings (later patented)
National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, India
October 1992 - March 2003
Deputy Director, NAL, and Head of Structural Integrity Division (For the most part)
Key Accomplishments during the Tenure at NAL:
Organized a National Seminar on Aging Aircraft Life Extension Technologies in NAL - well attended by the IAF/Indian Navy personnel including four Air Marshals (5-Star General) of the Indian Air Force
As a member of the Govt. of India, Scientific Delegation visited several advanced research facilities of the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment (CAE) to evaluate the scope of collaborative research and presented two scientific papers at the Xian Conference on Composite Materials in 1995
Availed the Opportunity to showcase the quality of aeronautical research conducted in India in general and at NAL, in particular through the publications/presentation of papers in several International Journals/Conferences organized by the ASTM International and other institutions in the USA and other countries over the years
National Academy of Sciences, USA, NRC Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) - Materials Directorate, Ohio
January 1990 - July 1992
Senior NRC Resident Research Associate
Key Accomplishments at WPAFB, Ohio:
August 1968 - December 1990
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Key Accomplishments at IIT :
Skills
Academic Courses Taught
IIT Undergraduate & Graduate Level
Research Interest
Innovative Skills
Editor, Reviewer and Dissertation Adjudicator
Honors and Awards
Awarded Honors & Certificates
Awarded by the Materials Directorate of the Department of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA
Awarded by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) - International
November, 2003
Awarded by the President of QinetiQ North America, Waltham, MA
April 1, 2012
A Humble Recognition by the Head Quarters, Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force.
March 28, 2003
A letter of Acknowledgment from Air Marshal P. K. Desai for a variety of technical R&D and consultative support offered to the Indian Air Force during my over-a-decade-long tenure at the National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore (1992 - 2003).
International Patents Granted*
* Assigned to Foster-Miller, Inc./QinetiQ North America, the parent organization to which the first inventor and the other inventors were affiliated with during these technological innovations, product development and patenting (Covering the period: 2003 - 2016).
Sample International Patents
U. S. Patent No. US9097492, Aug 4, 2015: BLAST/IMPACT MITIGATION SHIELD
JAPANESE PATENT No. 5531106, April 25, 2014: SHOCK ENERGY ABSORBER
U. S. A. PATENT No. 8820493, Sep. 2, 2014: SHOCK ENERGY ABSORBER
U. S. A. PATENT No. US 8998148, Apr 7, 2015: ACOUSTIC WARNING SYSTEM
Research Publications
News Article
An Extract From The Times of India, Bangalore Edition in early 2000
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