Kinetics of Initial Sintering with Grain Growth

Kinetic equations for initial sintering were obtained by combining the conventional kinetic equation with an empirical expression for grain growth in the initial stage. The equations describe the isothermal shrinkage of ZnO in O₂ at 80 torr and 800° to 950°C. The equation also successfully analyzed the sintering of powder compacts of Al₂O₃ studied by other workers.     

A Flux‐Modulating Synchronous Machine with Permanent Magnet Excitation

This paper presents a novel type of flux‐modulating synchronous machine (FMSM) in which permanent magnets (PMs) are embedded in the stator back‐iron. The rotor has neither windings nor PMs. A prototype machine with an outer‐rotor configuration was designed and manufactured to validate the operating principle of the FMSM. The characteristics in the motor mode of the prototype machine were also investigated with a vector control system. The results of the investigations show that, as in surface‐mounted PM motors, the torque of the FMSM is predominantly generated by the PM flux and can be controlled using the armature current.     

INFORMATION FILTERING FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Information filtering is an intelligent function that selects the relevant messages and items of use or interest to the user from a large amount of incoming information. This function has become very important for the rapid development of network technology. This article focuses on information filtering for the management of emergency situations. We believe that special purpose-built "information filtering systems" should be developed to cope with the problem of information overload in emergency management. In this article, we first investigated features of information in emergent situations and then proposed an information filtering system for emergency management. The proposed system is composed of two parts: causal analysis and information classification. A prototype system has been developed and its effectiveness was evaluated by experiments.     

Alpha-Helical Structure of Fish Actomyosin: Changes during Setting

Participation of the α-helix in setting was investigated using circular dichroism. The α-helicity of the actomyosin from eight species of fish decreased during incubation at 30°C or at 40°C. The extent and pattern of decrease differed among species. When rate of decrease was plotted vs rate of increase in strength of gel preincubated at 30°C or at 40°C, the two factors correlated closely. We propose that the unfolding of α-helix initiated setting.     

焦炭过滤床电炉粉尘捕集特性的模拟研究

以超细二氧化硅微粒为模拟粉尘,研究了在冷态焦炭过滤床条件下的电炉粉尘捕集特性：即在固定床的实验条件下,当气流速度一定时,平衡状态下静态捕集量在过滤床纵轴方向上的分布状态变化较小;当焦炭颗粒以一定速度下移时,随粉尘供给速率的增大,整体的静态捕集量也随之增加,从上部到下部静态捕集量呈渐增趋势。本实验条件下,在综合考虑捕集量、捕集速率和捕集效率的基础上,气流速度应小于0.65 m/s。     

Effect of Rare-Earth Ions on Electrical Conductivity of BaTiO3 Ceramics

Lattice constants, grain size, electrical conductivity, and luminescence were measured for sintered BaTiO₃ ceramics doped with 0 to 1.2 at.% rare-earth ions. BaTiO₃ doped with low levels of rare-earth ions contains grains 10 μm in size and has lattice constants nearly equal to those of undoped ceramics. In this case, rare-earth ions occupy Ba²⁺ sites and yield donors. When grain growth is inhibited by high doping levels or by insufficient sintering, the lattice constants change, the rare-earth ions occupy both Ba²⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ sites, and, consequently, BaTiO₃ becomes insulative because of charge compensation.     

Stability Analysis for Grid‐Connected LCL‐Type Inverter with Digital Control

A grid‐connected inverter is indispensable for photovoltaic power generation and smart grid systems, and it must be designed for stable operation. The impedance method based on the Nyquist criterion is often utilized to analyze the stability of grid‐connected inverter systems. The impedance method is based on the eigenvalues of the product of the inverter output admittance and the line impedance matrices in the frequency domain. However, the frequency characteristics have so far been derived only for inverters with analog control systems. A new frequency analysis method for inverters with digital control systems is proposed in this paper. First, a stability analysis example for a three‐phase LCL‐type inverter controlled digitally is shown and the results are compared and validated with those by simulation using a Saber simulator. Finally, they are also compared and validated with experimental results digitally controlled by a DSP‐based system.     

ENZYMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TRYPSIN FROM PYLORIC CECA OF SPOTTED MACKEREL (SCOMBER AUSTRALASICUS)

Trypsin was purified from the pyloric ceca of spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus) by gel filtration on Sephacryl S‐200 and Sephadex G‐50. The purification and yield were 20‐fold and 81%, respectively, as compared to those in the starting crude extract. Final enzyme preparation was nearly homogeneous in sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and the molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 24,000 Da by SDS–PAGE. The trypsin was stable at pH 5–11 for 30 min at 30C, and its maximal activity against N^α‐p‐tosyl‐L‐arginine methyl ester was pH 8.0. Trypsin was heat‐stable up to about 50C for 15 min at pH 8.0. Optimum temperature of the trypsin enzyme was 60C. The enzyme was stabilized by calcium ion. The purified trypsin was strongly inhibited by serine protease inhibitors such as N‐p‐tosyl‐L‐lysine chloromethyl ketone and soybean trypsin inhibitor, suggesting that it is a trypsin‐like serine protease. N‐Terminal amino acid sequence of spotted mackerel trypsin was IVGGYECTAHSQPHQVSLNS.     

The morphology of isotactic polystyrene crystals grown in thin films: the effect of substrate material

Thin isotactic polystyrene films (∼50 nm thick) have been crystallized from the melt on various substrate materials (carbon, glass, mica, polyimide sheet and silicon). The morphology of the crystals has been examined using atomic force microscopy, and was found to be dependent on the nature of the substrate, with two basic types of crystal forming. Crystals either develop around giant screw dislocations, or around small bundles of lamellae growing perpendicular to the substrate surface. It has further been observed that the number of screw dislocations generated in the lamellae is also dependent on the substrate, as is the growth rate of the spiral terraces. These effects are interpreted in terms of interactions between the molecules in the melt and the substrate surface. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intermediate-Stage Sintering of a Homogeneously Packed Compact

Several characteristic equations in intermediate sintering dependent on a grain-growth mechanism were quantitatively estimated using the microstructural data of sintered compacts. The relations which were calculated with a computer based on many assumptions described well the changes of a pore-size distribution, of an average radius of grains, and of a specific surface area of an easily sinterable alumina during the sintering. The reasonableness of these assumptions is discussed.