Development of voltage sag compensator and UPS using a flywheel induction motor and an engine generator

Flywheel energy storage systems are attracting attention as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) from the viewpoint of environmental friendliness and high durability performance. Using a low‐speed, heavy flywheel and a low‐cost squirrel‐cage induction motor/generator, two applications are proposed: (1) an 11‐kW voltage sag compensator using a capacitor self‐excited induction generator without semiconductor converters and (2) a UPS composed of the flywheel system and an engine generator. Based on experimental results, an ideal voltage sag compensator and UPS are realized by the low‐technology flywheel system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 167(1): 74– 81, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20784     

The High-Resolution X-Ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer, SXS, on Astro-H

The science and an overview of the Soft X-ray Spectrometer onboard the STRO-H mission are presented. The SXS consists of X-ray focusing mirrors and a microcalorimeter array and is developed by international collaboration lead by JAXA and NASA with European participation. The detector is a 6×6 format microcalorimeter array operated at a cryogenic temperature of 50 mK and covers a 3′×3′ field of view of the X-ray telescope of 5.6 m focal length. We expect an energy resolution better than 7 eV (FWHM, requirement) with a goal of 4 eV. The effective area of the instrument will be 225 cm² at 7 keV; by a factor of about two larger than that of the X-ray microcalorimeter on board Suzaku. One of the main scientific objectives of the SXS is to investigate turbulent and/or macroscopic motions of hot gas in clusters of galaxies.     

A 1.9-GHz Direct Conversion Transmitter IC with Low Power On-Chip Frequency Doubler

A direct conversion transmitter IC including a proposed frequency doubler, a quadrature modulator, and a 3-bit variable attenuator was fabricated using BiCMOS technology with f of 12 GHz. This architecture employing frequency doubler is intended for realizing wireless terminals that are low in cost and small in size. The architecture is effective for reducing serious interference between PA and VCO by making the VCO frequency different from that of PA. The proposed frequency doubler comprises a current-driven 90° phase-shifter and an ECL-EXOR circuit for both low power operation and wide input power range of local oscillator (LO). The proposed frequency doubler keeps high output power even when rectangular wave from LO is applied owing to use of the current-driven 90° phase-shifter instead of a voltage-driven 90° phase-shifter. An LO leakage of less than –25 dBc, an image rejection ratio in excess of 45 dBc, and a maximum attenuation of 21 dB were measured. The transmitter IC successfully operates at LO power above –15 dBm and consumes 68 mA from 2.7 V power supply voltage. An active die size is 1.5 mm×3 mm.     

GIS integration model for geothermal exploration and well siting

The work involved in identifying geothermal fields can be simplified by means of a Geographical Information System (GIS), a decision-making tool used to determine the spatial association between exploration and environmental thematic maps. This methodology has been applied to part of the Sabalan geothermal field in northwestern Iran, and to the siting of exploration wells. The datasets used in the analyses consist of geological, geochemical and geophysical information. Boolean and Index Overlay knowledge-driven models were developed for site selection; the findings from these two models correlated well with the exploration data modeling. The results of the Index Overlay model were combined with those of an environmental suitability analysis for final selection of well sites. The results of exploration and environmental data modeling were combined to select and prioritize the sites of three exploratory wells in the study area.     

Inhibitory effect of chlorophyll c2 from brown algae,Sargassum horneri,on degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells

The anti-allergic effect of alcohol extracts from edible seaweeds was evaluated by the degranulation of a rat basophilic leukemia cell line (RBL-2H3). Extracts prepared from the brown algae Sargassum horneri, Ecklonia cava and Ecklonia kurome, inhibited the degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells, whereas those from green algae and red algae did not. The active substance in S. horneri was purified and identified as chlorophyll c2, a major pigment in brown algae. The purified chlorophyll c2 preparation also suppressed the degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells. In contrast, chlorophyll a and b did not affect cell degranulation. Therefore, chlorophyll c2 from brown algae might be useful for the prevention or mitigation of allergic symptoms.     

Crystallographic Domain Structure of an Epitaxial (Pr0.7Ca0.3)MnO3 Thin Film Grown on a SrTiO3 Single Crystal Substrate

We characterized the structure of the crystallographic domain of a (Pr_0.7Ca_0.3)MnO₃ (PCMO ( x =0.3)) thin film epitaxially grown on a (001)SrTiO₃ (STO) single-crystal substrate. We found that the domain structure exhibited an atomically smooth coherent interface with the STO substrate with no misfit dislocations. The crystallographic relationships between the domains and the substrate in their planes were interpreted to be PCMO ( x =0.3)[110][001]//STO[100][010] and PCMO ( x =0.3)[001][1-10]//STO[100][010]. The domain structure of PCMO ( x =0.3)[110][1-10]//STO[100][010] has less possibility of having the larger anisotropic strain energy found in a monoclinically distorted pseudo-cubic perovskite unit cell of PCMO ( x =0.3). This epitaxial growth structure is totally different from the previously reported PCMO ( x =0.5) epitaxial thin-film structure on STO substrate. Our observations suggested that an x value change strongly influences the structure of epitaxial PCMO thin films.     

Sway measurement of overhead power lines by ITV‐based camera

We have developed a new method that can measure movement of overhead power lines in the wind. This method uses images from an ITV camera system. The sway of the power line is videotaped and analyzed. Its measured frequency response to wind is compared to a theoretical model. It is found that the new method yields results that are in good agreement with those obtained from the theoretical model for frequency response less than 0.5 Hz. With the result of frequency response, we can calculate the sway mode of the power line in the wind. Our method also offers displacement of the sway of the cable. We compared our method to the laser measurement, and found a difference of about 10 cm at 255 m from the camera. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 137(4): 18–24, 2001