The research article address, the mechanical properties such as fatigue, impact strength and tribological properties of Austempered ductile iron (ADI) has been investigated. The samples of ADI iron were austenitized at 927°C for 2 hrs and later it was under austempering process for 2 hrs at a temperature range of 240°C to 400°C. Experiments under axial loading has been carried out on three different compositions (without Ni(X), 0.22 wt % Ni (X1), 0.34 wt. % Ni (X2). Fabricated test bars were converted in to as per ASTM standard samples for different tests. In order to study the influence of chunky nickel morphology studies on fatigue life and impact strength were carried out on a second set of specimens without any microstructural defect. Metallurgical analyses were performed on all the samples of heat treated samples (AF – Ausferrite, MB – Mixed bainite, M – Martensite, RA – Retained Austenite and N-Nodule) were found and compared. It was found that a mean content of 22% of chunky nickel in the microstructure (with respect to total Ni content) influence considerably the fatigue and impact strength properties of the cast iron. Moreover tribological properties of the specimens were also studied under dry sliding conditions at various sliding speed and load. The wear resistance and coefficient of friction were found to increase with increase in load and sliding speed.

Due to their lower productivity, lower reliability, and lower economic stability, older power plants are leading to higher carbon emissions. Rather than simply focusing on the retirement and recuperation of power plants, this study focuses on generation expansion planning (GEP). Considering recuperation is economically and environmentally beneficial to power the power generating company. These criteria have made the GEP problem more complex. Hence, the applications of optimization algorithms are required to solve these complex, constrained, and large-scale problems. In this study, an effective hybrid spotted hyena-particle swarm optimization (HSHPSO) algorithm is proposed to handle the GEP problem for the Tamil Nadu power system. This case study addresses the GEP problem for a 7-year planning horizon (2020–2027), as well as a 14-year planning horizon (2020–2034). A significant reduction in total cost and pollution occurs by including retirement and recuperation in GEP. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed HSHPSO technique, it is compared with the existing technologies such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) and differential evolution (DE). Compared to GEP with no recuperation or retirement, the total cost and CO2 emissions of the GEP have been reduced by 11.07% and 9.48%, respectively. Also, the results demonstrate that the HSHPSO algorithm outperformed other algorithms.

The present investigation has been made to assess the influence of B4C reinforced with Ti-6Al-4V matrix prepared by powder metallurgy route. High energy ball milling was used to prepare the composites. Cylindrical preforms were prepared using suitable die set assembly. The green preforms were sintered in the muffle furnace at 900°C for 1 h. Further the preforms were cooled inside the furnace till the room temperature has attained. SEM with EDS mapping analysis was used to evaluate the morphology and elemental confirmation of the prepared composite. The density and hardness of the samples are determined using Archimedes principle and Rockwell hardness testing machine. The wear resistance of the samples was determined by employing a pin on disc apparatus. The hardness of the composites (Ti-6Al-4V /10B4C) was increased while comparing to the base material (Ti-6Al-4V) which is attributed to the presence of hard ceramic phase. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) five level central composite design approach was accustomed and it minimised the amount of experimental conditions and developed mathematical models among the key process parameters namely wt. % of B4C, applied load and sliding distances to forecast the abrasive response of Specific Wear Rate (SWR) and Coefficient of Friction (CoF). Analysis of variance was used to check the validity of the developed model. The optimum parameters of specific wear rate and coefficient of friction were identified.

Single point incremental forming process is a most economical Die-less forming process. The major constraint of it is that it is a time consuming process. In this work, a new attempt was made in incremental forming process using Multipoint tool for SS430 sheets to increase the formability and to reduce forming time. Fractography analysis was made to study the size of voids that were formed during fracture. The forming limit diagrams were drawn and compared for single point incremental forming and the multipoint incremental forming of SS430 sheet. It was proved that the formability of SS430 sheet in the multipoint forming was better than the formability of that in single point forming and the time consumed was reduced. The strain distribution in both processes had also been studied along with surface roughness.

Incremental Sheet metal Forming (ISF) Process is a suitable process which helps to produce various parts used in automotive sector by rapid prototyping. This method of producing a prototype helps industry in reducing the production cost. In ISF process, a final product is evolved through local deformation of the sheet metal made by the tool. Usually better formability is obtained when the tool makes a better contact with the sheet metal throughout the process. Improved formability elevates dimensional accuracy of the product, thus increases the market value of the product. A new tool with multiple ball ends capable of making multiple mating points over sheet metal was used in this research to enhance the efficiency of formability and surface finish. Ability of the new Multi-Point Incremental Forming Tool (MPIF) was investigated and compared to the existing Single Point Forming Tool (SPIF) based on the formability and surface finish. Forming Limit Diagram (FLD), Strain Distribution (SD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to examine the formability of the sheet metal. The SEM & 3D-Surface roughness profilometer were used to observe the sheet metals surface finish. In addition to these experimental techniques a simulation results were also used to predict the stress and strain rate during forming process. The experimentation and simulation outcome shows that the MPIF provides superior formability and surface finish.