PANDEMIC FUND PROJECT LAUNCHED

About Pandemic Fund Project

• It is a $25 Million initiative funded by the G20 Pandemic Fund and was established under Indonesia’s G20 Presidency (2022).
• Aim: enhance low- and middle-income country’s capacity to respond to animal health threats and pandemic through financing investments
• Implementing Entities: Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Need to focus on animal disease outbreaks
  • Prevent Zoonotic Diseases
  • Minimize socio-economic impacts

CE20 CRYOGENIC ENGINE

• The Indian Space Research Organisation’s CE20 cryogenic engine passed a critical sea-level test, a breakthrough in its propulsion technology.
• ISRO has been working on the engine in view of its Gaganyaan mission, India’s first manned spaceflight.
• The sea-level test introduced an innovative ‘Nozzle Protection System’ to address technical challenges in engine restart capability.

How does a cryogenic engine work?

• The working principle: The thrust is produced by an internal combustion/pressure difference.
• This follows Newton’s Third law of motion- “Every action has an equal and an opposite reaction”.
• Uses: Cryogenic engines are used in space launch vehicles, in the last stage (or upper stage) of a rocket.
• A Cryogenic engine uses both cryogenic fuel and oxidizer,liquefied at a very low temperature.
• Fuel: The fuel and oxidizer used in a cryogenic engine are liquefied gases, stored at extremely low temperatures.
• Generally liquid hydrogen liquefied at -2530 Celsius is used as fuel and liquid oxygen liquefied at -1830 Celsius is used as oxidizer.

Note: Semi-cryogenic engine uses refined kerosene instead of liquid hydrogen which offers advantages of lighter weight and storage at normal temperature.

Advantages of cryogenic engine

• Efficiency and Thrust: Cryogenic propulsion offers superior thrust, with LOX+LH2 producing maximum energy and lightweight water vapor, resulting in higher performance.

• Fuel Efficiency: Cryogenic engines use less fuel. .

• Eco-Friendly Technology: Hydrogen-oxygen combustion emits only steam, making cryogenic propulsion a clean, carbon-free solution.
• Heavy Payloads & Space Missions: High efficiency makes cryogenic fuel ideal for heavy payloads and long missions like Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan.

About CE20

• Developed by: The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, Kerala.
• Output: It has been upgraded to produce a thrust level of 20 tonnes. Apart from that, it is capable of producing an enhanced thrust of 22 tonnes for the C32 stage in the future.
  • C32 is a new and heavier cryogenic upper stage called C32, a variant of the C20 engine that will replace the lesser capacity C25 stage.
• Successful Mission: It has demonstrated its capability in six successive LVM3 missions, including the Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two commercial OneWeb missions.
  • LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk Ill) is a three-staged vehicle, capable of lifting 4000 kg payload.

Cryogenic Engine comparison with other engines:

Cryogenic Engine

• Air Intake :  No air intake is required.
• Fuels: Generally supercooled Hydrogen and Oxygen.
• Fuel Temperature : The temperature of fuel must be Very low.
• Efficient working :  It runs efficiently when temperature transforms low fuel and mixes correctly and ignites.
• Purpose : Third stage/ last stage of rocket.

Jet Engine

• Air Intake : Air intake required.
• Fuels : (Jet A-I , kerosene), Kerosene-gasoline mixture, Aviation (avgas), gasoline Bio-kerosene.
• Fuel temperature : Fuel storage does not require Low temperature. 
• Efficient working: It runs efficiently at supersonic speed that forcefully compresses air before combustion.
• Purpose : Used in Airplanes etc.

Solid Engine Propellant

• Air Intake : Air intake is required as an oxidizer.
• Fuels : Fuels for composite propellants, generally powders,are metallic with aluminum being the most common.
• Fuel temperature : Fuel storage does not require low temperature.
• Efficient working : It runs efficiently when fuel is provided with sufficient oxidizer.
• Purpose : Used as boosters in initial liftoff.

Liquid Propellant Engine

• Air Intake : Air intake is required as an oxidizer.
• Fuels : Hydrazine, mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH), unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) etc
• Fuel temperature : Fuel storage does not require low temperature.
• Efficient working : It runs efficiently when fuel is provided with sufficient oxidizer.
• Purpose : Act as the main stage of the rocket after booster separation.