Missouri University of Science and Technology

About: Missouri University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Rolla, Missouri, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Control theory & Artificial neural network. The organization has 9380 authors who have published 21161 publications receiving 462544 citations. The organization is also known as: Missouri S&T & University of Missouri–Rolla.

Closed-loop control of DC-DC dual active bridge converters driving single-phase inverters

Abstract: A solid-state transformer (SST) is a high-frequency power electronic converter that is used as a distribution power transformer. A common three-stage configuration of an SST consists of ac-dc rectifier, isolated dc-dc dual-active-bridge (DAB) converter, and dc-ac inverter. This study addresses the controller design issue for a dc-dc DAB converter when driving a regulated single-phase dc-ac inverter. Since the switching frequency of the inverter stage is much higher than that of the DAB stage, the single-phase inverter is modeled as a double-line-frequency (e.g., 120 Hz) current sink. The effect of 120-Hz current by the single-phase inverter is studied. The limitation of a PI-controller, low gain at 120 Hz, is investigated. Two methods are proposed to improve the regulation of the output voltage of DAB converters. The first one uses a bandstop filter and feedforward, while the second method uses an additional proportional-resonant controller in the feedback loop. Theoretical analysis, simulation, and experiment results are provided.

Performance of mortar prepared with recycled concrete aggregate enhanced by CO2 and pozzolan slurry

Abstract: One of the most promising strategies to manage the large volume of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is recycling and utilizing it for the production of new concrete. However, recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) derived from C&D waste possesses relatively higher porosity and water absorption capability, which often limits its wild utilization. In this study, pozzolan slurry (includes silica fume, nano-SiO2, and fly ash slurries) and CO2 treatments as enhancement methods for RCA were investigated. Test results showed that CO2 treatment was more effective in reducing water absorption and enhancing fluidity, whereas pozzolan slurry treatment could decrease fluidity. Mortars prepared with treated RCA exhibited better mechanical strength and higher resistance towards carbonation and chloride-ion diffusion than those with untreated RCA. Both pozzolan slurry and CO2 treatments enhanced not only the properties of RCA, but also the old and new interfacial transition zones (ITZs) as demonstrated in the measured micro-hardness and SEM observation.