The Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams containing Expanded Polystyrene Beads (EPS) and Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) as sand and cement replacement with a percentage between 10% and 30% were studied in terms of load-deflection behaviour. RC beam’s size was 1000×150×150 mm and simply supported at spaced 750 mm apart. The 10% of POFA without EPS shows a slight increase which is 0.26% higher than normal concrete in compressive strength. The ultimate load and flexural performance of RC beams with EPS and POFA exhibited a decreasing trend. All beams’ ultimate load exceeds the design value. The cracks of the RC beam may be classified as vertical flexural cracks, and some of the cracks can be classified as shear cracks based on the crack angle. As the percentage of EPS and POFA increases above 20% for all specimens, cracking starts to change to shear cracking.

An electric power steering system (EPS) is a new type of steering system developed after a mechanical hydraulic power system (MHPS) and electric-hydraulic power steering system (EHPS). In order to coordinate and solve the portability and sensitivity of the steering system optimally, taking an induction power steering system as the research object, the control algorithm of induction motor control under the EPS is studied in this paper. In order to eliminate the feed-forward performance degradation caused by the change of feed-forward parameters, an on-line identification algorithm of feed-forward parameters is proposed. It can improve the control performance of online identification among three feed-forward parameters in the T-axle motor, it improves on the robustness of feed-forward control performance, at the same time it also gives simulation and test results. This method can improve the control performance of the three feed-forward parameter online identification of the T-axis motor and improve the robustness of feed-forward control performance. At the same time, simulation and test results are given. The simulation results show that the algorithm can significantly improve the response speed and control accuracy of EPS system control.

The extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) produced from Rhizobium radiobacter F2, designated as EPSF2, was investigated as a biosorbent for the removal of Pb(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solution. The optimum biosorption pH values were 5.0 for Pb(II) and 6.0 for Zn(II). Kinetics study revealed that the biosorption followed pseudo-first-order model well, and the equilibrium data fit the Langmuir model better. The adsorbed metal ions could be effectively desorbed by HCl. Desrobed EPSF2 regained 80% of the initial biosorption capacity after five cycles of biosorption-desorption-elution. These results demonstrated that EPSF2 could be a promising alternative for Pb(II) and Zn(II) removal from aqueous solution.

The article presents analysis of the influence of ingate size on the Lost Foam casting process. In particular, analysis of simulation tests has been carried out to determine the ingate size influence on the rate of filling of the mould cavity, pressure in the gas gap and size of the gas gap. A specially prepared mathematical model of the process and an original calculation algorithm were used in simulation tests of full-mould casting. The tests have indicated that the increase of the ingate size results in the increase of filling rate and increase of pressure of gases in the gas gap. However, significant influence on mould cavity filling occurs only when the ingate size is less than ~1 cm2.

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The work is a part of research into the reduction of energy consumption in the production of EPSthrough the modernization

of technological equipment used. This paper presents the results of research and analysis of heat transfer process between the water vapor

that was provided to machine, the mold, the product and the environment. The paper shows the calculation of the heat balance of the

production cycle for two types of mold: standard and modernized. The performance tests used an infrared imaging camera.

The results were used to develop a computer image analysis and statistical analysis. This paper presents the main stages of the production

process and the construction of technological equipment used, changing the mold surface temperature field during the production cycle

and the structure of the heat balance for the mold and its instrumentation. It has been shown that the modernization of construction

of technological equipment has reduced the temperature field and as a consequence of decreased of demand for process steam production

cycle.

The paper analyses the loss mechanism of roof insulation kits’ performance due to dampness increase in the insulation layers. The analyzed structures were used in standard conditions for ten years and had thermal insulation made of expanded polystyrene with a hydrophobized surface. The dampness of the thermal insulation materials was determined after the referenced period for their future fitness as roof insulation, based on laboratory tests of material samples collected from the structures. They were completed with a computer simulation of heat transfer and dampness in the partition for working conditions specified for ten years, assuming the thermal conductivity was determined for the materials collected from the analyzed roofs. It was discovered that simulation-based calculation dampness values are much lower than those observed after ten years of roof utilization. Additionally, the authors attempted to determine the correlations between the period of thermal insulation materials used in real conditions and the selected properties of the products determined in laboratory tests. To that end, the collected material was dried to constant weight and then subjected to accelerated aging through total immersion in water at room temperature, for twenty-eight days, followed by 300 freeze-thaw cycles at –20°C and +20°C. The results helped conclude that the abovementioned laboratory testing cycle does not allow for assessing the fitness for the use of the referenced products for ten years. The directions of future laboratory tests were set, suggesting extending the testing cycle at least twice.