An Improved Thin Wire Representation for FDTD Computations

We have shown that finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetic computations for a conductor system having a radius smaller than 0.15Deltar or larger than 0.65 Deltar (Deltar is the lateral side length of cells employed), modeled using arbitrary-radius-wire representations proposed so far with a time increment determined from the upper limit of Courant's stability condition, result in numerical instability. A primary factor causing this numerical instability is that the speed of waves propagating in the radial direction from the wire in the immediate vicinity of the wire exceeds the speed of light, and therefore, Courant's condition is not satisfied there. It is further shown that for these cases, the arbitrary-radius-wire representation can be improved by modifying the material parameters for the axial field components closest to the wire as well as those for the radial electric and circulating magnetic field components. The improved wire representation is effective in representing a wire whose radius ranges from 0.0001Deltar to 0.9Deltar.     

Cytokine responses of human intestinal epithelial-like Caco-2 cells to the nonpathogenic bacterium Bacillus subtilis (natto)

Intestinal epithelial cells produce cytokines in response to pathogenic bacteria. However, cellular responses of these cells to nonpathogenic strains, such as Bacillus subtilis, are yet to be determined. In this study, we investigate whether epithelial-like human colon carcinoma Caco-2 cells produce cytokines in response to B. subtilis or B. subtilis (natto). The latter strain is utilized for manufacturing the fermented soy food "natto". Live cells of nonpathogenic B. subtilis JCM 1465(T), B. subtilis (natto) and E. coli JCM 1649(T), as well as pathogenic S. enteritidis JCM 1652 and P. aeruginosa JCM 5516 strains, induced secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or IL-8, but not IL-7, IL-15 or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of Caco-2 cell monolayers cultured with E. coli, S. enteritidis or P. aeruginosa decreased more rapidly than that of cells cultured with B. subtilis or B. subtilis (natto). The amounts of cytokine induced by B. subtilis (natto) cells were strain-dependent. Moreover, B. subtilis (natto) cells subjected to hydrochloric acid treatment, but not autoclaving, induced a higher secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 than intact cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including AG126 and genistein, suppressed cytokine secretion. Our results suggest that the nonpathogenic B. subtilis (natto) bacterium induces cytokine responses in intestinal epithelial cells via activation of an intracellular signaling pathway, such as that of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB).     

A Study of Mutual Coupling between Vertical Grounding Electrodes

This paper investigates the mutual grounding impedance between vertical grounding electrodes based on field measurements and FDTD simulations. In the case of vertical electrodes, the mutual impedance between the electrodes is almost completely independent of the electrode length, and thus the induced voltage is nearly constant as the electrode length becomes longer. This characteristic is different from that of an overhead conductor, where the electromagnetic‐induced voltage is proportional to the conductor length. The greater the separation distance between the electrodes, the smaller the induced voltage, as in the case of an overhead conductor. The propagation speed increases as the separation increases. It is found that the speed is not necessarily proportional to the inverse of the relative permittivity of the earth.     

Application of the partial element equivalent circuit method to tower surge response calculations

This article presents calculations of tower surge responses and insulator voltages of an actual transmission tower including ground wires and phase wires. The partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) method is applied as a simulation tool. Surge responses of the tower and insulator voltages calculated by the PEEC method are compared with electro magnetic transients program (EMTP) simulated results and experimental results collected from the literatures. The results calculated by the PEEC method agree well with the experimetal results, not only amplitudes but also waveshapes. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Digital fault location for high resistance grounded transmissionlines

This paper demonstrates that the presence of multiple load taps cannot be neglected for single-phase-to-ground fault location. A new method has been developed taking this into consideration, that can be applied to correct the location error due to intermediate power sources. Then fault location methods for parallel double-circuit two-terminal transmission lines are discussed. Finally, a new fault location method is proposed for high-resistance grounded double-circuit transmission lines with three terminals     

Theoretical analysis of transient recovery voltages when clearing a transformer secondary fault

An analytical formula for the transient recovery voltage and its derivative dv/dt across a circuit breaker has been derived for the case of a transformer secondary fault. A comparison of the calculated results with field test and EMTP simulation results has demonstrated it to have satisfactory accuracy. By applying the formula, the effects of various circuit parameters on the transient recovery voltage and its derivative dv/dt are elucidated. The derivative dv/dt, defined conventionally as the ratio of the crest value and the time to the crest, is found to be about two‐thirds of the maximum value of dv/dt given as a function of time. In addition, a formula for the critical circuit parameters at which dv/dt across a vacuum circuit breaker reaches the critical condition, that is, the circuit breaker fails to interrupt a fault current, is derived. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 134(3): 44–52, 2001     

Field test and EMTP simulation of transient voltages when clearing a transformer secondary fault

A field test was carried out to investigate a fault clearing transient due to current interruption of a three‐phase to ground fault at the secondary side of a 3‐MVA, 22/6.6‐kV transformer by a vacuum circuit breaker. EMTP simulations in comparison with the measured results have made it clear that the capacitance C_p of a CR divider to measure voltages reduces dv/dt of transient recovery voltage across the circuit breaker by the ratio of (C_t/(C_t + C_p) where C_t is the transformer stray capacitance. The leakage inductance evaluated from the transformer rating has been found to be noticeably greater than that determined from the measured fault current possibly due to the transformer saturation. Considering the transformer magnetizing conductance and selecting an appropriate interrupted current, EMTP simulation gives a satisfactory result compared with a field test. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(2): 40–48, 2000     

Fault-surge calculation using phase-domain ARMA line model

For fault-surge studies, the most important and also most difficult part of the simulation is inclusion of the frequency dependence of the transmission line, because the simulation requires high accuracy in a wide frequency range, from the power frequency to a few megahertz. The authors have developed a highly efficient method of modeling a transmission line considering its complete frequency dependence, which cannot be dealt with in the present line models in the Electro-Magnetic Transients Program (EMTP). According to the method, a transmission line is modeled directly in the phase domain in order to avoid model transformation and thus to eliminate the problems of representing its frequency dependence. The method also includes sophisticated acceleration of transient calculations by means of an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model. This paper presents a method of steady-state initialization of the phase-domain ARMA line model for applying it to fault-surge calculations. The calculated results agree well with rigorous frequency-domain simulations and show improved accuracy compared with an existing frequency-dependent line model (J. Marti model) widely used as a standard model in the EMTP. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 121(3): 27–35, 1997