Indirect measurement of AC current distributions in HTS tapes by a pickup coil method

It is necessary to develop HTS conductors with a large current capacity and low AC loss characteristics for practical use of HTS power devices. For large capacity power applications, HTS tapes such as Bi-2223 tapes and YBCO coated conductors are assembled. So, it is important to evaluate the characteristics of current distributions in such assembled HTS tapes. However, an adequate measurement method has not been established. In this study, we have tried the development of an indirect measurement method to evaluate the current distributions in stacked HTS tapes. In this method, the current distributions are indirectly found from the results of the field distributions measured by a pickup coil located around the surface of the sample tapes. To confirm the accuracy and the sensitivity of this method, current distributions in a test conductor made of copper tapes are measured. Numerical and measured current distributions are compared. Using this method, the current distributions in stacked Bi-2223 tapes are measured at room temperature and 77 K. On the basis of the obtained results, the characteristics of the AC current distributions in the HTS tapes are discussed.     

Cohen–Macaulay Modules and Holonomic Modules Over Filtered Rings

We study Gorenstein dimension and grade of a module M over a filtered ring whose associated graded ring is a commutative Noetherian ring. An equality or an inequality between these invariants of a filtered module and its associated graded module is the most valuable property for an investigation of filtered rings. We prove an inequality G?dim M ≤ G?dim gr M and an equality grade M = grade gr M, whenever Gorenstein dimension of gr M is finite (Theorems 2.3 and 2.8). We would say that the use of G-dimension adds a new viewpoint for studying filtered rings and modules. We apply these results to a filtered ring with a Cohen–Macaulay or Gorenstein associated graded ring and study a Cohen–Macaulay, perfect, or holonomic module.     

Multiple determinations in the micro Dumas nitrogen method

Summary A multiple analysis method for the Dumas nitrogen determination has been described. The furnace is provided with eight combustion tubes arranged in a circle around the axis of the furnace. An improved nozzle-type nitrometer, without ground joints, has been designed. The multiple determinations are simultaneously carried out as in usual method, permitting thirty two analyses in a 7-hour working day. The standard deviation-error of estimate from 88 analyses in routine work is ±0.12% N.

---

Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur gleichzeitigen Durchführung mehrerer Stickstoffbestimmungen nachDumas wurde beschrieben. Der Verbrennungsofen kann acht Verbrennungsrohre in gleichmäßiger Entfernung von seiner Längsachse aufnehmen. Ein verbessertes Düsenazotometer ohne Schliffverbindungen wurde konstruiert. Die Analysen werden gleichzeitig in der üblichen Art durchgeführt, so daß im 7stündigen Arbeitstag 32 Bestimmungen möglich sind. Die mittlere Abweichung von 88 Analysen im Routinebetrieb betrug ± 0,12% N.

---

Résumé On a décrit une méthode d'analyse multiple pour le dosage de l'azote selonDumas. Le four est muni de huit tubes á combustion disposés suivant un cercle autour de l'axe du four. On a construit un nitromètre perfectionné de type à étranglement, sans joints rodés. On effectue simultanément les dosages multiples comme dans la méthode habituelle, ce qui permet de réaliser trente deux analyses en une journée de travail de 7 heures. L'écart type calculé à partir de 88 analyses dans un travail en série est de ±0,12% N.

     

Energy-saving drying technology for porous media using liquefied DME gas

Process design and energy requirement for a practical plant are investigated for an energy-saving drying (dewatering) process invented by the authors in 2002 for high-moisture porous materials. The basic concept of the process involves the extraction of water from a high-moisture porous material by bringing it in physical contact with liquefied dimethyl ether (DME) at room temperature. Water content of DME asymptotically increases to the saturation value and the high-moisture porous material is dried almost perfectly. DME from the DME-water mixture is vaporized by decompression. DME and water are separated by flash distillation. DME vapor is compressed and cooled in a heat exchanger, and the latent heat of condensation is reused to vaporize the DME in the heat exchanger. Multistage compression and multistage flash distillation are employed. After compression, the temperature of DME is less than 50?°C. Because specific heat ratio of DME is only 1.11, the energy consumption of the compressor is reduced. Considering the adiabatic efficiency of the compressor and the net thermal efficiency, the total energy for dewatering is about 1100 kJ per 1-kg-water-content of the material being dewatered This process has significant potential and is compact than the existing dewatering processes.     

Excited states of GFP chromophore and active site studied by the SAC-CI method: effect of protein-environment and mutations

Excited states of fluorescent proteins were studied using symmetry-adapted cluster-configuration interaction (SAC-CI) method. Protein-environmental effect on the excitation and fluorescence energies was investigated. In green fluorescent protein (GFP), the overall protein-environmental effect on the first excitation energy is not significant. However, glutamine (Glu) 94 and arginine (Arg96) have the red-shift contribution as reported in a previous study (Laino et al., Chem Phys 2004, 298, 17). The excited states of GFP active site (GFP-W22-Ser205-Glu222-Ser65) were also calculated. Such large-scale SAC-CI calculations were performed with an improved code containing a new algorithm for the perturbation selection. The SAC-CI results indicate that a charge-transfer state locates at 4.19 eV, which could be related to the channel of the photochemistry as indicated in a previous experimental study. We also studied the excitation and fluorescence energies of blue fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, and Y66F. The SAC-CI results are very close to the experimental ones. The protonation state of blue fluorescent protein was determined. Conformation of cyan fluorescent protein indicated by the present calculation agrees to the experimentally observed structure.     

Lead zirconate titanate cantilever for noncontact atomic force microscopy

Noncontact atomic force microscopy with frequency modulation detection is a promising technique for surface observation with true atomic resolution. The piezoelectric material itself can be an actuator and sensor of the oscillating probe simultaneously, without the need for additional electro-mechanical transducers or other measurement systems. A vertical resolution of 0.01 nm rms has been achieved using a microfabricated cantilever with lead zirconate titanate thin film in noncontact mode frequency modulation detection. The cantilever also has a sharpened pyramidal stylus with a radius of about 10 nm for noncontact atomic force microscopy.     

Rotational and vibrational states of excitonic molecules in CuBr studied by the two-photon-resonant Raman scattering

Excited states of excitonic molecules are found in the study of the two-photon-resonant Raman scattering. These states consist of four levels and have binding energies of 1.0–1.8 meV, which are very small compared with those of the ground states. They are considered to be the rotational and vibrational states of excitonic molecules.     

Electrochemical analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms of p53 gene

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cancer repression gene p53 were analyzed electrochemically with ferrocenyl naphthalene diimide (1) as a hybridization indicator. The SNPs studied were the transition to A from G in the codon for amino acid at positions 175, 248 or 273 and the transversion to C from G in the codon for the amino acid at position 72. Thus, 20-meric oligonucleotides carrying the SNP site were used both as a sample and a probe with the latter immobilized on an electrode. Even one base difference on the p53 gene resulted in a significant difference in the current response of 1 and the magnitude of the response correlated with the amount of the DNA hybrid on the electrode. Moreover, when PCR products of exon 4, on which the P72/R72 SNP resides, of the p53 gene were analyzed by this method, the heterozygote and homozygotes were discriminated with modest precision.     

Dynamics of order formation by colloidal adsorption onto a substrate studied with Brownian dynamics

Colloidal adsorption and spontaneous ordering of adsorbed particles on a substrate was simulated using a three-dimensional simulation model for colloidal dispersion system with an adsorptive surface under a specified bulk concentration, where the particle-particle and particle-substrate interactions were modeled on the DLVO theory. The key process for order formation is considered to be the adsorption of a particle that induces the transition from incomplete order to perfect order, and is found to involve a stochastic nature due to an energy barrier which must be overcome for the system to reach ordered state. Also, a model was developed to predict the energy barrier for order formation based on direct observation of the key process. Further, a model to describe the stochastic nature of the process was developed and its quantitative validity was demonstrated. Through the examination of the key process, it is concluded that the mechanism of the order formation is composed of two successive processes and the rate-determining step varies depending on the ionic strength.