Rohit Khare is a Research Assistant at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. His research focuses on alternative fuels and understanding the soot formation characteristics in laminar flames. In this interview he shares his interest in contributing towards the development of the society and helping keep the environment clean.
What is your motivation for pursuing research in this area?
My motivation stems from the fact that in the next few decades, pollution control especially due to the automobile industry is going to be of utmost importance. To reduce emissions, it is very important to understand the fundamental processes of soot formation in engines and develop alternative fuels and strategies to meet with the ever stringent pollution policies.
What would you have done if you were not a researcher?
I am a sport enthusiast. I love to play all sports but cricket is my favourite. My first career choice was to become a cricketer. So that would be my answer.
Have you encountered any challenges in pursuing your research career?
I have actually encountered many challenges throughout my research career. For example, during my Master’s, I was working on a research topic and mid-way through my research, I found out that a few researchers from the USA published a paper on the same topic. This was sheer coincidence but because of that, mid-way through my Master’s program, I had to change my research topic and complete my work in the stipulated time.
The most important thing in research is that you must be ready for failures and be have a high degree of patience.
What do you do within the ESTiMatE project?
In the framework of ESTiMatE, I am involved in the experimental investigations of counter-flow laminar flames. The main objective is to measure experimental data such as species concentration, temperature profiles, soot concentration, etc. for various fuels relevant to the project based on discussions with the project partners to help them with the development of chemical kinetic models.
How do you like it so far?
I have been drafted recently in the project, but so far I have enjoyed the work and the discussions we had with the project partners. I wish to contribute whole heartedly towards the success of the project.
What do you hope to achieve in your career in the long run?
In the long run, I would surely like to work in a place where I could contribute towards the development of the society and help in keeping the environment clean.