Abstract: An apparatus for production of a clathrate hydrate with enhanced latent heat storing capability includes a gas supplier for supplying a gas to an aqueous solution containing a quaternary ammonium compound, and a cooler for cooling the aqueous solution, the apparatus producing the clathrate hydrate with enhanced latent heat storing capability including both the quaternary ammonium compound and the gas as guests by supplying the gas to the aqueous solution with the gas supplier in the stage of cooling with the cooler.

Abstract: It is possible to provide a heat storage substance, a heat storage agent, a heat transport medium, and a cold insulation agent having low corrosiveness and a high latent heat quantity at a low cost, their production method, and a cold reservoir and a cold insulator containing the heat storage substance as content. The heat storage substance is characterized by containing a tri-n-butylalkylammonium salt and water. The heat storage substance is characterized by containing either tri-n-butyl-n-pentylammonium bromide or tri-n-butyl-n-pentylammonium chloride and water. The heat storage agent is characterized by containing a tri-n-butylalkylammonium salt and water. The heat storage agent is characterized by containing either tri-n-butyl-n-pentylammonium bromide or tri-n-butyl-n-pentylammonium chloride and water. The heat transport medium is characterized by containing a tri-n-butylalkylammonium salt and water.

Abstract: An aqueous solution containing a quaternary ammonium salt as a guest compound of a clathrate hydrate, having a property of producing the clathrate hydrate when cooled, and further containing a phosphate of an alkali metal added thereto. A clathrate hydrate produced by cooling an aqueous solution containing a quaternary ammonium salt and a phosphate of an alkali metal, wherein the quaternary ammonium salt is the guest compound.

Abstract: Provided is a microchip capable of integrating liquid evaporation as an operation on the microchip. In the microchip 10 having a gas flow path 13 inside, liquid is dispersed by capillary action and pooled in a pool portion 12 at a bottom of the gas flow path 13, and at least a part of the liquid pooled in the pool portion 12 is evaporated. As the capillary action is used, the liquid can be dispersed and pooled in the pool portion 12 at the bottom of the gas flow path 13 inside the microchip 10. Besides, the liquid pooled in the pool portion 12 remains in the pool portion by a surface tension even if gas is made to flow in the gas flow path 13 or the gas flow path is evacuated for evaporation. This enables highly efficient evaporation inside the microchip 10.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating ballast water, the apparatus being capable of treating ballast water so as to meet the ballast water standard established by the IMO exactly at low costs. The treatment apparatus of the present invention comprises a filter (4) that filters sea water to trap aquatic organisms, a bactericide supply apparatus (5) that supplies bactericide to the filtrate sea water, and a venturi tube 7 that introduces the sea water to which the bactericide is added, to produce cavitation in the sea water, thereby diffusing the bactericide and also damaging and destroying aquatic organisms in the sea water.

Abstract: A cable-stayed suspension bridge having characteristics of a cable stayed bridge and those of a suspension bridge at the same and time and using one-box and two-box girders in combination is disclosed. The bridge grinder of the cable-stayed suspension bridge includes one-box girders that each extend to both sides through the respective one tower and a two-box girder set in a central portion of the center span between towers in the length direction of the bridge girder. The cable-stayed suspension bridge includes cable-stayed structures in which a respective one of the one-box girders is supported by the tower with plural cables and a suspension structure in which the two-box girder is supported by the plural towers with two main cables and plural hanger ropes. The two-box girder has a central ventilation opening in the central portion as viewed in a transverse direction thereof.

Abstract: A process for producing a tape-like material uniformly containing highly pure single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a tape-like material produced thereby; a high-performance field emission electrode including the tape-like material; and a process for producing the field emission electrode. The carbon nanotubes are synthesized by arc discharge, wherein an inert gas or inert gas-containing mixed gas is jetted onto a cathode having a carbon material from the inside of a hollow electrode (11) used as an anode, and simultaneously an arc is generated to form a path of arc discharge along a stream of the gas. At the same time, by relative movement of the electrodes, the cathode spot of the arc is moved on the cathode, and the synthesized carbon nanotubes are formed into a tape.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating organic wastewater and sludge which remarkably reduce the generated amount of sludge at a much lower running cost, and which reduce the size and the capacity of the solubilization tank. The method and apparatus for treating sludge employs a biological treatment system, wherein a biological treatment of wastewater is carried out, and a solid-liquid separation unit for separating a solid from a liquid in the wastewater after the biological treatment, to obtain a treated wastewater and a sludge. The apparatus has a means for obtaining a withdrawn sludge from a part of the sludge and an alkali-treatment tank, wherein an alkali-treatment of the withdrawn sludge is carried out. The apparatus also has a biological solubilization tank which solubilizes the sludge after the alkali-treatment under an anaerobic, anoxic or microaerophilic condition, and a means for recycling the solubilized sludge to the biological treatment system.

Abstract: A poured molten metal quantity control device includes a fixed plate brick having at least one pouring port, a collector nozzle brick, a slide plate brick sandwiched therebetween, an outer race mounted so as to be turned on the outer peripheral side of the fixed plate brick by an extendable unit, and a frame having the slide plate brick mounted thereon that is mounted on the outer race through a pivotal hinge so as to be capable of opening and closing movements. The frame can be opened and closed through the pivotal hinge independently of the turning of the outer race with the extendable unit.

Abstract: An apparatus produces hydrate slurry, which is a mixture of aqueous solution and hydrate, by cooling aqueous solution containing a guest compound, which generates the hydrate at temperature higher than 0° C., by using a cooling medium. The apparatus includes a first heat exchanger for supercooling the aqueous solution while holding the aqueous solution in a liquid state and in a second heat exchanger, which is provided on the downstream side of the first heat exchanger for cooling hydrate slurry.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating organic wastewater and sludge which remarkably reduce the generated amount of sludge at a much lower running cost, and which reduce the size and the capacity of the solubilization tank. The method and apparatus for treating sludge employs a biological treatment system, wherein a biological treatment of wastewater is carried out, and a solid-liquid separation unit for separating a solid from a liquid in the wastewater after the biological treatment, to obtain a treated wastewater and a sludge. The apparatus has a means for obtaining a withdrawn sludge from a part of the sludge and an alkali-treatment tank, wherein an alkali-treatment of the withdrawn sludge is carried out. The apparatus also has a biological solubilization tank which solubilizes the sludge after the alkali-treatment under an anaerobic, anoxic or microaerophilic condition, and a means for recycling the solubilized sludge to the biological treatment system.

Abstract: A thermal storage apparatus for using a hydrate thermal storage medium including: (a) a storage tank for storing a cooling medium liquid; (b) a refrigerating machine, connected with the storage tank via a pipe for cooling the cooling medium liquid, the cooling medium liquid circulating between the storage tank and the refrigerating machine; and (c) a thermal storage body immersed in the cooling medium liquid, wherein the thermal storage medium comprises a hermetically sealed container containing an aqueous solution which generates at least one hydrate selected from the group consisting of a primary hydrate and a secondary hydrate, wherein the primary hydrate has a smaller hydration number and a small heat capacity than the secondary hydrate, and wherein the secondary hydrate has a larger hydration number and a larger heat capacity than the primary hydrate.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating organic wastewater and sludge which remarkably reduce the generated amount of sludge at a much lower running cost, and which reduce the size and the capacity of the solubilization tank. The method and apparatus for treating sludge employs a biological treatment system, wherein a biological treatment of wastewater is carried out, and a solid-liquid separation unit for separating a solid from a liquid in the wastewater after the biological treatment, to obtain a treated wastewater and a sludge. The apparatus has a means for obtaining a withdrawn sludge from a part of the sludge and an alkali-treatment tank, wherein an alkali-treatment of the withdrawn sludge is carried out. The apparatus also has a biological solubilization tank which solubilizes the sludge after the alkali-treatment under an anaerobic, anoxic or microaerophilic condition, and a means for recycling the solubilized sludge to the biological treatment system.

Abstract: A sludge concentrating apparatus comprising a sludge tank for storing sludge and a filter cloth having a shape of endless belt which turns between upper and lower rollers, further comprising filtering means of which at least the lowermost of rollers is immersed in the sludge, washing means of the filter cloth, and a filtrate chamber having a filtrate introducing port in contact with the filter cloth and a weir, wherein a sludge distributing tank serving as sludge introducing means into the sludge tank is provided near the upper end of the filtrate introducing port, and a concetrated sludge discharge tank serving as concertrated sludge introducing means with the filter cloth in between; said sludge concentrating apparatus further comprising coagulant adding means for adding an acid, and a flow adjustment device serving as a sludge uniform feeding means which feeds sludge fed into the sludge tank uniformly in the width direction of the filter cloth.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for treating organic wastewater and sludge, which remarkably reduce the generated amount of sludge at much lower running cost, and which get the size smaller the capacity of the solubilization tank. The method and apparatus for treating sludge has: an biological treatment system, which applies biological treatment to wastewater, a solid-liquid separation unit for separating a solid from a liquid in the wastewater after treating the biologically, to obtain a treated wastewater and a returned sludge. And the apparatus has means for obtaining a withdrawn sludge from a part of the returned sludge, an alkali-treatment tank, which applies alkali-treatment to the withdrawn sludge. The apparatus, also, has a biological solubilization tank, which solubilizes the sludge after treating the alkali-treatment under an anaerobic, anoxic, or microaerophilic condition, and a means for returning sludge to recycle the solubilized sludge to the biological treatment system.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to measure, surely and in a stable condition, the orientation of a pig body in the pipe of a pipeline thereby to correct errors caused by measuring the linear shape of the pipeline by means of a gyroscope sensor. A three-axis gyroscope sensor unit 4 is placed in a pig body 2 such that one of measuring axes of the gyroscope sensor unit 4 is parallel to the center axis of the pig body 2 and is fixed so as to prevent the gyroscope sensor unit 4 from being shifted in position with respect to the pig body 2. Two sets of six distance measuring means 5-10 and 11-16 are arranged on the outer periphery of the pig body 2 at two positions in the back and forth direction (in a direction of travel), respectively, and the six distance measuring means of each set are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the pig body 2.