Transient stability limit issues at three-phase short-circuit in parallel running of both a superconducting generator and a conventional one

Experimental studies using20-kVA superconducting generators (SCG) have been performed in an attempt to understand some of the characteristics of SCG in power systems. It is necessary to investigate the characteristics for the parallel operations of both an SCG and a conventional generator (CG) when an SCG is installed in a present power station. Some of the results of the authors' studies on parallel running of the 20-kVA SCG and the 20-kVA CG are described in this paper. In the experimental system, the SCG is connected to a regional power system (infinite bus) through reactors (artificial transmission lines) and the CG is connected to the terminal of the SCG. Using experiments and computer simulations, the transient characteristics at three-phase short-circuit faults are investigated: 1) when the CG is not disconnected; and 2) when the CG is disconnected after reclosing the line with the fault cleared. Two kinds of stable limit curves are obtained for output power at three-phase short-circuit fault for the aforementioned two cases.     

Purification and some properties of ribonuclease from Xenopus laevis eggs

A 122 kDa RNase from eggs of Xenopus laevis was purified by sequential chromatography on Sephadex G-75, DEAE-cellulose, heparin-Sepharose and TSK gel G3000SW columns, and gave a single 60 kDa band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing and nonreducing conditions. The RNase composed of two 60 kDa subunits is able to recognize pyrimidine bases specifically. The pH optimum of the RNase was 7.5 in Tris-HCl buffer. The enzyme activity was abolished by treatment at 80 degrees C for 5 min and pH 2 or 12 for 1 h. Since egg lectins with RNase activity obtained from Rana catesbeiana and R. japonica and bovine pancreatic RNase A show about 30% protein homology and these three proteins are 12-14 kDa heat-stable RNases, [K. Titani, K. Takio, M. Kuwada, K. Nitta, F. Sakakibara, H. Kawauchi, G. Takayanagi and S. Hakomori, Biochemistry, 26, 2189 (1987); Y: Kamiya, F. Oyama, R. Oyama, F. Sakakibara, K. Nitta, H. Kawauchi, Y. Takayanagi and K. Titani, J. Biochem. (Tokyo), 108, 139 (1990)], the data suggest that the X. laevis egg RNase is a unique protein compared with RNases from not only amphibians, but also mammals.     

Enhancing Mechanisms of Saturated Fatty Acids on the Permeations of Indomethacin and 6-Carboxyfluorescein through Rat Skins

Effects of saturated straight-chain fatty acids at various chain lengths (C₈-C₁₈) on the permeation of indomethacin, a relatively lipophilic compound and 6-carboxyfluorescein, a hydrophilic compound were examined using rat skins in in vitro. Furthermore, the disordering degrees of intercellular lipid domain in stratum corneum, which were treated by preparation containing saturated fatty acids were measured by FT-IR method using excised rabbit ear skins. Capric acid (C₁₀), lauric acid (C₁₂) and myristic acid (C₁₄) within series of saturated fatty acids (0.07 M) showed the enhancing effects on the skin permeations of indomethacin and 6-CF. The permeation enhancing effects by these saturated fatty acids (C₈-C₁₈) except for capric acid (C₁₀), were relative to the degrees of wavenumber shift in the frequency of the asymmetric CHbond stretching absorbance (2920 cm^-1) on FT-IR spectra of the fatty acid treated stratum corneum. Therefore, the perturbation increase of lipid domain in stratum corneum by these fatty acids probably was the cause of the enhanced effects of permeation of indomethacin and 6-CF. On the other hand, capric acid appears to enhance the permeations of these two drugs by separate mechanisms.     

Effects of silicon content,thickness and heat treatment on iron loss properties of high silicon electrical steel sheets

The magnetic properties of high-silicon steel sheets ranging in thickness from 0.35 to 0.03 mm and silicon content from 3 to 7.5 percent is investigated. The minimum iron losses are obtained with the silicon higher than 6.5 percent at the high-frequency range over 30 kHz. The sheet thickness dependency index m is estimated. The heat treatment effects to soft magnetic properties also are studied.     

Thin CdS films prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Polycrystalline CdS thin films have been deposited on borosilicate glass substrates coated with ITO film by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using dimethyl cadmium and diethyl sulfide as source materials. The growth of CdS film occurred at substrate temperatures within the range of 280–360°C. The deposition rate increased with increasing VI/II molar ratio at any substrate temperature and showed a maximum value at the VI/II molar ratio of 4. The grain size of as-deposited CdS film prepared at substrate temperatures from 300°C to 360°C was about 0.1 μm. The CdS films consist of hexagonal form with a preferential orientation of the (0 0 2) plane parallel to the substrate. Thin CdS film with high optical transmittance was prepared at 350°C with the VI/II molar ratio of 4. The CdS film deposited by MOCVD may be used as a window layer for CdS/CdTe solar cell.     

Classical but effective techniques for estimating cardiovasculardynamics

This article first describes the effectiveness and the limitations of classical approaches based on linear models for the cardiovascular system. The authors then introduce their own work on less-invasive and real-time estimation of cardiac output flow and pump function in the clinical setting. It is shown that system identification techniques using linear models can yield unexpectedly accurate results useful for patient care     

Effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) on the interactions between glomerular endothelial cells and mesangial cells: regulation of cell proliferation via endothelin (ET)-1

To elucidate the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) on the interactions between glomerular endothelial cells (GENs) and mesangial cells (GMCs), we investigated whether or not cultured bovine GENs alter endothelin (ET)-1 secretion from bovine MCs and MC proliferate under basal or rHuEpo-stimulated conditions. Incubation for 24 hours with synthetic ET-1 stimulated MC in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 100 pg/ml of ET-1 significantly stimulated MC proliferation after more than 12 hours incubation. Moreover, rHuEpo stimulated ET-1 secretion from GENs in a dose-dependent manner and showed less stimulation of ET-1 secretion from GMCs than GENs. DNA synthesis in both GENs and GMCs was significantly stimulated with more than 5 U/ml of rHuEpo. ET-1 secretion from GENs co-cultured with GMCs was higher than that from cultured GENs only. Conditioned medium, obtained from co-culture of GENs and GMCs, stimulated the proliferation of GMCs that were significantly inhibited with 10(-6) M approximately 10(-5) M BQ-123, a ETA receptor antagonist. These results suggest that rHuEpo directly stimulates the proliferation of GENs and GMCs, and this stimulatory effect is in part due to ET-1 secreted from these cells, especially GENs.     

An automatic control algorithm for the optimal driving of theventricular-assist device

This paper presents a new method of keeping one of the most suitable driving conditions for regulating the outflow volume from the ventricular-assist device (VAD). The experimental results from a mock circulatory system have shown that the relationship between the stroke volume and the systolic duration of the VAD can be specified by the combination of characteristic curves of the positive and negative drive pressures. The optimal operating point on the characteristic curve have been defined as the point at which thrombosis on the blood-contacting surface and hemolysis due to mechanical damage can be avoided and at which the driving energy can be minimized. The present analysis has been revealed that the optimal operating point is the vertex of the triangular figure obtained from the characteristic curve. The algorithms for keeping the optimal operating point and for regulating the stroke volume have been also proposed.