Quantitative risk assessment using a Japanese hydrogen refueling station model

Although hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) are becoming widespread across Japan and are essential for the operation of fuel cell vehicles, they present potential hazards. A large number of accidents such as explosions or fires have been reported, rendering it necessary to conduct a number of qualitative and quantitative risk assessments for HRSs. Current safety codes and technical standards related to Japanese HRSs have been established based on the results of a qualitative risk assessment and quantitative effectiveness validation of safety measures over ten years ago. In the last decade, there has been much development in the technologies of the components or facilities used in domestic HRSs and much operational experience as well as knowledge to use hydrogen in HRSs safely have been gained through years of commercial operation. The purpose of the present study is to conduct a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of the latest HRS model representing Japanese HRSs with the most current information and to identify the most significant scenarios that pose the greatest risks to the physical surroundings in the HRS model. The results of the QRA show that the risk contours of 10^?3 and 10^?4 per year were confined within the HRS boundaries, whereas the risk contours of 10^?5 and 10^?6 per year are still present outside the HRS. Comparing the breakdown of the individual risks (IRs) at the risk ranking points, we conclude that the risk of jet fire demonstrates the highest contribution to the risks at all of the risk ranking points and outside the station. To reduce these risks and confine the risk contour of 10^?6 per year within the HRS boundaries, it is necessary to consider risk mitigation measures for jet fires.     

Electrical Breakdown Properties and Space Charge Formation in High Temperature Region in Ultraviolet Ray Irradiated PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most popular insulating material for electric wiring instruments. However, an exothermic reaction above 150 °C may cause deterioration of the insulating properties of PVC. Therefore, it is important to clarify the heat degradation in PVC, not only to investigate the ignition of electrical wiring products but also to use electrical products safely. It is known that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation causes chemical deterioration of PVC and an increase in its conductivity. Generally, it has been thought that the electrical breakdown properties, electrical conduction, and insulating performance are affected by space charge accumulation in an insulating material. A high temperature pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) system usable up to 250 °C has been developed, and the PEA system can measure the space charge distribution and conduction current in the high temperature range simultaneously. In this investigation, the space charge distribution and conduction current were measured up to electrical breakdown in a non‐UV irradiated sample (normal PVC) and in 353 nm and 253 nm UV‐irradiated PVC samples in the range from room temperature to 200 °C in a DC electric field. In the short wavelength UV irradiated PVC sample (253 nm, 300 h), a deterioration of breakdown strength at 90 °C to 150 °C and negative packet‐like charges were observed at 60 °C and 100 °C, a positive charge accumulated in front of both the anode and cathode above 90 °C, and a higher electric field near the cathode side because the positive charge of the cathode side was greater.     

Static-state feedback control of discrete-event systems underpartial observation

Studies static-state feedback control of discrete-event systems under partial observation. The authors present a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a static-state feedback controller. A static controller is a special case of a dynamic controller studied by Kumar et al. The authors' condition, however, has computational advantage in contrast to those obtained by Kumar et al. The authors also present a necessary and sufficient condition under which the modular feedback synthesis is possible     

Preparation and antibacterial activity of novel fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers/silica nanocomposites-encapsulated low molecular biocides

Fluoroalkyl end-capped N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer [R_F-(DOBAA) _n -R_F] reacted with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and silica nanoparticles in the presence of low-molecular weight biocides such as hibitane, hinokitiol, and hinokioil under alkaline conditions to afford R_F-(DOBAA) _n -R_F/silica nanocomposites-encapsulated these biocides in excellent to moderate isolated yields. Fluoroalkyl end-capped N,N-dimethylacrylamide oligomer [R_F-(DMAA) _n -R_F] and acrylic acid oligomer [R_F-(ACA) _n -R_F]/silica nanocomposites-encapsulated hibitane were obtained under similar conditions. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed that the size of these fluorinated nanocomposites-encapsulated biocides thus obtained is nanometer size-controlled. Additionally, these fluorinated nanocomposites were shown to have a good dispersibility and stability in methanol and water. Of particular interest, these fluorinated nanocomposites-encapsulated biocides were found to have a good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and these nanocomposites were applied to the surface modification of traditional organic polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate).     

Interleukin-6 cDNA transfected Lewis lung carcinoma cells show unaltered net tumour growth rate but cause weight loss and shortened survival in syngeneic mice

HuIL-6 cDNA, cloned into a neomycin resistant conferring expression vector, BMGNeo, was transfected into Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) cells. LLC cells (5 x 10(6) ml-1) transfected with IL-6 cDNA (LLC-IL6) secreted IL-6 into the culture supernatant at a concentration of 9.9 ng ml-1 within 48 h. When 1,000,000 of untransfected LLC, BMGNeo vector transfected LLC (LLC-Neo) or LLC-IL6 cells were transplanted into C57BL/6 mice subcutaneously, the mean +/- s.d. of survival times of these mice were 33.3 +/- 9.7, 34.3 +/- 7.1 and 17.0 +/- 3.1 days, respectively. The survival time of LLC-IL6 cells transplanted mice was significantly shorter than that of LLC (P < 0.01) or LLC-Neo (P < 0.01) cells transplanted mice without a measurable difference of tumour size. Plasma concentration of IL-6 steadily increased in LLC-IL6 transplanted mice. Body weight and serum albumin were significantly lower in LLC-IL6 transplanted mice than in LLC transplanted mice. Mouse IL-1 alpha and mouse TNF-alpha were not detected in the plasma of LLC-IL6 transplanted mice. These data suggested that secretion of IL-6 from LLC cells was unable to alter net tumour growth rate but rather caused a state similar to cachexia without detectable increase of IL-1 alpha and TNF-alpha in the plasma. This state may be responsible for the shortened survival of LLC-IL6 tumour-bearing mice.     

Hot carrier magnetophonon spectroscopy of semiconductors in high magnetic fields up to 40 T

Hot carrier magnetophonon resonances of n-type Si, short channel InP and p-type InSb were investigated in pulsed high magnetic fields up to 40 T. Using a recently developed high resolution technique in pulsed high fields, many new features of the hot carrier-phonon interactions in high magnetic fields were found.     

Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Machinable Glass-Ceramics through Postmachining Heat Treatments

A mica-based machinable glass-ceramic has been converted to a glass-ceramic containing cordiertie and body-centered cubic chondrodite through heat treatment at temperatures higher than that used for the crystallization of mica. The machinability is lost, microhardness increases, and the thermal expansion coefficient decreases with the change of the crystalline phase from mica to cordierite and chondrodite.