Although the gas insulated structures have a high degree of reliability, the unavoidable defects are primary reason of their failures. Partial discharge (PD) has been regarded as an effective indication for condition monitoring and diagnosis of gas insulated switchgears (GISs) to ensure their reliable and stable operation. Among various PD detection methods, the ultra-high frequency (UHF) technique has the advantages of on-line motoring and defect classification. In this paper, there are presented 7 types of artificial electrode systems fabricated for simulation of real insulation defects in gas insulated structures. A real-time measurement system was developed to acquire defect patterns in a form of phase-resolve partial discharge (PRPD) intensity graph, using a UHF sensor. Further, the discharge distribution and statistical characteristics were extracted for defect identification using a neural network algorithm. In addition, a conversion experiment was proposed by detecting the PD pulse simultaneously using a non-induction resistor and a UHF sensor. A relationship between the magnitude of UHF signal and the amplitude of apparent charge was established, which was used for evaluation of PD using the UHF sensor.

In this study, ODS ferritic stainless steels were fabricated using a commercial alloy powder, and their microstructures and mechanical properties were studied to develop the advanced structural materials for high temperature service applications. Mechanical alloying and uniaxial hot pressing processes were employed to produce the ODS ferritic stainless steels. It was revealed that oxide particles in the ODS stainless steels were composed of Y-Si-O, Y-Ti-Si-O, and Y-Hf-Si-O complex oxides were observed depending on minor alloying elements, Ti and Hf. The ODS ferritic stainless steel with a Hf addition presented ultra-fine grains with uniform distributions of fine complex oxide particles which located in grains and on the grain boundaries. These favorable microstructures led to superior tensile properties than commercial stainless steel and ODS ferritic steel with Ti addition at elevated temperature.

The dispersion of nanoparticles in the host matrix is a novel approach to enhance the thermoelectric performance. In this work, we incorporate the TiC (x = 0, 1 and 2 wt.%) nanoparticles into a p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix, and their effects on microstructure and thermoelectric properties were systematically investigated. The existence of TiC contents in a base matrix was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The grain size decreases with increasing the addition of TiC content due to grain boundary hardening where the dispersed nanoparticles acted as pinning points in the entire matrix. The electrical conductivity significantly decreased and the Seebeck coefficient was slightly enhanced, which attributes to the decrease in carrier concentration by the addition of TiC content. Meanwhile, the lowest thermal conductivity of 0.97 W/mK for the 2 wt.% TiC nanocomposite sample, which is ~16% lower than 0 wt.% TiC sample. The maximum figure of merit of 0.90 was obtained at 350 K for the 0 wt.% TiC sample due to high electrical conductivity. Moreover, the Vickers hardness was improved with increase the addition of TiC contents.

Thermal/cold spray deposition were used for additive manufacture of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel layers. Mechanically alloyed F/M ODS steel powders (Fe(bal.)-10Cr-1Mo-0.25Ti-0.35Y2O3 in wt.%) were sprayed by a high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and cold spray methods. HVOF, as a thermal method, was used for manufacturing a 1 mm-thick ODS steel layer with a ~95% density. The source to objective distance (SOD) and feeding rate were controlled to achieve sound manufacturing. Y2Ti2O7 nano-particles were preserved in the HVOF sprayed layer; however, unexpected Cr2O3 phases were frequently observed at the boundary area of the powders. A cold spray was used for manufacturing the Cr2O3-free layer and showed great feasibility. The density and yield of the cold spray were roughly 80% and 45%, respectively. The softening of ODS powders before the cold spray was conducted using a tube furnace of up to 1200°C. Microstructural characteristics of the cold sprayed layer were investigated by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), the uniformity of deformation amount inside powders was observed.

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.

In this study, to investigate effects of rhenium addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties, 15Cr-1Mo ODS ferritic steels with rhenium additions were fabricated by the mechanical alloying, hot isostatic pressing, and hot rolling processes. Unremarkable differences on grain morphologies and nano-oxide distributions were estimated in the microstructure observations. However, the ODS ferritic steels with 0.5 wt.% rhenium showed higher tensile and creep strengths at elevated temperature than that without rhenium. It was found that rhenium is very effective to improve the mechanical properties.

To form the fine micro-structures, the Pr17Fe78B5 magnet powders were produced in the optimized gas atomization conditions and it was investigated that the formation of the textures, microstructures, and the changes in the magnetic properties with increasing the deformation temperatures and rolling directions. Due to the rapid cooling system than the casting process, the homogenous microstructures were composed of the Pr-rich and Pr2Fe14B without any oxides and α-Fe and enables grain refinement. The pore ratios were 2.87, 1.42, and 0.22% at the deformation temperatures of 600, 700, 800°C, respectively in the rolled samples to align the c-axis which is the magnetic easy axis. Because Pr-rich phase cannot flow into the pore with a liquid state at low temperature, the improvement of pore densification was gradually observed with increasing deformation temperature. To confirm the magnetic decoupling effects of Pr2Fe14B phases by Pr-rich phases, the magnetic properties were investigated in rolled samples produced at the deformation temperature of 800°C. Although the remanent field is slightly decreased by 30%, the coercivity fields increased by about 2 times than that previous casted ingot. It is suggested that the gas atomization method can be suitable for fabricating grain refined and pure PrFeB magnets, and the plastic deformation conditions and rolling directions are a critical role to manipulate microstructure and magnetic properties.

The nano-sized Y2O3 dispersed W composite powder is prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis of a tungsten precursor using ammonium metatungstate hydrate and a polymer addition solution method using Y-nitrate. XRD analysis for calcined powder showed the formation of WO2 phase by partial oxidation of W powder during calcination in air. The TEM and phase analysis for further hydrogen reduction of calcined powder mixture exhibited that the W powder with a uniform distribution of Y2O3 nanoparticles can be successfully produced. These results indicate that the wet chemical method combined with spray pyrolysis and polymer solution is a promising way to synthesis the W-based composites with homogeneous dispersion of fine oxide particles.

We investigated the influence of steel surface properties on the wettability of zinc (Zn). Our main objective is to address the selective oxidation of solute alloying elements and enhance the wetting behavior of Zn on advanced high strength steel (AHSS) by employing an aluminum (Al) interlayer through the physical vapor deposition technique. The deposition of an Al interlayer resulted in a decrease in contact angle and an increase in spread width as the molten Zn interacted with the Al interlay on the steel substrate. Importantly, the incorporation of an Al interlayer demonstrated a significant improvement in wettability by substantially increasing the work of adhesion compared to the uncoated AHSS substrate.

We investigated the effect of Cr thin film deposition on the thermal stability and corrosion resistance of hot-dip aluminized steel. A high-quality Cr thin film was deposited on the surface of the Al-9 wt. % Si-coated steel sheets by physical vapor deposition. When the Al-Si coated steel sheets were exposed to a high temperature of 500℃, Fe from the steel substrate diffused into the Al-Si coating layer resulting in discoloration. However, the highly heat-resistant Cr thin film deposited on the Al-Si coating prevented diffusion and surface exposure of Fe, improving the heat and corrosion resistances of the Al-Si alloy coated steel sheet.

The effect of plasma-radical change on the surface properties of Zn-Mg-Al ternary-alloy-coated steel sheets during atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma treatment using different process gases: O ₂, N ₂, and compressed air was investigated. The plasma-induced radicals promoted the formation of chemical particles on the surface of the Zn-Mg-Al coating, thereby increasing the surface roughness. The surface energy was calculated using the Owen-Wendtgeometric equation. Contact angle measurements indicated that the surface free energy of the alloy sheets increased upon AP plasma treatment. The surface properties of the Zn-Mg-Al coating changed more significantly in the order air > O ₂ > N ₂ gas, indicating that the plasma radicals facilitated the carbonization and hydroxylation of the Mg and Al components during the AP plasma treatment.

A Si-Fe-Al ternary oxide-based micropowder coating was used to prevent the formation of a Zn coating on steel during the hot-dip Zn galvanizing process to reduce the welding fume and defects generated during the welding of Zn-galvanized steel. The composition ratio of the oxide powder was optimized and its microstructure and weldability were evaluated. The optimized oxide coating was stable in the hot-dip galvanizing bath at 470°C and effectively inhibited the formation of Zn coating. The Zn residue could be easily removed with simple mechanical impact. The proposed coating reduced Zn fume and prevented the residual Zn from melting in the weld bead during high-temperature welding, thus reducing the number of welding defects. The results indicated that this pretreatment can simplify the manufacturing process and shorten the process time cost-effectively.

The effects of the sintering holding time and cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Fe-Cr-C alloy were investigated. Nanocrystalline Fe-1.5Cr-1C (wt.%) alloy was fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. Different process conditions were applied to fabricate the sintered samples. The phase fraction and grain size were measured using X-ray powder diffraction and confirmed by electron backscatter diffraction. The stability and volume fraction of the austenite phase, which could affect the mechanical properties of the Fe-based alloy, were calculated using an empirical equation. The sample names consist of a number and a letter, which correspond to the holding time and cooling method, respectively. For the 0A, 0W, 10A, and 10W samples, the volume fraction was measured at 5.56, 44.95, 6.15, and 61.44 vol.%. To evaluate the mechanical properties, the hardness of 0A, 0W, 10A, and 10W samples were measured as 44.6, 63.1, 42.5, and 53.8 HRC. These results show that there is a difference in carbon diffusion and solubility depending on the sintering holding time and cooling rate.