Technology and corporate culture of industrial robots in Japan

This paper describes with examples of some typical industrial robots developed in Japan the process of development, which industrial robots in Japan took. It also describes citing the differences of cultural basis between Japan and western countries the influences of automation to man, culture and society, and survey the future industrial robots.     

Effects of interaction between molten zircaloy and irradiated MOX fuel on the fission product release behavior

As a first step for obtaining experimental data on the effects of high-temperature chemical interaction on fission product release behavior, we focused on the dissolution of irradiated uranium plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel by molten zircaloy (Zry) and carried out a heating test under the reducing atmosphere. Pieces of an irradiated MOX fuel pellet and cladding were subjected to the heating test at 2373 K for five minutes. The fractional release rate of cesium (specifically ¹³⁷Cs) was monitored during the test and its release behavior was evaluated. The observation of microstructures and measurements of elemental distribution in the heated specimen were also performed. We demonstrated experimentally that the fuel dissolution by molten Zry accelerated the release of Cs from the fuel pellets.     

Observation of Magnetic‐Switching and Multiferroic‐Like Behavior of Co Nanoparticles in a C60 Matrix

A novel magnetoelectric effect is found to appear in a C₆₀‐Co nanocomposite. Although Co is well‐known as a ferromagnet, its nanoparticles embedded in a C₆₀ matrix can exhibit multiferroic‐like behavior, i.e., an electric field controls magnetic alignment of the nanoparticles and a magnetic field controls their charged states. This novel effect enables a strong magnetic switching effect for which the on/off ratio is ca. 10⁴. Such an effect has been expected to exist and these findings show this magnetoelectric coupling for the first time.     

Flywheel size design considerations and experimental verification using a 50‐kW system for voltage sag compensator with flywheel induction motor

Flywheel energy storage systems can be used as an uninterrupted power supply system because they are environmentally friendly and have high durability. The use of a simple voltage sag compensator with a low‐speed heavy flywheel and a low‐cost squirrel‐cage induction motor/generator is proposed. First, the ability of the proposed system to maintain the load voltage at 100% when the grid is experiencing voltage sag is validated experimentally. Next, design guidelines for the flywheel stored energy are discussed. Experimental verification of a 50‐kW‐class system is carried out, and the results show good agreement with the developed design guidelines. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 181(1): 36–44, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21252     

A1户型——“共享家”

实际设计中,我们将“共享家”设计理念融入“一家三代六口人的生活空间”主题中,将原本两层的空间通过充分利用纵向空间层高变换成四层,在整个大的空间里又让三代人同时拥有自己的独立活动空间.     

Drastic enhancement of effective thermal conductivity of a metal hydride packed bed by direct synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Low heat conductivity restricts the rate of hydrogen absorption into a metal hydride, and this leads to a mismatch of the required absorption rate. The use of fin systems is standard in such cases, and the use of several different materials has been attempted. This includes high thermal conductivity carbon brushes and carbon nanotube. Unfortunately, such efforts have not been effective because the boundary thermal resistance has not been addressed. In this study, we focused on the direct synthesis of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), which has high thermal conductivity, on particles in a packed bed, for reducing boundary thermal resistance and estimated effective thermal conductivity. Referring to Raman spectra, we succeeded in growing SWCNT on a metal hydride and effective thermal conductivity was estimated as a function of the filling ratios of the metal hydride and the SWCNT. Consequently, the effective thermal conductivity can satisfy the required value.     

Loading capacities and failure modes of various reinforced-concrete slabs subjected to high speed loading

The objective of this study was to clarify experimentally and analytically the loading capacities, deformations and failure modes of various types of reinforced-concrete structure subjected to loads applied at various rates. Flat slabs, slabs with beams and cylindrical walls were tested under static, low speed and high speed loading. Analysis was applied to estimate the test results by the finite element method using a layered shell element. The analysis closely simulated the experimental results until punching shear failure occured.     

Metal-based piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems scanner composed of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 thin film on titanium substrate

We have developed a titanium (Ti)-based piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems scanner driven by a Pb(Zr, Ti)O₃ (PZT) thin film for the development of laser scanning displays. The 2-μm-thick PZT thin film was directly deposited on a 50-μm-thick Ti substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Prior to PZT deposition, the Ti substrate was microfabricated into the shape of a horizontal scanner by wet etching; therefore, we could fabricate a piezoelectric microactuator without using the photolithography process. We confirmed the growth of the polycrystalline PZT film with perovskite structures on the Ti substrate. We achieved an optical scanning angle of 22° at a resonant frequency of 25.4?kHz using a driving voltage of 20?V _pp. These horizontal scanning properties can be applicable for laser displays.