UNFORGETTABLE DR P S SRINIVASAN

The sixth semester of my study at REC Calicut was something special; A great and natural teacher taught us. His name being Dr. P S Srinivasan. I learnt with dismay that he passed away in 2010. He taught us Induction Machines. I dont regret anything I did during my stay at REC but for one thing...... missing a lecture by Dr. P S Srinivasan owing to some communication error one morning in 1985 when he taught Universal Motors. This I feel is a huge loss and I be-moan this every other day. My comfort levels with Universal motors have never been good and things could have been different had I attended this lecture.

Something about his persona...being dark in complexion and rotund with a spectacle and walked with a faster pace and a sturdy composure. He rarely mixed with many but had administrative skills no doubt and I think for a larger part of his tenure occuppied a larger of the offices on the first floor of the DB and had a doctorate from Russia in hard core electrical engineering. I think there are not many such people left to teach engineering subjects today for some reason or the other and note that this person gave nearly four decades of service to REC CAlicut and was a tamilian domiciled in Kerala.

We used to have his classes at 8:00 am thrice a week and I rarely missed the classes of his. The height of his teaching according to me was deriving the mathematical expression that discloses how a space and time displaced three phase winding produced a rotating magnetic feild. He did it meticulously. The greatness of this man was his ability to simplify a complex subject like Induction Machines. People and students must thank him no end for the silent but formidable services provided to the state and students of Kerala.

It is more than quarter of a century but let me try to reproduce from memory some of the expressions of Induction machine theory;

Slip = (Sync speed - rotor speed) / sync speed

rotor power input = stator power input - (stator iron and copper loss)

Slip x rotor power input = rotor copper loss (there is a similar expression for iron loss)

Rotor power output = Rotor power Input - (rotor copper and iron losses)

May I beseech heavens that many more of such people find a place to teach students at Engineering Institutions and the system creates and engenders many such people.