Breakdown characteristics of oil and paper insulation for a very fast transient voltage

This paper describes the dielectric breakdown characteristics of oil and oil‐impregnated paper for very fast transient (VFT) voltages. Blumlein circuits generate VFT voltages of 60 and 300 ns in a pulse width that simulates disconnecting switching surges in gas‐insulated switch gears. We measured the breakdown voltages of needle‐to‐plane, plane‐to‐plane oil gaps and several pieces of paper between plane electrodes for VFT and lightning impulse voltages. The measured data were formulated in V‐t characteristics and Weibull probability distributions. The inclination n of V‐t characteristics of insulating paper is 150, which is less than n = 13.7 of the plane‐to‐plane oil gap in the VFT time range. The shape parameters of Weibull distribution obtained in this study show that the scattering of breakdown voltages of paper is much less than that of oil. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 141(4): 16–24, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10043     

Tunable laser for sensing atmospheric transmission in the infrared region of 11 ∼ 16 µm

We succeeded in observing the continuously tunable, pulsed InSb SFR (Spin-Flip Raman) laser emission in the infrared region of 11～16µm (11.4～16.3µm) from only one InSb device, merely by adjusting the pumping wavelength (11 lines from the infrared NH₃ laser) and the applied magnetic field (0～80 kGauss).     

A sensorless brushless dc motor system

This paper describes a brushless dc motor system without position or speed sensor. The brushless motor consists of a permanent magnet synchronous motor and a voltage-source inverter capable of controlling the amplitude and frequency of voltage. The rectangular-shaped stator current with a conducting interval of 120° (electrical) is controlled to be in phase with the trapezoidal back electromotive force. This results in producing maximum torque. Variable speed is achieved by adjusting the average motor voltage similarly to chopper control of dc motors. In this paper, two sensorless position detecting methods, i.e., an “indirect method” suited for the lower-speed range and a “direct method” suited for the higher-speed range are proposed. The combination of the two makes it possible to detect the rotor position over a wide-speed range. Furthermore, a speed-sen-sorless PLL control is proposed in applying the principle of the direct method. Experimental results obtained from a prototype brushless dc motor are shown to confirm the validity of the sensorless drive. The starting procedure of the motor also is discussed because it is impossible to detect the rotor position at a standstill.     

Transient analysis of an advanced static var compensator using quad-series voltage-source PAM inverters

This paper deals with an advanced static Var compensator (ASVC) using quad-series voltage-source PAM inverters. The ASVC consists of four three-phase voltage-source inverters with a common dc capacitor and four three-phase transformers, each primary winding of which is connected in series with each other. Each inverter outputs a square-wave voltage, while the synthesized output voltage of the ASVC has a 24-step wave shape. This results not only in a great reduction of harmonic currents and dc voltage ripples but also in fewer switching and snubbing losses. In this paper, transient analysis is performed with the focus on the response of reactive power and the resonance between the dc capacitor and ac reactors. Experimental results obtained from a small-rated laboratory model of 10 kVA are also shown to verify analytical results based on the p-q transformation. The analytical results help in the design of system parameters such as the capacity of the dc capacitor and feedback gains.     

Percutaneous lumbar nucleotomy

The nature of the events whereby the reactive intermediates resulting from the bioactivation of bromobenzene and furosemide induce hepatotoxicity is unknown. To examine a role for disturbances in intracellular calcium homeostasis, secondary to a depletion in cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) and reduced protein thiols (PSHs), isolated mouse hepatocytes were exposed to cytotoxic concentrations of bromobenzene or furosemide. Cytosolic calcium concentration, as well as thiol status, was determined. The incubation of hepatocytes with 3.0 mM bromobenzene, and subsequent additions (1.2 mM) of the agent every hour, resulted in significant GSH depletion. The loss of plasma membrane integrity at 1.5 h preceded both a rise in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and depletion of total PSH content. Furosemide (1.0 mM) produced a 70% depletion in cellular GSH content in isolated hepatocytes. The initiation of cell damage occurred concurrently with both a rise in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and a depletion of total PSH content 4 h following furosemide addition. Since the increase in cytosolic Ca2+ did not precede cytotoxicity, these results do not support an initiating role for Ca2+ deregulation in bromobenzene and furosemide hepatotoxicities. In addition, depletion of PSH content did not correlate with bromobenzene- or furosemide-induced cytotoxicity.     

DNA-inorganic hybrid material as selective absorbent for harmful compounds

Double-stranded DNA is one of functional polymers, but the large amounts of DNA sources, such as salmon milt and shellfish gonads, have been discarded as industrial wastes. Therefore, conversion of this discarded DNA to be a useful material would be beneficial to utilize the unique property of DNA. These materials including DNA have been prepared by mixing with the organic polymers, such as alginic acid, collagen, and chitosan. However, since these materials have consisted from entirely organic components, these do not have the mechanical strength for a material. So, we prepared the organic-inorganic hybrid materials by mixing DNA with silane coupling reagents bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)amine or bis[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine. These hybrid materials with the flexibility were water-insoluble and resistant to hydrolysis by nuclease. In addition, the mechanical strength of this hybrid material was approximately twice as high as that of DNA without mixing with silane coupling reagents. Furthermore, the double-stranded DNA in the hybrid materials has been maintained in a B-form structure in aqueous solution. Thus, we demonstrated the utilization of DNA as a functional material. As a result, this material could selectively accumulate harmful DNA-intercalating compounds with the planar structure, such as dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran, and ethidium bromide. Organic-inorganic hybrid material including double-stranded DNA has potential to serve as a useful biomaterial for medical, engineering, and environmental applications.     

Elevated expression of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase mRNA in scleroderma

Using in situ hybridization techniques, we examined the expression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) mRNA in the skin of five patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and five normal controls. Sections treated with an anti-sense probe showed concentrated grains exclusively in the epidermis of SSc patients, but not in that of normal controls. Because our subcloned anti-sense probe specifically hybridizes with ODC mRNA, these findings indicate that the expression of ODC mRNA is elevated in SSc epidermis. Possibly polyamines have an important part to play in the skin changes of SSc.     

Fate of the chlorine and fluorine in a sub-bituminous coal during pyrolysis and gasification

The fate of the chlorine and fluorine present in a sub-bituminous coal from Indonesia during pyrolysis and gasification has been studied with fixed and entrained bed reactors. The rate profile for HCl evolved in the temperature programmed pyrolysis exhibits the main and shoulder peaks at 480 and 600 °C, respectively. Model experiments and subsequent Cl 2p XPS measurements show that HCl reacts with metal impurities and carbon active sites at 500 °C to be retained as inorganic and organic chlorine forms, from which HCl evolves again at elevated temperatures. It is suggested that the HCl observed in the coal pyrolysis may originate from the above-mentioned chlorine functionalities formed by secondary reactions involving the nascent char. In the CO₂ gasification of the 900 °C char at 1000 °C and 2.5 MPa, any measurable amounts of HCl and HF could not be detected even at a high conversion of 75 wt% (daf), suggesting the accumulation of these halogens in the residual char. When the coal is injected into an O₂-blown, entrained bed gasifier at 1200-1400 °C under 2.6 MPa, the partial oxidation proceeds to a larger extent at a higher O₂/coal ratio, whereas the chlorine and fluorine are enriched in the remaining char, and the extent of the enrichment at the latter stage of gasification is larger with the fluorine. The XPS measurements of the chars reveal the presence of the broad F 1 s peak, which can cover a wide range of binding energies attributable to inorganic and organic fluorine. The halogen enrichment during gasification is discussed in terms of secondary reactions of HCl and HF with char.     

Effect of alkali and alkaline earth metals on nitrogen release during temperature programmed pyrolysis of coal

Formation of HCN, NH₃, and N₂ during fixed-bed pyrolysis at 10K min⁻¹ has been studied using coal samples after partial demineralization followed by addition of metal hydroxides from aqueous systems. Without additives, NH₃ is the predominant product at ≤ 700°C, showing the two peaks in the formation rate profile, whereas N₂ is the only product at ≥ 800°C. The presence of NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH)₂ promotes considerable NH₃ formation between 450 and 600°C, but in contrast suppresses HCN formation in this region. The Ca shows the largest effect on both the promotion and suppression. It is likely that the NH₃ increased by Ca addition arises partly from HCN, but mainly from secondary reactions of tar-N. These hydroxides affect N₂ formation in quite different manners: the Na decreases the rate between 700 and 950°C, and the K changes it less significantly than the Na, but the Ca remarkably increases the rate in a low temperature region of 550–700°C. These different features are discussed in terms of solid-phase reactions of alkali metal carbonates with char-N and secondary decomposition reactions of tar-N on CaO particles. As a result, total conversion of coal-N to HCN, NH₃ and N₂ up to 1000°C increases in the sequence of Na < none < K < Ca.