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In this article results of studies on cracks formation susceptibility in braze-welded joints of thin aluminum sheets and double-sided zinc galvanized steel sheets for car body parts made by laser brazing with high power diode laser ROFIN DL 020 and CMT MIG-brazing, with filler material in form of powder and wire accordingly, were presented. Optimal welding parameters were determined by visual acceptance criteria. On joints made with optimal parameters further examinations were carried. Results of macro- and microscopic metallographic examinations, structural roentgenography, EDS microanalysis and hardness tests were presented. Causes of brittle intermetallic Fe-Al phases formation in Al-matrix filler metal in dissimilar aluminum – zinc plated carbon steel joints were pointed.

The present paper is the result of the investigations of the properties and structure of nanocrystalline layers deposited from iron-based nanoalloy on steel S355N substrate by manual metal arc welding method (MMA). In the process of welding a 100 A current intensity was used with desiccation preheating at 80°C while maintaining the interpass temperature at range of 200°C. The resultant deposit welds were subjected to macro and microscopic metallographic examination, X-ray phase analyses and crystallite size was analyzed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), additionally EDX chemical composition analysis of precipitates during scanning electron microscopy was performed. Working properties of the obtained nanocrystalline deposit welds were evaluated based on hardness and metal-to-mineral abrasive wear. The results of the deposit welds working properties measurements were compared with the properties of wear resistant steel HARDOX 400 type used as the reference material.

The paper presents the results of the properties of flame sprayed ceramic coatings using oxide ceramic materials coating of a powdered aluminium oxide (Al2O3) matrix with 3% titanium oxide (TiO2) applied to unalloyed S235JR grade structural steel. A primer consisting of a metallic Ni-Al-Mo based powder has been applied to plates with dimensions of 5×200×300 mm and front surfaces of Ø40×50 mm cylinders. Flame spraying of primer coating was made using a RotoTec 80 torch, and an external coating was made with a CastoDyn DS 8000 torch. Evaluation of the coating properties was conducted using metallographic testing, phase composition research, measurement of microhardness, substrate coating adhesion (acc. to EN 582:1996 standard), erosion wear resistance (acc. to ASTM G76-95 standard), and abrasive wear resistance (acc. to ASTM G65 standard) and thermal impact. The testing performed has demonstrated that flame spraying with 97% Al2O3 powder containing 3% TiO2 performed in a range of parameters allows for obtaining high-quality ceramic coatings with thickness up to ca. 500 µm on a steel base. Spray coating possesses a structure consisting mainly of aluminium oxide and a small amount of NiAl10O16 and NiAl32O49 phases. The bonding primer coat sprayed with the Ni-Al-Mo powder to the steel substrate and external coating sprayed with the 97% Al2O3 powder with 3% TiO2 addition demonstrates mechanical bonding characteristics. The coating is characterized by a high adhesion to the base amounting to 6.5 MPa. Average hardness of the external coating is ca. 780 HV. The obtained coatings are characterized by high erosion and abrasive wear resistance and the resistance to effects of cyclic thermal shock.

The introduction of new reinforcing materials continues to be investigated to improve the final behaviour of AMCs as well as to avoid some drawbacks of using ceramics as reinforcement. The present work investigates the structure, properties and ability of joining aluminium EN-AW 6061 matrix composite materials reinforced with Ti3Al particles by resistance butt welding as well as composite materials produced by mechanical milling, powder metallurgy and hot extrusion techniques. Mechanically milled and extruded composites show finer and better distribution of reinforcement particles, which leads to better mechanical properties of the obtained products. Finer microstructure improves mechanical properties of obtained composites. The hardness increases twice in the case of mechanically milled composites also, a higher reinforcement content results in higher particle dispersion hardening, for 15 wt.% of intermetallics reinforcement concentration composites reach about 400 MPa UTS. Investigation results of joints show that best hardness and tensile properties of joints can be achieved by altering soft conditions of butt welding process e.g. current flow time 1.2 s and current 1400 A. To improve mechanical properties of butt welding joints age hardening techniques can also be used.

The aim of this work is to determine the effect of manufacturing conditions, especially milling time, on the microstructure and crystallite size of a newly developed nanostructural composite material with the aluminium alloy matrix reinforced with halloysite nanotubes. Halloysite, being a clayey mineral of volcanic origin, is characterized by high porosity and large specific surface area. Thus it can be used as an alternative reinforcement in metal matrix composite materials. In order to obtain this goal, composite powders with fine microstructures were fabricated using high-energy mechanical alloying, cold compacting and hot extrusion techniques. The obtained composite powders of aluminium alloy reinforced with 5, 10 and 15 wt% of halloysite nanotubes were characterized with SEM, TEM and XRD analysis. It has been proven that the use of mechanical alloying leads to a high degree of deformation, which, coupled with a decreased grain size below 100 nm and the dispersion of the refined reinforcing particles–reinforces the material very well.

Purpose: The work aimed to numerically model through the Finite Element Method (FEM) the distribution of residual stresses and thermal distortions in parts generated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) in stainless steel AISI 316L and validate the results obtained through experimental measurements on previously manufactured parts. Design/methodology/approach: The design methodology followed a numerical approach through the Finite Element Method (FEM), the distribution of residual stresses and thermal distortions in parts generated by Selective Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) in stainless steel AISI 316L and the FEM approach was validated trough the results obtained through experimental measurements on previously manufactured parts. The influence on three levels was verified through complete factorial planning of some manufacturing parameters, such as laser power, speed, and distance between scans (hatch), on the stress and distortion results of the samples and also on the samples simulated by FEM. Findings: When results were compared about the average diameters, a relative error of less than 2.5% was observed. The average diameter was influenced by power and speed. Increasing power decreased the average diameter of the samples, while increasing speed and hatch increased the average diameter. When results are compared to measure the residual stresses, it is observed that the relative error was less than 1%. Power, speed, and the hatch itself influenced the residual stress. Increasing power increases residual stress while increasing speed and hatch decreases residual stress. The cooling rate and the transient thermal history are the control factors that influence the residual stresses and are directly related to the process parameters. The computational modelling followed by measurements and calibrations carried out in the experimental stages proved to be efficient and enabled the reproduction of thermal distortion and residual stresses with statistical confidence. Research limitations/implications: Following the research, the aim is to evaluate the prediction of thermal distortions and residual stresses using the machine learning approach. Future research will study heating the building platform, which should also impact residual stresses. Practical implications: Based on the results obtained in this research, it will be possible to select better additive manufacturing parameters for manufacturing 316L stainless steel parts. The parameters evaluated in the work were laser power, scanning speed, and hatch. Originality/value: The innovation of the work lies in the robust simulation of the thermo-elastic behaviour of samples subjected to the additive manufacturing process, where it was possible to accurately relate the thermal distortions and residual stresses that appeared in the samples printed with the parts modelled by the FEM. The numerical-experimental validation makes it possible to extrapolate the studies to several other manufacturing parameters using only computational simulation and work with a more significant amount of data for a prediction study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Optical Channels for Protective Relaying Working Group of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee performed a survey of industry practices for applying optical channels, both planned and installed, for protective relaying communications. This report summarizes the sizes of the present and planned optical fiber network, the types of construction, whether the relaying channels are on dedicated fiber or multiplexed with other services, experience, and maintenance practices. KEYWORDS: Relaying Communications, Fiber Optics, Optical Communications.

This paper describes the concept of utilizing time synchronized sampling over an entire power system to simultaneously obtain the phasor values of voltages and currents at particular instants of time. Uses of the phasors are reviewed and the necessary accuracy of synchronization for several applications is established for magnitude and angle of the phasors. Various methods of providing synchronizing signals are examined, and a possible format for transmitting the phasor measurements to remote locations is described. Finally, some possibilities for applications of this technique in protection and control tasks of the future are explored.

A summary of 90 responses to a survey on the use of adaptive functions in protective relaying systems is given. The survey was developed by Working Group K8 of the Substation Protection Subcommittee of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee. This paper presents some background on the concept of adaptive protection, summarizes the questionnaire and gives an analysis of the questionnaire responses. Section A of the questionnaire which concerns satisfaction with existing relaying schemes is summarized in two figures. Section B of the survey which outlines 16 possible adaptive features is repeated in its entirety. A number of adaptive features suggested by the respondents are also analyzed.

Generative adversarial networks (GAN) opened new possibilities for image processing and analysis. Inpainting, dataset augmentation using artificial samples, or increasing spatial resolution of aerial imagery are only a few notable examples of utilising GANs in remote sensing (RS). The normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) ground-truth labels were prepared by combining RGB and NIR orthophotos. The dataset was then utilised as input for a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN) to perform an image-to-image translation. The main goal of the neural network was to generate an artificial NDVI image for each processed 256 px × 256 px patch using only information available in the panchromatic input. The network achieved a structural similarity index measure (SSIM) of 0.7569 ± 0.1083, a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 26.6459 ± 3.6577 and a root-mean-square error (RSME) of 0.0504 ± 0.0193 on the test set, which should be considered high. The perceptual evaluation was performed to verify the method's usability when working with a real-life scenario. The research confirms that the structure and texture of the panchromatic aerial RS image contain sufficient information for NDVI estimation for various objects of urban space. Even though these results can highlight areas rich in vegetation and distinguish them from the urban background, there is still room for improvement regarding the accuracy of the estimated values. The research aims to explore the possibility of utilising GAN to enhance panchromatic images (PAN) with information related to vegetation. This opens exciting opportunities for historical RS imagery processing and analysis.

The paper presents the influence of ZrO2 coating on Ti6Al7Nb titanium alloy depending on the method of deposition. The coatings were made by sol-gel method and atomic layer deposition (ALD). Wettability tests, pitting corrosion assessment and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out in the paper. Complementary macro- and microscopic observations, roughness analysis by profilometric method and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were made. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the type of method of depositing the layer on the surface of the material has a significant influence on its properties and that it should be taken into account during the process of the material improvement. Drawing on the findings presented, it can be inferred that roughness has a significant impact upon the surface wetttability of the tested surfaces and their related corrosion resistance. The obtainment of hydrophobic surfaces is for smaller rougidity values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a modern manufacturing method with many applications in medicine, aerospace and automotive industries. SLM processed materials are characterized by good dimensional accuracy and properties comparable or superior to materials obtained by traditional processing methods. In this paper an SLM process was used to obtain 316L stainless steel parts. This paper presents the microstructure, chemical and phase composition, physicochemical and electrochemical properties of 12 groups of tested samples, differentiated by the SLM processing parameters. Based on the investigation, it can be inferred that the selection of the appropriate SLM parameters is very important to determined final material properties. The samples produced with the energy density E = 600 J/mm³ were observed to possess optimum properties - a homogeneous structure, density closest to the desired one, good wettability and pitting corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: L.A. Dobrzanski, A. Wlodarczyk-Fligier, M. Adamiak The paper presents investigation results of the heat treatment effect on the properties and corrosion resistance of sintered composite materials with EN AW-Al Cu4Mg1(A) alloy matrix reinforced with Ti(C,N) particles of various volume fractions. Composite materials were examined without heat treatment and after heat treatment which was carried out to improve their properties and corrosion resistance. It was found that the proportion of reinforcement particles Ti(C,N) has an effect on the mechanical properties of composite materials. An increase in hardness and decrease in compression strength, tensile strength and abrasive wear are observed with the increase in the fraction of reinforcement particles. The corrosion susceptibility of the composite materials was determined using the potentiodynamic method in a 3% aqueous solution of NaCl. Based on the determined anode polarisation curves and also on the electrochemical parameters, the investigated materials are susceptible to pitting corrosion.

The paper presents the results of the properties of flame sprayed ceramic coatings using oxide ceramic materials coating of a powdered aluminium oxide (Al2O3) matrix with 3% titanium oxide (TiO2) applied to unalloyed S235JR grade structural steel. A primer consisting of a metallic Ni-Al-Mo based powder has been applied to plates with dimensions of 5×200×300 mm and front surfaces of Ø40×50 mm cylinders. Flame spraying of primer coating was made using a RotoTec 80 torch, and an external coating was made with a CastoDyn DS 8000 torch. Evaluation of the coating properties was conducted using metallographic testing, phase composition research, measurement of microhardness, substrate coating adhesion (acc. to EN 582:1996 standard), erosion wear resistance (acc. to ASTM G76-95 standard), and abrasive wear resistance (acc. to ASTM G65 standard) and thermal impact. The testing performed has demonstrated that flame spraying with 97% Al2O3 powder containing 3% TiO2 performed in a range of parameters allows for obtaining high-quality ceramic coatings with thickness up to ca. 500 µm on a steel base. Spray coating possesses a structure consisting mainly of aluminium oxide and a small amount of NiAl10O16 and NiAl32O49 phases. The bonding primer coat sprayed with the Ni-Al-Mo powder to the steel substrate and external coating sprayed with the 97%Al2O3 powder with 3% TiO2 addition demonstrates mechanical bonding characteristics. The coating is characterized by a high adhesion to the base amounting to 6.5 MPa. Average hardness of the external coating is ca. 780 HV. The obtained coatings are characterized by high erosion and abrasive wear resistance and the resistance to effects of cyclic thermal shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of new reinforcing materials continues to be investigated to improve the final behaviour of AMCs as well as to avoid some drawbacks of using ceramics as reinforcement. The present work investigates the structure, properties and ability of joining aluminium EN-AW 6061 matrix composite materials reinforced with Ti3Al particles by resistance butt welding as well as composite materials produced by mechanical milling, powder metallurgy and hot extrusion techniques. Mechanically milled and extruded composites show finer and better distribution of reinforcement particles, which leads to better mechanical properties of the obtained products. Finer microstructure improves mechanical properties of obtained composites. The hardness increases twice in the case of mechanically milled composites also, a higher reinforcement content results in higher particle dispersion hardening, for 15 wt.% of intermetallics reinforcement concentration composites reach about 400 MPa UTS. Investigation results of joints show that best hardness and tensile properties of joints can be achieved by altering soft conditions of butt welding process e.g. current flow time 1.2 s and current 1400 A. To improve mechanical properties of butt welding joints age hardening techniques can also be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]