Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), the country's largest power equipment manufacturer, has received a prestigious order from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of compact heat exchanger sets for 83 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) MK1A aircraft.
The development is a major boost to defence production under the Make in India initiative, as well as a step toward achieving self-reliance in the critical field of defence equipment. The order envisages manufacturing, assembly, testing and supply of Compact Heat Exchangers to be fitted in the LCA Tejas aircraft, according to a statement from BHEL. Since 1996, the company's Heavy Plates and Vessels Plant (HPVP) in Visakhapatnam has been the sole supplier of Heat Exchangers to LCA Tejas. BHEL-HPVP and Bangalore's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) collaborated to design and develop 13 different types of Compact Heat Exchangers for the LCA MK-1 program's Environmental Control System (ECS) and Secondary Power System (SPS). BHEL is also collaborating with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on the development of an Air Cycle Machine-based Liquid Cooling System (LCS) for Aircraft POD applications for the LCA Mk-2. Compact Heat Exchangers are manufactured and inspected at BHEL, and the company claims it is prepared to meet the needs of future LCA, ALH, Sukhoi, and AMCA programmes. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, based in New Delhi, India, is a government-owned engineering and manufacturing company. It is owned by the Ministry of Heavy Industries of the Indian government. Image Source
