In order to reveal the effect of carbon content on tribological performance of coatings, TiAlC films having four different amounts of carbon content were synthesized using DC pulse magnetron sputtering. The amount of carbon was varied by using different graphite target powers of 400, 450, 500 and 550W while keeping the TiAl target power fixed at 80W. Sliding friction and wear behavior of TiAlC nanostructured films deposited on Si (100) substrates by (DC) pulse magnetron sputtering was examined against steel ball using a ball on disk configuration' at a load of 1 N and sliding speed of 7 mm/s. The film deposited at 500W graphite target power attained a hardness of ~20.24 GPa and elastic modulus of 246 GPa. Tribological test results indicate that the film fabricated at (500W, 25 at. %C) has the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.29 and wear rate of 6.52×10⁻¹³ (mm³/Nm). The observed behavior has been attributed to presence of higher nano crystalline graphite phase, compact coating, uniform microstructure and formation of carbon rich oxide layer. Scrutiny of the nano indentation statistics showed that resistance to plastic deformation (H³/E^*2) and elastic strain to failure (H/E^*) increase with increasing target power and reaches the highest value at (500W, 25 at. %C) in TiAlC films.

In recent decades, the dynamics of road vehicle traffic have significantly evolved, compelling traffic engineers to develop innovative traffic monitoring solutions, especially for dense road networks. Traditional methods for measuring traffic volume along road sections may no longer suffice for modern traffic control systems. This is particularly true for induction loops, a widely used method since the last century. In contrast, measuring techniques using microwaves or visible light offer better accuracy but are often hindered by the high cost of sensors. This paper presents new techniques for measuring traffic flow and other parameters that adapt to changing traffic dynamics using low-cost optical distance sensors. Our study demonstrates that the integration of multiple monitoring approaches enhances measurement accuracy, contingent on the dynamics and specific characteristics of the traffic. The results indicate that cheap optical distance sensors are particularly well suited for use in smart city road networks.

This paper analyzes the sound radiation behavior of a clamped thin, functionally graded material plate using the classical plate theory and Rayleigh Integral with the elemental radiator approach. The material properties of the plate are assumed to vary according to the power-law distribution of the constituent materials in the transverse direction. The functionally graded material is modeled using a physical neutral surface instead of a geometric middle surface. The effects of the power-law index, elastic modulus ratio, different constituent materials, and damping loss factor on the sound radiation of functionally graded plate are analyzed. It was found that, for the considered plate, the power-law index significantly influences sound power level and radiation efficiency. There exists a critical value of the power-law index for which the corresponding peak of sound power level is minimum. In a wide operating frequency range, approximately 500–1500 Hz, this research suggests that the radiation efficiency is lower for the power-law index equal to 0 and 1. However, for very low frequencies (less than 250 Hz), the power-law index does not affect radiation efficiency significantly. Further, as the modulus ratio increases, the sound power peak decreases for a given power-law index. For the given material constituents of the functionally graded plate, the different values of damping loss factors do not significantly influence radiation efficiency. However, the selection of material constituents affects the radiation efficiency peak.