Application of step‐response test for evaluation of uncertainty of standard measuring system for lightning‐impulse high voltage

In evaluating the uncertainty of the standard measuring system for lightning‐impulse high voltages, which is composed of a standard voltage divider, a digital recorder, and calibrators, step‐response tests of the standard voltage divider may be useful. In this paper, a convolution algorithm is employed to calculate the output impulse voltage waveforms from measured step‐response waveforms. The uncertainties of peak‐value measurement due to the influence of the nominal epoch, uncertainty of the peak‐value measurement due to dispersion of the AC scale factor, and uncertainty of the virtual front‐time measurement due to long‐term stability are evaluated. Furthermore, the error of the virtual front time of the output waveforms is discussed. The front part of the step‐response waveform, t≤ T₃₀%, does not influence the error of the virtual front time. Therefore, for the standard voltage divider, the step‐response parameters, that is, the experimental response time, partial response time, settling time, and overshoot, have almost nothing to do with the error of the virtual front time. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 180(2): 24–32, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21279     

An FPGA implementation of hard‐wired sequence control system based on PLC software

Although a programmable logic controller (PLC) has been widely adopted for the sequence control of industrial machinery, its performance does not always satisfy the recent requirements in large and highly responsive systems. With the state‐of‐the‐art field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, it is possible to implement a control program with hard‐wired logic for higher response and reduced implementation cost/space. This approach is also worthwhile for transmigration of legacy PLC software into forthcoming FPGA‐based control hardware. This study presents a systematic method to implement a hard‐wired sequence control from PLC software. PLC instructions are converted into VHDL codes, and then implemented as logic circuit with various peripheral functions. Productive PLC programs were examined with Mitsubishi Electric FX2N PLC and Altera Stratix II FPGA, and were shown to fit into a common FPGA chip. A straightforward Sequential design was estimated to be 184 times faster than PLC, while a performance‐oriented Flat design was estimated to be 44 times faster than Sequential design (i.e., 8050 times faster than PLC). A practical perfect layer winder system was actually built and successfully operated with our FPGA control board, whose logic design was implemented with our tools. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

日本寒冷地带北海道优良食味粳稻育种研究（网络首发、推荐阅读）

长久以来，北海道产大米的食味口碑一直不高，也未出现像“越光”一样全日本知名的优良食味品种，因此，自1980年开始历时28年，北海道立（现称道总研）农业试验场致力于粳稻优良食味品种快速研究项目的实施。为实现快速研发的目标，通过世代促进栽培法和花药培养法成功缩短了育种年限；采用扩大育种规模的方式，并利用优良食味、耐寒性等内外部有效基因培育兼具优良食味及早熟耐寒性的品种；初期世代开始主要通过分析大米的蛋白质含量、尤其是直链淀粉含量，中间世代则通过少量蒸饭的方式进行食味品鉴，选育出优良食味种系。在食味遗传基因的改良方面，先是集聚北海道优良食味的遗传基因培育出品种“雪光”，再经由北海道品种引进“越光”的优良食味遗传基因，之后以日本东北优良食味遗传基因品种“秋田小町”作为直接杂交母本，分别成功培育出品种“闪光397”和“星之梦”，其直链淀粉含量与以往多肥多产品种的22%相比降低了2%。在此基础之上，引进美国品种“国宝玫瑰”优良食味遗传基因的品种“七星”成功问世，其直链淀粉含量又降低了1%；以变异低直链淀粉种系“北海287号”为母本，成功培育出“梦美”，其直链淀粉含量15%~16%，粘度和软度俱佳，食味亦可与“越光”媲美。     

A design and simulation tool for ground source heat pump system using energy piles with large diameter

Calculation of the underground temperature resulting from heat injection/extraction into/from ground heat exchangers (GHEXs) with hourly variation is one of the most noteworthy challenges to address when simulating and designing a ground source heat pump (GSHP). In order to overcome this challenge, the authors introduce a method to calculate the underground temperature, by considering heat injection/extraction into/from GHEXs with hourly variation. The method applies the superposition of the infinite cylindrical source (ICS) solution and the infinite line source (ILS) solution to calculate the temperature change due to heat injection/extraction into/from the considered GHEX and other neighboring GHEXs, respectively. The calculation method also considers heat injection/extraction from GHEXs with different heat injection/extraction rates and is able to accommodate GHEXs with large diameters such as energy piles. The calculation method was evaluated by applying it to calculate the temperature variation of the heat carrier fluid in a GSHP system with energy piles.     

日本の寒地，北海道における2030年代の水稲生育への温暖化の影響予測とその対応(日语原文)

北海道では1980年代から2010年代まで，水稲圃場栽培期間である5–9月の気温は年代とともに上昇した。そこで，直近の2010年代（2010—2019年平均）と比べて， 2つの2030年代の予測気象から，既報の関係式より水稲生育を予測した。その結果，2030年代では2010年代に比べ，限界移植日（移植早限）が水稲栽培17地域の平均で8～9日早い。また，早限出穂期が1～5日早く，晩限出穂期が1～5日遅く，安全出穂期間が2～10日長い。出穂期は1～3日早い。出穂期から晩限出穂まで2～9日長いため，遅延型冷害の発生がやや少ない。生育期別気象は，出穂前24日以降30日間では生育が早いため平均気温が同じかやや低い。出穂前10日以降40日間および出穂期以降40日間では平均気温がやや高く，日射量はやや少ない。そのため，玄米収量は96～98％とやや低く，潜在収量性を示す気候登熟量示数は同じである。障害不稔発生に関係する穂ばらみ期冷害危険期の平均気温はわずかに低いかほぼ同じであるため，冷害発生の危険性は残る。一方，不稔発生をもたらす低温域の出現頻度には，地域間で差異がある。精米蛋白質含有率は同じであるが，アミロース含有率はやや低く，やや良食味である。米粒外観品質では被害粒歩合と着色粒歩合は一定の傾向がなく，未熟粒歩合はやや高い。精米白度は同じであるが，玄米白度はやや高い。以上の予測に対する技術的対応方向を示した。     

Formation of compositional gradient in Al/SiC FGMs fabricated under huge centrifugal forces using solid-particle and mixed-powder methods

Formations of graded distribution of SiC ceramic particles within the hollow cylindrical shaped Al/SiC functionally graded materials (FGMs) fabricated by centrifugal solid-particle method (CSPM) and centrifugal mixed-powder method (CMPM) under huge centrifugal force are experimentally and theoretically investigated. The movement of SiC ceramic particles in viscous liquid under centrifugal force is explained based on Stoke's law. The effect of compositional gradient of particles on viscosity is taken into account. Also, the effect of temperature distribution on viscosity and density are considered. A computer code to simulate the formation of compositional gradient in the Al/SiC FGMs fabricated by CSPM and CMPM is developed. From the results, it is found that the volume fraction of SiC ceramic particles can be graded from the inner to the outer surface of hollow cylindrical shaped Al/SiC FGMs by CSPM. Meanwhile by CMPM, the SiC ceramic particles can be dispersed on the outer surface of hollow cylindrical shaped Al/SiC FGMs. The graded distribution in Al/SiC FGMs under huge centrifugal force is found to be significantly affected by the mold temperature but less affected by the temperature of molten Al and casting atmosphere.     

Apatite formation on silica gel in simulated body fluid: effects of structural modification with solvent-exchange

The prerequisite for glasses and glass-ceramics to bond to living bone is the formation of biologically active bone-like apatite on their surfaces. It has been shown that even a pure silica gel forms the bone-like apatite on its surface in a simulated body fluid. In the present study, pore structure of silica gels prepared by hydrolysis and polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane in an aqueous solution containing polyethylene glycol was modified by 1M HNO3, and 0.1M and 1M NH4OH solution treatments. The three kinds of resultant gels all contained large amounts of silanol groups and trisiloxane rings, but differ greatly in pore structure of nanometre pore size. Irrespective of these differences, all the gels formed the bone-like apatite on their surface in the simulated body fluid. It was speculated that a certain type of structural unit of silanol groups, which is easily formed in the presence of the polyethylene glycol, is effective for the apatite formation. © 1998 Chapman & Hall     

Effects of customer response to fashion product stockout on holding costs,order sizes,and profitability in omnichannel retailing

In retailing practice, customers may actively respond in one of the following ways after experiencing stockout of a preferred brand: switch to a substitutable brand, switch to another store (where the preferred brand could be available), or delay purchase (backlogging). This paper presents a model of active customer responses to stockout of fashion products. In the single‐period model, a retailer maximizes profit by selling two substitutable brands through two different stores. Analytical results and numerical experiments suggest that active response to stockout increase the retailer's profitability due to (a) additional revenue from backlogging and brand and store switching and (b) decrease in optimal order size resulting in lower holding costs. Omnichannel fulfillment offers additional opportunities for retailers to benefit from active responses to stockout.