Cooperative Control by System Voltage Control Equipments in Consideration of Reducing Capacity of STATCOM

In recent years, the number of renewable energy sources (RESs) such as photovoltaic generation systems and wind power generation systems connected to the grid has been increasing as a way of reducing negative effects on the environment. The outputs of these RESs vary rapidly because of the influence of the weather and the conditions of the location. Therefore, there are concerns that the point voltages in a distribution system may vary drastically and that the voltages may deviate from the appropriate voltage range as a result of the influence of the RES connected to the distribution system or to the diversification of loads. Furthermore, there are concerns about adverse effects on electric power quality, such as voltage imbalances and harmonics. In this paper, we propose a cooperative voltage control method for a distribution system using system voltage control equipment in order to reduce the capacity of the static synchronous compensator. Numerical calculations were performed in order to verify the validity of the proposed method.     

Preparation and mesostructure control of highly ordered zirconia particles having crystalline walls

Mesostructured zirconia particles having monoclinic-type crystalline walls were prepared using a low-temperature crystallization technique. Crystalline zirconia particles with highly-ordered mesostructures were obtained through the sol–gel process of zirconium sulfate tetrahydrate at 333 K in the presence of molecular self-assemblies of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or mixtures of CTAB and anionic molecules such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium p-toluenesulfonate. Variations in the molar ratios of CTAB and the chemical species of anionic molecules led to the variations in the periods of highly-ordered zirconia having crystalline walls. Calcination of the mesostructured zirconia particles prepared using templates consisting solely of CTAB yielded crystalline mesoporous zirconia particles.     

Characterization of the Oxide Scale Formed on T12 Water Wall Tube After Long-term Service in Supercritical Power Plant

Oxidation of Metals - Oxide scale control is one of the critical maintenance issues in fossil fuel power plant. Hence, the water treatment of the feed water has been changed from all-volatile...     

Direct Reprogramming and Induction of Human Dermal Fibroblasts to Differentiate into iPS-Derived Nucleus Pulposus-like Cells in 3D Culture

Intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases are common spinal disorders that cause neck or back pain in the presence or absence of an underlying neurological disorder. IVD diseases develop on the basis of degeneration, and there are no established treatments for degeneration. IVD diseases may therefore represent a candidate for the application of regenerative medicine, potentially employing normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) induced to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Here, we used a three-dimensional culture system to demonstrate that ectopic expression of MYC, KLF4, NOTO, SOX5, SOX6, and SOX9 in NHDFs generated NP-like cells, detected using Safranin-O staining. Quantitative PCR, microarray analysis, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed that the induced NP cells exhibited a fully differentiated phenotype. These findings may significantly contribute to the development of effective strategies for treating IVD diseases.     

Genetic Study of Four Candidate Holliday Junction Processing Proteins in the Thermophilic Crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Homologous recombination (HR) is thought to be important for the repair of stalled replication forks in hyperthermophilic archaea. Previous biochemical studies identified two branch migration helicases (Hjm and PINA) and two Holliday junction (HJ) resolvases (Hjc and Hje) as HJ-processing proteins; however, due to the lack of genetic evidence, it is still unclear whether these proteins are actually involved in HR in vivo and how their functional relation is associated with the process. To address the above questions, we constructed hjc-, hje-, hjm-, and pina single-knockout strains and double-knockout strains of the thermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and characterized the mutant phenotypes. Notably, we succeeded in isolating the hjm- and/or pina-deleted strains, suggesting that the functions of Hjm and PINA are not essential for cellular growth in this archaeon, as they were previously thought to be essential. Growth retardation in Δpina was observed at low temperatures (cold sensitivity). When deletion of the HJ resolvase genes was combined, Δpina Δhjc and Δpina Δhje exhibited severe cold sensitivity. Δhjm exhibited severe sensitivity to interstrand crosslinkers, suggesting that Hjm is involved in repairing stalled replication forks, as previously demonstrated in euryarchaea. Our findings suggest that the function of PINA and HJ resolvases is functionally related at lower temperatures to support robust cellular growth, and Hjm is important for the repair of stalled replication forks in vivo.     

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy of Some Energetic Materials

To find an effective laser source to ignite energetic materials, the absorption spectra of some energetic materials are obtained by means of a photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). In this experiment, PAS covers the wavelength region of 400 nm-1600 nm in which no other conventional method can take absorption spectra for powdered energetic materials. Photoacoustic spectra of 18 energetic materials are reported. In general, energetic materials tested showed peaks in 600 nm–800 nm and 1400 nm–1600 nm ranges. It is found that the energy required to initiate explosives in the case of ruby laser initiation were correlated with their photoacoustic signal intensities.     

Environmentally friendly coloured materials: cellulose/titanium dioxide/inorganic pigment composite spherical microbeads prepared by viscose phase-separation method

In order to develop environmentally friendly coloured materials, cellulose composite spherical microbeads hybridised with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles and inorganic pigment were prepared by a phase-separation method using viscose and an aqueous solution containing sodium polyacrylate. Findings regarding the relationships between cellulose xanthate and the electronic characteristics of TiO₂ particles used in the cellulose/inorganic material composite sphering process are also reported. These findings suggest that the location of TiO₂ particles in cellulose microbeads is related to electrical repulsion between the xanthate (CSS⁻) group and TiO₂. The use of TiO₂ powder as colour pigment is limited, as its colour is white. The cellulose composite spherical microbeads covered with TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ particles were developed by addition of iron oxide (Fe₂O₃). Their surfaces were viewed by laser microscope and using SEM images. These composite microbeads retained the photocatalytic property of TiO₂. Cellulose/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃ composite spherical microbeads with both colour function and photocatalytic properties were successfully prepared.     

The development of pivot bearing with multiple degrees of freedom: 1st report: Prototype of pivot bearing with two degrees of freedom

This paper deals with the prototype of a new pivot bearing having two degrees of freedom. The idea of the pivot bearing is based on a continuous velocity joint (CVJ). The experimental axial stiffness and contact pressure are compared with those determined by theoretical analysis. Then, it is confirmed that the pivot bearing swings smoothly with a range of ±25°. Furthermore, the stiffness of the bearing increases as the swinging angle becomes larger. Therefore, this newly developed pivot bearing may be applied to a parallel mechanism, a joint of robot and so on.