Roasting effects on the distribution of tocopherols and phospholipids within each structural part and section of soybeans

To clarify the effects of microwave roasting on the distribution of tocopherols and FA of phospholipids within soybeans, whole soybeans (Glycine max) were treated by microwave and further evaluted as compared to a raw sample. Tocopherol homologs, measured using HPLC, and phospholipid profiles, quantified with GC, were determined in the seed coat, the embryonic axis, and selections of cotyledons separated from three cultivars. The tocopherols were predominantly detected in the axis, followed by the cotyledons, and then very little in the coat. As much as 25% of the individual tocopherols originally present in the coat were lost at 12 min of roasting, whereas <25% was lost in the cotyledons and the axis after 20 min of roasting. The greatest rate of phospholipid loss (P<0.05) was observed in PE, followed by PC and PI, and their changing patterns were more pronounced in the coat than in the cotyledons or the axis. Thus, tocopherol content and phospholipid profiles change with microwave roasting according to tissue.     

Hilbert-Huang变换在结构健康诊断中的应用研究

通过一个足尺的2层木结构房屋振动台试验,对Hilbert-Huang变换(HHT)在结构损伤诊断中的应用进行了研究与分析。在简要介绍了Hilbert-Huang变换的基本原理与方法后,根据在振动台试验中获取的结构反应数据,利用Hilbert-Huang变换对结构的动力特性及损伤状况进行了诊断。分析结果表明,Hilbert-Huang变换能有效地将隐含在实测结构反应信号中的结构动力特性与损伤信息进行提取,从而能对结构的健康状况进行诊断。     

Development of new‐type outdoor termination using composite insulator with SF6 gas: Commercial use for 77‐kV transmission lines and development for 154‐kV XLPE cable

Recently, composite insulators have been increasingly employed mainly for economic reasons. We have developed a new type of outdoor termination using a composite insulator, which can be installed horizontally on a steel tower in order to reduce the construction cost. In this outdoor termination, SF₆ gas is filled in the composite insulator and a cold shrinkable premolded rubber unit is applied instead of the combined use of a rubber‐molded stress relief cone, epoxy resin insulator and spring unit. The application of the composite insulator, SF₆ gas and cold shrinkable premolded rubber unit reduces the total weight and makes it possible to install the termination horizontally on the tower. The new‐type outdoor termination for 77‐kV XLPE cable has already been applied in commercial use and enabled a reduction of the construction costs for power transmission lines. A 154‐kV new‐type outdoor termination has been developed and its initial electrical tests were successfully completed. This paper describes the design and performance of both 77‐kV and 154‐kV new‐type outdoor termination, and a follow‐up survey of the 77‐kV new termination in a commercial use. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 159(4): 18– 26, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20511     

Performance of non-destructive evaluation by diffracted SH ultrasonic waves in predicting degree of fatigue in cyclic bending of ferritic steel

The degree of fatigue in ferritic wrought steel during cyclic bending was determined by analysis of diffracted SH ultrasonic waves with the aid of multiple regression analysis. As the degree of fatigue increases, accompanied by residual stress, the incident waves curve to the interior region with positive stress field owing to the acoustoelastic effect. As a result, the propagation time of the launched waves lengthens, leading to a modulation of the received waveform. Multiple regression analysis for the waveform modulation produces a reliable estimation, with correlation coefficient of 0.948, for the degree of fatigue.     

Geometrical indications of adsorbed hydrogen atoms on graphite producing star and ellipsoidal like features in scanning tunneling microscopy images: Ab initio study

Recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments display images with star and ellipsoidal like features resulting from unique geometrical arrangements of a few adsorbed hydrogen atoms on graphite. Based on first-principles STM simulations, we have found that the model with three hydrogen atoms, in which the hydrogen atoms are symmetrically placed on the graphene sheet in an equilateral triangle, encompassing a complete hexagon ring of carbon atoms, reproduces the experimentally observed starlike STM patterns. Additionally, we confirm that an ortho-hydrogen pair is the configuration corresponding to the ellipsoidal images. These calculations reveal that when the hydrogen pairs are in the same orientation, they are energetically more stable.     

Production of d-glucose from pseudo paper sludge with hydrothermal treatment

To convert cellulosic organics contained in industrial paper sludge into glucose, reaction of pseudo paper sludge composed of cellulose and inorganic compounds (calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), talc (Mg₃(Si₄O₁₀)(OH)₂), kaolin (Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄)) under hydrothermal conditions was studied. Significant amounts of glucose (ca. 23%) could be produced from cellulose in the absence of CaCO₃ for reaction in water at 523 K and 12 min reaction time. On the other hand, in the presence of CaCO3, most glucose decomposed over all conditions, whereas the addition of talc and kaolin to the mixtures increased the glucose yield to about 30%. For the case of chemical recycle of paper sludge with hydrothermal treatment to obtain d-glucose, it can be concluded that it is preferable to separate the calcium carbonate from the paper sludge before hydrothermal treatment.     

Maximum capacity of distributed generators connected to a distribution system with a step voltage regulator,as determined with an electric power density model

In a distribution system containing a step voltage regulator (SVR), the maximum capacity of distributed generators (DGs) is calculated for DGs completely dispersed on a distribution line. The maximum capacity of the DGs is calculated under the constraint of an upper or lower voltage regulation value and an allowable current value by using voltage and current profiles expressed analytically in terms of our proposed power density model. As the voltage control method for the SVRs, we consider the conventional SVR, whose transformation ratio is fixed to 1 if it detects reverse power flow, and a reverse power flow SVR which operates appropriately even if it detects reverse power flow. Calculation of the maximum capacity of DGs with respect to the power factor of the DGs indicates which parameters, including the power factor of the DGs, the distribution of the DGs, and the load, influence the maximum DG capacity. Calculation of the maximum capacity of DGs versus the system length indicates that the constraints can be subdivided into two modes in the conventional SVR and four modes in the reverse power flow SVR. The maximum DG capacity in the system with a reverse power flow SVR is larger than that in a system with the conventional SVR. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 165(4): 41–51, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20591     

Improved lower temperature fracture toughness of ultrahigh strength 4340 steel through modified heat treatment

A modified heat treatment has been suggested whereby lower temperature plane-strain fracture toughness (K _IC) of 4340 ultrahigh strength steel is dramatically improved in developed strength and Charpy impact energy levels. The modified heat-treated 4340 steel (MHT-4340 steel) consists of a mixed structure of martensite and about 25 vol pct lower bainite which appears in acicular form and partitions prior austenite grains. This is produced through isothermal transformation at 593 K for a short time followed by an oil quench (after austenitizing at 1133 K and subsequent interrupted quenching in a lead bath at 823 K). The mechanical properties obtained at room temperature (293 K) and 193 K have been compared with those achieved using various heat treatments. Significant conclusions are as follows: the MHT-4340 steel compared to the 1133 K directly oil-quenched 4340 steel increased theK _IC values by 15 to 20 MPa • m^1/2 at increased strength and Charpy impact energy levels regardless of the test temperature examined. At 193 K,K _IC values of the MHT-4340 steel were not less than those of the 1473 K directly oil-quenched 4340 steel, in whichK _IC values are significantly enhanced at markedly increased strength, ductility, and Charpy impact energy levels. The MHT-4340 steels compared to austempered 4340 steels at 593 K, which have excellent Charpy impact properties, showed superiorK _IC values at significant increased strength levels irrespective of test temperatures. The lower temperature improvement inK _IC can be attributed to not only the crack-arrest effect by acicular lower bainite but also to the stress-relief effect by the lower bainite just ahead of the current crack.