A Method of Voltage Unbalance Compensation in a Y‐Connected Modular Multilevel Converter

A STATCOM is expected to be suitable for use as voltage control equipment for a distribution system that needs to be controlled to suppress the voltage deviation caused by an increase in the number of photovoltaic energy sources. A Y‐connected MMC is a promising alternative for the STATCOM circuit topology. However, it is known that the Y‐connected MMC cannot achieve capacitor voltage balance between phases with unbalance current output in order to compensate system voltage unbalance. To solve this problem, we propose a novel method to control the capacitor voltage for unbalance current output. The proposed control involves feedforward and feedback zero sequence voltage control. The feedforward control prevents capacitor voltage unbalance between phases, which is caused by the unbalance current that the Y‐connected MMC outputs. The feedback control cancels the remaining control error of the feedforward control. We verified the performance of this control through transient simulation. The Y‐connected MMC with the proposed control can realize capacitor voltage balance between phases even when the Y‐connected MMC outputs an unbalance current. Additionally, we determined the maximum unbalance current output produced by the Y‐connected MMC in relation to the rated capacitor voltage.     

Effect of Ba Filling Fraction on Thermoelectric Properties of p—type BayFe1.6Co2.4Sb12

Effects of Ba filling fraction on the thermoelectric porperties of p-type filled skutterudite compounds BayFe1.6Co2.4Sb12(y=0-0.63)were investigatet.BayFe1.6Co2.4Sb12 showed p-type conduction.The hall coefficient (RH) and seebeck coefficient(a) increased with increasing Ba filling fraction.But hole concentration(p)and electrical conductivity(σ)decreased.While Ba filling fraction was about 0.4,the lattice thermal conductivity (KL) reached the minimum value.The results show that effect of Ba rattling on phonon scattering is the strongest as Sb-icosahedron partial voids are filleds are filled by Ba.A maximum dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit(ZT) value of 0.7 was obtained for Ba0.38Fe1.6Co2.4Sb12 at 750K.     

Immunoassay using poly-tetrafluoroethylene microstructure in organic solvent

This paper reports the first application of poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microstructure, which fabricated by synchrotron radiation induced photo-evaporation process, to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The advantages of PTFE microstructure for the development of lab-on-a-chip due to the extremely high-aspect ratio microstructure and chemical stability of PTFE is discussed. The results of immunoassay shows the successful detection of analyte (mouse IgG) with detection range with 0–100 ng/ml. This result suggests the successful immobilization of antibody (anti-mouse IgG goat antibody) onto the X-ray exposed surface of PTFE microstructure and successful demonstration of antigen–antibody reaction in the PTFE microstructure. We also demonstrated the detection of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). As the result of demonstration, we successfully detected PCB with ranging analyte concentration of 0.1–10 ng/ml.     

Formation of Metastable Fluorite Phase by Rapid Quenching of Melts in the Y2O3-Ta2O5 System

Melts of x mol% Ta₂O₅–Y₂O₃ (x = 0–32.5) were rapidly quenched to investigate the formation of metastable fluorite solid solutions. C-type Y₂O₃, fluorite, and fergusonite phases existed in the compositional regions of 0 x 16, 8 x 32.5, and 27.5 x 32.5, respectively. Their lattice parameters were precisely measured through either Rietveld analysis or a least-squares fit of the individual X-ray diffraction peak positions. The lattice parameter of the fluorite phase decreased linearly with increasing Ta₂O₅ content, strongly suggesting the formation of compositionally homogeneous metastable solid solutions. Ta₂O₅ was almost insoluble into Y₂O₃ at 1700°C in the equilibrium state.     

Hydroxyapatite/Hydroxyapatite-Whisker Composites without Sintering Additives: Mechanical Properties and Microstructural Evolution

Hydroxyapatite/0%-30% hydroxyapatite-whisker (HAp/0%-30%HAp(w)) composites have been fabricated by pressureless sintering, hot pressing, and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Composites that were HIPed at 1000°-1100°C (2 h, 190 MPa) exhibited the best properties: relative densities of 97.0-99.5%, fracture toughness of 1.4-2.0 MPa·m^1/2 (as compared with 1.0 MPam^1/2 for the nonreinforced HAp matrix). Compressive pre-stressing and crack deflection contributed mostly to the increase of fracture toughness. Depending on processing conditions, grain growth in the HAp matrix and/or Rayleigh instability of the HAp whiskers were probably responsible for microstructural changes in the composites. The HAp/HAp(w) composites exhibited improved toughness, attaining the lower fracture-toughness limit of bone without a decrease of bioactivity and biocompatibility.     

Development of Amphipathic Antimicrobial Peptide Foldamers Based on Magainin 2 Sequence

Magainin 2 ( Mag 2 ), which is isolated from the skin of frogs, is a representative antimicrobial peptide (AMP), exerts its antimicrobial activity via microbial membrane disruption. It has been reported that both the amphipathicity and helical structure of Mag 2 play an important role in its antimicrobial activity. In this study, we revealed that the sequence of 17 amino acid residues in Mag 2 (peptide 7 ) is required to exert sufficient activity. We also designed a set of Mag 2 derivatives, based on enhancement of helicity and/or amphipathicity, by incorporation of α,α-disubstituted amino acid residues into the Mag 2 fragment, and evaluated their preferred secondary structures and their antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. As a result, peptide 11 formed a stable helical structure in solution, and possessed potent antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria without significant cytotoxicity.     

Selective Extraction of Lutein from Alcohol Treated Chlorella vulgaris by Supercritical CO2

A pretreatment process using alcohol for the removal of chlorophyll a, b and β‐carotene from Chlorella vulgaris was developed to improve the yield and selectivity of lutein in the extract obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was carried out after pretreatment in the pressure range of 20 to 40 MPa and the temperature range of 40 to 80 °C. Ethanol and methanol were selected as elution solvents, of which ethanol was found most suitable for the elution, or pretreatment, process. The amounts of lutein and other compounds were analyzed by HPLC with the mixture of methanol and THF as the mobile phase. The amount of lutein in the extract increased with pressure, but decreased with extraction temperature. The highest recovery percentage and the selectivity of lutein were around 52.9 ± 0.02 % and 43.1 ± 0.02 %, respectively, obtained from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction with pretreatment and ethanol entrainer at 40 MPa and 40 °C.     

The effect of talc on the crystallization of isotactic polypropylene

Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) has been crystallized in the presence of talc under the quiescent state and shear flow of injection molding. The resulting morphology has been investigated by means of polarizing microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and wide angle X‐ray diffraction. In the quiescent state, the iPP lamellae grew from the surface of talc and the transcrystalline region was formed at the interface between iPP melt and the talc. The nucleation of iPP was very frequent on the cleavage plane of talc. The X‐ray diffraction pattern of the transcrystal showed a*‐axis orientation to the crystal growing direction. In injection‐molded samples of the talc‐filled iPP, the morphology of lamella growing from talc appeared as same as that of the transcrystal. However, the crystalline orientation of injection‐molded talc‐filled iPP, in which the b axis was oriented to the thickness direction and the a* and the c axis was oriented to the flow direction, was quite different from that of the transcrystal. This b‐axis orientation results from the orientation of the plate plane of talc, which induces the nucleation and the crystallization under shear flow. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1693–1703, 2001     

Heat Transfer from Immersed Vertical Cylinders in Gas‐Liquid and Gas‐Liquid‐Solid Fluidized Beds

The heat transfer coefficient, h, was measured using a cylindrical heater vertically immersed in liquid‐solid and gas‐liquid‐solid fluidized beds. The gas used was air and the liquids used were water and 0.7 and 1.5 wt‐% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) aqueous solutions. The fluidized particles were sieved glass beads with 0.25, 0.5, 1.1, 2.6, and 5.2 mm average diameters. We tried to obtain unified dimensionless correlations for the cylinder surface‐to‐liquid heat transfer coefficients in the liquid‐solid and gas‐liquid‐solid fluidized beds. In the first approach, the heat transfer coefficients were successfully correlated in a unified formula in terms of a modified j_H‐factor and the modified liquid Reynolds number considering the effect of spatial expansion for the fluidized bed within an error of 36.1 %. In the second approach, the heat transfer coefficients were also correlated in a unified formula in terms of the dimensionless quantities, Nu/Pr^1/3, and the specific power group including energy dissipation rate per unit mass of liquid, E^1/3D^4/3/ν_l, within a smaller error of 24.7 %. It is also confirmed that a good analogy exists between the surface‐to‐liquid heat transfer and mass transfer on the immersed cylinder in the liquid‐solid and gas‐liquid‐solid fluidization systems.     

A New Route to Perfluoro(Propyl Vinyl Ether) Monomer: Synthesis of Perfluoro(2‐propoxypropionyl) Fluoride from Non‐Fluorinated Compounds

Perfluoro(2‐propoxypropionyl) fluoride ( 1a ), which is the precursor of the perfluorinated propyl vinyl ether (PPVE) monomer of an industrially important perfluoroalkoxy copolymer (PFA), was synthesized by utilizing direct fluorination of the non‐fluorinated counterpart for the first time. The partially‐fluorinated ester 7 synthesized from the desired perfluorinated acid fluoride 1a itself and the non‐fluorinated alcohol 5 , which has a carbon skeleton corresponding to the desired compound 1a , was perfluorinated by liquid‐phase direct fluorination with elemental fluorine. Degradation of the resulting perfluorinated ester 8 gave 2 mols of the desired acid fluoride 1a . In a sense, this process can be called self‐multiplication of a perfluorinated acid fluoride from a non‐fluorinated alcohol.