Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) treatment of supernatant of cow manure by thermal pre-treatment.

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) methane fermentation treatment of cow manure that was subjected to screw pressing, thermal treatment and subsequent solid-liquid separation was studied. Conducting batch scale tests at temperatures between 140 and 180 degrees C, the optimal temperature for sludge settling and the color suppression was found to be between 160-170 degrees C. UASB treatment was carried out with a supernatant obtained from the thermal treatment at the optimal conditions (170 degrees C for 30 minutes) and polymer-dosed solid-liquid separation. In the UASB treatment with a COD(Cr) loading of 11.7 kg/m3/d and water temperature of 32.2 degrees C, the COD(Cr) level dropped from 16,360 mg/L in raw water to 3,940 mg/L in treated water (COD(Cr), removal rate of 75.9%), and the methane production rate per COD(Cr) was 0.187 Nm3/kg. Using wastewater thermal-treated at the optimal conditions, also a methane fermentation treatment with a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was conducted (COD(Cr) in raw water: 38,000 mg/L, hydraulic retention time (HRT): 20 days, 35 degrees C). At the COD(Cr) loading of 1.9 kg/m3/d, the methane production rate per COD(Cr), was 0.153 Nm3/kg. This result shows that UASB treatment using thermal pre-treatment provides a COD(Cr), loading of four times or more and a methane production rate of 1.3 times higher than the CSTR treatment.     

OTDM transmitter using WDM-TDM conversion with an electroabsorptionwavelength converter

An all-optical multiplexing technique using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-time division multiplexing (TDM) conversion with an electroabsorption wavelength converter has been proposed and demonstrated. The effectiveness of this WDM-TDM conversion technique for various pulsewidth settings was experimentally investigated. The fluctuation of the signal performance, which was inevitably caused by the coherent crosstalk between adjacent pulses in the conventional optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) technique, were successfully suppressed, even in the case of wide pulse duration. High Q-factor performance has been maintained for a wide range of duty ration from 36% to 74%. By introducing this technique to the optical time division multiplexer, a highly stable and high-quality 40-Gb/s optical signal can be effectively produced without generating the short pulse or setting two tributaries at orthogonal polarization states, and without introducing high-speed electronics for signal multiplexing. The WDM-TDM conversion with an electroabsorption wavelength converter was extended to 60-Gb/s operation by using three 20-Gb/s tributaries. A clear eye opening was confirmed for a waveform after the WDM-TDM conversion of the 60-Gb/s signal     

Evaluation of inelastic constitutive models under plasticity-creep interaction for steel at 600°C

Uniaxial tests to identify plasticity-creep interaction in steel at 600°C were carried out as the Benchmark Project by the Subcommittee on Inelastic Analysis and Life Prediction, JSMS. The purpose of this paper is to present recent experimental data and predictions of constitutive models obtained in the project. Ten types of constitutive models were utilized to compare analytical predictions to sixteen benchmark experiments which are grouped into four categories: (I) tensile and creep tests under monotonic loading, (II) mixed mode tests under plastic and creep loading, (III) ratcheting deformation tests under program loads, and (IV) cyclic deformation tests under the combination of different strain rates. The benchmark tests in Group IV are used to estimate the creep-fatigue life of steel; the results will be published in a separate paper.     

An Adaptive Recipe Implementation in Case‐Based Formalism for Abnormal Condition Management

This paper deals with accurate recipe implementation for abnormal condition management in a batch process using a case‐based reasoning (CBR) approach. A set of new problems can be solved by reusing proven process solutions. The proposed system integrates quantitative and qualitative parameters for adaptation of cases. A novel methodology to generate accurate recipes and to adapt to the processes is introduced during normal and abnormal conditions. In particular, the differences between current conditions and the references (recipes) should be managed to prevent any hazardous conditions arising. The processes are evaluated using their similarity to the past cases. This intelligent approach distinguishes plausible cases, generates accurate recipes, and adapts to new situations. The aim is to use the offline historical process data and safety related information in order to propose changes and adjustments in the processes.     

A sensorless brushless dc motor system

This paper describes a brushless dc motor system without position or speed sensor. The brushless motor consists of a permanent magnet synchronous motor and a voltage-source inverter capable of controlling the amplitude and frequency of voltage. The rectangular-shaped stator current with a conducting interval of 120° (electrical) is controlled to be in phase with the trapezoidal back electromotive force. This results in producing maximum torque. Variable speed is achieved by adjusting the average motor voltage similarly to chopper control of dc motors. In this paper, two sensorless position detecting methods, i.e., an “indirect method” suited for the lower-speed range and a “direct method” suited for the higher-speed range are proposed. The combination of the two makes it possible to detect the rotor position over a wide-speed range. Furthermore, a speed-sen-sorless PLL control is proposed in applying the principle of the direct method. Experimental results obtained from a prototype brushless dc motor are shown to confirm the validity of the sensorless drive. The starting procedure of the motor also is discussed because it is impossible to detect the rotor position at a standstill.     

Monte Carlo simulation of hydrogen absorption in palladium and palladium–silver alloys

A modified Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was performed to investigate the hydrogen absorption behavior in Pd and Pd–Ag alloys of the composition Pd_xAg_1−x (x=0.7–0.8) under H₂ pressure (0.1 MPa) at different temperatures. The present method employed can consider the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen molecule and the subsequent absorption of hydrogen atom by formalizing the relationship between the pressure of hydrogen molecule and hydrogen atom. The potential parameters were determined to reproduce the solution enthalpy of hydrogen in pure metals. The results are in good agreement with experimental findings as well as previous theoretical studies. We confirmed that our method is useful to simulate the absorption of hydrogen in metals and alloys.     

Methacryloxyethyl phosphate‐grafted expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes for biomedical applications

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes were modified by graft copolymerization with methacryloxyethyl phosphate (MOEP) in methanol and 2‐butanone (methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)) at ambient temperature using gamma irradiation. The effect of dose rate (0.46 and 4.6 kGy h^?1), monomer concentration (1–40 %) and solvent were studied and the modified membranes were characterized by weight increase, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XPS was used to determine the % degree of surface coverage using the C? F (ePTFE membrane) and the C? C (MOEP graft copolymer) peaks. Grafting yield, as well as surface coverage, were found to increase with increasing monomer concentration and were significantly higher for samples grafted in MEK than in methanol solution. SEM images showed distinctly different surface morphologies for the membranes grafted in methanol (smooth) and MEK (globular), hence indicating phase separation of the homopolymer in MEK. We propose that in our system, the non‐solvent properties of MEK for the homopolymer play a more important role than solvent chain transfer reactions in determining grafting outcomes. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Integrated-optic double-ring resonators with a wide free spectralrange of 100 GHz

Integrated-optic double-ring resonators with a wide free spectral range (FSR) of 100 GHz are fabricated using GeO₂-doped silica waveguides with a high relative refractive index difference (Δ) of 1.5%. The resonators are composed of two ring resonators comprising small ring waveguides with radii of 1.75 and 2.0 mm. The double-ring resonator module exhibited a wide FSR of 98.0 GHz, a finesse of higher than 138, a low crosstalk of less than -11.7 dB, and a low insertion loss of 6.1 dB. The measured FSR of 98.0 GHz is wider than any previously reported ring resonator composed of optical waveguides     

Hydroliquefaction of low-sulfur coals using iron carbonyl complexes—Sulfur as catalysts

Hydroliquefaction of low-sulfur Australian coals (Wandoan and Yallourn) was studied using iron carbonyl complexes as catalyst. The addition of Fe(CO)₅ (2.8 wt% Fe of coal) increased coal conversion from 48.6 to 85.2% for Wandoan coal, and from 36.7 to 69.7% for Yallourn coal in 1-methylnaphthalene at 425°C under an initial hydrogen pressure of 50 kg cm^?2. When molecular sulfur was added to iron carbonyls (Fe(CO)₅, Fe₂(CO)₉ and Fe₃(CO)₁₂), higher coal converions ( > 92%) and higher oil yields (>46%) were obtained, along with an increase in the amount of hydrogen transferred to coal from the gas phase (0.2 to 2.8%, d.a.f. coal basis). In the liquefaction studies using a hydrogen donor solvent, tetralin, Fe(CO)₅S catalyst increased the amount of hydrogen absorbed from the gaseous phase and decreased the amount of naphthalene dehydrogenated from tetralin. The direct hydrogen transfer reaction from molecular hydrogen to coal fragment radicals seems to be a major reaction pathway. Organic sulfur compounds, dimethyldisulfide and benzothiophene, and inorganic FeS₂ and NiS were found to be good sulfur sources to Fe(CO)₅. From X-ray diffraction analyses of liquefaction residues, it is concluded that Fe(CO)₅ was converted into pyrrhotite (Fe_1?xS) when sulfur was present, but into Fe₃O₄ in the absence of sulfur.     

Generation of adaptive gait patterns for quadruped robot with CPG network including motor dynamic model

This paper describes the generation of adaptive gait patterns using new Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) including motor dynamic models for a quadruped robot under various environments. The CPGs act as the flexible oscillators of the joints and adjust joint angles to required values. The CPGs are interconnected with each other and sets of their coupling parameters are adjusted by a genetic algorithm so that the quadruped robot can realize stable and adequate gait patterns. Generation of gait patterns results in the formation of the CPG networks suitable for the formation of not only a straight walking pattern but also of rotating gait patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CPG networks are effective for the automatic adjustment of the adaptive gait patterns for the tested quadruped robot under various environments. Furthermore, the target tracking control based on image processing is achieved by combining the general gait patterns. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 155(1): 35–43, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20225