Analysis of stepwise charging limits and its implementation for efficiency improvement in switched capacitor DC–DC converters

In this work we analysed the stepwise charging technique to find the limits from which it is beneficial in terms of load capacitance and charge–discharge frequency. We included in the analysis practical limitations such as the consumption of auxiliary logic needed to implement the technique and the minimum size of auxiliary switches imposed by the technology. We proposed an ultra-low-power logic block to push these limits and to obtain benefits from this technique in small capacitances. Finally, we proposed to use a stepwise driver in the driving of the gate capacitance of power switches in switched-capacitor (SC) DC–DC converters. We designed and manufactured, in a 130 nm process, a SC DC–DC converter and measured a 29% energy reduction in the gate-drive losses of the converter. This accounts for an improvement of 4% (from 69 to 73%) in the overall converter efficiency.

     

Role of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common liver disorder, affecting around 25% of the population worldwide. It is a complex disease spectrum, closely linked with other conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome, which may increase liver-related mortality. In light of this, numerous efforts have been carried out in recent years in order to clarify its pathogenesis and create new prevention strategies. Currently, the essential role of environmental pollutants in NAFLD development is recognized. Particularly, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have a notable influence. EDCs can be classified as natural (phytoestrogens, genistein, and coumestrol) or synthetic, and the latter ones can be further subdivided into industrial (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and alkylphenols), agricultural (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides), residential (phthalates, polybrominated biphenyls, and bisphenol A), and pharmaceutical (parabens). Several experimental models have proposed a mechanism involving this group of substances with the disruption of hepatic metabolism, which promotes NAFLD. These include an imbalance between lipid influx/efflux in the liver, mitochondrial dysfunction, liver inflammation, and epigenetic reprogramming. It can be concluded that exposure to EDCs might play a crucial role in NAFLD initiation and evolution. However, further investigations supporting these effects in humans are required.     

Phase locked loop-based clock synthesizer for reconfigurable analog-to-digital converters

Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing - This paper presents the complete design of a phase locked loop-based clock synthesizer for reconfigurable analog-to-digital converters. The...     

An integrated dimensionality reduction and surrogate optimization approach for plant-wide chemical process operation

With liquefied natural gas becoming increasingly prevalent as a flexible source of energy, the design and optimization of industrial refrigeration cycles becomes even more important. In this article, we propose an integrated surrogate modeling and optimization framework to model and optimize the complex CryoMan Cascade refrigeration cycle. Dimensionality reduction techniques are used to reduce the large number of process decision variables which are subsequently supplied to an array of Gaussian processes, modeling both the process objective as well as feasibility constraints. Through iterative resampling of the rigorous model, this data-driven surrogate is continually refined and subsequently optimized. This approach was not only able to improve on the results of directly optimizing the process flow sheet but also located the set of optimal operating conditions in only 2 h as opposed to the original 3 weeks, facilitating its use in the operational optimization and enhanced process design of large-scale industrial chemical systems.     

Corrosion behavior of T24, T92, VM12, and AISI 304 steels exposed to KCl–NaCl–K2SO4–Na2SO4 salt mixtures

The corrosion mechanisms of T24, T92, VM12, and AISI 304 steels are studied under the influence of NaCl–KCl, NaCl–Na₂SO₄, and KCl–K₂SO₄ salt mixtures in a dry air atmosphere at 650°C for 15 days. NaCl–KCl was the most aggressive deposit and AISI 304 stainless steel exhibited the highest corrosion resistance. There was no relation between the Cr content of the ferritic steels and their corrosion resistance in NaCl–KCl. In contrast, the resistance of high-Cr steels was better when exposed to NaCl–Na₂SO₄ and KCl–K₂SO₄. The high-Cr and the low-Cr steels were more susceptible to NaCl–Na₂SO₄ and to KCl–K₂SO₄, respectively.     

Technological and sensorial properties of liquid nitrogen ice cream enriched with protein from brewing waste (trub)

Debittered trub (brewing waste) is an important source of protein source (70.26%). Trub and whey protein were used for 5% protein enrichment of ice cream frozen by liquid nitrogen. Three formulations were elaborated: ice cream standard (ICS), ice cream with whey protein (ICW) and ice cream with trub (ICT). Chemical composition, rheological properties, texture, overrun, melting rate, scanning electron microscopy and a sensorial test were performed. Results showed that ICT presented a higher viscosity, obtained on the upward curve up to 6.76 Pa s⁻¹, consistency index (22.96 (Pa s⁻¹)ⁿ), hysteresis area (140.40 mPa s⁻¹) and hardness (31113.33 g) but a lower melting rate (0.38 g min⁻¹), overrun (13.92%) and sensorial acceptability than the other formulations. The addition of trub debittered for protein enrichment improved ice cream properties and demonstrated that it could be used as a food ingredient.