Power extraction using flow-induced vibration of a circular cylinder placed near another fixed cylinder

We conducted an experiment in a towing tank to investigate the performance of an energy extraction system using the flow-induced vibration of a circular cylinder. This experiment tested three different cases involving the following arrangements of cylinder(s) of identical diameter: the upstream fixed–downstream movable arrangement (case F); the upstream movable–downstream fixed arrangement (case R); and a movable isolated cylinder (case I). In cases F and R, the separation distance (ratio of the distance between the centers of the two cylinders to their diameters) is fixed at 1.30. Measurement results show that while cases F and I generate vortex-induced vibration (VIV) resonance responses, case R yields wake-induced vibration (WIV) at reduced velocity over 9.0, which is significantly larger than that of the VIV response, leading to the induction of higher electronic power in a generator. Accordingly, primary energy conversion efficiency is higher in the case involving WIV.     

Formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under femtosecond laser irradiation

We report on the formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser irradiation. We simultaneously focused two beams of femtosecond laser pulses inside a glass and confirmed the formation of characteristically shaped element distributions. The results of the numerical simulation in which we considered concentration- and temperature-gradient-driven diffusions were in excellent qualitative agreement with the experimental results, indicating that the main driving force is the sharp temperature gradient. Since the composition of a glass affects its refractive index, absorption, and luminescence property, the results in this study provide a framework to fabricate a functional optical device such as optical circuits with a high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser.     

Optical fibers and fiber dispersion compensators for high-speed optical communication

In order to meet the requirements necessary for advanced optical fiber transmission schemes that enable larger transmission capacity, higher efficiency and/or lower transmission costs per bit, optical fiber technologies are still evolving toward ultimate performance. Recent developmental activities have realized a number of improved performance optical fibers, such as ultra-low loss or ultra-low nonlinearity fibers and various types of dispersion-modified fibers. Fiber-based dispersion compensators or dispersion compensating fibers have also become one of the most essential optical components that support high-speed large capacity optical transmission. Very recently, the dispersion compensating fibers have further evolved into dispersion-managed optical transmission lines, which are now being actually deployed in transoceanic submarine optical cable networks.     

The effect of oxygen vacancy on the oxide ion mobility in LaAlO3-based oxides

The electrical property of (La_1−xSr_x)_1−z(Al_1−yMg_y)O_3−δ (LSAM; x≤0.3, y≤0.15 and z≤0.1) was measured using the DC four-probe method as a function of temperature (500–1000°C) and oxygen partial pressure (1–10⁻²² atm). Among LSAMs, (La_0.9Sr_0.1)AlO_3−δ showed the highest ionic conductivity, σ_i=1.3×10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 900°C. A simultaneous substitution at A and B sites or A site deficiency is expected to create larger oxygen vacancy and higher ionic conductivity. However, it showed a negative effect. The effect of the vacancy increase did not effect monotonously the ionic conductivity. It was found that the concentration of oxygen vacancy, [V_O], influences not only the oxide ion conductivity, σ_i, but also the mobility, μ_v, of [V_O]. These properties exhibit a maximum at around [V_O]=0.05. With the increase in [V_O], the activation energy, E_a, of the ionic conduction dropped from 1.8 to ca. 1.0 eV at [V_O]=0.05 and became almost constant at [V_O]>0.05. The dependency of the pre-exponential term, μ⁰_v, and E_a on [V_O] was analyzed and their effect on μ_v and σ_i was discussed with respect to crystal structure and defect association. It was estimated that the crystal structure mainly governs these properties. The effect of defect association could not be ignored but is considered to be a complicated correlation.     

Coupled mode analysis of light modulation in dielectric waveguides

A detailed analysis of electrooptic light modulation in optical waveguides is presented. Several important problems of a waveguide modulator, such as the difference of waveguide axes from crystalline electrooptic ones, the distribution of transverse and longitudinal field components of light modes, and the traveling-wave property of the modulating field, are discussed. The analysis is based on the coupled mode theory, regarding the modulation as the coupling among sidebands of unperturbed waveguide modes. The coupled mode equation is derived for the modulation in optical waveguides. It can be solved if the normal modes of the waveguide are given. Actually the equation is solved for the modulation in dielectric slab waveguides and the mechanism of modulation is discussed. The results of the analysis are applied to designing two types of waveguide modulators. In an example (10.6 μm modulator with a GaAs slab waveguide) a new efficient crystal orientation is found. The calculated phase retardation with this orientation is 0.13 rad/(V·cm) with a 1 μm thick slab. Another example of a 0.633 μm modulator using a LiTaO₃ crystal as a substrate is also described.     

Synthesis and properties of thermotropic liquid-crystalline polyesters containing 9,10-diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain

We synthesized thermotropic liquid-crystalline polyesters in which 9,10-diphenylanthracene moieties are incorporated into the main chain type of polyester forming the chiral smectic C (Sm C*). The polymers were prepared by the isopropyltitanate-catalyzed reaction of biphenyldicarboxylic acid and the corresponding diols, with different ratios of diol of 9,10-diphenylanthracene moiety to the alkane diols (1, 5, and 10 mol %) under nitrogen atmosphere. The polymers exhibited thermotropic liquid crystals despite the presence of a bulky diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain. The circular dichroism spectra revealed that a Sm C* phase was formed in the polymer with 1 mol % of anthracene moiety, although only an Sm A phase was formed in the other polymers. This is the first example of a Sm C* polyester containing a diphenylanthracene moiety in the main chain. Furthermore, we measured the optical properties of the polymers and found that they exhibited very high fluorescent efficiency. The fluorescence spectra of the thin film differed from that of a CH₂Cl₂ solution.     

Effect of curing accelerators on thermal imidization of polyamic acids at low temperature

The effect of new additives on the thermal conversion of a range of polyamic acids to polyimides at temperatures lower than 100°C was investigated using infrared spectroscopy. Additives such as m-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and p-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid were found to be highly effective as curing catalysts or accelerators. The degree of imidization of polyamic acids in the presence of additives increased with an increase in the reaction temperature, and complete imidization was achieved at 140–200°C. The reaction was characterized by a rapid rate that slowed with time. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Digital image analysis of polymer blends morphology

Application of digital image analysis (DIA) to polymer blends morphology is discussed with examples. Various operations in DIA including two-dimensional Fourier transformation (2DFT), intensity distribution, recursive region extraction, etc. are applied to morphology of polymer blends due to spinodal decomposition (SD), nucleation 6 growth (NG), and eutectic solidification (ES). Merits and drawbacks of DIA to study polymer blends morphology are discussed and the possibility of future development is presented.