The temperature parameters of the external environ-ment influence such performance indicators of a rotary snow blower as energy efficiency and productivity, which also largely determine the quality of cleaning. The article describes a hardware and software system designed to collect and process data on the operation of a rotary snow blower. A special feature of the development is the ability to assess the relationship between the design and operational parameters of the machine and the characteristics of the external environment. A block diagram is presented, reflecting the main elements of the hardware and software complex, and a measuring module, including a multi-link submersible device, is described in detail. The developed device allows for the simultaneous assessment of the temperature of several environments, which is an important factor when conducting experimental studies in which the ambient temperature and the temperature of the environment being developed must be assessed simultaneously. The article presents fragments of the structure of compacted and loosened snow masses using photographs taken during experimental studies. A general design for a multi-link immersion temperature measurement device is proposed. An experimental prototype of the measuring device was assembled and tested under real-world conditions. Some results of the hardware and software system’s operation are presented in the form of contour graphs, reflecting the relationship be-tween snow removal equipment parameters and environmental parameters.

The article is devoted to the possibility of refining the control drive for moving the supports of a lathe operated by ZESKMI LLC in Krasnodar. The necessity of modernizing the existing lathe is substantiated, and an overview of heavy engineering machines available on the market is provided. The shortcomings of the current design of the drive are highlighted. A modified kinematic diagram is presented, indicating the elements of the modified unit. An additional servo drive is selected to provide separate control of the lathe’s support movements. The shaft being upgraded as part of the drive upgrade was tested for strength. The loads acting on the specified shaft were simulated using the SPINCH software package. It is shown that the proposed modification of the control drive for the movement of the lathe’s supports will allow for complete automation of the lathe processing of workpieces, including the processing of complex-profile surfaces in an automatic mode.

The paper investigates the influence of rational displacement of boundary conditions on the results of topological optimization of structures. It is shown that the traditional approach, which assumes a fixed position of loads and supports, may not consider a significant potential for improving the optimality criterion (minimization of compliance). A methodology is proposed, based on determining admissible displacement trajectories for boundary conditions along the lines of action of resultant forces while maintaining static equivalence of the system. A limited displacement zone is introduced for each condition, ensuring kinematic consistency of the mechanism. The method is implemented using the SIMP algorithm (TopOpt-2D) for a two-dimensional problem involving concentrated forces and hinged supports. The results of numerical simulation demonstrate that even a slight displacement of a single boundary condition within a given trajectory can reduce the compliance of the optimized topology by 15–29% while keeping the material volume constant. Comparison of the obtained topologies confirms their alignment with the displacement directions. It is concluded that preliminary refinement of boundary condition positions in the early design stages is highly effective. Further development of the method towards accounting for dynamic loads and automating the selection of positions is identified as a relevant task for future research.

The article presents an innovative design of a brush spreader that can be used to reduce segregation during the mixing of bulk materials. Segregation leads to an uneven distribution of particles based on their size, which is a problem in agriculture, road construction, and industry. The design features elastic spreader elements arranged in rows and alternating in the circumferential direction of the drum. This arrangement has a positive effect on the main parameters, such as the shape and structure of the resulting dispersed flow. For the presented model, a mathematical description of the shape of the expanding flow in two mutually perpendicular planes is provided. Calculation schemes are presented. Expressions are obtained to describe the flow of particle distribution in height and width. The influence of the main parameters of the unit, particularly the rotational speed, on the shape of the particle distribution curves is analyzed. The dependence of the distribution of particle numbers by scattering angles on the rotational speed of the brush spreader is established. In mathematical modeling, a stochastic approach was used due to the presence of a large number of random factors that affect the movement of particles in the flow. The resulting mathematical apparatus and dependencies can be useful in the design and modernization of equipment designed for working with loose media.

Defining the fitness function for synthesizing structural drive circuits for lifting and transport machine mechanisms is a key task when using a genetic algorithm. This article proposes a solution that combines expert assessments and elements of Bayesian network construction. When forming the fitness function, the Bayesian network is limited to one (previous) interaction level, which reduces the complexity of the solution without depriving it of physical meaning. Probabilities at all interaction levels can be replaced by expert assessments. Moreover, taking into account the compatibility of drive elements at each stage represents a correction factor to the weight of the possibility of using the element in the drive of a specific lifting and transport machine mechanism. The fitness function retains the form of a sum of weights without switching to a classical Bayesian search for the final probability, since the physical meaning of forming the drive structure must take into account the probabilistic reliability or impossibility of a particular drive arrangement.

The development of materials science is associated with the development and research of composite materials of fibrous and layered structures, which are widely used in modern mechanical engineering. Among the wide range of issues related to the research of layered composites, applied problems in the field of dynamic interaction of objects can be distinguished. The analysis of methods for increasing the barrier penetration resistance leads to the need to fulfill a number of competing requirements: the mass, thickness of the barrier and the residual energy of dynamically interacting objects in the event of destruction of the barrier should be minimal, its survivability maximum. The purpose of the study is to study the effect of force loads on the barrier force in the structural elements of products equipped with combined barriers. For this purpose, a model of a combined barrier is proposed, containing a reflective layer, a layer of porous light metal to absorb energy, and a layer that delays impact products. Numerical modeling of the dynamic loading of an obstacle has been implemented and an analytical assessment of the prediction of its destruction by the type of «knocking out a plug» under force loading by a high-speed rigid impactor has been performed, as well as an experiment on the quasi-static insertion of an indenter into an obstacle with a porous layer. The combined use of simula-tion and physical modeling of structural elements makes it possible to predict the survivability and reliability of structures at the design stage of mechanical engineering products, while significantly reducing labor costs and the cost of performing the required work.

Aerial rope systems are currently widely used for carrying out a variety of transport and logistics operations in a wide range of sectors of the modern economy. Along with the traditional use of ropeways in stationary design, the direction of using mobile rope transport systems has been actively developing in recent years. This makes it possible to effectively solve important transport and logistics tasks within a limited time limit and in difficult natural, climatic and/or operational conditions, in particular, such tasks as carrying out transport operations in remote and inaccessible areas, carrying out loading and unloading operations on an unequipped coast, carrying out special rescue and transport operations, carrying out transport works on the surface of other cosmic bodies, etc. This article discusses the task of developing intermediate towers for mobile ropeways, characterized by a minimum mass while meeting the necessary strength requirements. The developed mathematical optimization model and the computer program implementing it are presented. Five design variants of the cross-section of the intermediate tower of the truss structure with supporting vertical thin-walled struts are considered. When minimizing the mass of the metal structure of the tower, the influence and mass of the anchor ropes providing a given spatial position of the intermediate tower are taken into account. Some results of optimization calculations for the basic version of the rope system are also presented.

Giant African Land Snail shells (GALSs), a common bio-waste from restaurants and snail vendors, pose environmental challenges due to indiscriminate disposal. Previous studies have explored their applications in medicine, chemistry, construction, and automotive industries. This study investigates the incorporation of crushed GALSs into clay-based ceramic matrix composites to evaluate their influence on mechanical properties and assess suitability for high-voltage insulator production. Characterized snail shell particles (63 µm and 75 µm) were blended with clay in varying proportions, molded into bars and cylinders, dried, and fired at 1200 °C. Mechanical performance was assessed through three-point flexural and compression tests. Sample 632080 exhibited a flexural strength of 25.6 MPa, modulus of 3.40 GPa, and energy dissipation of 45.04 × 10?³ J, while sample 752080 recorded 23.3 MPa, 4.05 GPa, and 34.76 × 10?³ J. Pure clay (C100) yielded 24.20 MPa, 3.33 GPa, and 38.32 × 10?³ J. The highest compressive strength (70.5 MPa) was achieved by sample 752080. Based on mechanical performance, optimum reinforcement ratios were identified as 632080 and 752080. These findings highlight crushed GALSs as a sustainable reinforcement material, offering both enhanced ceramic composite properties and a viable solution to environmental waste management.