Enlargement of Claw Pole Motor Using SMC Cores Divided in the Circumferential Direction

Clawtooth motors have the feature that they can be made thin in the axial direction. This makes them suitable for appliances, automobile accessories, and small‐sized industrial motors. On the other hand, there is a need for thinner HEV and elevator motors and large‐sized industrial motors. In this study, we examined ways of increasing the output of clawtooth motors. We arrived at the following conclusions. (1) The optimal stator structure was determined and the prospects of attaining the target specification of 123 N‐m were determined. (2) Three important manufacturing tasks, assurance of core assembly accuracy, thin coil manufacture, and rotator insertion, were identified. (3) Experimental results and the results of analysis were in agreement with respect to the EMF. (4) The experimental cogging torque results and finite element analysis (FEA) results were in agreement with the FEA results at sixth order but not at second and fourth order. (5) Although the core needed to be divided in the circumferential direction in order to increase its size, it was clear that the influence on the torque was small. (6) Use of a divided core is a good solution for enlargement of clawtooth motors.     

Computational complexity of spline interpolation

The procedure for composing the spline function of order m that interpolates n data is roughly divided into two stages: (1) constructing the matrix A_n that transforms the fl-spline coefficient vector c into the sample value vector s; and (2) calculating the vector c. Then the effects of boundary conditions and the locations of the sampling points and the knots on the number of computations for spline interpolation are evaluated. There are no boundary condition effects of the construction of A" for equispacing. Non-periodic boundary conditions reduce the number of computations needed to calculate c from O(m²n) to O(m²n/4).

In the construction of A_n, choosing equispaced sampling points reduces the number of computations from O(m²n) to O(m²) in the case of sampling points located at a constant interval between each pair of adjacent knots. In the calculation of c, equispaced sampling points reduce the number of computations from O(m²n) to O(m²n /2) in the case where m is even and the locations of the knots are identical with those of the sampling points.     

Window functions obtained by convolution integrals of rectangular windows

The rectangular, triangular, and Parzen windows, which have been defined independently of each other, are obtained by repeating convolution integrals of the rectangular window with itself. They are extended to make a series of window functions. This series has the advantage that the sidelobe fall-off is variable though it has the disadvantage that the mainlobe band-width for the same highest sidelobe level is 1–1·3 times those of the gaussian, Kaiser, Dolph–Chebyshev or Blackman–Harris windows. Moreover, this series has a desirable mainlobe bandwidth of 0·85–1 times that of cos^x x windows for the same highest sidelobe level and sidelobe fall-off. Thus, this series is useful in designing window functions whose mainlobe bandwidth is in between that of the gaussian or Kaiser windows and that of cos^x x windows and whose sidelobe fall-off is as good as that of the cos^x x windows.     

EFFECT of MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING ON GLUTATHIONE and ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT of ASPARAGUS SPEARS

Asparagus (Asparagus Officinalis L.) spears were packaged in ordinary and microperforated oriented polypropylene (OPP) films and were stored at 15C and 75% RH for up to 10 days. CO₂ concentrations ranged from 15.5 to 23% at 10 days of storage. Weight loss was less than 1.2% in microperforated film packages compared with 15% in air storage under similar conditions. Ascorbic acid content was found to be adversely affected at all the O₂ levels (1–6%) prevailing in microperforated film packages, but it was retained to the extent of 45–55% of its original concentration in ordinary OPP film packaged asparagus. the O₂ concentrations in microperforated film packages were also associated with higher glutathione concentrations in packed asparagus spears. Results of the study indicated that to preserve ascorbic acid and glutathione simultaneously in stored asparagus through MAP under high CO₂ and low O₂ conditions, O₂ concentration levels must be selected between 1 and 6% in such a way so as to get acceptable retention levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione.     

An autonomous decentralized scheduling algorithm for a scheduling problem in a metal mould assembly process

This paper deals with a scheduling problem in a metal mould assembly process. The process is of job shop type with several additional constraints. One constraint is that precedence relations exist not only among operations but also among jobs. The other constraint is that the system has two types of machines in parallel. The single-function machine executes a specific operation of each job and the multi-function machine can execute several operations. Therefore selection of the machine is necessary for executing each operation. In addition the problem has two objective functions. One is to minimize the sum of the tardiness of each job, and the other is to maximize the working time of the multi-function machine because of reducing the operating cost of machines. An autonomous decentralized scheduling algorithm is proposed to obatin a compromise solution of the multi-objective problem. In this algorithm, a number of decision makers are called subsystems, which co-operate with one another in order to attain the goal of the overall system. In our algorithm, all jobs and the set of multi-function machine are defined as the subsystem because their objective functions are competitive. They determine the scheduling plan on the basis of their co-operation and the satisfaction of their own objective function levels. The effectiveness of the algorithm is investigated by examining numerical results.     

Morphological analyses of minute crystals by using stereo-photogrammetric scanning electron microscopy and electron back-scattered diffraction

We present a new method for the morphological analyses of minute faceted crystals by combining stereo-photogrammetric analysis of scanning electron microscope images and electron back-scattered diffraction. Two scanning electron microscope images of the same crystal, recorded at different tilt angles of the specimen stage, are used to determine the orientations of crystal edges in a specimen-fixed coordinate system. The edge orientations are converted to the indices [ uvw ] in the crystal system using the crystal orientation determined by electron back-scattered diffraction analysis. The Miller indices of crystal facets are derived from the indices of the edges surrounding the facets. The method is applicable to very small crystal facets. The angular error, as derived from tests using a calcite crystal of known morphology, is a few degrees.
To demonstrate the applicability of the method, the morphology of boehmite (γ-AlOOH) precipitated from solution during the dissolution of anorthite was analyzed. The micrometre-sized boehmite crystals are surrounded by two {010} basal facets and eight equivalent side facets that can be indexed equally well as {323}, {434} or {545}. We suggest that these side facets are in fact {111}, the morphology having been modified slightly (by a few degrees) by a small extension associated with opening along (010) microcleavage planes. Tiny {140} facets are also commonly observed.     

Voltage Regulation Utilizing Electric Vehicle Rapid Chargers in a Distribution System

From growing interests in the environment issues, promotion of photovoltaic power generation (PV) is accelerated in the world. Meanwhile, rapid chargers (RCs) for popularized electric vehicles are being installed in urban areas. These two trends in distribution system might cause severer voltage fluctuation problems. On the other hand, a RC can provide the reactive power support, which is capable of voltage regulation. Based on this viewpoint, this paper proposes a new framework of voltage regulation, in which the reactive power compensation by RCs is actively utilized. The proposed voltage regulation method combines two different control functions with consideration for over‐compensation avoidance. This paper ascertains the validity of proposed voltage regulation method through numerical simulations.     

Algorithm by hybrid splines

Hybrid splines whose bases are constructed by multi-order B-splines are presented. B-splines of order 2 are induced for representing corners, and those of orders 3 or 4 for representing curved parts. The hybrid splines can represent not only smooth parts (class C^m?22:m≥3) but also corners (class C°): Hybrid splines of order 2 and 4 cannot be represented by conventional splines with multiple knots. Satisfactory approximation results are obtained by hybrid splines of order 2 and 4 determined by a least-squares method.     

Positive Creeping Discharge along Aerial Insulated Wire Generated by Lightning Stroke

There are two causes, inductive lightning surge and direct lightning stroke, as the aerial insulated wire accidents accompanying lightning in a power distribution system. When the overvoltage due to the inductive lightning surge invades to the wire core, the creeping discharge can develop along the wire surface from the free end of the binding wire just after a flashover of the post insulator at the wire supporting point. This creeping discharge may give rise to the accidents such as a melting or snapping of the wire. The creeping discharge along the wire surface has the positive or negative polarity. Positive creeping discharge is restricted to the area where a positive lightning generates. Only a few examples have been reported on the positive creeping discharge, and its characteristic has many unsolved points. In the previous studies, we have observed the positive creeping discharges along the wire surface under the negative inductive lightning surge with the peak values in the range |V_m| ≤80 kV. In this study, the positive creeping discharges are examined newly in the range |V_m| > 80 kV. It is reported that the positive creeping discharges are greatly affected by the negative corona discharges generating from the wire surface in |V_m| ≥ 95 kV.     

Sugar and Cyclitol Determination in Vegetables by HPLC Using Postcolumn Fluorescent Derivatization

Nonreducing sugars such as sucrose, raffinose, myo-inositol, pinitol and galactinol were separated on a polyamine-bonded polymer gel (NH₂ type) column using acetonitrile-water as mobile phase. Sugars in the eluate were detected by periodate oxidation and the subsequent derivation of guanidine to fluorescent compounds. Detection limits were: sucrose 2.5, D-glucose 2.5 and pinitol 4 ng. This highly sensitive method was more accurate and rapid for determining sugar contents in immature soybean seeds, sweet corn kernels and chinese mustard leaves than the conventional method using refractive index detection. Also, this method reduced the injection volumes of extracts to the column and allowed to lengthen the column life.