Enlargement of Claw Pole Motor Using SMC Cores Divided in the Circumferential Direction

Clawtooth motors have the feature that they can be made thin in the axial direction. This makes them suitable for appliances, automobile accessories, and small‐sized industrial motors. On the other hand, there is a need for thinner HEV and elevator motors and large‐sized industrial motors. In this study, we examined ways of increasing the output of clawtooth motors. We arrived at the following conclusions. (1) The optimal stator structure was determined and the prospects of attaining the target specification of 123 N‐m were determined. (2) Three important manufacturing tasks, assurance of core assembly accuracy, thin coil manufacture, and rotator insertion, were identified. (3) Experimental results and the results of analysis were in agreement with respect to the EMF. (4) The experimental cogging torque results and finite element analysis (FEA) results were in agreement with the FEA results at sixth order but not at second and fourth order. (5) Although the core needed to be divided in the circumferential direction in order to increase its size, it was clear that the influence on the torque was small. (6) Use of a divided core is a good solution for enlargement of clawtooth motors.     

Selective O–H Bond Cleavage in the Radiolysis of Quartz

Cleavage of the O–H bond in quartz was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ESR spectroscopy. When quartz single crystals and fused silica glass are γ-irradiated at 77 K, hydrogen atoms are produced by rupture of O–H bonds. The initial efficiency of O–H bond cleavage in quartz single crystals, i.e. the initial yield of H atoms, was three times as great as that in fused silica glass, although the concentration of O–H bonds in quartz single crystals (70 ppm) is much lower than that in fused silica glass (4000 ppm). The efficiency of O–H bond cleavage in quartz single crystals indicates that energy transfer from the irradiated single crystal to the O–H bonds takes place effectively at 77 K. The efficiency of O–H bond cleavage decreases with increasing γ-ray dose, i.e. with increasing amounts of radiation-induced defects in quartz single crystals. When the radiation-induced defects are removed by annealing the irradiated quartz single crystal at 773 K, the O–H bonds are ruptured again as effectively as for a fresh quartz single crystal. The distance of the energy transfer, estimated by a target model, is ∼15 nm.     

DNA ANALYSIS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF FOOD-ASSOCIATED FOREIGN SUBSTANCES

To identify food‐associated foreign substances, a DNA analysis consisting of 18S rDNA sequencing and homology search analysis has been developed. In this method, we designed universal primer pairs for specific amplification of animal and plant 18S rDNA and constructed an original DNA database storing partial 18S rDNA sequences of 222 organisms commonly used for culinary purposes. In the model experiments, food materials were successfully identified, indicating that our DNA analysis method can be practically applied to the identification of food‐associated foreign substances. It is also expected that this method complements conventional morphological and compositional analysis, leading to more accurate and reliable identification of food‐associated foreign substances.     

A Development of Rom-Exercise Machine Using Linkages(Design of Leg Mechanism by Walking Simulation)

In this study, the design of an automatic ROM-Exercise machine that is constructed witha planar multililnk mechamsm consisting of only revolute pairs is investigated. Namely, equations thatdetermine the minimum moving spaces and relative positions of link required to construct the legmechanism are formulated with consideration of transform functions. For the leg mechanism that isconstructed with a planar eleven-link mechanism, arrangements of each link and optimum linkprofiles avoided mutual interferences among moving links are determined wb consideration of therelative locations of each link in the same plane during a cycle of motion of the mechanism. Based onthe above analytical results, an automatic ROM-Exercise machine that performs within a minimum moving spaces is proposed as a prachcal example. ms study is carried out as part of the students'computcr education to the graduation thesis, in order to improve their creativity and machine designtechnology skills in coniunction with educational advantages. Significam educational results areobtained by using the design techniques mentioned above.     

Growth of whiskered ZrO2 crystals by hydrothermal decomposition of zirconium oxide sulphate pseudo-crystals

Several kinds of metastable compounds, pseudo zirconium oxide sulphates (PZOS) with a chemical composition of Zr₃O₅SO₄·nH₂O, were previously synthesized by the thermal hydrolysis of solutions containing zirconium sulphate at 200 or 240°C. The obtained PZOS samples were again hydrothermally treated in different sulphuric acid solutions (<1.0 mol l^-1) at 240°C, and their hydrothermal decomposition behaviour was investigated by TEM observation. The PZOS samples mostly crystallized to plate-like zirconium oxide sulphate (ZOS) in the concentrated sulphuric acid solution (>0.5 mol l^-1), but long-whiskered monoclinic ZrO₂ crystals grew with decomposition of the PZOS samples obtained from the starting mixtures with added Zr(OH)₄ when rapidly heated to the hydrothermal treatment temperatures. It was found that many ultrafine monoclinic ZrO2 crystals were simultaneously formed during the hydrothermal preparation of the PZOS samples, and during the following hydrothermal decomposition of the PZOS samples, the whiskered crystals of monoclinic ZrO2 grew with the consumption of PZOS from the coexisting ultrafine monoclinic ZrO2 particles which act as seed crystals. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

EQUILIBRIUM DISTRIBUTION OF PALLADIUM(I I) BETWEEN HYDROCHLORIC ACID SOLUTION AND A MACROMOLECULAR RESIN CONTAINING TRI-n-OCTYLAMINE

ABSTRACT

Studies have been conducted on the sorption characteristics of palladium (II) from hydrochloric acid media with a macromolecular resin containing tri-n-octylamine (TOA). Sorption equilibrium of Pd (II) on the TOA-impregnated sorbent can be expressed by a simple ion-exchange reaction between a tetrachloro complex of Pd (II) in the aqueous phase and an amine salt in the sorbent as follows:

where the equilibrium constant was found to be 6.98x10⁴ kg/dm³.

The elution of Pd (II) from the metal-loaded sorbent was also examined. Elution can be attained with either hydrochloric acid or aqueous ammonia: in particular, the latter gave a high elution ratio even at a concentration less than 1M. The effect of the pore diameter of the macromolecular resins on the Pd(II) sorption was also studied and two methods for preparating impregnated sorbent were examined.     

COMPARISON OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF AGAR, LOW GEL STRENGTH AGAR AND GELATIN, AS SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH SWALLOWING DIFFICULTY

Low gel strength agar (LGSA), recently developed as a supplementary food for swallowing was compared with ordinary agar and gelatin. LGSA was developed to have physical properties close to that of gelatin, while keeping one property of agar, i. e. its setting temperature which can be controlled comparatively easier than gelatin. Each specimen was prepared with and without orange flavor. After determination of their basic properties, i. e. hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and gumminess, three samples of two flavors, six in all, were studied for ease of swallowing using electromyography and sensory evaluation, on middle age (40 to 60 years old) and senior age (60 to 70 years old) subjects. Those experiments revealed nearly the same results with all samples, except for a slight difference in gumminess in LGSA and gelatin. No significant difference in electromyograms were noted in six samples or with age of subjects. It is feasible to employ agar materials together with gelatin in institutions whose members have swallowing disorders.     

Lactoperoxidase Effects on Rheological Properties of Yogurt

A mixed culture ( Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus ) was inoculated into reconstituted skim milk and incubated. When 0.45 Unit/g or more of lactoperoxidase (LPO) was added, the yogurts had softer and smoother texture than untreated yogurt. The apparent viscosity of yogurt was also reduced by addition of LPO. The storage modulus (G') of the gel of LPO-treated yogurt decreased but the frequency-dependency remained unchanged. The amount of exopolysaccharide or degree of proteolysis in yogurt was not changed by addition of LPO.     

Effects of AIN Additions and Atmosphere on the Synthesis of Cubic Boron Nitride

Aluminum nitride was found to act as the catalyst for the synthesis of cubic BN by sealing the mixture of hexagonal BN and AIN in a pressure cell under the inert or reducing atmosphere. No conversion of hexagonal BN to cubic BN was observed under pressures below 7×10⁹ Pa (7 GPa, 70 kbar) without AIN addition. All hexagonal BN could be completely converted to cubic BN under 6.5 GPa at 1600°C by the addition of 20 mol% AIN. The cubic BN thus synthesized was a typical tetrahedron (grain size ≅2 μm). The pressure-temperature diagram for the synthesis of cubic BN was determined at >7 GPa and T <1700°C.