This study investigates the depth-dependent microstructural evolution and corrosion behavior of cryorolled (CR) and brazed cryorolled (BCR) AA4343/AA3003/AA4343 laminated composite sheets. Optical microscopy, SEM, EPMA, XRD, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to establish the correlation between depth-dependent microstructural features and electrochemical behavior. The results showed that CR promotes a relatively uniform distribution of Si-rich particles and intermetallics, whereas brazing induced eutectic Si formation, intermetallic coarsening, and grain-boundary segregation near the surface. The corrosion behavior is strongly depth-dependent and can be rationalized in terms of three characteristic regions: (1) the AA4343-dominated region from the surface to 32 & micro;m, (2) the transition/interface region at 40 & micro;m, and (3) the AA3003-dominated core region at 60-90 & micro;m. In the CR sheet, the AA4343-dominated surface region exhibits a relatively low corrosion tendency, whereas the deeper AA3003-dominated region develops a more stable electrochemical interface during immersion. In the BCR sheet, the brazed surface and shallow subsurface regions showed stronger electrochemical instability, whereas the deeper AA3003-dominated region exhibited comparatively improved interfacial stability. Combined EPMA and EIS analyses showed that oxygenrich corrosion products could be partially protective, while Cl-enriched regions were associated with film breakdown and localized corrosion. These findings demonstrate that the corrosion behavior of AA4343/ AA3003/AA4343 laminated sheets is controlled by the coupled evolution of microstructure, intermetallic distribution, elemental diffusion, and interfacial electrochemical stability across the sheet thickness.
Modern automated information systems in the electric power sector face rising computational demands, expanding network connectivity, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. These challenges require specialized hardware and software solutions to ensure effective cybersecurity. This paper develops principles for organizing a hardware cloud within cybersecurity systems for power facilities and proposes the architecture of a cloud-based firewall designed to provide adaptive protection for automated control and monitoring systems. The study reviews existing hardware and software approaches to information and cybersecurity in electric power applications and outlines methods for building a hardware cloud based on functional microelectronic components. A prototype cloud-based firewall operating within a hardware-oriented communication environment for power facilities is introduced. The paper presents an approach to configuring firewall functionalities integrated into a hardware cloud and managed by neural network–based adaptive algorithms. In addition, the architecture and operational algorithm of a hardware firewall intended for industrial process networks in the power industry are described. Clear definitions of "hardware cloud" and "hardware cloud network" are formulated specifically for energy infrastructure cybersecurity. The proposed solutions can support the design, upgrade, and deployment of cybersecurity systems at power facilities, including dispatch control centers, digital substations, and distributed power grids. Overall, the architecture enhances scalability, adaptability, and operational efficiency of firewall systems, enabling them to respond effectively to dynamically evolving cyber threats characteristic of the energy sector.
The development of ferrous metallurgy, as with most industrial sectors, is progressing toward the adoption of IIoT technologies and the development of digital automatic control systems for electrotechnical and mechatronic complexes. This direction is implemented within the paradigm of digital twins (DTs), which enable the use of advanced design methods, virtual commissioning, and maintenance. The concept of relatively simple object-oriented DTs created using available software and applicable at individual stages of the equipment lifecycle has been substantiated. The relationship between the object-oriented approach and M. Grieves’ classification system has been determined. The contribution of this paper lies in the fact that this problem is addressed for the first time using the example of electrotechnical systems of rolling mills. Definitions of DTs are provided, along with a brief overview of digital platforms developed by leading manufacturers of metallurgical equipment. The development of object-oriented DTs based on Simulink Real-Time modules and domains of the Simscape library is substantiated. A methodology for their virtual tuning using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation is proposed. The results of developing an aggregated DT of interconnected electric drives of the upper and lower rolls (UMD and LMD) of the horizontal stand of the 5000 plate rolling mill are presented. An example of DT implementation in a programmable logic controller (PLC) based on a multicore processor using CODESYS 3.5 software is provided. The advantages and prospects of this approach are discussed. Validation of the results is performed by comparing processes during virtual tuning with oscillograms obtained from the actual mill. Satisfactory accuracy is confirmed, and recommendations for the broader application of the developed object-oriented digital twins are given.
This article discusses the issues related to improving product quality during continuous strip processing through the integration of improved electric drive control algorithms. The main focus is on the strip fluctuations caused by acceleration or deceleration of the entry looper. As part of the study, an analysis of the existing operating modes of interconnected electric drives on continuous hot-dip galvanizing unit using horizontal storage devices was conducted. Problems with strip tension fluctuations during transitional modes of the electric drives of storage devices were identified. This has a negative impact on the stability of the strip passing through the main nodes of the technological zones of the units, which leads to the appearance of defects on the strip surface and a forced reduction in processing speed. Improved control algorithms for interconnected electrical drives of continuous processing units using an automatic torque control system with speed correction and adaptation to the changing parameters of elastic elements, looper drum cables, were developed to solve this problem.
The implementation of digital twins (DTs) is a necessary condition for realizing the IIoT concept in the metallurgical industry. This task is particularly relevant for virtual commissioning and commissioning activities performed during the modernization of electrotechnical and mechatronic complexes. The use of DTs is appropriate for the development and improvement of control systems and condition monitoring systems for electric and hydraulic drives of rolling mills. To achieve these objectives, the concept of object-oriented DTs is substantiated. Their distinguishing features include relative simplicity, application at one or several stages of the equipment lifecycle, and implementation based on accessible software. When DTs are developed using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation, it is necessary to create virtual models of the objects, which must be implemented either on a programmable logic controller (PLC) or on a separate industrial computer (PC). Therefore, the use of the Simulink Real-Time mathematical computing platform, together with Simscape modules, is substantiated as the basic software environment. It is noted that digital models of hydraulic screw-down devices within Automatic Gap Control (AGC) structures are not covered in sufficient detail in the literature. This predetermined the development of virtual models based on the specified software. In developing the digital twin aggregate (DTA) of the rolling stand, the interaction between electric and hydraulic drives through the metal was modeled. The Simscape Hydraulics library was used for AGC modeling. Virtual tuning of the controllers of the control systems included in the DTA structure of the mechatronic system of the horizontal stand of the $\mathbf{5 0 0 0}$ plate rolling mill was carried out. The reliability of the results was confirmed by comparing oscillograms obtained during tuning with those recorded under industrial experimental conditions.
