Influence of Measurement Parameters on Frequency Response Analysis Diagnosis of Oil‐Immersed Transformer

Appropriate monitoring and maintenance become important as an oil‐immersed transformer ages. Generally, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is effective for the online diagnosis, and if an abnormality is detected, frequency response analysis (FRA) is effective for the offline diagnosis to localize the failed part. FRA diagnosis detects a slight change of waveforms; however, external factors may influence the results. Here, we discuss the influence of an insulating oil presence, tap position, and measurement lead wire length as possible parameters that influence the FRA characteristics. We confirmed that the measurement parameters examined here greatly influenced the FRA characteristics. In the actual diagnosis, it is important to remove these external parameters as much as possible, and keep a detailed record of the measurement parameters. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 186(1): 18–25, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.22313     

Characteristics of PM synchronous motor drives with a trapezoidal EMF

A permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with nonsinusoidal electromotive force (EMF) generates torque ripple even if the sinusoidal PWM inverter drives the PMSM. A new modified trapezoidal modulating signal for PWM inverter suitable for PMSM drive with nonsinusoidal EMF is proposed in this paper. A new modulating signal for the PMSM drive is determined by the condition of reducing torque ripple of the motor with various trapezoidal EMF. When the PWM inverter using modified trapezoidal modulating signal drives the PMSM having a nonsinusoidal EMF, the torque ripple of the motor can be reduced, the DC link voltage utilization is improved, and reduction of switching loss can be obtained. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 159(1): 62–71, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20441     

Kooroo color: 90-day dietary toxicity study in F344 rats

A subchronic toxicity study on kooroo color was conducted using F344 rats of both genders. Kooroo color is an extract of yam root, Dioscorea matudai Hayata, of which the major components are known to be flavonoid pigments. Use of kooroo as a food color is permitted by the Food Sanitation Law in Japan, but the chronic toxicity has not been evaluated in the literature. Rats were fed the product of kooroo color (PKC) at doses of 0.5%, 1.50%, and 5.0% in basal powder diet, while control groups received PKC-free basal diet, for ninety days. A vehicle control given propylene glycol (PG) alone, at the same dosage that the 5.0% group received, was included, because PKC used in this study contained ca. 80 percent PG, used as an extractant during the manufacturing processes. Daily observation of general behavior, and weekly measurement of body weight as well as food consumption were performed. Hematological, serum biochemical and anatomopathological examinations were conducted at the end of administration. No abnormalities ascribable to the treatment with PKC or PG were noted in any examination in this study. Hence, dietary intake of 5.0% of PKC, i.e., 2,993 mg/kg/day for males, and 3,376 mg/kg/day for females, as a mean daily intake for 90 days, had no observable adverse effect in F344 rats. Therefore, kooroo color has no significant general toxicity, and its toxicity, if any, is of a very low order.     

Components of the Porous Maize Starch Granule Prepared by Amylase Treatment

Porous starch granules were prepared from normal and waxy maize starch with amylase (from Aspergillus sp.) treatment, but we failed to make it from amylostarch under the same condition. The porous normal starch samples of some digestive stage were analyzed to X-ray diffraction, DSC and GPC after debranching process. The X-ray diffraction patterns were changed following with proceed of digestion, but the values obtained from DSC and GPC were not changed. These observations suggest that crystal region may be more sensitive to the amylase than amorphous one, and amylose may be homogeneously distributed in the both regions.     

A novel method for preparing oil-in-water-in-oil type multiple emulsions using organophilic montmorillonite clay mineral

A stable formula using oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) type multiple emulsions was investigated. The components consisted of hydrophilic nonionic surfactant (HCO-60), organophilic montmorillonite, and lipophilic nonionic surfactant (DIS-14). O/W/O emulsions were prepared by a double-step procedure in which an O/W emulsion was prepared in the first step, and then the O/W emulsion was “re-emulsified” in an oil phase with organophilic montmorillonite. The diameter of the innermost oil droplets decreased with increasing HCO-60 content (0.1–3%), while the viscosity showed a maximum at 1% of HCO-60, indicating that the yiel of re-emulsification is highest at this condition. Viscosity of the O/W/O emulsion increased with increasing organophilic montmorillonite and DIS-14. According to the results of a phase ratio study, viscosity and stability of the O/W/O emulsion decreased at high weight fraction of inner oil phase (0.4–0.5), indicating that the excess amount of inner oil phase is absorbed by the outer oil phase. These results revealed that the weight fraction of inner oil phase should be kept below 0.3 for a stable O/W/O emulsion. A similar study on the weight fraction of O/W phase [фO/W)/O] suggested that the O/W/O emulsion is stable at ϕ(O/W)/O=0.65–0.70.     

Laser‐induced discharge in a rod–plane electrode in the presence of a negative dc electric field

Discharge induction experiments were performed between a plate and a rod on a plate electrode configuration with a gap length of 1 m using a high‐power CO₂ laser and a dc voltage generator. The electrodes are parallel planes. Each plate electrode consists of a central flat part having a diameter of 3 m with a circular edge on a cross section. The length of the rod is 10 cm. A chain of plasma beads of length 10 cm was created on the tip of the rod by the CO₂ laser and used for artificial triggering of negative high‐voltage sparkover. The behavior of streamer, leader, and return stroke was observed by an image converter camera. It was found that a positive upward traveling leader can be triggered from the tip of the rod on the lower plane to the upper plane by the chain of plasma beads created by the CO₂ laser. This apparatus is useful for study for realization of laser‐induced lightning. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 132(4): 19–27, 2000     

Effects of a barrier on creeping discharge characteristics in SF6 and N2 gases under pulse voltages

This paper describes the effect of a barrier on creeping discharge characteristics in SF₆, N₂, and their mixtures. The barrier height effect on the discharge voltage was investigated under a positive pulse voltage. The discharge voltage increased with increasing barrier height in SF₆ gas. On the other hand, the discharge voltage hardly changed with the barrier height in N₂ gas. In order to clarify the mechanism of the initial creeping corona, it was observed by optical techniques, including an ultra-high-speed electronic imaging system (IMACON 468). The creeping corona path revealed differences in images at various barrier heights. The accumulated charge induced on the barrier by the initial corona in SF₆ gas was able to suppress the development of the later creeping corona, in contrast with N₂ gas. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 125(4): 1–8, 1998     

Competitive oxidation of formaldehyde and formate on amorphous copper-palladium-zirconium alloy electrodes in alkaline media

Raney-type Cu–Pd alloy electrodes were prepared from amorphous Cu–Pd–Zr ternary alloys by treatment with aq. HF, and competitive anodic oxidation reactions of HCHO and HCOO^– were studied on these electrodes in alkaline media. The initial HCHO oxidation product was HCOO^– even on Pd or Pd-rich alloy electrodes which should be more active to the HCOO^– oxidation than to HCHO. The product HCOO^– was oxidized only after a large decrease of the HCHO concentration in the electrolyte. The oxidation rate of HCOO^– was considerably lowered by the existence of even a small amount of HCHO, as well as by the introduction of CO. These results suggest that the HCHO electro-oxidation is accompanied by production of a surface contaminant such as adsorbed CO. The optimum nominal Pd atomic fraction in the Cu–Pd alloy electrodes suitable for the steady simultaneous oxidation of HCHO and HCOO^– in mixed solution was shown to be 0.25 and 0.4 in 1.0 M NaOH (M=moldm^–3) and 0.5 M K₂CO₃, respectively.     

高功率因数三相软开关PWM变流器

本文提出一种三相软开关PWM变流器,它具有电路结构简单,开关次数较传统变流器少的特点,电路的开关切换是以单纯的ZVS方式进行的,从而可以减少开关损耗和抑制EMI。文章阐述了变流器输入功率因数为1和输出直流电压恒定的控制方法,通过改变调制信号的调制度a和相位角φ,不但可以使输入电流和相电压保持同相位,输入电流波形为正弦波,而且可以使输出直流电压保持恒定。     

Analysis of PFC boost converter with soft-switching configuration

This paper proposes use of a lossless snubber with a switching device to perform soft switching, thus not only decreasing switching loss in the device drastically, but also improving the input ac current waveform distortion. Computer simulation results show that the input current waveform of the proposed converter seems to eliminate the third harmonic component. We perform an analysis of the input current waveform and identify the requirements for the elimination of the third harmonic component. We also describe the procedure used to design the parameters of the converter. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 133(1): 64–78, 2000