Maximum Torque Control (MTC) is a new method applied for control of induction motor drives. The drive is controlled by dc voltage supplying a converter in the range below nominal speed and by a field that weakens for a speed range above the nominal speed. As a consequence, the control is quite similar to the control of a classical separately excited dc motor. This control method could be explained as a kind of sim- plification of Direct Torque Control (DTC), because the switching scheme is the same as for the DTC, but the variable responsible for a torque control is constantly set for “torque increase”. This kind of control of induction motor drive is simpler than DTC because torque values need not be estimated. The proposed control method offers very good performance for 3-phase induction motors and requires smaller switching frequency in comparison to DTC and Field Oriented Control (FOC). The application of the con- trol is widely demonstrated for a 3-phase 315 kW, 6 kV motor drive by use of computer simulation.

Non-metallic inclusions found in steel can affect its performance characteristics. Their impact depends not only on their quality, but also,

among others, on their size and distribution in the steel volume. The literature mainly describes the results of tests on hard steels,

particularly bearing steels. The amount of non-metallic inclusions found in steel with a medium carbon content melted under industrial

conditions is rarely presented in the literature. The tested steel was melted in an electric arc furnace and then desulfurized and argonrefined.

Seven typical industrial melts were analyzed, in which ca. 75% secondary raw materials were used. The amount of non-metallic

inclusions was determined by optical and extraction methods. The test results are presented using stereometric indices. Inclusions are

characterized by measuring ranges. The chemical composition of steel and contents of inclusions in every melts are presented. The results

are shown in graphical form. The presented analysis of the tests results on the amount and size of non-metallic inclusions can be used to

assess them operational strength and durability of steel melted and refined in the desulfurization and argon refining processes.

The experimental material consisted of semi-finished products of high-grade, medium-carbon constructional steel with: manganese, chromium, nickel, molybdenum and boron. The experimental material consisted of steel products obtained in three metallurgical processes: electric and desulfurized (E), electric and desulfurized with argon-refined (EA) and oxygen converter with vacuum degassed of steel (KP). The production process involved two melting technologies: in a 140-ton basic arc furnace with desulphurisation and argon refining variants, and in a 100-ton oxygen converter. Billet samples were collected to analyze: relative volume of impurities, microstructure and fatigue tests. The samples were quenched and austenitized at a temperature of 880o C for 30 minutes. They were then cooled in water and tempered by holding the sections at a temperature of 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600o C for 120 minutes and air-cooled. Fatigue tests were performed with the use of a rotary bending machine at a frequency of 6000 cpm. The results were statistical processed and presented in graphic form. This paper discusses the results of microstructural analyses, the distribution of the relative volume of impurities in different size ranges, the fatigue strength characteristics of different production processes, the average number of sampledamaging cycles and the average values of the fatigue strength coefficient for various heat processing options.

The subject of the study concerns the enhancement of corrosion and wear resistance of nitrided 42CrMo4 steel by the formation of zinc phosphate top layer. The present work is aimed at the assessment of the effect of increasing thickness of nitrided layer from approximately 2 µm to 16 µm on the morphology and properties of zinc phosphate coating. XRD analysis showed that along with the increase in the thickness of the nitrides layer, a change in the phase composition was observed. SEM/EDS examination revealed that top layer consists of crystalline zinc phosphate coating. The shape and size of crystals does not significantly depend on a thickness of nitrides layer but corrosion resistance determined by potentiodynamic method in 0.5M NaCl increased with an increase of thickness of a “white layer”. Similarily the wear resistance determined by the 3-cone-roll test was also the highest for 16 µm nitride layer.

Deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) is gaining popularity as a treatment used to modify structures obtained during heat or thermo-chemical treatment. The article presents the influence of DCT, carried out during heat treatment before and after gas nitriding processes, on the formation of gas nitrided layers on X153CrMoV12 steel. It was found that the use of DCT between quenching and tempering performed prior to gas nitriding processes, increases the hardness, thickness and wear resistance of the nitrided layers. At the same time, if we apply cryogenic treatment during post-heat treatment of nitrided layers, we also get very high wear resistance and increased thickness of nitrided layers, in comparison with conventional gas nitriding of X153CrMoV12 steel. In this case, DCT significantly increases also the hardness of the core by the transformation of retained austenite and the precipitation of fine carbides of alloying elements.

Group of steel balls with different chemical composition, diameters and nitriding treatment parameters were investigated with using magnetic resonance and magnetization methods. Emerging nitrided regions consists of diffusion and surface layer of iron nitrides. The thickness of the individual layers depends on the type of steel and process parameters. Resonance signal shape and position were successfully described in the ferromagnetic resonance regime expected for dense iron magnetic system. Influence of the sample size, thermal treatment and carbon content on the absorption signal has been analyzed. Significant magnetic anisotropy has been revealed, as well as non-usual increasing of the magnetization as a function of temperature. It suggests, that overall antiferromagnetic ordering, destroyed by thermal movement, lead to increasing of the ferromagnetic region.