Inrush current refers to the high-magnitude excitation current drawn by a transformer upon energization. The intensity of inrush current is a function of the residual flux of the transformer's core and the voltage magnitude at the energization instant. This paper proposes a method to effectively mitigate the inrush current of single-phase transformers. The proposed method overcomes the shortcomings of the well-established pre-fluxing method, and thus, is referred to as the modified pre-fluxing method. The method operates without requiring any prior knowledge regarding the transformer's design information or parameters. Accounting for uncertainties in circuit breaker closing operation, the core's residual flux is modified to an appropriate reference value, minimizing the corresponding adverse impact. The flux adjustment is accomplished by a power electronic circuitry that applies suitable voltage across the transformer's low-voltage winding. The core's residual flux is estimated after removing the DC offset present in the measured open-circuit voltage. The energization process is then initiated at an appropriate instant ensuring the core's steady-state flux matches its adjusted residual flux. The efficiency of the modified pre-fluxing method is demonstrated by conducting 12,000 simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC. A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setup composed of a transformer and pre-fluxing device is used for extensive experimental validation and comparison with recent energization methods under more realistic conditions.

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation on the positive potential of steel slag (SS) to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage of alkali-activated slag (AAS) while maintaining a reasonably high strength. Changes of the physicochemical properties of AAS with the addition of SS were examined in terms of hydration heat, autogenous shrinkage, chemical shrinkage, internal relative humidity (RH) and mechanical behaviors. The microstructure of AAS-SS systems was characterized using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption techniques. The shrinkage mechanism and quantification approach of the AAS-SS systems were discussed, in addition to a sustainability assessment. The results indicate that the 7-day autogenous shrinkage of AAS paste was decreased by 16 %, 35 % and 42 % when SS was incorporated by 15 %, 30 % and 45 % respectively, owing to the obviously slower hydration and higher internal RH at the early age. Meanwhile, the inclusion of SS substantially mitigates the chemical shrinkage and reduces the pores below 50 nm, thereby significantly decreasing the capillary pressure associated with smaller water-filled pore sizes. Substitutions of blast furnace slag by up to 45 % SS enable to reduce CO2 emissions by 18.4 kg/m3 and decrease autogenous shrinkage by 42 % without obvious compromise in the loss of elastic modulus and compressive strength.