vybhavverse - BPCL projects

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As a Graduate Apprentice Trainee at BPCL’s R&D Centre, I engineered sustainable solutions to optimize energy consumption in household and industrial systems. My work spanned combustion efficiency enhancement and heat recovery technologies, aligning with BPCL’s goals of reducing carbon footprints and operational costs.

Core Focus Areas:
Thermal Systems: Redesigned LPG stoves to achieve world-leading 75%+ efficiency (BIS 4246).
Heat Transfer: Improved heat exchanger effectiveness by 35% using passive mechanical inserts.
Data-Driven Design: Balanced analytical modeling with experimental validation for scalable solutions.

CRDC, BPCL, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Project 1: Thermal Efficiency Enhancement and Emission Reduction in LPG Cooking Stoves

Tools: Analytical Design, Experimental Testing, BIS 4246 Compliance

Overview:

Led a cross-functional initiative to redesign domestic LPG/PNG cooking stoves, achieving 75%+ thermal efficiency (exceeding BIS 4246 standards) while reducing CO/CO₂ emissions. Focused on optimizing injector nozzles, burner geometry, and pan supports to maximize fuel conservation.

Experimental Setup (Labview)

Interface of Test Setup (1)

Interface of Test Setup (2)

Key Contributions:

Design Optimization:
1. Modified injector nozzle (brass) diameter/angle and swirl burner top (cast iron) to improve air-fuel mixing.
2. Redesigned pan supports with heat shields and adjusted loading heights to minimize heat loss.

Performance Validation:
1. Tested stoves at 30 mbar (LPG) and 21 mbar (PNG) pressures, achieving 72–75 L/hr gas flow rates across burners.
2. Reduced emissions by ~20% through enhanced combustion efficiency

Technical Approach:

Analytical Design:
1. Calculated gas flow rates (61 L/hr small burner, 72 L/hr large burner) based on IS standards and pressure profiles.
2. Simulated air-fuel ratios for optimal combustion using Venturi tube (MS/Al alloy) geometry.

Layout of Test Setup with BIS:4246

Prototyping & Testing:
1. Iterated burner top (CI/brass/MS) and mixing tube designs to balance durability and thermal performance.
2. Conducted efficiency tests using calorimetric methods to validate >75% thermal efficiency (world-leading benchmark).

Outcomes:

Delivered a stove design with highest-in-class efficiency, reducing household fuel consumption by 15–20%.
Strengthened expertise in combustion dynamics, emission control, and BIS compliance testing.

Project 2: Refinery Heat Exchanger Performance Improvement Using Passive Mechanical Inserts

Tools: Experimental Testing, SCADA, MS Excel

Overview:

Optimized a refinery pilot-plant shell-and-tube heat exchanger using helical coils and twisted tape inserts to enhance heat transfer coefficient (h) and mitigate fouling. Achieved a 35% increase in temperature differential (ΔT) with minimal pressure drop (ΔP), enabling cost-effective compact designs.

Helical Coil inserst

Twisted tape inserst

Key Contributions:

Insert Design & Testing:
1. Evaluated helical coils (10% ΔT increase, 55% ΔP rise) vs. twisted tapes (35% ΔT increase, 30% ΔP rise) at 450 L/hr flow rates.
2. Identified twisted tapes as optimal for balancing thermal gain and pumping energy costs.

Process Optimization:
1. Correlated flow rate variations with ΔT/ΔP to recommend operational thresholds for fouling mitigation.

Technical Approach:

Experimental Setup:
1. Installed inserts in a refinery-grade heat exchanger under controlled conditions (fixed preheater/reactor temps).
2. Monitored temperature/pressure changes using RTD sensors and manometers.

Heat Exchanger Setup (SCADA)

Data Analysis:
1. Quantified turbulence enhancement from inserts using Nusselt number and friction factor correlations.
2. Recommended insert dimensions for maximal heat recovery with <10% operational cost increase.

Outcomes:

Enabled 20–25% size reduction in heat exchangers, lowering capital costs by ~15%.
Authored guidelines for insert deployment in BPCL’s refinery heating applications.

Plot of Temp difference vs Pump flow-rate of different inserts

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Project 1: Thermal Efficiency Enhancement and Emission Reduction in LPG Cooking Stoves

Overview:

Key Contributions:

Technical Approach:

Outcomes:

Project 2: Refinery Heat Exchanger Performance Improvement Using Passive Mechanical Inserts

Overview:

Key Contributions:

Technical Approach:

Outcomes:

Get in touch at vaibhav19m345@gmail.com for any query.