Improvement of levitation characteristics in a magnetic bearing system using HTSC‐permanent magnet hybrid structure

Magnetic bearing using pinning force of a permanent magnet and a high‐temperature superconductor has been developed. Additional permanent magnet is introduced to increase the levitation force of the magnetic bearing. In this hybrid magnetic bearing system, levitation force is mainly given by the repulsive force of the permanent magnets, and stability for the lateral direction is given by pinning force of the superconductor. The experimental device is developed. A ring‐type superconductor and a bulk one are examined. Levitation characteristics of the hybrid magnetic bearing are measured. The bulk superconductor shows better characteristics of both levitation and lateral stability than the ring one. Levitation force of the hybrid system becomes about twice as large as that of the nonhybrid one. Although, the repulsive force of the permanent magnet decreases the lateral stability of the system, its influence becomes small by choosing an adequate position of the permanent magnets and the superconductor. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 150(1): 71–77, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10350     

Sensors for the food industry

This article presents an overview of the results of a five-year research project on sensors for the food industry in Japan. This project was a government-sponsered research programme involving the food industry and the instrumentation industry, coordinated by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The programme focussed on 17 food processing operations and quality control tasks, where the need for an on-line (or rapid at-line) measurement had been established. The instrument development work employed biosensors pH and gas sensors, optical-imaging devices, as well as near-infrared, microwave, ultrasound and mechanical resonance techniques, together with robotics and advanced data-processing techniques.     

Two-Parameter Thermal Lattice BGK Model with a Controllable Prandtl Number

In this paper, two time relaxation parameters are introduce to a thermal lattice BGK, model to make its Prandtl number controllable. The dependency of the Prandtl number on the two parameters is derived. Numerical measurement of the transport coefficients is used to demonstrate the validity of the method. Furthermore, two examples of convective heat transfer are calculated, with one to show the effectiveness, and the other to show the breakdown of the two-parameter formulation under different conditions.     

Optimum parameter design of Er/sup 3+/-doped fiber for optical amplifiers

The parameters of Er/sup 3+/-doped fiber which optimize the signal gain of a fiber amplifier pumped by a 1.48- mu m laser diode are theoretically determined using the rate equation for a three-level laser system. The basic parameters specified are the relative-index difference and the cutoff wavelength. The optimum cutoff wavelength of a completely Er/sup 3+/-doped core fiber with a step-index profile is 0.8 mu m regardless of the value of the relative-index difference. The optimum cutoff wavelength depends on the Er/sup 3+/-doped area radius.<>     

Development of Millimeter Wave Fabry-Pérot Resonator for Simultaneous Electron-Spin and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurement

We report a Fabry-Pérot resonator with spherical and flat mirrors to allow simultaneous electron-spin resonance (ESR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements that could be used for double magnetic resonance (DoMR). In order to perform simultaneous ESR and NMR measurements, the flat mirror must reflect millimeter wavelength electromagnetic waves and the resonator must have a high Q value (Q?>?3000) for ESR frequencies, while the mirror must simultaneously let NMR frequencies pass through. This requirement can be achieved by exploiting the difference of skin depth for the two frequencies, since skin depth is inversely proportional to the square root of the frequency. In consideration of the skin depth, the optimum conditions for conducting ESR and NMR using a gold thin film are explored by examining the relation between the Q value and the film thickness. A flat mirror with a gold thin film was fabricated by sputtering gold on an epoxy plate. We also installed a Helmholtz radio frequency coil for NMR and tested the system both at room and low temperatures with an optimally thick gold film. As a result, signals were obtained at 0.18 K for ESR and at 1.3 K for NMR. A flat-mirrored resonator with a thin gold film surface is an effective way to locate NMR coils closer to the sample being examined with DoMR.     

Computer Simulation of Axis-Encircling Beams Generated by an Electron Gun with a Permanent Magnet System

Results from computer aided design of a novel electron gun generating axis-encircling beams are presented and discussed. Numerical experiments were performed by the new version of the software package GUN-MIG named GUN-MIG/CUSP. It is based on a self-consistent relativistic model and is developed as a problem oriented tool for analysis of electron-optical systems with magnetron injection guns (MIG) and electron guns with field reversal (cusp guns), forming axis-encircling beams. As a result of the simulations an electron-optical design of a novel electron gun with permanent magnet system was accomplished. The gun is expected to form high quality beams with small velocity spread and beam ripple. Parameters of the generated beams are appropriate for a prospective weakly relativistic high harmonic large orbit gyrotron (LOG). The development of such device is in progress now at the Research Center for Development of Far-Infrared Region (FIR Center) at Fukui University.     

Spectral restoration and energy resolution improvement of electron energy-loss spectra by Pixon reconstruction: II. Application to practical ELNES analysis of low SNR

We applied Pixon deconvolution as introduced in Part I to several practical, examples of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), electron energy-loss spectra with a goal toward restoring their fine spectral features and/or improving the energy resolution. We demonstrate that by directly fitting the two-dimensional spectral data recorded on the CCD; the method enables us to reveal fine spectral structures. Consequently, Pixon reconstruction extends the ability to probe electronic states in very spatially localized areas, a capability currently unique to our method.     

Functional analyses of neutrophil-like differentiated cell lines under a hyperglycemic condition

Diabetic patients are prone to severe bacterial infections. The functional alterations of neutrophils by hyperglycemia are thought to be partially responsible for such infections. In this study, we investigated the functional changes of neutrophil-like differentiated cell lines (dHL-60, dTHP-1, and dNB-4) by treatment with 5.5 mM, 11 mM, or 35 mM of glucose. In dHL-60 cells, the incubation with high glucose (35 mM) resulted in the enhancement of cell aggregation, the suppression of cellular fragility, the induction of reactive-oxygen species (ROS) production by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation, and the impairment of phagocytosis. In dTHP-1 cells, the treatment with higher glucose generated the suppression of cellular fragility and extremely impaired phagocytosis (by 35 mM), and induced ROS production due to PMA stimulation (by 11 mM). Furthermore, the higher glucose exposure to dNB-4 cells enlarged intracellular vacuoles (by 35 mM) and induced ROS production due to PMA stimulation (by 11 mM). Since the ROS generation of those cells was enhanced only after PMA stimulation under the higher glucose conditions, glucose may have a priming effect rather than a triggering effect. These extraordinary sensitivities caused by the higher glucose treatments may reflect the dysfunction or overactivation of neutrophils.