A frequency distribution function derived from a stochastic model considering human behaviors and its comparison with an empirical bibliometric distribution

Simon's stochastic model is extended to take both selective and random factors in human behaviors into consideration. The resulting distribution function is of non-steadystate type and approaches the Poisson distribution at the random limit while the Yule (or Zipf) distribution at the selective limit. A comparison of the theoretical distribution with an observed one for classification items indexed in a bibliorgraphic database is made. The results give some insights into statistical features of a class in which the total number of elements is fixed.     

Experimental study of squirrel-caged damper structure for superconducting generator

In this paper a double-layer damper is developed which will consist of a squirrelcaged warm damper and a cylindrical cold damper as a part of a 70-MW superconducting generator development project. To evaluate the characteristics of unbalance current capability, magnetic shielding and damping for rotor swing, a one-half scale rotor model is constructed and an experimental study is made. From analysis of the experimental results, design guidelines have been developed and the FEM magnetic field analysis technique is refined. The main results are summarized as follows:

• 1 The squirrel-caged warm damper has sufficient capability against negative sequence current;
• 2 Damping characteristics can be designed to be effective near the rotor swing frequency;
• 3 Flux shielding at low frequencies corresponding to quick response excitation is sufficiently small so as not to prevent field flux change; and
• 4 Magnetic field can be analyzed by the refined FEM field analysis technique which now takes into account the effects of the rotor end region by estimating the end resistance based on the eddy current flow path.

     

Phase-Field simulation of phase decomposition in Fe−Cr−Co alloy under an external magnetic field

Phase decomposition during isothermal aging of a Fe−Cr−Co ternary alloy under an external magnetic field is simulated based on the phase-field method. In this simulation, since the Gibbs energy available from the thermodynamic CALPHAD database of the equilibrium phase diagram is employed as a chemical free energy, the present calculation provides the quantitative microstructure changes directly linked to the phase diagram. The simulated microstructure evolution demonstrates that the lamella like microstructure elongated along the external magnetic field is evolved with the progress of aging. The morphological and temporal developments of the simulated microstructures are in good agreement with experimental results that have been obtained for this alloy system.     

Two-wavelength laser-diode interferometer with fractional fringe techniques

A two-wavelength interferometer with a fractional fringe technique (the method of coincidence) has been constructed by using dual frequency-ramped laser diodes. The respective wavelengths of two optical phases were measured by the heterodyne technique. The detected two phases are employed with real-time electronic processing to produce two signals that correspond to the integer and the fractional fringe numbers at a single wavelength. These summed signals can yield a synthetic phase having a single-wavelength resolution. The upper limits for the measurement accuracy are theoretically analyzed.     

The effect of direct electric current on precipitation in a bulk Al-4 wt % Cu alloy

The effect of the stress of direct electric current on precipitation in a quenched Al-4.15 wt % Cu alloy is investigated by measurement of the change in electrical resistance of a bulk specimen as a function of current density up to about 3000 A cm^–2 at a given annealing time. A similar effect of d.c. stress is observed at 50, 75 and 100 C. For a lower current density, a constant or slightly increasing resistance is observed, while for a current density higher than a critical value, the resistance decreases with an increase in density. On the assumption that the temperature increase of a specimen due to the Joule heating is proportional to the square of the current density, it is concluded that there exists some effect of d.c. stress per se to prevent the precipitation reaction, aside from the effect of the temperature increase due to the Joule heating, and it is suggested that this retarding effect is related to the sweeping out of quenched-in excess vacancies into grain boundaries by electromigration.     

The crystal structure of thermostable mutants of chimeric 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, 2T2M6T

A chimeric 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH), 2T2M6T,was produced by replacing the amino acid sequences of the Thermusthermophilus enzyme with those of the Bacillus subtilis enzymefrom residues 75 to 113. Decreased thermostability of the chiaiericenzyme was recovered by either evolutionary engineering (I93L)or site-directed mutagenesis (S82R). The 3-D structures of themutants have been determined by X-ray diffraction at 2.1 Åresolution. Although S82R was refined routinely, (I93L) requiredthe preliminary rigid-body refinement of each domain. The X-factorswere reduced to 0.18 for both mutants. Removal of the unfavorabletorsion angle at isoleucine 93 may have made I93L more thermostablethan 2T2M6T. In the case of S82R, the replaced arginine residuecontributed to the extra hydrogen bond with water molecules.The large replaced residue decreased the entropy of the solvent,which may have caused the improvement in enzyme thermostability.Denatu ration by heating may be interpreted from these structuralresults.     

Multistage catalytic combustion systems and high temperature combustion systems using SiC

Multistage catalytic combustion systems for commercial applications using noble metal catalyst were investigated at conditions under 1000°C. Also, the high temperature combustion systems using SiC material were investigated at conditions up to 1400°C.     

Solute atmosphere around an edge dislocation in Al-based ternary alloys

We evaluated the solute atmosphere around a moving dislocation and the dragging stress due to the atmosphere in binary and ternary Al-based alloys in terms of a chemical potential gradient by modifying the method proposed by Yoshinaga et al. In ternary alloys, we analyzed formation of the complex solute atmosphere around a straight edge dislocation and the dragging stress in terms of a misfit parameter of a solute element (positive or negative) and an interaction parameter between solute elements (attractive or repulsive).     

Hydrogen-induced phase transformation

Hydrogen-induced amorphization (HIA) of intermetallic compounds was simulated by the molecular dynamics (MD) method using pairwise potentials. The microscopic mechanism of HIA in AB₂ C15 Laves phase compound is discussed. The hydrogenation causes elastic softening in the bulk modulus and induces elastic instability. A phase transformation by elastic instability follows paths with minimal activation barriers, and nonequilibrium transformations including amorphization can be realized. The HIA can be considered as a case. The key to induce HIA is the expansion of the B atoms in a Laves phase; it facilitates the instability of the sublattice of B atoms. If the amount of hydrogen exceeds a critical value, HIA occurs. The HIA is a potential-driven phase transformation, and the resultant amorphous structure is potentially favored over the hydrogenated crystal. We also report the fracture process by isotropic loading and compare it to HIA.