Possible 3He Boltzmann Gas Formed on Three-Dimensional Nanopores Preplated with 4He

We have measured the heat capacity of ³He adsorbed on three-dimensionally connected nanopores, 2.7 nm in diameter, preplated with about 1.3 atomic layers of ⁴He. At low coverages of ³He, the ³He heat capacity is roughly constant at the measured temperatures between 0.1 and 1 K. Its molar heat capacity is on the order of the gas constant R, between 1.1R and 1.8R. This suggests a Boltzmann gas state of the adsorbed ³He. At high coverages, the heat capacity is likely approaching linear in T at low temperatures, which suggests a degenerate state at further lower temperatures.     

Capillary rise properties of porous mullite ceramics prepared by an extrusion method with various diameters of fiber pore formers

Porous mullite ceramics with unidirectionally oriented pores were prepared by an extrusion method using rayon fibers as the pore formers. Rayon fibers of 8.1, 9.6, 16.8, and 37.6 μm in diameter were used as the pore formers and were kneaded with alumina powder, kaolin clay, China earthen clay, and water to form pastes. These pastes were extruded into cylindrical tubes, dried, and fired at 1500 °C for 4 h. The apparent porosities ranged from 45.7 to 48.2 %. The pore size distributions showed a sharp peak at 9.4, 10.0, 15.6, and 30 μm with increasing fiber diameters. The height of the capillary rise was 1780, 1670, 1320, and 950 mm with increasing fiber diameter. The maximum capillary rise is much higher than previously reported. The contact angle and effective pore radius that determine the capillary rise ability were calculated by fitting the capillary rise curves using the Fries and Dreyer’s equation.     

Synthesis and Thermal Characterization of Novel Poly(tetramethylsilanthrylenesiloxane) and Poly(tetramethylsilphenanthrylenesiloxane) Derivatives

Summary Novel poly(tetramethylsilarylenesiloxane) derivatives, i.e. poly(tetramethyl-2,6-silanthrylenesiloxane) (P1), poly(tetramethyl-9,10-silanthrylenesiloxane) (P2), and poly(tetramethyl-1,8-silphenanthrylenesiloxane) (P3), were synthesized by polycondensation of novel disilanol monomers, i.e. 2,6-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-anthracene (M1), 9,10-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)anthracene (M2), and 1,8-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)phenanthrene (M3), respectively. P1 and P3 were soluble in common organic solvents, such as benzene, toluene, chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, etc. whereas P2 was almost insoluble in common organic solvents. It was revealed that P1 and P3 were amorphous and that P2 exhibited the crystallinity, as deduced from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction measurements. The glass transition temperatures (T_g’s) of P1 (118 °C) and P3 (100 °C) were much higher than that of poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane). The temperature at 5% weight loss (T_d5) of P3 was 500 °C, which was higher than those of P1 and P2, and comparable to that of poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane). It would be speculated that the thermostability of the series of poly(tetramethyl-silarylenesiloxane) derivatives is dependent on the stability of arylene moieties incorporated.     

Chemical heat-pump system working at exhaust temperatures of high-temperature-gas-cooled reactor

A chemical heat-pump system using two hydrogen-absorbing alloys is proposed to utilize heat exhausted from a high-temperature source such as high-temperature-gas-cooled reactor, HTGR, which is designed to produce H₂ more efficiently. The overall system proposed here consists of HTGR, He gas turbines, chemical heat pumps and reaction vessels corresponding to the three-step decomposition reactions comprising the I–S process. A fundamental research is performed experimentally on heat generation in a single bed packed with a hydrogen-absorbing alloy that works at the H₂ production temperature. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy of Zr(V_1−xFe_x)₂ is selected as a material that has a proper plateau pressure for the heat-pump system operated between the input and output temperatures of HTGR. Temperature jump due to heat generated when the alloy absorbs H₂ proves that the alloy–H₂ system can heat up the exhaust gas even at 600 °C without any external mechanical force.     

Acceleration of calcium phosphate formation on bioactive PMMA-based bone cement by controlling spatial design

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-based bone cement is widely used for the fixation of artificial joints. However, it is not considered a bioactive material because it lacks the ability to induce a direct bond with bone. In order to improve the long-term stability of cemented fixations, the development of bioactive bone cements is desirable. An essential requirement of a bioactive material includes the induction of bone-like apatite on its surface within the in vivo environment. Previously, we prepared bioactive PMMA-based bone cements by a modification with water-soluble calcium salts and alkoxysilane. Because spatial design may enhance apatite formation on bioactive material surfaces in vivo, we aimed to evaluate the effect of spatial design on apatite formation on modified PMMA-based bone cements in simulated body fluid (SBF). We found that an appropriate spatial design shortened the induction period for the apatite deposition on the modified bone cements. It is expected that osteoconduction would be enhanced in spontaneously created gap between the cement and the host bone leading to tight integration.     

Study on the LLFPs transmutation in a super-critical water-cooled fast reactor

The performance of the super-critical water-cooled fast reactor (Super FR) for the transmutation treatment of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) was evaluated. Two regions with the soft neutron spectrum, which is of great benefit to the LLFPs transmutation, can be utilized in the Super FR. First region is in the blanket assembly due to the ZrH_1.7 layer which was utilized to slow down the fast neutrons to achieve a negative void reactivity. Second region is in the reflector region of core like other metal-cooled fast reactors. The LLFPs selected in the transmutation analysis include ⁹⁹Tc, ¹²⁹I and ¹³⁵Cs discharged from LWR or fast reactor. Their isotopes, such as ¹²⁷I, ¹³³Cs, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs were also considered to avoid the separation. By loading the isotopes (⁹⁹Tc or ¹²⁷I and ¹²⁹I) in the blanket assembly and the reflector region simultaneously, the transmutation rates of 5.36%/GWe year and 2.79%/GWe year can be obtained for ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I, respectively. The transmuted amounts of ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I are equal to the yields from 11.8 and 6.2 1000 MWe-class PWRs. Because of the very low capture cross section of ¹³⁵Cs and the effect of other cesium isotopes, ¹³⁵Cs was loaded with three rings of assemblies in the reflector region to make the transmuted amount be larger than the yields of two 1000 MWe-class PWRs.Based on these results, ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I can be transmuted conveniently and higher transmutation performance can be obtained in the Super FR. However, the transmutation of ¹³⁵Cs is very difficult and the transmuted amount is less than that produced by the Super FR. It turns out that the transmutation of ¹³⁵Cs is a challenge not only for the Super FR but also for other commercial fast reactors.     

Application of induction motor speed sensorless vector control to railway vehicle traction

Pulse generators (PGs) are equipped to detect the rotor frequency of induction traction motors for torque control in railway vehicle traction field. Eliminating PGs is preferable from the viewpoints of increasing the reliability of the traction system, reduction of both the initial and maintenance cost, and downsizing induction traction motors. Expecting those advantages, we have been studying the application of a sensorless control method to induction traction motor control. Prior to some reports of studies and tests to apply speed sensorless strategy to railway vehicle traction we launched ideas to apply the speed sensorless control strategy and results of the studies and tests. In this paper, we present the novel control method for railway vehicle traction and some results of theoretical study and tests. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 161(2): 69–77, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20273     

Removal ability of immunoglobulins in plasma exchange and double-filtration plasmapheresis

The value of plasma exchange (PE) in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is well established. Although no controlled trial has reported on the effect of double-filtration plasmapheresis(DFPP), neurologist in Japan often treat the GBS patients using DFPP. The therapeutic effect probably relates to the removal of circulating factors, which are immunoglobulins. We compared removal ability of immunoglobulins between PE and DFPP. IgG was less effectively removed by DFPP than by PE. We suggest that PE is more beneficial treatment for GBS than DFPP.     

One-Dimensional Phonon State of 4He Films Adsorbed in Straight Nanopores

We have studied heat capacities of ⁴He adsorbed in straight nanopores 1.8, 2.2, and 2.8 nm in diameter. Heat capacities of the ⁴He fluid film on the solid layer at 0.08–0.4 K show power laws close to T in 1.8 nm pores, close to T ² in 2.8 nm pores, and a crossover from T to T ² with increasing temperature in 2.2 nm pores. These heat capacities are explained by a model assuming a phonon dispersion with continuous one-dimensional (1D) states in the axial direction and discrete energy levels in the azimuthal direction. By fitting experimental data to the model, the phonon velocity along the pore axis and the energy gap for propagation in the cross section are derived. At temperatures sufficiently lower than the energy gap, where the thermal wave length of phonons is much longer than the effective pore diameter, the ⁴He fluid films show a T-linear heat capacity of 1D phonons propagating only along the pore axis. At higher temperatures, a 1D-2D crossover of phonons occurs.      

Population Dynamics of a Spin-1 Bose Gas at Finite Temperatures

We study population dynamics of a trapped spin-1 Bose gas above the Bose-Einstein transition temperature. Starting from the semiclassical kinetic equation for a spin-1 gas, we derive coupled rate equations for the populations of internal states. Solving the rate equations, we study the dynamical evolution of spin populations. We also estimate the characteristic timescale in which the system reaches equilibrium. Finally, we briefly discuss the extension of the theory to Bose-condensed phase below the Bose-Einstein transition temperature, and discuss the static equilibrium condition for the spin-1 system.