Evaluation of driver’s behavior with multibody-based driving simulator

This paper deals with a driving simulator with a multibody vehicle model. Driving simulators require a real-time calculation of vehicle dynamics in response to driver’s inputs, such as a steering maneuver or a brake pedal operation. The authors realized a real-time calculation with a multibody vehicle model by approximating the calculation of constraint equations, and developed a driving simulator with 6-axes motion system. Drivers can feel the multibody analysis results through body sensory information such as the acceleration produced by the motion system and the visual information generated by computer graphics with the developed MBS simulator system. In this paper, a closed-loop test of a human-automobile system was investigated with the developed MBS driving simulator. In this evaluation, the driving simulator system and driver’s behavior were included in a multibody dynamics analysis, so it consists of a hardware- and human-in-the-loop simulation. It was observed from test results that the driving behavior was changed according to the parameters of the multibody vehicle model.     

Combined carbon‐dioxide‐capturing high‐performance power generation system using a solid oxide fuel cell operating on pressurized fuel/air

The authors recently proposed a high‐performance combined carbon‐dioxide‐capturing power generation system using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a closed‐cycle MHD generator, in which pure oxygen is used as the oxidant. This combined system makes the best use of the advantages of combustion with pure oxygen but fails to prevent the efficiency deterioration caused by high power demand for oxygen production. In the present study, the authors modified this previous system and proposed an improved combined carbon‐dioxide‐capturing power generation system using SOFC/MHD characterized by a higher overall thermal efficiency. In this system, pure oxygen is supplied only to the combustor to reduce the power required for the oxygen production, and pressurized air is used as the oxidant gas in the SOFC. The power saving amounts to about 5% of the thermal input, resulting in a very high total thermal efficiency of 67.53% (HHV) or 74.94% (LHV), which is considered to be the highest possible value of the overall thermal efficiency of carbon‐dioxide‐capturing systems. Advantages of the proposed system suggest that it is advisable to continue further research in this direction. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 149(4): 21–30, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20010     

Thermal decomposition of uranyl chloride hydrate

The thermal decomposition of uranyl chloride hydrate has been investigated by thermal analyses, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. From the results it is concluded that uranyl chloride hydrate decomposes thermally as follows: .     

Extraction of some mineral acids by high molecular weight quaternary ammonium chloride

The distribution equilibria of hydrochloric, nitric, perchloric, sulphuric and phosphoric acids between aqueous solutions and a solution of tricaprylmethyl-ammonium chloride in organic solvent have been investigated. The organic phases have been studied by infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. As a result, it is found that at low aqueous acidity the extraction of these acids is governed by the ion exchange reaction, forming the mono-quaternary ammonium salts of monobasic acids and the mono-, di- (and tri-) quaternary ammonium salts of di- (and tri-) basic acids, and at higher acidity by the formation of the adducts to quaternary ammonium salts with additional acids.     

Thermal decomposition of uranyl sulphate hydrate

The thermal decomposition of uranyl sulphate hydrate (UO₂SO₄-3H₂O) has been investigated by thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectrophotometry. As a result, it is concluded that uranyl sulphate hydrate decomposes thermally.     

Flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell on stainless steel substrate deposited by multi‐layer precursor method: its photovoltaic performance and deep‐level defects

Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) films on soda‐lime glass and stainless steel (SUS) substrates with several [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]), GGI, and Fe concentrations are fabricated by so‐called “multi‐layer precursor method”. From optical deep‐level transient spectroscopy, deep‐level defect located at 0.8 eV from valence band maximum (E_V) is observed. This defect becomes recombination center when GGI is over 0.4, thereby decreasing cell performances. Fe‐related deep‐level defect is moreover detected in CIGS film on SUS substrate situated at 0.45 eV from E_V. Its density is consistent with Fe concentration in CIGS films. According to SCAPS simulation and experimental results, Fe concentration of above threshold (1.0 × 10¹⁶ atom/cm³) decreases carrier lifetime and carrier density and has more harmful influence on cell performances with GGI of above 0.4. On the other hand, Fe concentration of below threshold (1.0 × 10¹⁶ atom/cm³) has no detrimental impact on cell performances. Namely, conversion efficiency (η) is slightly changed by below 2%. CIGS solar cell on SUS substrate with η of 17.5% is fabricated by decreasing Fe concentration to approximately 5.2 × 10¹⁶ atom/cm³ although higher than the threshold value. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interlaboratory validation of quantitative duplex real-time PCR method for screening analysis of genetically modified maize

To reduce the cost and time required to routinely perform the genetically modified organism (GMO) test, we developed a duplex quantitative real-time PCR method for a screening analysis simultaneously targeting an event-specific segment for GA21 and Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter (P35S) segment [Oguchi et al., J. Food Hyg. Soc. Japan, 50, 117-125 (2009)]. To confirm the validity of the method, an interlaboratory collaborative study was conducted. In the collaborative study, conversion factors (Cfs), which are required to calculate the GMO amount (%), were first determined for two real-time PCR instruments, the ABI PRISM 7900HT and the ABI PRISM 7500. A blind test was then conducted. The limit of quantitation for both GA21 and P35S was estimated to be 0.5% or less. The trueness and precision were evaluated as the bias and reproducibility of the relative standard deviation (RSD(R)). The determined bias and RSD(R) were each less than 25%. We believe the developed method would be useful for the practical screening analysis of GM maize.     

Relationship between Rice Flour Particle Sizes and Expansion Ratio of Pure Rice Bread

We examined a method to produce bread from crystalline rice flour without using thickening agents such as gluten, polysaccharide thickening, and amorphous rice flour. Rice grains were pulverized by a jet mill to produce flour. Samples of rice flours of various particle size distributions were prepared by using a size shifter. The degree of starch damage and the dynamic viscoelasticity of rice batter were measured in this work. We also baked bread of the flour of each size distribution to study processability for making bread. The batter made by the pulverized flour of rice particle size ranging from 75 to 106 μm had the highest expansion ratio and a good processability for baking breads compared to other particle size batters. The rice bread with high expansion ratio was produced by controlling particle size of crystalline rice flour without using thickening agents.     

Determination of the heat change in solvent extraction of metals. The extraction of zinc (II) from hydrochloric acid solutions by high molecular weight amines in various organic solvents

The heat change associated with the uptake of zinc (II) has been examined by using a twin type isoperibol calorimeter in the extraction of zinc (II) from hydrochloric acid solutions by trioctylamine hydrochloride (TOAHCl) and trioctylmethyl-ammonium chloride (TOMAC) in various organic solvents such as benzene, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, toluene, m-xylene, nitrobenzene, carbon tetrachloride and 1, 2-dichloroethane. It was found that the dependence of apparent molar heat change (the value of the heat change detected with regard to the concentration of zinc (II) reacted) on the aqueous chloride concentration could be attributed to the change in the distribution of zinc (II) chloride species in the aqueous phase. Taking account of this fact, variable Y, which constitutes the sum of the change in enthalpies for the relevant steps in the extraction of zinc (II), except the transformation of ZnCl_j^(2-j)+ to ZnCl₄^2-, in the aqueous phase, is introduced. From the values of Y obtained, it is concluded that in the extraction by TOMAC, Y correlates with the solubility parameter of diluent, suggesting that the organic phases may be regarded as regular solutions, while in the extraction by TOAHCl, no clear-cut relation holds between Y and the physico-chemical constants of the diluent such as dipole moment, dielectric constant and solubility parameters.