ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1236-0129
Current Organisations
University Of Strathclyde
,
The University of Faisalabad
,
National University of Sciences and Technology
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-01-2022
Abstract: Lime-cement concrete (LCC) is a non-structural concrete in which lime and cement are used as the main binders. However, although LCC has many applications in reducing the settlement of foundations and providing a support layer for shallow foundations, little research has been conducted to evaluate its behaviour in various moisture conditions. Previous researchers have studied the feasibility of using waste tires in conventional concrete to alleviate their negative environmental impacts. However, in field projects, rubber has not been widely used because its application leads to the strength reduction of concrete. In the case of LCC, attaining high strengths is not required and thus application of waste tire particles sounds reasonable. This research evaluated the impact of various rubber powder contents on the fresh, geotechnical and durability properties of LCC at different saturation degrees induced by the capillary action and groundwater level increment, which has not been studied before. The results of more than 320 tests showed that the application of tire powder increases workability and decreases the water absorption of LCC. Moreover, all 60-day cured specimens exposed to 100% saturation degree experienced a strength reduction of less than 10% by using rubber powder contents varying from 0 to 20%. Moreover, increasing the saturation degree from 0 to 100% decreased the average compressive strength by 13.5 and 22% for 60-day cured s les of two different mix designs. The results of this research confirm that LCC containing up to 10% rubber powder could be promisingly used underneath or close to the groundwater table without its strength and geotechnical properties being jeopardized due to rubber employment and/or exposure to ground moisture.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-09-2021
DOI: 10.3390/APP11188672
Abstract: Conventional electricity generation methods are under the major revolution, and microgrids established on renewable energy sources are playing a vital role in this power generation transformation. This study proposes a hybrid AC/DC microgrid with a barrier function-based adaptive sliding mode controller, in which 8 kW wind energy system and 4.5 kW photovoltaic energy system perform as the hybrid RESs, and 33 Ah of battery works as the energy storage system. Barrier function-based adaptive sliding mode controller ensures the convergence of the system’s output variable independent of the knowledge of the upper bound of the disturbances. Firstly, global mathematical modeling of the suggested system is ensured. Then, the control laws are defined, providing the DC bus voltage regulation during islanding mode and AC/DC link bus voltage regulation during the grid-connected mode. The proposed barrier function-based adaptive sliding mode controller technique is analyzed through 20 s simulations on MATLAB/Simulink, which validates the controller’s robustness and effectiveness. Furthermore, a comparison of the proposed controller is made with the proportional integral derivative controller, Lyapunov controller, and sliding mode controller. In the end, hardware-in-loop tests are performed using C2000 Delfino MCU F28379D LaunchPad, showing the proposed structure’s real-time performance.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-07-2021
DOI: 10.3390/EN14133988
Abstract: The importance of microgrids has been acknowledged with the increasing amount of research in direct current (DC) microgrids. The main reason for this is the straightforward structure and efficient performance. In this research article, double integral sliding mode controllers (DISMCs) have been proposed for energy harvesting and DC microgrid management involving renewable sources and a hybrid energy storage system (HESS). DISMC offers a better dynamic response and reduced amount of chattering than the traditional sliding mode controllers. In the first stage, the state differential model for the grid was derived. Then, the nonlinear control laws were proposed for the PV system and hybrid energy storage system to achieve the main objective of voltage regulation at the DC link. In the later part, the system’s asymptotic stability was proven using Lyapunov stability criteria. Finally, an energy management algorithm was provided to ensure the DC microgrid’s smooth operation within the safe operating limit. The proposed system’s effectiveness was validated by implementing on MATLAB/Simulink software and comparing against sliding mode control and Lyapunov redesign. Moreover, to ensure the proposed controller’s practical viability for this scheme, it has been tested on real-time hardware-in-the-loop test bench.
Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Muhammad Kashif Azeem.