Vestnik of Samara State Technical University. Technical Sciences Series

The relevance of optimizing refrigerated transport is driven by rising fuel costs and the need to account for additional consumption associated with refrigeration unit operation during perishable goods delivery. This paper addresses the integrated trip-planning problem in which the delivery route and the three-dimensional cargo loading plan are formed simultaneously. Routing is modeled on the basis of the traveling salesman problem, where the travel cost is expressed in terms of fuel consumption taking into account both vehicle motion and refrigeration unit operation. Loading is described by a 3D packing model with constraints ensuring placement within vehicle dimensions, non-overlap, allowable orientations, payload capacity, and compliance with the unloading sequence at delivery points. Solutions are obtained using genetic algorithms adapted to permutation-based representations of the route and the loading order. An application example of the proposed approach is presented, along with visual forms for representing the computed results.

Modern challenges in project management, such as hybrid work formats and virtualization, necessitate new control tools based on fundamental practices, including milestone management. However, existing international and domestic standards (GOST R 54869-2011, GOST R ISO 21502-2024, GOST R 56714.2-2015) establish control requirements but do not detail monitoring procedures, which creates an opportunity for their software interpretation and automation. A comparative analysis of the functional capabilities of widespread project management systems (Jira, Asana, Microsoft Project, ClickUp) revealed a significant methodological gap: in these products, a milestone is represented as a calendar marker, which does not reflect its essence as a checkpoint for recording the completion of a stage. This precludes its use as a structural container for the strict attachment of a mandatory package of supporting documentation and does not support the automated generation of consolidated reports on the status of acceptance criteria fulfillment for each control point. This functional deficiency necessitates labor-intensive manual operations for aggregating data from heterogeneous sources, which reduces control efficiency, increases error risks, and directly affects the manageability of complex, especially regulated and innovative, projects. In response to the identified problem, the article substantiates the architecture and presents the development results of the specialized cross-platform software "Milestones Controller," built on C++/Qt. The solution is based on UML models (use case, activity, and sequence diagrams) that describe the interaction processes between the administrator and employees. The program enables real-time monitoring of document statuses across project areas, generates summary reports, and stores all project documentation in a single secure space. This eliminates the identified shortcomings of existing analogues, reduces labor costs, and enhances the transparency of milestone-based project management.

The production of ultra-high-frequency ferrites is a complex, multi-stage process requiring control of materials and operating conditions at all stages. Small deviations in any process step can lead to significant changes in the dielectric parameters of the finished product, necessitating rapid and accurate determination of these parameters. This article discusses an information and measurement system capable of determining the dielectric parameters of ferrites in the frequency range from 8 to 12 GHz. A cavity resonator design is developed, enabling the implementation of the electromechanical component of the automated system.

The paper addresses the problem of parametric tuning of a pressure controller in a water supply system equipped with a variable-frequency drive for the pump unit. Dynamic models of the plant and of the closed-loop control system are proposed, aimed at iterative optimization of controller parameters. The water supply model is based on the equations of unsteady hydraulic balance, taking into account flow inertia and the accumulation capacity of the pipeline. Model parameters are determined from the performance characteristics of the pumping unit and the design documentation of the pipeline network. Based on the proposed mathematical framework, a structural scheme of the closed-loop pressure control system is developed, including a model of the frequency converter with a limitation on the rate of change of rotational speed. The discrete-time nature of the control signal is also taken into account.
A set of integral performance indices is formulated, whose combination ensures the desired transient response characteristics of the control system. The pressure control system model is implemented in a numerical simulation environment for nonlinear dynamic systems. A procedure for controller parameter tuning using simulation-based optimization is described. Numerical simulation of transient processes is performed, and controller parameters are optimized using a weighted sum of integral performance indices for a specific case study. The adopted performance criteria ensure transient responses that satisfy prescribed constraints on both the controlled variable and the control signal. It is shown that accounting for load dynamics affects the control signal profile, overshoot, and response speed. The use of a weighted sum of criteria makes it possible to simultaneously consider response speed requirements and constraints on the control action within a unified optimization framework.
The proposed approach can be applied to the design and analysis of automatic pressure control systems in water distribution networks.

Ways to reduce the energy intensity of the galvanic section of an industrial enterprise in the machine-building industry with small-scale production by reducing energy consumption for heating and thermal stabilization of the electrolyte are proposed. The influence of the electrolyte temperature on the main quality indicators of the applied metal coating: thickness and uniformity is revealed. Analysis of the effect of electrolyte temperature on the density of the cathode and anode current, the deposition rate of the electroplating, the magnitude of the electrical potentials of the cathode, anode and electrolyte, as well as the scattering capacity allowed us to determine the permissible temperature range of the electrolyte, ensuring the required coating quality technology. The thermal balance of galvanic baths has been compiled when the bath is switched to the mode of heating the electrolyte to the process temperature and stabilizing the temperature regime in conditions of uneven loading of equipment during small-scale production. Based on the energy balance of the galvanic process, critical values of the bath loading coefficients have been established, at which it is advisable to replace the centralized steam heat supply with a decentralized one from a gas steam generator or an individual electric heater. A scheme for connecting baths to heat sources is proposed, taking into account the specifics of equipment loading in small-scale production with the possibility of recycling excess heat generated from decentralized heat sources into the heating and hot water supply network. An energy-efficient method for controlling the heat supply of galvanic baths in small-scale production has been chosen. The economic effect of the proposed organization of heat supply to the galvanic site and control of the electrolyte temperature of galvanic baths in small-scale production is determined.