Superplasticity of Fe-Ni alloys

In the two phase alloys which exhibit superplasticity, strain rate sensitivitym, in the relationship σ =Kε ^m, has been known to be strongly dependent on the volume fraction of the second phase. It, however, has not been necessarily confirmed experimentally on various two phase alloys. In this paper we present an experimental evidence showing that the largestm is obtained when the volume fraction of the second phase is around 0.5.     

Archaeal population on supporting material in methanogenic packed-bed reactor

The population of methanogenic archaea in a packed-bed reactor was determined. A difference between populations on the supporting material and in effluent was observed at operation under a high organic loading rate and a short hydraulic retention time. This difference was characterized by the predominance of Methanosarcina sp. on the supporting material.     

Development of a simple bio-hydrogen production system through dark fermentation by using unique microflora

In order to ensure efficient functioning of hydrogen fermentation systems that use Clostridium as the dominant hydrogen producer, energy-intensive process such as heat pretreatment of inoculum and/or substrate, continuous injection, and control of anaerobic conditions are required. Here, we describe a simple hydrogen fermentation system designed using microflora from leaf-litter cattle-waste compost. Hydrogen and volatile fatty acid production was measured at various hydraulic retention times, and bacterial genera were determined by PCR amplification and sequencing. Although hydrogen fermentation yield was approximately one-third of values reported in previous studies, this system requires no additional treatment and thus may be advantageous in terms of cost and operational control. Interestingly, Clostridium was absent from this system. Instead, Megasphaera elsdenii was the dominant hydrogen-producing bacterium, and lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) were prevalent. This study is the first to characterize M. elsdenii as a useful hydrogen producer in hydrogen fermentation systems. These results demonstrate that pretreatment is not necessary for stable hydrogen fermentation using food waste.     

Improved electrochemical activity of LiMnPO4 by high-energy ball-milling

Olivine lithium manganese phosphate (LiMnPO₄) becomes research focus because of its high energy density and improved thermal stability. However, its application in lithium ion batteries suffers severely from poor electrochemical activity due to low conductivity and structural instability upon the charge and discharge process. By applying a high-energy ball-milling method we succeed in improving the capacity delivery and rate capability. LiMnPO₄ materials ball-milled without or with acetylene black are able to deliver a high capacity of 135 and 127 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, more than 50% greater than the pristine one. Particularly, the latter also shows an improved discharge plateau and stable cyclability. High-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, laser particle analysis, and galvanostatic charge and discharge are employed to understand the effect of ball-milling on the LiMnPO₄ material.     

Simulation Analysis for Massive Deployment of Variable Renewables Employing an Optimal Power Generation Mix Model

This paper develops a high time-resolution optimal power generation mix model in its time resolution of 10 minutes on 365 days by linear programming technique. The model allows us to analyse the massive deployment of photovoltaic system and wind power generation in power system explicitly considering those short-term output variation. PV （photovoltaic） and wind output are estimated, employing meteorological database. Simulation results reveal that variable fluctuation derived from a high penetration level of those renewables is controlled by quick load following operation of natural gas combined cycle power plant, pumped-storage hydro power, stationary NAS （sodium and sulfur） battery and the output suppression control of PV and wind. It additionally turns out that the operational configuration of those technologies for the renewable variability differs significantly depending on those renewable output variations in each season and solving the seasonal electricity imbalance as well as the daily imbalance is important if variable renewables are massively deployed.