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Abstract Robotics is an overarching trend in modern high-tech production, contributing significantly to automation. They are used in various industries to perform multiple tasks, and their number is constantly growing. Robots interact with the production object with the help of gripping systems, which are an essential component of industrial robots and manipulators designed for reliable grasping. Therefore, the process of design and rational selection of grippers for considering production conditions receives considerable attention worldwide. The article offers a comprehensive approach to the design of gripper systems as an integral element of the “gripping system – part – environment – production equipment” system to ensure further rational selection considering specific production conditions. A scientific approach to assessing the design of gripping systems was proposed to systematize knowledge in designing gripping systems. In the paper, the principal structural scheme of the robotic gripping system was developed, and the purpose of elements and design requirements were determined. Also, the sequence of stages in the process of selecting the elements of the gripping system has been proposed. The comprehensive system “gripping system – part – environment – production equipment” has been identified considering the mutual influence of structural elements. This work may be helpful to engineers and researchers while designing new gripping systems or selecting the most suitable one from the database. It can improve the rational selection of the element base and the structure of the gripping system by systematizing the experience in the gripper system design. Moreover, due to modern trends in automation and digitalization, the presented classification and coding system for gripping systems can be used in Computer Aided Process Planning and Computer Aided Gripping Systems Design systems. It can help to realize the approach “from the part geometry to the gripping systems design”. Also, it will ensure the production planning stage’s effectiveness due to reducing the time for robotic gripping systems’ design and increasing production safety, flexibility, autonomy, and performance.

Ensuring the vibration reliability of rotary machines is based on the reliable mathematical model of rotor movement. Considering the critical factors leading to a stability loss is an important problem in up-to-date machinery. However, the presence of fractional-order hydrodynamic features of gap seals and the effect of anomalous energy dissipation lead to a need to clarify existing rotordynamic models by considering the fractional-order terms. Therefore, this article deals with the comprehensive modeling approach to study forced oscillations of a single-mass rotor and check its dynamic stability considering the fractional-order origin of the damping force. Moreover, the impact of fractional order on the damping factor and dynamic stability of whirl movement considering the circulation force in gap seals, is still not fully explored. This problem adds particular importance to the presented research. As a result, a single-mass flexible rotor model was extended by considering the fractional-order damping force. Moreover, based on the discovered asymptotic property of the Mittag-Leffler function, the impact of fractional order on the amplitude-frequency response was also determined. Finally, boundaries for dynamic stability loss were identified considering the fractional-order damping force. Overall, the study allowed the development and substantiation of a more generalized scientific and methodological approach to ensuring the vibration reliability of rotary machines.

In modern industrial plants, compressed air is the most commonly used energy source; however, it is a source of condensation, which is not desirable for pneumatic equipment. This article describes a model of compressed air drying based on the principle of a refrigeration dryer. However, instead of gas refrigerants, the method proposed is to use cooled compressed air as a cooling medium with a temperature below 273 K. The main objective is to study the possibility of replacing harmful refrigerant gases with a neutral type of coolant. To carry out this research, a test bench containing a plate heat exchanger and a throttling device was designed and manufactured. This study has yielded the following scientific results. Firstly, the Joule–Thompson effect was used during the experiments, which facilitated a reduction in the temperature of the compressed air to 255 K. Secondly, using the expanded air and a plate heat exchanger, the temperature of the main compressed air stream was reduced to 280 K, which is very close to the temperature provided by standard-refrigeration-type compressed air dryers. This suggests that it is possible to use compressed air energy to cool the main stream of warm compressed air after the compressor. In general, the temperature range ensures the compressed air quality at the level of class 4 in accordance with international standards.

Ejector-cleaning devices for abrasive jet machining have various practical applications. The working nozzle is one of the device’s key elements affecting the treated surface quality. There arises the necessity for new approaches to achieving an efficiency increase in abrasive jet equipment nozzles, namely their design improvement and further development of a new, relatively cheap but effective technology for their manufacturing and maintenance. This technology should allow for the high durability of nozzles without being essential for the hardness or wear resistance parameters of the material used for manufacturing. The nozzle should be designed as a long-length perforated insert to allow for radial airflow, forcing the abrasive material (river sand) from the inner walls of the nozzle’s working surface to reduce its friction with the abrasive material. This will result in new wear-out conditions, providing an essential decrease in the wear-out of a nozzle’s working surface. The article aims to develop a more effective design for the working nozzle based on the perforated insert application. The task was set to provide a more detailed experimental and theoretical study of the processes in perforated nozzles to improve their effectiveness. The research resulted in a new design for nozzles with higher efficiency.

This study proposes an approach to determine transport delays at unsignalized intersections, according to the theory of stationary Poisson flow and considering the priority of vehicle traffic in competing directions. The accuracy of the proposed approach was estimated by comparing the average values of delays of vehicles performing a left turn from a minor road and their actual values obtained as a result of processing data from field studies. The results of the accuracy evaluation at unsignalized intersections of non-equivalent roads indicate the obtained results' reliability, because the calculation error does not exceed 10 %, as well as the possibility of using the developed approach in the process of transport planning and unsignalized intersections modelling.

The physicochemical conditions of the siliconizing and boron–siliconizing processes of molybdenum-based alloys in a closed reaction space in an environment of chlorine and fluorine at reduced pressure were studied. Theoretical calculations of the equilibrium composition of systems with the participation of silicon, boron, molybdenum, nitrogen, oxygen, chlorine, and fluorine were carried out, which made it possible to determine the influence of process parameters (temperature, composition of the reaction medium) on the probable phase composition of the obtained coatings. Based on thermodynamic calculations, the composition and rational consumption of the initial powders and the temperature intervals of the chemical heat treatment (CHT) during the complex saturation of molybdenum-based alloys with silicon and boron were modeled. It was established that it is advisable to use chlorine as an activator, which leads to the formation of molybdenum chlorides MoCl4 and MoCl3 in the composition of the gas phase and can indicate the flow of exchange reactions between chlorides and the matrix of the processed material in the reaction space. The rational saturation temperature of alloys based on molybdenum with silicon and boron is determined—1100–1250 °C. The possibility of the existence of condensed phases MoSi2, MoB2.15, B6Si, MoB1.65, and MoB is shown.

Recent advancements in soft pneumatic robot research have demonstrated these robots’ capability to interact with the environment and humans in various ways. Their ability to move over rough terrain and grasp objects of irregular shape, regardless of position, has garnered significant interest in developing new pneumatic soft robots. Integrating industrial design with related technologies holds great promise for the future, potentially bringing about a new lifestyle and revolutionizing the industry. As robots become increasingly practical, there is a growing need for sensitivity, robustness, and efficiency improvements. It is anticipated that the development of these intelligent pneumatic soft robots will play a critical role in serving the needs of society and production shortly. The present article is concerned with developing a system for monitoring a pneumatic robot’s parameters, including a spatial coordinate system. The focus is on utilizing the relationship between the coordinates and pressure to model the movement of the soft robot within the MATLAB simulation environment.

This article deals with improving waste heat transformation in heat-using thermotransformers. Based on the directives of the European Commission on refrigeration equipment requirements, the possibility of using carbon dioxide (R744) in heat-using thermotransformers was evaluated. The possibility of the effective use of heat-using thermotransformers operating within the Chistyakov–Plotnikov cycle in the heat pump mode was assessed. As a result, a comparative analysis was performed with existing modern plants for combined cycles with an expander, for the expansion of CO2 in saturated steam, a suction gas heat exchanger (SGHE), and a compressor–expander unit. The design schemes with a throttling device and an SGHE were selected for a comparative analysis. As a result, calculation models for evaluating the operating parameters for the initial and proposed design schemes were developed. These models allow for evaluating thermodynamic and mode parameters for heat-reducing thermotransformers. They also allow for ensuring energy efficiency indicators and conversion factors for each cycle. Overall, the dependencies for the cycle conversion ratio for the pressure increase stage in the compressor were obtained for various under-recovery rates. Moreover, the cycle conversion ratios for the proposed design schemes were obtained depending on the discharge pressure of the first compressor. The proposed design schemes allow for increasing the energy efficiency of heat-using thermotransformers by an average of 23%, depending on the suction pressure in the compressor.

Fractional calculus is an essential tool in studying new phenomena in hydromechanics and heat and mass transfer, particularly anomalous hydromechanical advection–dispersion considering the fractal nature of the porous medium. They are valuable in solving the urgent problem of convective mass transfer in a porous medium (e.g., membranes, filters, nozzles, convective coolers, vibrational prillers, and so on). Its solution allows for improving chemical engineering and technology workflows, refining process models for obtaining porous granular materials, realizing the convective cooling of granular and grain materials, and ensuring the corresponding apparatuses’ environmental safety. The article aims to develop a reliable convective mass transfer model for a porous medium and proposes a practical approach for its parameter identification. As a result, a general scientific and methodological approach to parameter identification of the fractional convective mass transfer model in a porous medium was proposed based on available experimental data. It mainly used Riemann–Liouville fractional time and coordinate derivatives. The comprehensive application of the Laplace obtained the corresponding general solution transform with respect to time and a coordinate, the Mittag-Leffler function, and specialized functions. Different partial solutions in various application case studies proved this solution. Moreover, the algorithm for practically implementing the developed approach was proposed to evaluate parameters for the considered model by evaluation data. It was reduced to the two-parameter model and justified by the available experimental data.

Permanently increasing requirements for the accuracy of abrasive jet machining (AJM) predetermine a need to increase requirements for the rational choice of the related energy-efficient technological equipment. Due to the relatively cheap and high-quality cleaning of materials from contaminants using AJM, the problem of increasing the energy efficiency of the corresponding equipment based on the rational choice of nozzle geometry becomes more topical. This is also because the working nozzle is a consumable part that requires periodic replacements. Therefore, this article deals with rational designing working nozzles as a reliable way to decrease the power consumption of the compressor equipment while engaging in AJM. For this purpose, experimental and numerical studies of the operating processes in the nozzle were carried out. The main idea of increasing the nozzle’s efficiency was to reduce the contact area between the working flow and the nozzle. Due to this, the friction of the abrasive material with its walls was decreased. As a result, the AJM was accelerated, and the energy consumption of the corresponding compressor equipment was reduced. The research showed that a decrease in the nozzle’s length up to 4 mm increased the flow ratio by 84% and decreased the energy consumption of the 40 kW compressor unit by 4.5 times.

Assessing the transport flow robustness is a significant aspect of a qualitative solution to traffic management problems. Therefore, management should be based on appropriate criteria, accounting for different factors characterizing traffic flow sustainability. That’s why it is crucial to establish the impact rate for each group of factors on the robustness criterion. Therefore, the current study aims to obtain the dependence of the criterion changes for traffic flow sustainability on the traffic jam occurrence when changing the gradients’ product of traffic flow density and its speed. The value of the robustness criterion allows for performing an impact rating for input factors on traffic flow sustainability. All factors affecting transport flow robustness are divided into three groups. Based on simulation results, factors rating that impact the robustness margin value of the traffic flow is presented. Length and weight of automobiles are at first place according to impact terms on the sustainability loss of the traffic flow. In second place of impact on sustainability loss are the temporary factors group and factors group that considers the roadway environment’s infrastructure. Hence, the results can be used to analyze sustainability traffic flows in controlled highway network stretches and develop measures to increase sustainability reserve.

The rational choice of pumping units and the effective usage of the corresponding pumping equipment are urgent problems in terms of ensuring the energy efficiency of up-to-date enterprises. The research aims to develop an energy efficiency indicator for torque flow pump usage to improve the decision-making procedure for choosing the corresponding pumping equipment for specific production conditions. Based on a study of the requirements of international standards for energy efficiency, a methodology for evaluating torque flow pumps according to the energy efficiency indicators is proposed, as the ratio between the values of the average compensated network power and the reference pump inlet power can determine the degree of reduced energy equipment operation efficiency in terms of the energy efficiency of pumping liquids. It was proposed to apply the base point method to determine the so-called compromise point of energy consumption for liquid pumping. This is a point for which another point, by the Pareto compromise, is likely to have a more significant (worse) value for energy consumption than the rest of the set of possible values.

The reliability of pumping units at nuclear power plants (NPPs) is critical in terms of their energy efficiency and safety. Remarkably, WWER-1000 reactors at Ukrainian NPPs are equipped with outdated pumping units that have already served their full-service life. This fact leads to an urgent need to develop a new, more efficient pump. In the article, a promising pump, ACNA 600-35, was developed. It was designed to increase the energy efficiency of pumps TX 800/70/8-K-2E, applied at the holding pool and the industrial circuit of the nuclear reactor. Since these pumps should be imported from the monopoly suppliers, this affects both the energy efficiency of pumping equipment and the energy independence of Eastern Europe. The proposed pump ACNA 600-35 is characterized by an increased efficiency of up to 0.12–0.13 compared with the TX 800/70/8-K-2E pump. In general, the life cycle cost of the proposed pump is 15–20% lower than for the analog TX 800/70/8-K-2E. The design of the developed pump ACNA 600-35 and the related pumping unit based on its production at industrial facilities allows for further development of the industrial and fuel-energy complex, increasing the state’s energy independence and employment. According to expert estimates, the average economic effect from supplying the developed pump can reach 10 mln USD/year.

Chromate and dichromate solutions used for the activation and passivation of cadmium and zinc galvanic coatings of metal products are widely used due to their ability to form corrosion-protective films. Therefore, in this article, we examined the kinetic features of the cathodic deposition of Cd and Zn during membrane electrolysis. As a result of comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies, the features of Cd and Zn cathodic depositions were analyzed under different hydrodynamic conditions in a submembrane zone of an anolyte. Experimental physicochemical methods such as the experimental analysis of solutions, analytical modeling, and a statistical analysis were used during the research. A regression dependence for evaluating a reaction rate constant was assessed based on the least-square approximation of the proposed model. As a result, the peculiarities of the cathodic formations for Cd and Zn during the membrane electrolysis process were analyzed. The effect of mechanical mixing with different values of the Reynolds number on the deposition of Cd and Zn on a cathode was evaluated. A change in Cd2+ and Zn2+ ion concentrations was also considered during the research. Overall, the obtained results increased the Cd deposition rate by 2.2 times using an active hydrodynamic environment with the anolyte.

Ensuring the vibration reliability of power equipment is one of the fundamental problems in modern power machinery. This problem has become more critical due to a permanent increase in the machining performance of high-speed milling of axial turbine blades. This article aims to identify reliable vibration parameters for high-speed milling of turbine blades to increase the energy efficiency of gas and steam turbines. For this purpose, mathematical models of free and forced oscillations of turbine blades during machining were developed. As a result of considering experimental and finite element analysis data, critical frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of free oscillations were identified using regression procedures by the best fit of analytical and empirical approaches. Additionally, after considering the forced oscillations of blades during high-speed machining, the magnitude of the specific cutting force and external damping ratio in the system ‘axial turbine blade and milling head’ were evaluated. The resulting magnitude of forced oscillations during machining was calculated. Finally, the amplitude–frequency response was also assessed, considering the machining parameters. Overall, the proposed methodology increases energy efficiency due to a decrease in the obtained machining quality of turbine blades.

The reliable reconstruction of cultural or historical heritage objects is an urgent problem for humanity. It can be successfully solved using up-to-date 3D modeling tools. The proposed technique allows for modeling virtual environments at an even higher level. This study aimed to develop an approach for designing historical heritage objects with sufficient accuracy using a built environment. The Kilburun Fortress was chosen as the object of study. The modeling procedure includes monitoring the object’s territory, analyzing archival, librarian, and cartographic sources, and further modeling and reproducing the research object in a virtual environment using various software tools. The following stages were implemented during this study: analysis and processing of preliminary data (analysis of plans and schemes, overlapping maps); the scaling of graphical objects for the reliable reproduction of the studied object; the design of a working 3D model using AutoCAD and SketchUp; the rendering and final processing of textures using Quixel; and visualization using Twinmotion. As a result, a model of the historical heritage object was created using 3D means. The model can also be integrated into ArchiCAD and Revit software.

Developing ways to increase centrifugal pumps’ pressure and power characteristics is a critical problem in up-to-date engineering. There are many ways to resolve it, but each has advantages and flaws. The presented article aimed to ensure higher energy efficiency indicators by using a counter-rotating pumping stage with trimming. During the research, the comprehensive approach was based on CFD modeling and the Moore–Penrose pseudoinverse approach for overestimated systems. According to the obtained data, pumps with a counter-rotating stage allowed the pressure head to be significantly increased compared with the standard design of the flow part. Notably, for pumping units CPS 180/1900 with a basic stage, the pressure head of 127 m was reached. However, when using a counter-rotating stage, the pressure head could be increased up to 270 m, which was 2.1 times higher. Therefore, to ensure unchanged characteristics when using centrifugal pumps with the counter-rotating stage, the weight and size indicators can be significantly reduced compared to the traditional design scheme. The proposed numerical and analytical approaches allow estimating the highest pressure and energy characteristics values.

A promising direction in developing up-to-date transport vehicles is the use of transmissions, an essential element of which is a dual-clutch. Improving functional performance, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness are relevant and require appropriate research. The object of study is a dry dual-clutch working with a manual transmission with high energy efficiency. In the proposed design scheme, a rotary lever and a movable carriage can change the structural diagram of the force interaction between the pressure spring and the clutch discs. The developed mathematical model of the clutches control mechanism allowed for analyzing the process of controlling the dual-clutch transmissions (DCT) and obtaining functional dependencies between pushing forces in friction pairs and the carriage position. As a result, a method for synthesizing DCT was proposed to ensure the transmission of a given torque. Furthermore, it was determined and numerically proven that the same radial movement of the carriage when switching-on the clutches does not guarantee equal loading for the frictional discs of each clutch. This fact increases the uneven dynamics of torque and disc wear. Overall, the synthesis of the energy-saving dry dual-clutch control mechanism providing the same clutch margin for each clutch was developed. The method can be generalized and applied to designing dry dual-clutch transmissions for machines of various purposes.

The aim of the article is the development of methods for optimal overhaul planning of compressor station equipment. Nowadays, due to uncertainties in the forecast of gas supply flow rates, increasing the reliability and energy efficiency of main gas pipelines is an urgent problem. The dependence of operating costs for major repairs on the maintenance periodicity is extreme. Reducing equipment’s maintenance period leads to an increase in repair costs. It also increases the reliability of equipment operation. Overall, all these facts reduce the probability of emergency failures and related expenses for emergency recovery, gas losses, and undersupply to consumers. Therefore, an optimal maintenance frequency exists, at which the total operating costs will be minimal. A procedure for optimizing the periodicity of repairs and equipment replacement is proposed. It was realized by constructing an objective function as a dependence of exploitation costs on the inter-repair period of major repairs. A probabilistic approach was applied to assess the aging process. The characteristics of the equipment’s state are described by distribution densities (i.e., pre-repair, inter-repair, and full-service life), which vary depending on product initialization time. The main characteristics of major repairs are their duration and intensity, which are evaluated by the quality factor related to repair costs. The extremum of the objective function is sought by the method of competing options. It was determined that the optimal management of the frequency of equipment replacement can be realized by choosing the optimal values of the average service life, average operation time of units until the first planned and preventive repair, and quality factor. As a result, the required technical condition for the technological equipment is ensured under minimum operating costs without reducing the system’s reliability.

The paper presents ways to reduce the vibrations of special cantilever boring bars mounted on spindle heads of finishing and boring machines. Special cantilever boring bars are designed for machining holes in non-standard conditions, for example, when boring deep holes with l/d>3 (l–hole length, d-hole diameter) or holes with a discontinuous surface. The results of the experiments and theoretical developments, as well as the schemes of the experimental stands, are presented. The investigated methods for reducing fluctuations are the following: the use of a dynamic damper with intermittent cutting elements; the suppression of the normal vibrations of the cutter to the workpiece surface due to the excitation of vibrations directed tangentially to the workpiece surface and not causing processing errors; increased damping in the cutting zone when changing the design of the boring bar. The tuning parameters of the dynamic damper, the logarithmic decrement of vibrations, as well as the conditions for effective damping of vibrations during the interaction of their two coupled forms are given. The results are shown in the tables and graphs.

The review presents the D2-law of droplet evaporation, which is used to describe the spraying process involving the evaporation of droplets. This law, the subject of numerous publications, can be successfully applied to describe the droplet evaporation process under various conditions, including the calculations of the process of feeding the boiler with a liquid that contains catalyst particles. To date, not a lot of work has been devoted to this issue. The paper is a continuation of previous research concerning the spraying of liquids with a catalyst, which improves the efficiency of the process. The conducted analysis showed that the experimental data from previously published work are very compatible with the data obtained from the D2-law of droplet evaporation. At the standard speed of about 20 m/s of an aerosol flowing through a dust duct, droplets in the stream should be observed up to a distance of 1 m from the outlet of the apparatus supplying the system. Under such flow conditions, a droplet’s lifetime must be above 0.05 s. The dependence between a droplet’s lifetime and its diameter and temperature was determined. The obtained results confirmed that the effective droplet diameter is above 30 µm. Such droplets must be generated and then fed to the boiler for the catalyst to work properly. This law is an engineering approach to the problem, which uses relatively simple model equations in order to determine the evaporation time of a droplet.

Production range increasing causes many obstacles to ensure the work of the chemical industry. Production must respond quickly to the slightest change and must be customer-oriented. Due to this, there is a general trend towards increasing production flexibility by introducing modular systems. Thus, there is a need to classify existing solutions to develop flexible systems based on them. The article contains the analysis of chemical industry development tendencies, a methodology of research of modular separation devices, and their classification by design and technological features. The study result is a design and technological classification with a code that can optimize various separation devices. As a result of experimental research, preliminary and acceptance tests of experimental samples, the main hydrodynamic and separation characteristics of modular separation devices and combined multifunctional separators are determined: hydraulic resistance 0.15–2.00 kPa for units and 15–30 kPa for devices; effective capture of particles from the size of 5 μm; efficiency of separate stages of modular separation devices is about 70–90 %; efficiency of combined multifunctional separators is approximately 99.5–99.9 %. The offered multipurpose separators equipped with dynamically regulated modular separation devices do not concede to world analogs by the main technical characteristics of combined multistage separators worldwide.

The rapid development of manufacturing in recent years has led to a significant expansion of the technological capabilities of modern metal-cutting equipment. Therefore, the modern approach to intensifying production requires an advanced fixture design. Design and manufacture of flexible fixtures capable of machining similar shapes and sizes of complex geometry parts reduce setup time. The article aims to design flexible fixtures for parts such as one-piece connecting rods under incomplete locating conditions. The advantages are the minimum number of parts and tool availability for multi-axis machining connecting rods in one setup. This approach, combined with up-to-date machining centers and industrial robots, can increase the production efficiency of manufacturing non-removable connecting rods. This effectiveness is in a decrease in the number of operations by 5–7 times, fixtures—by 3–4 times, and machine tools—by 3–5 times, depending on the type of a non-removable connecting rod and its design features. The numerical simulation results of the proposed fixture design confirmed the comprehensive technological capabilities and dynamic characteristics. Particularly, a decrease in displacements and oscillation amplitudes up to 7% compared to the full-basing locating chart was provided. It is determined that the system “fixture–workpiece” entirely meets all the strength, accuracy, and rigidity parameters, which allows you to perform machining with intensive cutting modes. The amplitudes of oscillations do not exceed the tolerances on the dimensions of these surfaces, established by requirements for non-removable connecting rods, and all displacements are elastic. During numerical simulation, the workpiece position remained stable at all machining steps.

In intelligent manufacturing, the phase content and physical and mechanical properties of construction materials can vary due to different suppliers of blanks manufacturers. Therefore, evaluating the composition and properties for implementing a decision-making approach in material selection using up-to-date software is a topical problem in smart manufacturing. Therefore, the article aims to develop a comprehensive automated material selection approach. The proposed method is based on the comprehensive use of normalization and probability approaches and the linear regression procedure formulated in a matrix form. As a result of the study, analytical dependencies for automated material selection were developed. Based on the hypotheses about the impact of the phase composition on physical and mechanical properties, the proposed approach was proven qualitatively and quantitively for carbon steels from AISI 1010 to AISI 1060. The achieved results allowed evaluating the phase composition and physical properties for an arbitrary material from a particular group by its mechanical properties. Overall, an automated material selection approach based on decision-making criteria is helpful for mechanical engineering, smart manufacturing, and industrial engineering purposes.

The choice of blades for mixed turbines is to achieve the required deflection with minimal losses. In addition, it is necessary that the blade functions without a detachment in a wide area outside the nominal operating point of the machine. In the blade profile study, it is required to satisfy the conditions relating to fluid mechanics and those relating to the possibility of realization of construction. The work carried out presents the effect of the blade deviation angle on the geometric blade shape and the performance of the mixed inflow turbine on keeping the same rotor casing in order to improve its performances. It was remarked that the efficiency is proportional to the deviation angle’s increase, but the rotor became heavy. It has been determined that the effect of the blade deviation angle on mixed inflow performances decreases dramatically starting from the angle −20° for a 100% of machine load. It was urged to avoid relying on angles greater than −20 as values for blade deviation angles. The study noted that the maximum obtained in the output work and power is related to the highest the efficiency for a specific optimum design case (−35° of deviation blade angle) due to the increase in the contact surface between the blade and the fluid, but the problem is that the rotor gets a little heavy (4.37% weight gain). Among recommendations, attention was given to the more significant absolute exit kinetic energies, for values of deviation blade angle between -10° and −20°, where an exhaust diffuser is recommended to use to recover a part of it into a greater expansion ratio. These simulation results were obtained using a CFD calculation code-named CFX.15. This code allowed for the resolution of the averaged dynamic equations governing the stationary, compressible, and viscous internal flow.

The relevant problem is searching for up-to-date methods to improve tools and machine parts’ performance due to the hardening of surface layers. This article shows that, after the magnetic-pulse treatment of bearing steel Cr15, its surface microhardness was increased by 40–50% compared to baseline. In this case, the depth of the hardened layer was 0.08–0.1 mm. The magnetic-pulse processing of hard alloys reduces the coefficient of microhardness variation from 0.13 to 0.06. A decrease in the coefficient of variation of wear resistance from 0.48 to 0.27 indicates the increased stability of physical and mechanical properties. The nitriding of alloy steels was accelerated 10-fold that of traditional gas upon receipt of the hardened layer depth of 0.3–0.5 mm. As a result, the surface hardness was increased to 12.7 GPa. Boriding in the nano-dispersed powder was accelerated 2–3-fold compared to existing technologies while ensuring surface hardness up to 21–23 GPa with a boride layer thickness of up to 0.073 mm. Experimental data showed that the cutting tool equipped with inserts from WC92Co8 and WC79TiC15 has a resistance relative to the untreated WC92Co8 higher by 183% and WC85TiC6Co9—than 200%. Depending on alloy steel, nitriding allowed us to raise wear resistance by 120–177%, boriding—by 180–340%, and magneto-pulse treatment—by more than 183–200%.

The removal of solids is the most important step when treating rainwater. The article evaluates two designs of sedimentation tanks that can be used for the continuous separation of fine particles from water: OS—standard sedimentation tanks, and OW—swirl sedimentation tanks. The tanks were studied by conducting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments. The settling process in sedimentation tank was carried out at varying operating flow rates. A tank with a modified structure was used for the tests, where water was supplied by a nozzle placed at an angle. This solution made it possible to obtain a rotational flow that transported the suspended particles towards its wall, where downward axial velocity resulted in the settling of particles. Based on the research, it was observed that the flow patterns showed inward flow at the bottom of the tank and an upward flow and the lifting of the settled particles near the hatch at the bottom. The presented experimental measurements provided detailed insight into flow patterns, and valuable calibration and verification data for further CFD modeling. Traditional PIV techniques are useful in the case of standard design, whereas CFD is invaluable for supporting this work and for investigating the design of novel sedimentation tanks.

This article deals with improving the wear resistance of multilayer coatings as a fundamental problem in metal surface treatment, strengthening elements of cutting tools, and ensuring the reliability of machine parts. It aims to evaluate the wear depth for multilayer coatings by the mass loss distribution in layers. The article’s primary purpose is to develop a mathematical method for assessing the value of wear for multilayer steel-based coatings. The study material is a multilayer coating applied to steel DIN C80W1. The research was performed using up-to-date laboratory equipment. Nitrogenchroming has been realized under overpressure in two successive stages: nitriding for 36 h at temperature 540 °C and chromizing during 4 h at temperature 1050 °C. The complex analysis included several options: X-ray phase analysis, local micro-X-ray spectral analysis, durometric analysis, and determination of wear resistance. These analyses showed that after nitrogenchroming, the three-layer protective coating from Cr23C6, Cr7C3, and Cr2N was formed on the steel surface. Spectral analysis indicated that the maximum amount of chromium 92.2% is in the first layer from Cr23C6. The maximum amount of carbon 8.9% characterizes the layer from Cr7C3. Nitrogen is concentrated mainly in the Cr2N layer, and its maximum amount is 9.4%. Additionally, it was determined that the minimum wear is typical for steel DIN C80W1 after nitrogenchroming. The weight loss of steel samples by 25 mg was obtained. This value differs by 3.6% from the results evaluated analytically using the developed mathematical model of wear of multilayer coatings after complex metallization of steel DIN C80W1. As a result, the impact of the loading mode on the wear intensity of steel was established. As the loading time increases, the friction coefficient of the coated samples decreases. Among the studied samples, plates from steel DIN C80W1 have the lowest friction coefficient after nitrogenchroming. Additionally, a linear dependence of the mass losses on the wearing time was obtained for carbide and nitride coatings. Finally, an increase in loading time leads to an increase in the wear intensity of steels after nitrogenchroming. The achieved scientific results are applicable in developing methods of chemical-thermal treatment, improving the wear resistance of multilayer coatings, and strengthening highly loaded machine parts and cutting tools.

In this article, the fractional-order differential equation of particle sedimentation was obtained. It considers the Basset force’s fractional origin and contains the Riemann–Liouville fractional integral rewritten as a Grunwald–Letnikov derivative. As a result, the general solution of the proposed fractional-order differential equation was found analytically. The belonging of this solution to the real range of values was strictly theoretically proven. The obtained solution was validated on a particular analytical case study. In addition, it was proven numerically with the approach based on the S-approximation method using the block-pulse operational matrix. The proposed mathematical model can be applied for modeling the processes of fine particles sedimentation in liquids, aerosol deposition in gas flows, and particle deposition in gas-dispersed systems.

This article reports the results of a study into the effect of operating parameters on the occurrence and course of gas–liquid two-phase phenomena during the fogging process carried out with the use of a conical pressure-swirl nozzle. Four alternatives of the stub regulation angles and four values of pressure of air supply to the nozzle were tested as part of the current research. The range of the investigated variables was common for the operation of fumigators used to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The liquid flow rate (weighting method), the field of velocity, and turbulent flow intensity factor, as well as velocity profiles over the section of 1 m from the nozzle were determined using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The obtained results were correlated with the measurements of the diameters of spray droplets using the laser light scattering (LLS) technique. On the basis of this research, a dependence between the nozzle parameters and the spray cone pattern was identified in terms of dynamics and droplet diameter distribution. As a result of the research, a wide range of parameters were identified in which the fogging process was carried out in a stable and repeatable manner. There were exceptions to this rule only in the cases when there was a deficiency of the liquid necessary to generate a two-phase mixture.

Investigating characteristics for the secondary breakup of dropping liquid is a fundamental scientific and practical problem in multiphase flow. For its solving, it is necessary to consider the features of both the main hydrodynamic and secondary processes during spray granulation and vibration separation of heterogeneous systems. A significant difficulty in modeling the secondary breakup process is that in most technological processes, the breakup of droplets and bubbles occurs through the simultaneous action of several dispersion mechanisms. In this case, the existing mathematical models based on criterion equations do not allow establishing the change over time of the process’s main characteristics. Therefore, the present article aims to solve an urgent scientific and practical problem of studying the nonstationary process of the secondary breakup of liquid droplets under the condition of the vibrational impact of oscillatory elements. Methods of mathematical modeling were used to achieve this goal. This modeling allows obtaining analytical expressions to describe the breakup characteristics. As a result of modeling, the droplet size’s critical value was evaluated depending on the oscillation frequency. Additionally, the analytical expression for the critical frequency was obtained. The proposed methodology was derived for a range of droplet diameters of 1.6–2.6 mm. The critical value of the diameter for unstable droplets was also determined, and the dependence for breakup time was established. Notably, for the critical diameter in a range of 1.90–2.05 mm, the breakup time was about 0.017 s. The reliability of the proposed methodology was confirmed experimentally by the dependencies between the Ohnesorge and Reynolds numbers for different prilling process modes.

Film downflow from captured liquid without wave formation and its destruction is one of the most important aspects in the development of separation equipment. Consequently, it is necessary to create well-organized liquid draining in areas of captured liquid. Thus, the proposed 3D mathematical model of film downflow allows for the determination of the hydrodynamic parameters of the liquid film flow and the interfacial surface. As a result, it was discovered that the interfacial surface depends on the proposed dimensionless criterion, which includes internal friction stress, channel length, and fluid density. Additionally, equations for determining the averaged film thickness, the averaged velocity vectors over the film thickness, the longitudinal and vertical velocity components, and the initial angle of streamline deviation from the vertical axis were analytically obtained.

Present work is aimed at research of locating and clamping process of prismatic parts in fixtures during the machining on drilling-milling-boring machines. The fundamental approach for developing mathematical modeling of the system “fixture – workpiece” has been proposed. It allows to determine critical frequencies of functional elements oscillations and amplitude-frequency response characteristics, as well as dynamic component of fixture deformations at operating frequency of the machining process. The developed mathematical model is evaluated by numerical calculations of spectrum of critical frequencies considering the stiffness of cutting tool. The further researches are directed on the development of the methodology of calculation of the system “fixture – workpiece” by computer means of numerous realization and development of practical recommendations regarding its use during fixture design.

The article is focused on the comprehensive analysis of the aerodynamics of air distribution devices with the combined heat and mass exchange, with the aim to improve the following hydro- and thermodynamic parameters of ventilation systems: flow rate, air velocity, hydraulic losses, and temperature. The inadequacy of the previously obtained characteristics has confirmed the need for more rational designs of air distribution systems. Consequently, the use of perforated plates was proposed to increase hydraulic losses for reducing the average velocity and ensuring a uniform distribution of the velocity field on the outlet of the device. The effectiveness of one of the five possible designs usage is confirmed by the results of numerical simulation. The coefficient of hydraulic losses decreased by 2.5−3.0 times, as well as the uniformity of the outlet velocity field for the air flow being provided. Based on the three-factor factorial experiment, the linear mathematical model was obtained for determining the dependence of the average velocity on the flow rate, plate’s area, and diameter of holes. This model was significantly improved using the multiparameter quasi-linear regression analysis. As a result, the nonlinear mathematical models were obtained, allowing the analytical determination of the hydraulic losses and average velocity of the air flow. Additionally, the dependencies for determining the relative error of measuring the average velocity were obtained.

This article is devoted to a detailed description of the developed physical model of the pneumatic classification process for detecting the rotating suspended layer and ensuring the frequency of loading and unloading of a pneumatic classifier. The related mathematical model is developed for estimating the non-stationary concentration of fine particles in a gas-dispersed flow with respect to time and height of the working space of the apparatus. The research is aimed at developing a pneumatic classification method for granular materials using a rhomb-shaped apparatus and ensuring the reliability of the operating process based on the influence of the flow on the granular material concentrations. The obtained experimental results allow evaluating the rational geometrical parameters of the working space in pneumatic granulators, as well as verifying the proposed mathematical model based on the implementation of the quasi-linear regression procedure. It is shown that the rhomb-shaped pneumatic classifier provides effective separation of granular material, reaching up to 95% of the target fraction. As a result, the proposed methodology can be implemented for optimizing geometrical profiles of pneumatic classifiers in terms of defining the required technological parameters of the pneumatic classification process.

Recently the possibility of resonant excitation of pressure perturbation by external helical magnetic perturbations near the rotating plasma edge was shown taking into consideration the finite plasma conductivity. In present paper the influence of the small safety factor variation on the pressure perturbation and on the plasma current response is studied. This phenomenon may explain the existence of the small window of safety factor values where ELMs were completely eliminated. The possibility to control the plasma current response to penetration of external helical resonant magnetic perturbations into the edge plasmas is shown. The investigation is carried out in the frame of one-fluid MHD.

The synchrotron radiation diagnostics allows a direct observation of the runaway electron beams and an analysis of their parameters. Strong oscillations of the instantaneous curvature radii of electron orbits were a characteristic feature of recent EAST and KSTAR tokamak runaway electron experiments. Incorrect analysis of synchrotron radiation spectra of runaway electrons was carried out by EAST team. In presented paper the detail theoretical analysis of the synchrotron radiation spectra of the runaway electrons which gyrate around their guiding centers in the curved magnetic field is presented for cases when the curvature radius of electron orbit oscillates strongly. Key parameter of the analysis is the ratio of the cyclotron rotation velocity to the velocity of the vertical centrifugal drift. This analysis is applied for correct calculations of synchrotron radiation spectra for EAST and KSTAR runaway electron parameters.