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This paper presents a modern systematic approach to the improvement of the management system for auxiliary mechanization operations at an open-pit coal mine. The approach is based on an integrated model (IM) of business processes and information systems (IS). Within IS/ICT system development, implementation of GPS/GPRS technologies is also described in this paper. Experimental research on this holistic approach was performed at the thermal power plants and open-pit coal mines in Kostolac, Serbia. Results confirmed the importance of this concept for auxiliary mechanization operations management based on selected KPIs (e.g. working moto-hours of the machine) and technical parameters (e.g. readiness).

Vertical Kaplan turbines, manufactured in Russia and with nominal power of 200 MW, have been installed in 6 hydroelectric generating units at ’Djerdap 1’. During the refurbishment of hydropower plant experimental non-destructive tests were performed in order to determine the state of turbine components. During the course of testing damage was detected at sleeves and welded shields of guide vanes, which occurred as a consequence of turbine shaft vibrations. 1782 mm long guide vane sleeves were made of cast steel 25L (GOST standard), 260 mm long sleeve was made of forged steel St 25 (GOST standard), while welded shields of guide vanes were made of austenitic steel 08X18H10T (GOST standard). Results of experimental tests and methodology for reparation of damaged surfaces of sleeves and welded shields of guide vanes are presented in this paper. It was necessary, due to the structural solution used for the design of guide vanes and their function during service, to define a large number of details, carefully reconsider them and carry out all activities with extreme care in order to enable the safe operation and continuous use of vanes through the use of reparation methodology for welding/surface welding of sleeves and welded shields. Overlooking, underestimation or incorrect perception of important details could cause significant problems during turbine operation.

Stable supply tank, with volume V = 250 m3 and operating pressure p = 1,5 MPa, of generation unit 6 at thermal power plant 'Nikola Tesla A' in Obrenovac, is designed for water-steam working fluid. It was made of steel Č 1204 as a single-part welded structure with a single wall. Cylindrical tank shell consists of 8 segments, while torispherical deep bottoms consist of 3 segments. The tank is in the horizontal position and it lays on 4 supports. There are five manometers installed at the tank for pressure control, as well as 5 spring-loaded safety valves. In this paper results of non-destructive tests performed on the tank are presented. Mechanical damages on parent material, up to 1.5 mm deep, were detected at the outer surface of the cylindrical section of the right bottom (as seen from the boiler) and on the inner surface of the shell, as well as sporadic pitting corrosion, up to 0.5 mm deep, and 2 mm misalignment of sheet metals in areas where shell segments are joined. Crack type linear indications were detected on the surface of welded joints through the use of magnetic particle testing. Through ultrasonic and radiographic testing it was determined that the homogeneity of welded joints is satisfactory. Hardness testing was performed on all segments of the tank, and obtained values were in the range between 118 and 130 HB. Metallographic examination, performed on specimens of all segments of the tank, showed that microstructure of material is either fine-grained or striped ferrite-pearlite. On the basis of test results the repair technology for shell and bottom segments was made, while on the basis of the analytical calculation of tank strength the integrity evaluation was carried out for the upcoming period of service, depending on the category of the vessel.

Vertical Kaplan turbines, manufactured in Russia and with nominal power of 200 MW, have been installed in 6 hydroelectric generating units at ’Djerdap 1’. During the refurbishment of hydropower plant experimental non-destructive tests were performed in order to determine the state of turbine components. During the course of testing damage was detected at sleeves and welded shields of guide vanes, which occurred as a consequence of turbine shaft vibrations. 1782 mm long guide vane sleeves were made of cast steel 25L (GOST standard), 260 mm long sleeve was made of forged steel St 25 (GOST standard), while welded shields of guide vanes were made of austenitic steel 08X18H10T (GOST standard). Results of experimental tests and methodology for reparation of damaged surfaces of sleeves and welded shields of guide vanes are presented in this paper. It was necessary, due to the structural solution used for the design of guide vanes and their function during service, to define a large number of details, carefully reconsider them and carry out all activities with extreme care in order to enable the safe operation and continuous use of vanes through the use of reparation methodology for welding/surface welding of sleeves and welded shields. Overlooking, underestimation or incorrect perception of important details could cause significant problems during turbine operation.

Stable supply tank, with volume V = 250 m3 and operating pressure p = 1,5 MPa, of generation unit 6 at thermal power plant 'Nikola Tesla A' in Obrenovac, is designed for water-steam working fluid. It was made of steel Č 1204 as a single-part welded structure with a single wall. Cylindrical tank shell consists of 8 segments, while torispherical deep bottoms consist of 3 segments. The tank is in the horizontal position and it lays on 4 supports. There are five manometers installed at the tank for pressure control, as well as 5 spring-loaded safety valves. In this paper results of non-destructive tests performed on the tank are presented. Mechanical damages on parent material, up to 1.5 mm deep, were detected at the outer surface of the cylindrical section of the right bottom (as seen from the boiler) and on the inner surface of the shell, as well as sporadic pitting corrosion, up to 0.5 mm deep, and 2 mm misalignment of sheet metals in areas where shell segments are joined. Crack type linear indications were detected on the surface of welded joints through the use of magnetic particle testing. Through ultrasonic and radiographic testing it was determined that the homogeneity of welded joints is satisfactory. Hardness testing was performed on all segments of the tank, and obtained values were in the range between 118 and 130 HB. Metallographic examination, performed on specimens of all segments of the tank, showed that microstructure of material is either fine-grained or striped ferrite-pearlite. On the basis of test results the repair technology for shell and bottom segments was made, while on the basis of the analytical calculation of tank strength the integrity evaluation was carried out for the upcoming period of service, depending on the category of the vessel.

In order to describe the internal moisture rate and to take all different mechanisms of moisture movement into account, it is suitable to use effective diffusivity as a measure of moisture rate, irrespectively of the mechanisms really involved. This means that all different mechanisms and driving forces for internal moisture transport are lumped together and introduced into effective moisture diffusivity. Hence, diffusion equations are retained and reused with the effective diffusivity coefficient as a measuring parameter of internal moisture ratio. In our previous studies we have presented the calculation method which assumed constant diffusivity. The next goal was to estimate effective diffusivity at various moisture contents, in a real case of non-linear drying curves, and to predict drying kinetic. In our last study we have developed a model for determination of the variable effective diffusivity and identification of the exact transition points between possible drying mechanisms. In this paper we have tried to develop more accurate tool for determination of time dependent effective moisture diffusivity. An analytical model and computing procedure were developed to evaluate mass transfer properties and describe drying kinetic of clay tiles having less clay fraction. The proposed procedure was validated with experimental drying data. Presented results have demonstrated that the proposed dying model can be applied for the accurate description of experimental drying kinetics and a reliable estimation of effective diffusivity.

Transport of ground and coal at the surface coal dig in Kostolac, Serbia, is done using transportation belts (3 - 5 kilometres in length) using the systems of BTR (Bagger-Transporter-Remover) and BTM (Bagger-Transporter-Mill). The transporter belt during circular movement is suspended on carry-rollers (during transport of weight) and on support-rollers (without weight). Two or three carry-rollers, or three support-rollers make a garland. Garlands (5 carry and 3 supporting) are built into a section and they enable the movement of belt over them. The number of sections depends on the transportation system length. Reliability of these systems is governed by the reliability of the carry and support rollers. In order to determine the reliability of the BTR and BTM systems, reliability analysis of both carry and support rollers was performed using the method of Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD). In this paper the assessment of roller reliability is described using the FTA method with failure elements. The reliability function was determined on the basis of the RBD in the case where all of the constructive elements of the rollers are in operation - the complex relationship, and when some of the elements are in failure mode - the quasi-complex relationship.

Energy efficiency is a key issue worldwide, and not confined solely to the realm of engineers. Past failures of mechanical power system components must be examined carefully in order to minimise future occurrences and increase energy efficiencies. Improved design procedures have been highly sought by engineers and researchers over the past few decades. The latest verified method with strong application potential within the power industry is that of the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD). TCD is not one method, but a group of methods that have a common feature; the use of a characteristic material length parameter, the critical distance L, for calculating the influence of notch-like stress raisers under static and fatigue loading. A case study from a hydro power plant turbine shaft was chosen to illustrate the development of this methodology. The paper illustrates the application of TCD to the fatigue life assessment of a turbine shaft with stress concentrations due to pitting corrosion.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the assembly processes for single-row ball bearings. There are two different types of assembly processes, which depend on ball numbers and ball bearing ring designs. In the case of deep groove ball bearings, assembly is usually undertaken through slight deformation of the outer ring to increase clearance for insertion of the final ball. As a result, the outer ring takes an elliptical instead of a circular shape and requires deformation to be below a critical level to avoid fracture. Causal analysis of outer ring fracture during assembly is the main goal of the presented analysis, based on the expressions of the Theory of Elasticity for the thin ring exposed to bending, as well as Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The theoretical and numerical results have been verified by experimental testing.

Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) and Opto-Magnetic Spectroscopy (OMS) were used to characterize HTCV stainless steel and aluminum. Both materials were immersed in 1.0M HCl and 1.0M CH3COOH solutions for two hours. From the OMS method it was discovered that treated materials showed differences in peak wavelengths. Topographical and magnetic features for steel plate samples showed better resistance to an aggressive medium compared to aluminum. The results and analysis of these investigations are compared and presented in this paper.

The gear tooth profile has an immense effect on the main operating parameters of gear pairs (load capacity, working life, efficiency, vibrations, etc). In current engineering research and practice, there is a strong need to develop methods for tooth profile optimization. In this paper a new method for selecting the optimal tooth profile parameters of spur gears is described. This method has been named the Explicit Parametric Method (EPM). The addendum modification coefficient, radius of root curvature, and pressure angle of the basic rack for cylindrical gears, have been identified as the main tooth profile parameters of spur gears. Therefore, the EPM selects the optimal values for these three tooth profile parameters. Special attention has been paid to develop a method of adjustment for the particular working conditions and explicit optimization requirements. The EPM for optimal tooth profile parameters of gears uses contact nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for calculation of deformations and stresses of gear pairs, in addition to explicit comparative diagrams for optimal tooth profile parameter selection.

Precise determination of the time-to-failure for conveyor idlers allows the planning of regular conveyor system maintenance and well-timed replacement of worn conveyor garlands. Incidental delays in power plant coal supply leads to a significant reduction in overall thermal power plant efficiency. This paper describes a test stand for the laboratory testing of conveyor idlers, under the influence of different radial loads, which was developed by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade. Data acquisition and processing are also considered, which includes control, monitoring and automatisation of the test stand. Machine protective systems, which ensure a high level of machine safety, were specifically redesigned due to the importance of operator safety and health.

Energy efficiency is a key issue worldwide, and not confined solely to the realm of engineers. Past failures of mechanical power system components must be examined carefully in order to minimise future occurrences and increase energy efficiencies. Improved design procedures have been highly sought by engineers and researchers over the past few decades. The latest verified method with strong application potential within the power industry is that of the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD). TCD is not one method, but a group of methods that have a common feature; the use of a characteristic material length parameter, the critical distance L, for calculating the influence of notch-like stress raisers under static and fatigue loading. A case study from a hydro power plant turbine shaft was chosen to illustrate the development of this methodology. The paper illustrates the application of TCD to the fatigue life assessment of a turbine shaft with stress concentrations due to pitting corrosion.

The gear tooth profile has an immense effect on the main operating parameters of gear pairs (load capacity, working life, efficiency, vibrations, etc). In current engineering research and practice, there is a strong need to develop methods for tooth profile optimization. In this paper a new method for selecting the optimal tooth profile parameters of spur gears is described. This method has been named the Explicit Parametric Method (EPM). The addendum modification coefficient, radius of root curvature, and pressure angle of the basic rack for cylindrical gears, have been identified as the main tooth profile parameters of spur gears. Therefore, the EPM selects the optimal values for these three tooth profile parameters. Special attention has been paid to develop a method of adjustment for the particular working conditions and explicit optimization requirements. The EPM for optimal tooth profile parameters of gears uses contact nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for calculation of deformations and stresses of gear pairs, in addition to explicit comparative diagrams for optimal tooth profile parameter selection.