Design of a coordinated robust controller of SMES and blade pitch for smart‐grid power systems

This paper presents the design of a coordinated superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and blade pitch controller (BPC) to stabilize the frequency in a smart‐grid power system. To compensate for such power variations, a SMES that is able to supply and absorb active power quickly can be applied to control the frequency fluctuation. The structure of the controller is that of a first‐order lead–lag compensator. The robustness of the controller is guaranteed by applying an inverse additive perturbation to represent possible unstructured uncertainties in the power system such as variation of system parameters, generating and loading conditions, etc. Genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to solve and achieve the control parameters. Simulation studies have been done to show the control effect and robustness of the proposed SMES and blade pitch in comparison with SMES & Pitch against various disturbances. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A study of centralized voltage profile control of distribution network considering dynamics of distributed generator

In a future distribution network, it will be difficult to maintain system voltage because a large number of distributed generators are introduced into the system. The authors have previously proposed a voltage profile control method using power factor control of distributed generators. When all information on the system is available, an ideal stationary solution of control orders to distributed generators is given by an optimization calculation. However, it is difficult to apply optimization control in real time because a long calculation time is required for the optimization. Therefore, it is possible that a voltage change may occur before the power factor control has finished. Thus, in this paper, we develop a new control method which can save the excessive voltage changes by taking into consideration the controlled response time of distributed generators. The proposed method was tested in a 24‐node distribution network model. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 179(1): 29–39, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21231     

Microstructures of SiO2 and TiOX films deposited by atmospheric pressure inductively coupled micro-plasma jet

Atmospheric-pressure inductively coupled micro-plasma jet was used for deposition of SiO₂ and TiO_x thin films. Si and Ti alkoxides respectively were vaporized into Ar gas to be decomposed thermally in the Ar plasma jet, being deposited as the metal oxide films. Microstructures of the films were investigated as changing the plasma conditions such as Ar gas flow rate and concentration of the alkoxides in Ar gas. The SiO₂ and TiO_x films deposited at higher Ar gas flow rates were composed of particles of micron or submicron sizes. The SiO₂ film was composed of a single layer of the particles and the particles sometimes formed unique aggregation structures. On the other hand, the TiO_x film had a structure in which the particles were piled up randomly. The structures suggested that the SiO₂ particles grew on the substrate whereas TiO_x particles were formed in plasma gas phase.     

Characterization of MgZnO films grown by plasma enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

MgZnO (magnesium-zinc-oxide) films were grown on (11-20) sapphire substrates and Zn-polar ZnO substrates by plasma enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD) employing microwave-excited plasma. Structural, electrical and optical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, Hall, transmittance and photoluminescence measurement. The c-axis lattice constant decreases proportionally to an increase in the Mg content of Mg_xZn_1 − xO films. Therefore, this indicates that Mg atoms can be substituted in the Zn sites. Mg contents in films on ZnO substrates increase up to 0.11. In addition, Ga doped ZnO films were grown on (11-20) sapphire substrates. The resistivity of the films on (11-20) sapphire is controlled between 1.2 × 10^− 3 Ω cm to 1 Ω cm by changing the process conditions. The overall results indicate the promising potential of this PE-MOCVD method for related (Zn, Mg)O films formation because of the reactivity of the radicals, such as oxygen radicals (O?).     

The Role of Neurotrophin Signaling in Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Cognitive Diseases

Neurotrophins are a family of secreted proteins expressed in the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system that support neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor TrkB are highly expressed in the cortical and hippocampal areas and play an essential role in learning and memory. The decline of cognitive function with aging is a major risk factor for cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, an alteration of BDNF/TrkB signaling with aging and/or pathological conditions has been indicated as a potential mechanism of cognitive decline. In this review, we summarize the cellular function of neurotrophin signaling and review the current evidence indicating a pathological role of neurotrophin signaling, especially of BDNF/TrkB signaling, in the cognitive decline in aging and age-related cognitive diseases. We also review the therapeutic approach for cognitive decline by the upregulation of the endogenous BDNF/TrkB-system.     

Low temperature,defect-free silicon epitaxy using a low kinetic energy particle process

Concurrent bombardment of a growing film surface by Ar ions having low kinetic energies comparable to typical inter-atomic binding energies has been utilized to activate the film surface. It has been shown that such activation is quite effective and can be substituted for substrate heating during crystal growth. As a result, high quality, device grade epitaxial silicon films have been successfully grown at very low temperatures of 250°–300° C. In this epitaxial growth process, dopant impurities in the target are fully incorporated into the grown film and 100% electrically activated at such low temperatures. The direction for further reducing the epitaxial silicon growth temperature has been examined experimentally, and it is shown that the establishment of anultra clean processing environment andultra clean wafer surface as well asperfect process parameter control are quite essential for very low temperature silicon epitaxy.     

Random access optical heterodyne receiver for coherent FDM broadcasting systems

A random access optical heterodyne receiver for a coherent FDM broadcasting system has been developed, using a wavelength tunable local DBR LD, polarisation diversity technique and a random access automatic frequency controller. In a 10-channel FDM experimental system, 114 GHz capture range, 80 GHz lock range and arbitrary channel selection within less than 1 ms were realised.<>     

Coherent optical tapping using semiconductor optical amplifier

Semiconductor optical amplifiers are attractive not only as optical repeaters but also as functional devices, since carrier density modulation in amplifiers causes a nonlinear phenomenon. Utilizing the effect of the carrier density modulation on the semiconductor optical amplifier junction voltage, a coherent optical tapping is proposed for signal monitoring or control signal extraction. A 155 Mb/s FSK (frequency shift keying) signal tapping was realized with a simple configuration using heterodyne single-filter detection with -24.4 dBm sensitivity. Many applications for this coherent optical tapping are discussed, and basic characteristics for frequency-selective tapping from FDM (frequency division multiplexing) signals and optical amplifier gain control are examined     

Optical fiber feeder for microcellular mobile communication systems(H-O15)

The authors investigate the feasibility of using an optical fiber feeder for microcellular mobile communication systems. The optical feeder enables compact and low-cost base stations, easy radio channel control, and flexible mobile communication systems. Basic transmission characteristics were investigated through optical transmission experiments. Using these results, it is estimated that the optical feeder can transmit 880 telephone channels for digital TDM systems and 2000 channels for analog FDM systems through 20 km of optical fiber. Furthermore, two kinds of novel techniques that enlarge dynamic range of the optical feeder are reported