Abstract: Provided are a power generation element including a power generation material indicated by the following general formula (1), and a power generation system using the power generation element: (AxB1-x)NbO3 (1), where A and B are mutually different and represent at least one element selected from rare-earth elements, alkaline-earth metals, alkaline metals, Cd, and Bi, and x represents an atomic proportion in a numerical range of 0<x?1. The configuration provides a power generation material that enables sufficient power generation performance even in a high temperature range, a power generation element including the power generation material, and a power generation system using the power generation element.

Abstract: A power converter is provided for direct conversion of multi-phase AC power to AC power. The power converter includes a conversion circuit, a plurality of input lines and a plurality of capacitors. The conversion circuit has first and second switching elements that are configured to be connected to the phases of the multi-phase AC power for bidirectional switching of energizing current. The input lines are connected to the conversion circuit. The capacitors are connected to the conversion circuit. The first and second switching elements are arranged such that paired input terminals line up in a row with the paired input terminals to an outside, and paired output terminals to an inside. The input lines extend in a direction in which the paired input terminals line up, and extend from one of the input terminals to another of the input terminals.

Abstract: A power converter is provided for direct conversion of multi-phase AC power to AC power. The power converter includes a conversion circuit and a plurality of output lines. The conversion circuit has first and second switching elements that are configured to be connected to phases of the multi-phase AC power for bidirectional switching of energizing current. The output lines are connected to the conversion circuit. The first and second switching elements have output terminals. The output terminals of the first and second switching elements are arranged in first and second rows. The output terminals of the first and second switching elements face each other. The first output lines include two first output lines including first and second widely shaped bus bars connected to the output terminals of the first and second switching elements, respectively. The first output lines extending out in one direction, and line up in an upright direction.

Abstract: Provided are a vulcanizate of a chloroprene rubber composition containing carbon black that generates a smaller amount of heat when used and a method for producing the same by a simpler and more convenient method. First, an unvulcanized rubber composition at least containing a chloroprene polymer and carbon black is vulcanization-molded, to give a semivulcanized molded article having a cure characteristic value, as determined by the method specified in JIS K6300-2: 2001, in the range of t10 to t80. Then, the semivulcanized molded article obtained by semivulcanized film-forming step is additionally vulcanized in the state as it is deformed entirely and the deformation is removed, to give vulcanizate in a desired shape.

Abstract: A power-generating system includes a heat source which is able to produce temporal temperature variation; a first device which is able to produce temporal temperature variation based on the temperature change of the heat source and in which polarization occurs; a second device for taking out a net generating power from the first device; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the first device; a voltage application device that applies a voltage to the first device; and a control unit for activating the voltage application device on detecting an increase in temperature of the first device and for stopping the voltage application device on detecting a decrease in temperature of the first device by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: Provided are a vulcanizate of a chloroprene rubber composition containing carbon black that generates a smaller amount of heat when used and a method for producing the same by a simpler and more convenient method. First, an unvulcanized rubber composition at least containing a chloroprene polymer and carbon black is vulcanization-molded, to give a semivulcanized molded article having a cure characteristic value, as determined by the method specified in JIS K6300-2: 2001, in the range of t10 to t80. Then, the semivulcanized molded article obtained by semivulcanized film-forming step is additionally vulcanized in the state as it is deformed entirely and the deformation is removed, to give vulcanizate in a desired shape.

Abstract: A power-generating system includes a heat source which is able to produce temporal temperature variation; a first device which is able to produce temporal temperature variation based on the temperature change of the heat source and in which polarization occurs; a second device for taking out a net generating power from the first device; a detection unit that detects the temperature of the first device; an electric field application unit that applies an electric field to the first device; and a control unit for activating the electric field application unit when the temperature detected by the detection unit is the Curie temperature of the first device or higher.

Abstract: A matrix converter according to an embodiment includes a power converter having a plurality of bidirectional switches, a controller, and a current detector. The controller controls the power converter. The correct detector detects a current flowing to an output side of the power converter. The controller extracts a high-frequency component contained in the current detected by the current detector, adjusts an output current reference on the basis of the high-frequency component, and controls the power converter on the basis of the adjusted output current reference.

Abstract: A power converter is provided for direct conversion of multi-phase AC power to AC power. The power converter includes a conversion circuit, a plurality of input lines and a plurality of capacitors. The conversion circuit has first and second switching elements that are configured to be connected to the phases of the multi-phase AC power for bidirectional switching of energizing current. The input lines are connected to the conversion circuit. The capacitors are connected to the conversion circuit. The first and second switching elements are arranged such that paired input terminals line up in a row with the paired input terminals to an outside, and paired output terminals to an inside. The input lines extend in a direction in which the paired input terminals line up, and extend from one of the input terminals to another of the input terminals.

Abstract: A power-generating system includes a heat source which is able to produce temporal temperature variation, a first device in which polarization occurs based on the temperature change of the heat source, and a second device for taking out a net generating power from the first device, wherein 80% or higher of the total surface area of the first device is heated and/or cooled with the heat source.

Abstract: A modified natural rubber particle having carbon-carbon double bands assigned to multifunctional vinyl monomers graft-copolymerized onto the surface of the modified natural rubber particle, which is prepared by graft-copolymerization of multifunctional vinyl monomers having two or more carbon-carbon double bonds onto natural rubber particles or deproteinized natural rubber particles. One of the methods for producing a modified natural rubber particle includes the steps of: forming inclusion complex of the multifunctional vinyl monomers having two or more carbon-carbon double bonds with a guest-protecting agent to protect at least one of the double bonds of the multifunctional vinyl monomers; graft-copolymerizing the resulting inclusion complex onto natural rubber particles or deproteinized natural rubber particles; and deprotecting the protected double bonds by removing the guest-protecting agent from the obtained graft-copolymer.

Abstract: There are provided a method by which a stress history of an object can be measured with high reliability if the object, which has temporarily been elastically deformed upon receiving an external force, recovers from the elastic deformation, and a composite material containing cement as a main component, of which a stress history can be measured with high reliability without reducing the strength of the material itself and without breaking the structure. To achieve the above-mentioned advantages, the method includes the steps of: acquiring an initial value of a twin density for calcite particles contained in an object to be measured that is elastically deformable upon receiving an external force; and measuring a history of stresses received by the object to be measured on the basis of a difference from the initial value in respect of the twin density for the calcite particles after the object to be measured receives the external force.

Abstract: The shape measurement device 1 comprises a light source 11, a measuring beam illumination system 13, a reference comb light separator 14, an optical multiplexer 15 and photodetector 16. The reference comb light separator 14 enters with a broadband light, and it separates in a reference comb light with broadband light. The frequency interval of the reference comb light changes continually depending on a size of Y-coordinate level in the image formation point, when the emission direction is assumed Z-axis direction. X-axis means a virtual cutout line for the measuring object, and Y-coordinate means depth for measuring. The interference image emerging in the detective surface is a tomogram for the measurement substantially. Using the reference comb light, the two-dimensional dislocation of depth direction is measured, wherein the dynamic range is extremely wide.

Abstract: A fabrication method for fabricating a metal oxide film introduces H2 gas and O2 gas or, H2O2 gas, into a catalytic reactor to make contact with a catalyst to generate H2O gas. The H2O gas that is generated is jetted from the catalytic reactor to react with a metal compound gas, to thereby deposit the metal oxide thin film on a substrate and fabricate the metal oxide thin film.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes steps of: arranging a substrate in a chamber; introducing H2 gas at a first flow rate and O2 gas at a second flow rate independently from the H2 gas into a catalyst reaction portion in which catalyst is accommodated, wherein H2O gas produced from the H2 gas and the O2 gas that contact the catalyst is ejected from the catalyst reaction portion toward the substrate; and reducing a flow rate of the O2 gas introduced to the catalyst reaction portion to a third flow rate that is lower than the second flow rate, wherein the steps of introducing the H2 gas and the O2 gas and reducing the flow rate of the O2 gas are repeated in this order at a predetermined repetition frequency, thereby processing the substrate.

Abstract: An emotional state determining apparatus capable of determining an emotional state of a subject without reducing determination accuracy even if the number of brain wave signals to be used is reduced. A multifractal dimension computing section 3 computes multifractal dimensions based on brain wave signals or brain wave difference signals. An emotional state determining section 4 receives input data on the multifractal dimensions, and determines an emotional state of the subject based on determination criteria which are determined in advance by using as reference data the brain wave signals obtained from a reference person. Generalized latent dimensions (vector) respectively obtained by substituting a plurality of different values determined in advance for a Hurst exponent characteristic q in a generalized latent dimension Dq=1/Hq, which is a reciprocal number of a generalized Hurst exponent Hq obtained from the brain wave signals or the brain wave difference signals, are used as the multifractal dimensions.

Abstract: The relay (KM) has at least first and second contact points (a1, a2), the states of which are switched from an open state to a close state by the drive of an electromagnet (32). The first and second contact points (a1, a2) switch the states between the open state and the close state by enabling movable contact pieces (31) to move with respect to respective fixed contact pieces (30) by using a power transmission mechanism (21) movable by the drive of the electromagnet (32). The first and second contact points (a1, a2) are set so that the second contact point (a2) is switched to the close state after the first contact point (a1) is switched to the close state and the first contact point (a1) is switched to the open state after the second contact point (a2) is switched to the open state.

Abstract: Provided is a protein-free natural rubber for which the risk of inducing allergic reactions is extremely low. Also provided are a latex of said rubber and a method for efficiently manufacturing said rubber and latex. In the provided manufacturing method, a urea compound, a surfactant, and a polar organic solvent are added to a natural rubber latex, and the proteins in said latex are denatured and then removed. This results in a protein-free rubber latex having a nitrogen content of at most 0.001% as measured by an RRIM test. Also, the amount of protein in a solid rubber obtained by drying the provided natural rubber latex is at most 0.5 ?g/g as measured by an improved Lowry method.

Abstract: Vegetation growth condition analyzer, method and record medium using plural radar imaees of a ground surface of a same target area, which have been laken at multiple times during the year obtained from a flying body, e.g. an artificial satellite are disclosed. These images are stored in a map database and aligned wjth a criterion image. Extracting a backscatter coefficient of a specified target area in the criterion image from the map database and calibrating the backscatter coefficients of other radar images are entailed. Finally, calculating growth values of vegetation shown in the radar images by use of the calibrated backscatter coefficients are obtained.

Abstract: A modified natural rubber particle having carbon-carbon double bands assigned to multifunctional vinyl monomers graft-copolymerized onto the surface of the modified natural rubber particle, which is prepared by graft-copolymerization of multifunctional vinyl monomers having two or more carbon-carbon double bonds onto natural rubber particles or deproteinized natural rubber particles. One of the methods for producing a modified natural rubber particle includes the steps of: forming inclusion complex of the multifunctional vinyl monomers having two or more carbon-carbon double bonds with a guest-protecting agent to protect at least one of the double bonds of the multifunctional vinyl monomers; graft-copolymerizing the resulting inclusion complex onto natural rubber particles or deproteinized natural rubber particles; and deprotecting the protected double bonds by removing the guest-protecting agent from the obtained graft-copolymer.