IIT Bombay Professor Wins Young Scientist Award

A young scientist from IIT Bombay Professor Vikram Vishal has won a prestigious Young Scientist Award 2017, from The Indian National Science Academy (INSA.) Assistant professor in the department of Earth Sciences, IIT Bombay, Vikram discovered a unique way to control carbon levels in the air.

He did this by using a scientific method of collecting carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial units and thereby injecting it underground, to avoid air pollution. This award is considered as one of the highest recognition of promise, creativity and excellence among young scientists. This Award is presented once a year by INSA for research conducted by Indian scientists.

President of INSA, Professor Ajay K. Sood appreciated the efforts of Vikram and said: “He has shown great potential to be a leader in research. I sincerely hope he will continue to strive hard to reach his potential and to prove leadership in the coming years.”

Talking about his research, Vikram stated that he is currently working on a process which attempts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and their environmental impact by capturing natural gases. He did this by injecting the emitted pollutants back into the rock deep underground so that they are not released into the atmosphere.

Vikram explained his research work saying: “Natural gases have remained trapped in deep underground rock structures for several million years. This provides an analogy for injecting and store the greenhouse gases in rocks and preventing their release into the atmosphere. Realizing India’s vast geological diversity, She offers ample opportunities for the storage of carbon dioxide. Injection of carbon dioxide will not only help develop a long sustainable earth but also lead to an enhanced recovery of methane to partly meet our growing energy demands.”

Vikram’s published papers also spoke about recovering methane from the beds used to retrieve carbon dioxide. By using conventional methods, about 40% methane gets retrieved and by Vikram’s method, 70-75 percent recovery will be possible.