An energy trading system with consideration of CO2 emissions

Abatement of CO₂ emission is one of the most important issues in the 21st century regarding preservation of the earth environment. This paper addresses a utility operations planning problem for distributed energy management systems (DEMSs), where we are to obtain optimal plans that minimize both costs and CO₂ emissions. A DEMS consists of multiple entities that seek their own economic profits. In this paper, we give a mathematical formulation of the utility operations planning problem for each entity, and propose an energy trading market, which utlizes a multi‐attribute auction protocol in order to deal with both a price and a CO₂ emission rate. Experimental results show that collaboration among entities through the market provides a more profitable plan for each entity and abatement of CO₂ emission is also achieved. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(4): 54–63, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley. com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20418     

Angular distribution of REC for Ar on C at 1 MeV/amu

The angular distribution of K-REC for 45.7 and 51.9 MeV Ar⁴⁺ + C has been measured and found to be consistent with sin²θ_lab.     

A new recovery process of carbon dioxide from alkaline carbonate solution via electrodialysis

Bipolar membrane electrodialysis is applied to CO₂ recovery from alkaline carbonate solution. CO₂ in flue gas is captured by an alkaline hydroxide absorbing solution to form an alkaline carbonate solution. The captured CO₂ is recovered from the alkaline carbonate solution via bipolar membrane electrodialysis, and the alkaline solution is regenerated simultaneously. To reduce the power requirement for CO₂ recovery, this study considers optimal design and operation. Three membrane arrangements were compared, and the results indicate the membrane arrangement comprising a bipolar membrane and cation exchange membrane is the most energy saving. With further optimization of operation conditions, the minimum power requirement for CO₂ recovery was reduced to 2.1 MJ/kg‐CO₂ (or 2.1 GJ/t‐CO₂). © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Sharing of secondary electrons by in-lens and out-lens detector in low-voltage scanning electron microscope equipped with immersion lens

To understand secondary electron (SE) image formation with in-lens and out-lens detector in low-voltage scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM), we have evaluated SE signals of an in-lens and an out-lens detector in LV-SEM. From the energy distribution spectra of SEs with various boosting voltages of the immersion lens system, we revealed that the electrostatic field of the immersion lens mainly collects electrons with energy lower than 40 eV, acting as a low-pass filter. This effect is also observed as a contrast change in LV-SEM images taken by in-lens and out-lens detectors.     

Epitaxial growth of titanium oxide thin films on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates by reactive deposition methods

We synthesized titanium oxide thin films on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates by two reactive deposition methods and compared the structures of the thin films formed by these methods. In one method (pulsed-molecular-beam deposition method), molecular oxygen is supplied to the substrates by using a pulsed-molecular-oxygen beam source and deposition of one unit layer of titanium and subsequent supply of molecular oxygen are repeatedly performed. In the other method (radical beam deposition method), atomic oxygen is irradiated to the substrates by using an atomic oxygen beam generated by the radical beam source and irradiation of the atomic oxygen and deposition of titanium are simultaneously performed. In the case of the pulsed-molecular-beam deposition method, the crystal structure was changed by increasing the number of oxygen pulses supplied from the beam source. We found that the crystal structure of titanium oxide depended on the composition ratio of O:Ti in the film. The maximum ratio of O:Ti attainable by this method was 1.85, and at this ratio, (100)-oriented pseudorutile was formed. In the case of the radical beam deposition method, (100)-oriented anatase was formed below the titanium deposition rate of 0.10 nm/s and pseudorutile (TiO_2−δ) was formed above 0.15 nm/s. The pseudorutile structure synthesized on this experiment was very stable in air. We concluded that the crystal structure of the pseudorutile is a new crystal structure of titanium oxide.     

Development of Superconducting AC Generator

The superconducting ac generator is expected to be the optimum choice among ac generation systems in the future because of its reduced size, weight, high efficiency, and its contribution to stability of power systems and higher generator terminal voltage. Conceptual design on a 2P-1000MVA class superconducting ac generator has been completed to clarify problems and to confirm advantages. Fundamental studies are performed on key technologies that have to be solved for realization of superconducting generators. As a summary of those fundamental studies, a scaled-down superconducting generator of 3000kVA capacity is constructed and tested. Also clarified are effects of major design parameters for commercial superconducting ac generators such as dimensions, reactances, and weight.     

Research in Japan on the tracking phenomenon of electricalinsulating materials

This review describes the development and status of tracking research in Japan. First, the fundamentals of tracking and the influences of environmental stresses on tracking will be treated. Then, the principal tracking test methods currently in use will be characterized. Finally, some techniques for improving the tracking resistance of outdoor polymer insulating materials will be discussed     

Suppression of by-product generation in the treatment of aromatic perfumery substances using a surface discharge

Treatment of perfumery materials such as aromatic hydrocarbons was attempted using atmospheric surface discharge and UV light irradiation. The maximum decomposition rate of phenyl ethyl benzene with a concentration of 8% using the discharge with UV light is 96%, that is 12% higher than that without UV light. Combination of surface discharge and UV light enhances the decomposition rate and energy efficiency, and enables to suppress the generation of by-products such as benzene.     

Synthesis,properties, and solid-state assemblies of β-alkyl-substituted dipyrrolyldiketone BF2 complexes

In this paper, the synthesis and solid-state structures of β-alkyl-substituted dipyrrolyldiketone BF₂ complexes are discussed; these complexes can function as π-conjugated acyclic anion receptors (“molecular flippers”) and are potential building subunits of anion-responsive π-conjugated oligomers or polymers. Modes of the solid-state assemblies in these complexes determined by performing single-crystal X-ray analysis are found to depend on the lengths of the alkyl chains at the β-positions. A β-methyl-substituted receptor has a highly planar structure, which efficiently forms stacking assemblies in the core π-plane in the solid state, while a β-ethyl-substituted receptor shows no stacking assemblies due to the presence of bulky ethyl moieties, which form only dimeric structures by hydrogen bonding. β-Alkyl-substituted anion receptors can be used not only as monomer units of stimuli-responsive polymeric macromolecules but also as components of solid-state electronic materials.