A 63-mW H.264/MPEG-4 audio/visual codec LSI with module-wise dynamic Voltage/frequency scaling

A single-chip H.264 and MPEG-4 audio-visual LSI for mobile applications including terrestrial digital broadcasting system (ISDB-T / DVB-H) with a module-wise, dynamic voltage/frequency scaling architecture is presented for the first time. This LSI can keep operating even during the voltage/frequency transition, so there is no performance overhead. It is realized through a dynamic deskewing system and an on-chip voltage regulator with slew rate control. By the combination with traditional low power techniques such as embedded DRAM and clock gating, it consumes only 63 mW in decoding QVGA H.264 video at 15 frames/sec and MPEG-4 AAC LC audio simultaneously.     

高性能粉末冶金材料与其制造工艺的开发

随着常规粉末冶金产业发展，像锻轧粉末冶金铝合金、超塑性高温合金、机械合金化氧化物弥散强化（ODS）合金之类的先进粉末冶金工艺，引起了人们的注意。受先进粉末冶金工艺启发，开发了适应日本汽车与家电产业的新材料与生产工艺，开发了适合于钢铁结构的粉末冶金Al-Si-X合金。为了改进经济性与近终形（NNS）成形性，开发了无包套粉末挤压工艺与精压式粉末锻造工艺。基于这些工艺，还开发了比单一结构材料具有较多功能的新材料，诸如轻量散热器（heat sink）与高性能发动机气缸内衬。     

Development of smart composite structures with small-diameter fiber Bragg grating sensors for damage detection: Quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing

The authors and Hitachi Cable, Ltd. have recently developed small-diameter optical fiber and its fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for embedment inside a lamina of composite laminates without strength reduction. The outside diameters of the cladding and polyimide coating are 40 and 52 μm, respectively. First, a brief summary is presented for applications of small-diameter FBG sensors to damage monitoring in composite structures. Then, we propose a new damage detection system for quantitative evaluation of delamination length in CFRP laminates using Lamb wave sensing. In this system, a piezo-ceramic actuator generates Lamb waves in a CFRP laminate. After the waves propagate in the laminate, transmitted waves are received by an FBG sensor attached on or embedded in the laminate using a newly developed high-speed optical wavelength interrogation system. This system was applied to detect interlaminar delamination in CFRP cross-ply laminates. When the Lamb waves passed through the delamination, the amplitude decreased and a new wave mode appeared. These phenomena could be well simulated using a finite element analysis. From the changes in the amplitude ratio and the arrival time of the new mode depending on the delamination length, it was found that this system could evaluate the delamination length quantitatively. Furthermore, small-diameter FBG sensors were embedded in a double-lap type coupon specimen, and the debonding progress could be evaluated using the wavelet transform.     

Plan for first phase of safety demonstration tests of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR)

Safety demonstration tests using the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) will be conducted for the purpose of demonstrating inherent safety features of High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) as well as providing the core and plant transient data for validation of HTGR safety analysis codes. The first phase safety demonstration test items include the reactivity insertion test and the coolant flow reduction test. In the reactivity insertion test, which is the control rod withdrawal test, one pair out of 16 pairs of control rods is withdrawn, simulating a reactivity insertion event. The coolant flow reduction test consists of the partial loss of coolant flow test and the gas circulators trip test. In the partial loss of coolant flow test, primary coolant flow rate is slightly reduced by control system. In the gas circulators trip test one and two out of three gas circulators are run down, simulating coolant flow reduction events. The gas circulators trip tests, in which position of control rods are kept unchanged, are simulation tests of anticipated transients without scram (ATWS).     

感应电机无速度传感器矢量控制系统的定子电阻在线辨识

该文针对利用磁通观测器推算转子磁通的感应电机无速度传感器矢量控制系统，提出了定子电阻在线辨识法。在利用q轴磁通推算转速的基础上，该系统利用d轴磁通误差实现定子电阻在线辨识，该方案的优点是系统简单，解决了低速运行时电压模型的定子电阻变化对系统稳定性和速度控制精度的影响问题。数字仿真和实验结果验证了定子电阻在线辨识的必要性和该方案的有效性。     

Interior permanent magnet linear synchronous motor forhigh-performance drives

Permanent magnet linear synchronous motors have been developed for factory automation, transportation applications, and so on. In the rotary-type permanent magnet synchronous machines, the wide speed and constant power operation are realized by using the reluctance torque due to the saliency and the flux-weakening control. In this paper, we examine the effect of the interior permanent magnet arrangement for wide speed operation and the end effect in the linear structure     

General structure and characteristics of quick response production system

The diversification and shorter production cycles urge manufacturers to shift their production systems from “make to stock” to “make to order” or an intermediate production system between them. The present paper deals with a production system developed by some manufacturers to meet requirements in the last decade. The system, which we call “Quick response to orders production system” or in brief “quick response production system (QRPS)”, is characterized by two key factors, i.e., “acceptable response time” and “semifinished product.” An acceptable response time is decided through the explicit or implicit approval of customers beforehand and manufacturers guarantee to ship products within an acceptable response time in a stochastic sense by processing the semifinished product according to customer order. As a result, manufacturers are able to reduce the inventory of finished products, while customers are able to enjoy the diversification of products and a stable supply from manufacturers. The general structure and characteristics of QRPS are discussed primarily from a quantitative point of view and a numerical example is shown to assist in understanding the design and operation of QRPS.     

Impact of Multimedia Traffic Characteristics on ATM Network Configuration

This paper proposes a new topological designmethod, named BXCQ, which optimizes logical networkconfiguration while guaranteeing Quality-of-Service(QoS) requirements for each service class in an ATMnetwork. The BXCQ method determines the optimum logicalnetwork topology associated with each service class soas to minimize network cost. In our previously proposedFull-Net architecture these different logical topologies can be suitably mapped at the sametime on the same ATM physical network by using theVirtual Channel Handler (VCH) to create differentlogical interconnection networks. The BXCQ method allows us to clarify the relations between multimediatraffic characteristics and desirable logical networkconfigurations in Full-Net. Evaluation results suggestthat a service class that is bursty, delay tolerant, and cell loss sensitive with small demandshould be supported by a loop-like topology. This studywill be useful for designing flexible and cost-effectivemultimedia networks that can also adapt to not-yet-known services.     

Legacy system program transformation by Lyee methodology

Based on the comparative review of several approaches to legacy system conversion and revitalization, the Lyee methodology application for the issue is presented to clarify its idea, the associated procedure, and the implemented tools. It could be said that with the tools and manual developed by ICBSM&T, the mechanical transformation of the conventional program to a Lyee-structured one becomes possible as long as the programs are made in a procedure-oriented language. In addition to the program structure conversion, the Lyee methodology permits people to choose any application language in the transformed program. At the same time, quite a new approach related to the system conversion is introduced, in which the chunk of data extracted from an old program is edited to make a new conventional structure program that has a logical sequence instead of a Lyee type of declarative program. These features can be realized through the concept of LyeeBELT, which is a set of word-information about the attributes, formulae, and conditions for an independent data item.

The overall workflow of the legacy program transformation is shown in the following.

A critical part in its implementation is the feasibility study (pre-analysis) stage where necessary information is supposed to be secured, and an appropriate plan and policy about the system to be revitalized in the new system environment should be clarified so as to customize the tools accordingly. If the initial process is completed, the mechanical legacy system conversion will be realized by registering the parameters in the tool, and the reestablishment of business knowledge in the LyeeBELT will be enabled. With the regulated business logic on the LyeeBELT, the program maintenance afterwards becomes drastically simplified and stable without the ‘spaghetti’ problem, so that software evolution can be possible.     

Feasibility of a 1,400 m Span Steel Cable-Stayed Bridge

This paper describes the feasibility of 1,400 m steel cable-stayed bridges from both structural and economic viewpoints. Because the weight of a steel girder strongly affects the total cost of the bridge, the writers present a procedure to obtain a minimum weight for a girder that ensures safety against static and dynamic instabilities. For static instability, elastoplastic, finite-displacement analysis under in-plane load and elastic, finite-displacement analysis under displacement-dependent wind load are conducted; for dynamic instability, multimodal flutter analysis is carried out. It is shown that static critical wind velocity of lateral torsional buckling governs the dimension of the girder. Finally, the writers briefly compare a cable-stayed bridge with suspension bridge alternatives.