Performance Comparison of Circuits for Pole‐Mounted STATCOM Using SiC Devices

The recent years have seen an increasing trend in the cumulative installed capacity of distributed generators. As a result, voltage management may become difficult in existing power distribution systems in the future. A STATCOM (STAtic synchronous COMpensator) is a promising option for solving this problem because it can control reactive power rapidly and continuously. For a distribution system, STATCOM needs to be pole‐mounted to realize its low cost. However, a transformer for a STATCOM is large and heavy, and hence it is difficult to install a STATCOM on a distribution pole. We adopt a transformerless STATCOM to reduce STATCOM size and use SiC devices with low‐loss performance to obtain a more compact and efficient STATCOM. There are a large number of circuits available for a STATCOM, and there has been considerable research on performance comparisons among these circuits. However, these comparisons were drawn under different conditions, including switching frequency and level number for the circuits. In addition, these comparisons do not include the use of SiC devices. We made an equitable comparison for a 100 kVa pole‐mounted STATCOM using SiC devices. We discuss the performance and characteristics of each circuit in terms of efficiency and volume.     

Accumulation of Arsenic and Copper by Bryophytes Growing in an Aquatic Environment near Copper Mine Tailings

Bryophytes with high As accumulation affinity were identified in the aquatic environment. We surveyed a stream near copper mine tailings and then conducted laboratory experiments to confirm As accumulation in the bryophytes with high As affinity. We found that a moss, Scopelophila cataractae, accumulates As in addition to Cu in aquatic environments and confirmed it in laboratory experiments. The highest value for As in S. cataractae from the field survey was 1300 mg/kg dry weight at relatively low As concentrations in the stream water (0.005 mg/L). In addition, Brachythecium plumosum and Rhynchostegium riparioides may also be useful bryophytes for accumulation of Cu and As, though the mechanisms of As accumulation might differ between these two bryophytes and S. cataractae.     

Preparation of ultrafine polyurethane fiber web by laser‐electrospinning combined with air blowing

Thermoplastic polyurethane fiber webs were prepared using a laser‐heated electrospinning process combined with air blowing. The effect of spinning conditions such as air flow rate and air temperature on fiber diameter and molecular weight was investigated. Although the average fiber diameter decreased with increased air flow rate at each air temperature, the diameter increased when the air flow rate was >15 NL min^?1. In addition, the fiber was comparatively thicker with an increase in the air temperature. The variation in the fiber diameter tends to increase with the air flow rate, and a reduction in the molecular weight of the fiber by thermal degradation was suppressed. The thinnest and most uniform fiber with a diameter of 0.9 µm and a diameter coefficient variation of 15% was obtained at an air temperature of 25°C under an air flow rate of 15 NL min^?1. This fiber also had a minimum of decreased molecular weight. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2605–2609, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Voltage Control of Static Var Compensator for a Remote System Interconnected by Long‐Distance AC Cables

The voltage variation in a remote system is large when the system is connected by long‐distance AC cables due to the cable capacitance. In Japan, the longest 54‐km 66‐kV AC submarine cable interconnection between the Kyushu mainland and Goto Islands was commissioned in 2005. It was requested to mitigate the voltage variation caused by switching off and on one circuit of the two circuits in the AC cables when a fault occurs. Since the conventional voltage control methods such as transformer tap changer or shunt capacitor and reactor banks are not sufficient because of their slow response time, a static var compensator (SVC) was installed on the Goto Islands. In such an application, an SVC control method should be developed so as not to override the existing voltage control systems. This paper describes the SVC control method developed for the Goto Islands AC interconnection project, which can be applied to similar situations. The effectiveness of the control method was verified by the results of effective value simulation and of field testing, which was implemented before the SVC was commissioned in 2007. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 186(3): 19–30, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.22337     

Scanning transmission ion microscopy on Fudan SPM facility

In this paper,we report a novel measurement system based on the development of Fudan Scanning Proton Microscopy(SPM) facility.By using Si-PIN diode(Hamamatsu S1223-01) detector,scanning transmission ion microscopy(STIM) measurement system has been set up.It can provide density and structural images with high probing efficiency and non-destruction by utilizing the energy loss of high energy(MeV) and focused ions penetrating through a thin sample.STIM measurement is able to map the density distribution of organic elements which mostly compose biology materials,such information can not be detected by using conventional Be-windowed Si(Li) X-ray detector in Particle Induced X-ray Emission(PIXE) technique.The spatial resolution capability of STIM is higher than PIXE technique at same accelerator status.As a result of STIM measurement,Paramecium attached on the top of Kapton tube was measured by STIM.     

Synthesis of Ti-based bulk quasicrystal by shock compression

We attempted to produce a Ti₄₅Zr₃₈Ni₁₇ bulk icosahedral (i) quasicrystal by a shock compression technique, in which a single-stage powder gun discharges a flyer plate that consolidates the target powders. The results were also compared with those by a conventional hot-pressing. The powder mixtures for the shock compression were blended by two kinds of methods; that is, gently mixing in a vial, and mechanically alloying by a planetary ball mill. A large bulk i-phase sample, with a Ti₂Ni crystal phase, was synthesized from mechanically alloyed powders after shock compression at a higher flyer velocity, although the conventional hot-pressing at 3 MPa synthesized only the Ti₂Ni phase. For the gently mixed powders, no reaction occured even after shock compression. High-pressure and high-temperature produced during shock compression, and milling process were key factors to obtain the i-phase. The Vickers hardness and the wetting contact angle with pure water under an atmospheric pressure for the bulk sample containing the i-phase were about 7 GPa and about 70°, respectively.     

Cross-section analysis of electric devices by scanning capacitance microscope

Carrier influence of semiconductor devices is important as it affects the function of the device. In this experiment, the carrier density distribution in the cross-section of semiconductor device was analyzed by SCM: Scanning Capacitance Microscope which is one of the measuring mode of SPM: Scanning Probe Microscope.This paper describe measurement result of change in carrier density by the gate voltage at p channel area of CMOS device and its efficiency to investigating dopant profile on 16MDRAM cross-section.     

Analysis of Cs-adsorption behavior using a column filled with microcapsule beads of potassium copper hexacyanoferrate

Ash-washing technology is a crucially important technology for removing radioactive Cs from contaminated ash. For that technology, Cs⁺ removal from the ash-washing solution by the adsorbent is necessary. This study was conducted to establish rapid preparation of appropriate adsorption columns for Cs⁺ uptake. A one-site model was not used for analysis because the model cannot accommodate sites with different adsorption speed. Results demonstrated that the adsorption behavior of the column filled with the granules of potassium copper hexacyanoferrate was well reproduced by a two-site adsorption model with parameters chosen through analysis of batch adsorption test results.     

Preparation of All Polyester‐Based Semi‐IPN Elastomers Containing Self‐Associative or Non‐Associative Guest Chains via Post‐Blending Cross‐Linking

Mechanical properties of semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) elastomers consisting of chemical networks and self‐associative/non‐associative guest chains are demonstrated. Amorphous low T_g polyesters with thiol side groups (PE‐SH) are first synthesized by melt polycondensation. PE‐SH are then converted to polyesters containing COOH side groups (PE‐COOH) and amide side groups (PE‐amide) through Michael addition reaction of thiol groups with acrylic acid and acrylamide, respectively. Homogeneous semi‐IPN elastomers are obtained by thermal cross‐linking for bulk mixtures of PE‐COOH and PE‐amide in the presence of diepoxy cross‐linkers, where COOH and epoxy groups are reacted to form chemical cross‐links while the amide units form self‐complementary hydrogen bonds. Another sample containing non‐associative chains is also prepared by using polyester with N,N‐dimethylamide units, instead of PE‐amide. Dynamic mechanical analysis reveals that guest chain incorporation systematically brings plateau modulus reduction and a unique relaxation with higher tan δ value depending on the fraction and nature of guest chains. Tensile properties are also affected by the fraction and nature of guest chains; the incorporation of hydrogen bonded chains are beneficial to enhance breaking elongation and toughness without the sacrifice of maximum stress. The knowledge found in this work will be thus beneficial for creating tough soft materials with damping applications.     

Solid and thermal properties of ABA‐type triblock copolymers designed using difunctional fluorine‐containing polyimide macroinitiators with methyl methacrylate

BACKGROUND: ABA‐type poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and fluorine‐containing polyimide triblock copolymers are potentially beneficial for electric materials. In the work reported here, triblock copolymers with various block lengths were prepared from fluorine‐containing difunctional polyimide macroinitiators and methyl methacrylate monomer through atom‐transfer radical polymerization. The effects of structure on their solid and thermal properties were studied. RESULTS: The weight ratios of the triblock copolymers derived using thermogravimetric analysis were shown to be almost identical to the ratios determined using ¹H NMR. The solid properties (film density and maximum d‐spacing value) and thermal properties (glass transition and thermal expansion) were shown to be strongly dependent on the weight ratios of both PMMA and polyimide components. Furthermore, a porous film, which showed a lower dielectric constant of 2.48 at 1 MHz, could be prepared by heating a triblock copolymer film to induce the thermal degradation of the PMMA component. CONCLUSION: The use of the polyimide macroinitiator was useful in the preparation of ABA‐type triblock copolymers to control each block length that influences the solid and thermal properties. Additionally, the triblock copolymers have great potential in preparing porous polyimides in the application of electric materials as interlayer insulation membranes of large‐scale integration. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry