Recent technical trends in permanent magnet synchronous motors

This paper presents an overview of the recent technical trends in permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), especially the rare earth (RE)‐less PMSMs that have been developed in Japan. The RE‐less PMSMs, along with PMSMs with reduced RE permanent magnets (PMs), PM‐assisted synchronous reluctance motors (PMASynRM) with ferrite PMs, spoke‐type interior PMSMs (IPMSMs) with ferrite PMs, and axial‐gap PMSMs with ferrite PMs, are reviewed. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Characteristics of Introduction of Fatty Acids into Gajutsu (Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe) and Teppǒ-yuri (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) Starches

Starch granules, normally, contain naturally occurring lipids which are firmly embraced in starch granules and hardly extractable with Et₂O. In this paper, the characteristics of introduction of free fatty acids (FFAs) into Gajutsu (Curcuma zedoaria), Teppǒ-yuri (Lilium longiflorum) and potato starches, being very low in the above “embraced lipids” contents (9.2-25.6 mg%), were investigated. It was found that the saturated FFAs were more abundantly introduced into them (41.2-174.7 mg%) than the unsaturated ones (15.9-46.5 mg%), and the respective starches differed from one another in capacity of introducing each FFA. There was also found some characteristic changes in pasting feature after introduction of FFAs depending upon the respective starches. Furthermore, their Nägeli-amylodextrins were prepared as a model of their crystalline protion and were subjected to introduction of FFAs. On these results, a possible distributing diagram of the introduced FFAs in a granule of the respective starch was proposed.     

Machine parameters and performance of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors with different permanent magnet volume

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are widely used for several industrial applications. Some applications such as electric vehicles and compressor drives require a constant power operation. The operating limits and the constant power speed range deeply depend on the machine parameters. The relationships between the motor parameters and the operating performance have been theoretically examined. This paper examines the performances of the prototype synchronous motors, where the stator structure and the rotor structure of all motors are the same. The permanent magnets are inserted into the rotor slits and the volume of the permanent magnet is adjusted to control the magnet‐flux linkage. The effects of adding the magnet to the rotor on the machine parameters and the operating performance are examined based on the various experimental results. The prototype motor has flexibility as to speed versus power performance by adjusting the volume of the permanent magnet. The theoretical results with respect to the operating limits and the motor parameters are also confirmed experimentally. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(4): 70–77, 2000     

Natural convection heat transfer in an anisotropic porous cavity heated from the side: Part 1. Theory

Natural convection heat transfer and flow structure in an anisotropic porous medium in a square cavity saturated with a Boussinesq fluid have been studied analytically and numerically. Based on an asymptotic analysis, three distinctive regimes are found depending on the magnitude of the permeability ratio K. In the vicinity of K = 1 the average Nusselt number and fluid velocity are scaled with (KRa) ^1/2 when either K or the Rayleigh number Ra is varied. In the limit of K → 0 the heat transfer across the cavity approaches the conductive state, and the convecting velocity, which is primarily in the vertical direction, is scaled with KRa. At the other end of the spectrum, namely, K → ∞, the average Nusselt number and the convecting velocity are scaled with Ra and independent of K. The asymptotic results are verified with two‐dimensional numerical calculations. The ranges of K of the respective regimes are also determined based on the numerical results. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 29(5): 373–384, 2000     

A control scheme for a three‐phase current source inverter in utility interactive photovoltaic system

A novel PWM control scheme for a three‐phase current source inverter of a photovoltaic (PV) generation system connected to a utility is proposed. The PV‐array output power can be adjusted by controlling the modulation factor in the proposed PWM pattern. The harmonic components of the output currents can be decreased sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of the Interactive Guidelines. Furthermore, a new Maximum Power Point Tracking control is proposed. The inverter output current should be detected, and the modulation factor may be controlled so as to obtain the maximum effective current. The inverter output power can be maintained at the maximum power point despite fluctuations of panel temperatures, insolation levels, and system voltages. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 135(1): 43–55, 2001     

Morphology and electrical properties of short carbon fiber-filled polymer blends: High-density polyethylene/poly(methyl methacrylate)

Morphology and electrical properties of short carbon fiber-filled high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) polymer blends have been studied. The percolation threshold of HDPE50/PMMA50 blends filled with vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF), 1.25 phr VGCF content, is much lower than those of the individual polymers. The SEM micrographs verified that the enhancement of conductivity could be attributed to the selective location of VGCF in the HDPE phase. A double percolation is the basic requirement for the conductivity of the composites, i.e., the percolation of carbon fibers in the HDPE phase and the continuity of this phase in the blends, which hereby are defined as the first percolation and the second percolation, respectively. The SEM micrographs also showed that the short carbon fibers could affect the morphology of the blends. With the increase of VGCF content, the HDPE domains are elongated from spherical into strip shape, finally develop to a continuous structure. As a result, the second percolation threshold of the blends filled with 2.5 phr VGCF, 20 wt % HDPE, is lower than that of the blends filled with 1.5 phr VGCF, 30 wt % HDPE. The influence of molding temperature and time on the second percolation threshold has also been investigated. For the composites molded at a lower temperature, the second percolation threshold is shifted to a higher VGCF content, but there is little influence of molding time on the second percolation threshold. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1813–1819, 1998     

Theory of film condensation on shock-tube endwall behind reflected shock wave (Part II: Theoretical basis for determination of condensation coefficient)

This paper is concerned with the theoretical basis for the determination of the condensation coefficient of vapor by means of a shock tube. Film condensation on the shock-tube endwall behind a reflected shock wave is analyzed on the basis of the first author's gas-dynamics theory. It is clarified that there exists a transition phenomenon during the growth of a liquid film, that is, the liquid film grows in proportion to time immediately after the reflection of the shock wave, and after a transition time, it grows in proportion to the square root of time. The transition phenomenon between these growths is caused by the change in heat conduction characteristics at the endwall. The reason why the condensation coefficient must be determined before the transition is clarified. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Heat Trans Jpn Res 25(3): 166–177, 1996     

Graft copolymerization of styrene onto poly(p-nitrophenyl acrylate) by chain transfer reaction

Styrene (St) was polymerized in the presence of poly(p-nitrophenyl acrylate) (PNPA) with azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator to prepare graft copolymers through the chain transfer reaction of growing polystyrene (PSt) radicals to the aromatic nitro groups on PNPA. The maximum number of branches attained was 16.4 (P _n of PNPA was 1780), which corresponds to 108 monomer units per PSt branch. This is far less than the value of 43, previously obtained for poly(vinyl p-nitrobenzoate) as a trunk polymer. Therefore, several model compounds for trunk polymers were prepared, and the chain transfer constants of PSt radicals to these model compounds were determined. As a result of the Hammett plot, it is concluded that higher electron attracting property of the substituents increases the reactivity of nitro groups to the growing PSt radicals, resulting in more highly branched graft copolymers.     

Fed-batch culture under illumination with blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) for astaxanthin production by Haematococcus pluvialis

To increase the cell concentration and the accumulation of astaxanthin, the effects of the fed-batch addition of 10-fold-concentrated medium to supply nutrients, as well as illumination with blue light emitting diodes (LEDs), on cell growth and accumulation of astaxanthin were studied for the cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis. Using the fed-batch addition method, the cell concentration increased above 1 mg-dry cell/cm3, and under illumination with blue LEDs, the astaxanthin concentration reached approximately 70 microg/cm3. This method was much simpler to operate than the medium replacement method in operation and enabled us to attain a higher total yield of astaxanthin.     

Effect of flashing light from blue light emitting diodes on cell growth and astaxanthin production of Haematococcus pluvialis

To conserve energy in the production of astaxanthin by the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis, we utilized intermittent flashing light from blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) and investigated the effects of the incident light intensity (2-12 micromol m(-2) s(-1)), duty cycle (17-67%) and frequency (25-200 Hz) of flashing on the cell growth and astaxanthin production. In the above ranges, the final astaxanthin concentration under illumination by flashing light was significantly higher than that obtained under illumination with continuous light at the same incident intensity. For example, flashing light at an incident intensity of 8 micromol m(-2) s(-1) gave the same final astaxanthin concentration that was obtained under continuous light illumination at 12 micromol m(-2) s(-1), thus reducing energy consumption by 1/3. We therefore conclude that flashing light from blue LEDs is a promising illumination method for indoor algal cultivation using photobioreactors.