In the present work, different Cu-alloyed model ductile irons with ferritic (0%Cu-0.09%Mn), mixed ferritic-pearlitic (0.38%Cu-0.40%Mn) and pearlitic (0.69%Cu-0.63%Mn) microstructure were produced and analyzed in terms of their electrochemical corrosion behavior in a 3.5wt.%NaCl aqueous solution containing naturally dissolved oxygen at room temperature (25°C). The remaining elements such as Si and Mg were kept at balanced levels in an attempt to minimize variations in graphite size and distribution among different samples. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. Microstructure analysis of the cast alloys confirmed similarity in the graphite morphology among the different cast samples and the expected variations in the metallic matrix. In the absence of passivation, it was found that the addition of copper led to an increase in corrosion resistance, which could be attested by higher values polarization resistance and corrosion potential.

An implemented impedance measuring instrument is described in this paper. The device uses a dsPIC (Digital Signal Peripheral Interface Controller) as a processing unit, and a DDS (Direct Digital Synthesizer) to stimulate the measurement circuit composed by the reference impedance and the unknown impedance. The voltages across the impedances are amplified by programmable gain instrumentation amplifiers and then digitized by analog to digital converters. The impedance is measured by applying a seven-parameter sine-fitting algorithm to estimate the sine signal parameters. The dsPIC communicates through RS-232 or USB with a computer, where the measurement results can be analyzed. The device also has an LCD to display the measurement results.

The use of periodic structures as noise abatement devices has already been the object of considerable research seeking to understand its efficiency and see to what extent they can provide a functional solu- tion in mitigating noise from different sources. The specific case of sonic crystals consisting of different materials has received special attention in studying the influence of different variables on its acoustic performance. The present work seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of these structures by implementing an approach based on the numerical method of fundamental solutions (MFS) to model the acoustic behavior of two-dimensional sonic crystals. The MFS formulation proposed here is used to evaluate the performance of crystals composed of circular elements, studying the effect of varying dimen- sions and spacing of the crystal elements as well as their acoustic absorption in the sound attenuation provided by the global structure, in what concerns typical traffic noise sources, and establishing some broad indications for the use of those structures.

Two phase flow experiments with different superficial velocities of gas and water were performed in a vertical upward isothermal cocurrent air-water flow column with conditions ranging from bubbly flow, with very low void fraction, to transition flow with some cap and slug bubbles and void fractions around 25%. The superficial velocities of the liquid and the gas phases were varied from 0.5 to 3 m/s and from 0 to 0.6 m/s, respectively. Also to check the effect of changing the surface tension on the previous experiments small amounts of 1-butanol were added to the water. These amounts range from 9 to 75 ppm and change the surface tension. This study is interesting because in real cases the surface tension of the water diminishes with temperature, and with this kind of experiments we can study indirectly the effect of changing the temperature on the void fraction distribution. The following axial and radial distributions were measured in all these experiments: void fraction, interfacial area concentration, interfacial velocity, Sauter mean diameter and turbulence intensity. The range of values of the gas superficial velocities in these experiments covered the range from bubbly flow to the transition to cap/slug flow. Also with transition flow conditions we distinguish two groups of bubbles in the experiments, the small spherical bubbles and the cap/slug bubbles. Special interest was devoted to the transition region from bubbly to cap/slug flow; the goal was to understand the physical phenomena that take place during this transition A set of numerical simulations of some of these experiments for bubbly flow conditions has been performed by coupling a Lagrangian code, that tracks the three dimensional motion of the individual bubbles in cylindrical coordinates inside the field of the carrier liquid, to an Eulerian model that computes the magnitudes of continuous phase and to a 3D random walk model that takes on account the fluctuation in the velocity field of the carrier fluid that are seen by the bubbles due to turbulence fluctuations. Also we have included in the model the deformation that suffers the bubble when it touches the wall and it is compressed by the forces that pushes it toward the wall, provoking that the bubble rebound like a ball.

Management and Production Engineering Review (MPER) is a peer-refereed, international, multidisciplinary journal covering a broad spectrum of topics in production engineering and management. Production engineering is a currently developing stream of science encompassing planning, design, implementation and management of production and logistic systems. Orientation towards human resources factor differentiates production engineering from other technical disciplines. The journal aims to advance the theoretical and applied knowledge of this rapidly evolving field, with a special focus on production management, organisation of production processes, management of production knowledge, computer integrated management of production flow, enterprise effectiveness, maintainability and sustainable manufacturing, productivity and organisation, forecasting, modelling and simulation, decision making systems, project management, innovation management and technology transfer, quality engineering and safety at work, supply chain optimization and logistics. Management and Production Engineering Review is published under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences Committee on Production Engineering and Polish Association for Production Management. The main purpose of Management and Production Engineering Review is to publish the results of cutting-edge research advancing the concepts, theories and implementation of novel solutions in modern manufacturing. Papers presenting original research results related to production engineering and management education are also welcomed. We welcome original papers written in English. The Journal also publishes technical briefs, discussions of previously published papers, book reviews, and editorials. Letters to the Editor-in-Chief are highly encouraged.

The problem of sequencing jobs on a single machine to minimize total cost (earliness and

tardiness) is nowadays not just important due to traditional concerns but also due to its

importance in the context of Collaborative Networked Organizations and Virtual Enterprises,

where precision about promptly responses to customers’ requests, along with other

important requirements, assume a crucial role. In order to provide a contribution in this

direction, in this paper the authors contribute with an applied constructive heuristics that

tries to find appropriate solutions for single machine scheduling problems under different

processing times and due dates, and without preemption allowed. In this paper, two different

approaches for single-machine scheduling problems, based on external and internal

performance measures are applied to the problem and a comparative analysis is performed.

Computational results are presented for the problem under Just-in-Time and agile conditions

on which each job has a due date, and the objective is to minimize the sum of holding costs

for jobs completed before their due date and tardiness costs for jobs completed after their

due date. Additional computational tests were developed based on different customer and

enterprise oriented performance criteria, although preference is given to customer-oriented

measures, namely the total number of tardy jobs and the maximum tardiness.