Statement of Purpose

My approach in life has followed a certain pattern, motivated, principally, by a quest after
perspectives. I was always curious to know how things work, what makes them work - endlessly,
tirelessly and with clinical precision. The kind of tinkering I had with the do it yourself play kit and
the experiences in the Chemistry and Physics practicals aroused a kind of desire within me to
seek knowledge. Understanding the two basic components of KNOW-HOW, namely, KNOW-why
and show-HOW, became an important part of my students life. These, I believe, resulted in my
doing basic sciences to begin with and finally paving a way for a course in Mechanical
Engineering as specialization in the undergraduate studies.
I am pursuing my undergraduate studies in one of the best engineering colleges,
Muffakham Jah college of Engineering, in the city, Hyderabad. The curriculum includes
Thermal and Fluid sciences, Dynamics and Control to name a few. Subjects like Fluid Mechanics,
Turbo Machinery, Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer deal with the simplest of theories but with
powerful applications, has made the experience of learning, fascinating.
During the second year, I had the opportunity to be part of a project on Effective
cooling systems- the natural way. It was mainly a case study where I was engaged with the
heat transfer group. Our primary aim was to calculate the heating and cooling loads using
ASHRAE charts. The results were presented to the American Society for Engineering Education
[ASEE] colloquium. Though it was a brief interaction, it taught me how to measure things with
great precision and to document them. At the end of the academic year, I had the unique privilege
and responsibility to be the Editor of the in-house technical magazine run by the institute. A
thorough literature survey, reviewing and editing articles, made me aware of the newly emerging
concept in the mechanical industry called Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD in short.
The challenging problems in fluid mechanics and my ability to formulate and solve them
using computers, motivated me to choose this topic for my pre-final year project at Bharat Heavy
Electricals Limited [BHEL]. It is one of the largest public sectors in the country with an
accomplished R & D center equipped to work on the frontier areas of engineering. The project
was on the analysis of a Kaplan turbine. I learnt in detail the application of industrial software,
which could perform a multitude of tasks, from grid generation to analysis. Being a member of a
large team with a clear mission and strict deadlines to keep was a valuable first-hand experience,
I learnt from this industry. On completion, a detailed Technical Report was submitted to the
management. Truly, the stay in BHEL not only enhanced my interest, but also gave me impetus to
seek research as a career choice, in basic engineering.

As part of my final year dissertation, I have chosen to work on Numerical Analysis and
techniques. The finer nuance deals with Finite Element modeling and transient analysis. This
course work I believe, will lay a strong foundation in computing techniques and usage of
advanced software for various industrial applications. These techniques and their applications are
critical as far as the industrial domain is concerned. I have addressed this issue by carrying out
analysis of a Hermetic Compressor at Tecumseh India Limited [Americas largest manufacturer
of compressors, with a manufacturing unit in Hyderabad].
In a nutshell, working on these projects has given me some industrial exposure and
confidence to look for new things and explore. I have decided that thermal and fluid sciences are
the areas where I would like to base my future engineering endeavors.
My experiences of undergraduate studies have strengthened my resolve to pursue
higher studies. I bring along a strong grasp of fundamentals in mathematics, good programming
skills, an aptitude for teaching and teamwork, a love for challenges and an unending desire to
learn all I can. In addition, I share a strong and lasting relationship with my teachers and fellow
students.
With this background, I believe, a Masters Degree leading ultimately to a PhD programme
in Mechanical Engineering would certainly strengthen my career. Needless to say, the
international exposure will certainly add an additional dimension to my personality. In addition, my
Professors and seniors at the college have also encouraged me to move in this direction. The
Web Site of your University campus, the Mechanical engineering Department in particular, details
the course being offered for the MS program, the Faculties, their research interests & activities,
were impressive and very much to my taste. Based on my qualifications, exposure on the
industrial front and other professional activities, I wish to join the Department of Mechanical
Engineering to do the MS programme from the ..University or the University of... I
request you to consider my application favorably.
After my graduate program with your esteemed institution, it would be my endeavour to
pursue further studies in Mechanical Engineering leading to a Doctorate Degree. On completion
of the studies I would like to begin my career as a Teaching / Research Faculty with a leading
University and subsequently join an industry to be associated with their Research & Development
Department for development of new products.

Ashwin Vishwanathan