Demand for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) ramped up lately (2018-2022). Electrical vehicle (EV) industry becomes mature and conventional vehicles featuring thermal combustion engines will be gradually replaced. The evolution of Li-ion cell technology allowed decreasing manufacturing costs. Technical innovations within the sector consist in substituting liquid electrolytes with solid state ones, improving driving range, enhanced safety and faster charging times. The European Union strategy regarding batteries is focused on creating a sustainable, competitive and innovative ecosystem for reducing greenhouse gases. The European market share in Li-ion batteries worldwide production is 3% (Asia leads with 85%). In order to prevent technological dependence on fierce Asian competition and to capitalize on the economic potential that this opportunity represents, The European Union launched the "European Battery Alliance" in October 2017, with a view to stimulating cooperation between the industries of the old continent and building Liion battery production gigafactories. In Romania there are initiatives in the development of this sector, with investments that have mobilized public and private capital. In June 2023, the Romanian-Belgian Romvolt project was launched in Galați city, a production and recycling facility of Li-ion batteries with a total capacity of 22 GW. The paper presents the research undertaken for the recovery of cathodic paste with high content of cobalt (Co) from spent LIBs, by ultrasonography in lactic acid solution (C3H6O3). The hydrometallurgical method uses a non-polluting organic (lactic) acid. The working technique, the results obtained and the investigations carried out on the recovered materials are presented (analysis of optical and electron microscopy, EDX, X-ray diffraction).

A conventionally cast version of the Cantor alloy (equimolar in Co, Ni Fe, Mn and Cr) was elaborated and samples were cut to carry out three points flexural creep tests according to a (1000, 1050, 1100°C)  (10, 20 and 30 MPa) array to explore the possibility of use in term of temperature and stress. For a majority of cases the deformation rates were too high, revealing a lack of practical interest, except for 10 MPa for which, whatever the temperature tests longer than 100 hours were realized. These tests were all performed under a slow flow of argon o preserve the alloy from oxidation during the tests. In fact, oxygen present as impurity (about 10 ppm) induced a signification oxidation of the samples which were covered by complex oxides involving Mn and Cr in various proportions and for different stoichiometries for the oxygen importance point of view, with thickness not far from what can be obtained in synthetic air for similar conditions.

As the integration of cyber and physical components becomes increasingly prevalent in modern systems, ensuring the dependability of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has emerged as a critical research area. The present paper aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the recent advances in the field of dependable CPS. Firstly, we present an analysis on the evolution of the published papers in the past years and introduce the concepts of dependability and CPSs in the context of Industry 4.0. Secondly, some strategies and challenges that have been encountered in the recent literature for enhancing the dependability of CPS are also presented. Finally, two case studies that highlight the interdependencies between the concepts of dependability and CPS are reviewed. The first one presents the dependability of an object identification system that relies on radio frequency identifier, which can be used in medical services. The second case study shows various techniques for predicting the remaining useful life of a turbofan jet engine using Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques.

The safety of dams in Romania follows the current engineering trend and is governed by The Dam Safety Law, issued in 2001. A special concern refers to historical dams, where two cumulative contributing factors are endangering the safety - ageing and modifications in the catchment area that bring alterations in flood formation and flood characteristic values. To illustrate the specific problems, the paper presents a case hystory. The dam is one of the oldest storage reservoirs in Romania (Tăul Mare Dam), still operational, built prior to the 18th century in the Metaliferi Mountains in central Transylvania for the gold mines, where a relative minor incident has created a lot of concerns regarding the structure’s safety. Thorough investigations have revealed an intense degradation due to ageing and lack of proper maintenance. The proposed rehabilitation works consist in refurbishing the bottom outlet gallery and repairing and strengthening of the downstream face of the dam.

In agriculture, one of the future solutions to eliminate the negative effect on the environment of the classical machineries is to use mobile robots. Small groups of mobile robots will interact with each other in order to inspect, to process or to harvest crops. These robots will have to work in a changing environment, in terms of terrain or road surfaces, the light of the ambient, animals, etc., aspects that will pose challenges for mobile robots. To facilitate the use of robots in agriculture, they must have a simple construction, be extremely reliable, flexible and, last but not least, cheap. These aspects have as effect new challenges for robot manufacturers to find technical solutions to meet the mentioned requirements. In this paper, a conceptual design and modeling of a mobile manipulator with hybrid locomotion, which may be used in agriculture for applications, such as tilling, seeding, weeding, etc, will be discussed.

This paper focuses on creating an overview of the current state of research (state of the art) on systems and equipment for active and passive safety of the vehicles. After classifying them, the limits are identified, as well as the technical solutions that are based on design technologies intended to increase the safety of vehicle occupants, pedestrians or other traffic participants in the event of an impact or in case of its prevention. Future approaches are presented at the end of the paper in terms of technical solutions of vehicles with Highly Automated Driving (HAD) technology, as well as how autonomous vehicles work.

The paper presents a large part of the technical developments obtained in the field of Mössbauer Spectroscopy as author or co-author in over 45 years of activity in scientific research The contributions are mostly made entirely by Roman authors. The developments are exemplified by devices approved for the first time nationally, micro production, patents, experimental arrangements for the first time nationally or internationally, detectors for extending measurements, theoretical and experimental possibility to perform surface measurements for the element europium. The developments are accompanied by numerous scientific papers published in prestigious journals abroad and in the country and have allowed the extension of applications of Mössbauer spectroscopy in physics, chemistry and industry.

An inexpensive temperature-controlled apparatus has been developed with the intention to use it during the growth of any solution-based crystal. It consists of a metallic cell and an application-specific, stand-alone, and programmable electronic controller. That can purposely deliver unequal heating power independently to its three individual heating channels. The system was designed with the aid of an Arduino-Uno board. It was indigenously built within the laboratory with limited in-campus facilities and using locally available standard electronic modules and components. It may have diverse applications for controllable synthesis processes in scientific laboratories and its structural as well as electronic design can be modified easily according to any specific user requirement.

"Three phase induction motor is the most popular type AC motor. it is very commonly used for industrial drives. It is cheap, robust, efficient and reliable. It has good speed regulation and high starting torque. It requires little maintenance. It has a reasonable over load capacity. This paper deals with the simulation of three phase induction machine using MATLAB Simulink. The results are obtained for generating mode and motoring mode. "

The paper investigates the stress state in perforated discs by circular holes. Circular discs are subjected to two types of loadings: diametrical compression by concentrated forces and radial compression produced by an equivalent uniformly distributed load on the contour of the discs. The discs of radius 150 mm are perforated with two, four or 96 holes, of different radii between 1 mm and 50 mm or maximum possible. The stress distribution in the discs is studied according to the value of the radii of the holes and the distance between them. The stress concentration factors and their variation for the geometrical parameters of the concentrators are determined. The finite element method was used, which allows the modeling of the structure so that it is as close as possible to the real situation of the geometry and the way of application of the load.