Abstract: Disclosed is a distributed control method of cooperatively allowing a control strategy for satisfying a constraint on an aggregated resource and simultaneously achieving or maintaining a performance of a system to be determined in a real-time manner by any one of a plurality of entities which have the highest need for the resource at any given time, without providing a specified management entity. The proposed novel method or “card game scheme” of the present invention is designed to dynamically carry out a function of satisfying a constraint on an aggregate resource and simultaneously achieving or maintaining a performance of the entire system, based on a distributed control with high flexibility, wherein an “agent”, i.e.

Abstract: Two conductive solid materials with their respective different compositions are joined in parallel with a gravity direction thereof, and then, heated and melted under static magnetic field orthogonal to the gravity direction to form two conductive melts with their respective different compositions. Then, the conductive melts are maintained for a predetermined period of time under the static magnetic field, and cooled and solidified.

Abstract: An image sensor has a CdTe plate, a plurality of hole-type electrodes, and a voltage-applying unit. The hole-type electrodes are arranged at predetermined intervals in the direction of thickness. The voltage-applying unit applies a voltage to the hole-type electrodes. One of the electrodes is not adjacent to any other electrode and is used as an anode. The remaining electrodes are used as cathodes. A sensor-element array is provided on the detecting surface of the image sensor. The array comprises a plurality of sensor elements arranged in the form of a matrix. Each sensor element comprises an anode, a plurality of cathodes, and CdTe lying between the anode and the cathodes.

Abstract: Two conductive solid materials with their respective different compositions are joined in parallel with a gravity direction thereof, and then, heated and melted under static magnetic field orthogonal to the gravity direction to form two conductive melts with their respective different compositions. Then, the conductive melts are maintained for a predetermined period of time under the static magnetic field, and cooled and solidified.

Abstract: A large membrane space structure deployed and spanned by centrifugal force owing to the spin motion, contains a hub located at a central portion thereof and a sail including a plurality of petals attached to the hub by supports. Each of the petals has regions symmetrical to an imaginary center line passing through the center of the hub. Membranes are spanned on the regions. Each of the membranes is divided into parts of suitable shapes, and adjacent membranes are discretely connected to each other by bridge belts to suppress the residual crease strain. The petals are symmetric with respect to the center of the hub. Deployment force is provided in the circumferential direction by the introduction of imaginary tension lines. The petals may be connected to each other to help deployment.

Abstract: A pressure-resistant balloon includes a gasbag and a volume changing mechanism which deforms the gasbag in a fully inflated state to change a volume of the gasbag. The gasbag includes spindle-shaped gores of an airtight film material, adjacent gores joined together at side edges, and load tapes fitted to joined sections of the side edges, and extending along the side edges, respectively. After inflated, the gasbag allows no gas to be discharged so as to maintain an internal gas pressure. Each of the gores outwardly protrudes between two adjacent load tapes without an elongation of the airtight film material of the gore, when the gasbag is in the fully inflated state. The protruding gore has a radius of curvature in a direction intersecting with the two adjacent load tapes. The radius of curvature is smaller than a radius of the gasbag.

Abstract: A magnetic alloy raw material is heated and melted to create a melt with floating said raw material by means of electromagnetic field from an inductive type heating coil. The melt is located in between a pair of cupper cooling plates driven by a solenoid coil, and then, splat-cooled below the peritectic point of the raw material by the cooling plates.

Abstract: A balloon comprising an envelope, wherein the envelope has a multilayered structure comprising a gas-impervious sheet, and a liquid absorbent sheet overlaid on the inner surface of the gas-impervious sheet.

Abstract: Microcalorimeters are arranged in a n×m matrix, and plural element groups are composed of the microcalorimeters. Each element group is composed of n calorimeters arranged in a column. AC biases having different frequencies are applied to their respective element groups. The elements produce output signals in response to given external information. The output signals from corresponding elements belonging to their respective different element groups are superimposed on their respective AC biases and added with signal adders. A multiplex signal of the thus added output signals can be taken out on one signal line and read. Each microcalorimeter is placed in a bridge-type circuit to cancel out the AC bias in the output in the absence of a signal in the microcalorimeter.

Abstract: A membrane structure includes an airtight pressure-resistant gasbag and a shape maintaining mechanism which maintains the gasbag in a predetermined shape when the gasbag is in a fully inflated state. The gasbag includes a plurality of spindle-shaped gores of an airtight membrane material, adjacent gores joined together at edges, and a plurality of reinforcing ropes attached to joined sections of the edges, the reinforcing ropes extending along the edges, respectively. Each of the gores outwardly protrudes between two adjacent reinforcing ropes extending along the edges of the gore, respectively, without elongation of the airtight membrane material, when the gasbag is in the fully inflated state. Each protruding gore has a radius of curvature in a direction intersecting the two adjacent reinforcing ropes. The radius of curvature is smaller than a radius of the gasbag.

Abstract: When a crystalline nucleus generated from an under-cooled silicon droplet is grown up to a mono-crystalline silicon ball, a critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is determined in response to a diameter d of the silicon droplet so as to satisfy the relationships of (d=5 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=100K), (d=3 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=120K) and (d=1 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=150K). A crystal grown up from the crystalline nucleus at an under-cooling &Dgr;T less than the critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is a mono-crystalline silicon ball with high quality free from cracks or twins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preventing the decrease of the efficiency of heat transfer, caused by frost formation, in a precooler of an air breathing engine. In the precooler, the heat exchanger tube is provided. Into the heat exchanger tube, liquid hydrogen serving as a coolant is supplied. The main air flow is sent to the precooler via the intake duct, and the main air flow which is cooled down there, is then sent to a compressor of the air breathing engine. Via the nozzle provided in the middle of the intake duct, ethanol is mixed into the main air flow. Ethanol is carried into the precooler, and condenses together with the water vapor on the surface of the heat exchanger tube. A frost layer thus formed has less cavities and low thermal resistance as compared to that formed when the water vapor condenses solely. Therefore, the decrease of the performance of the heat exchanger, which is caused by the frost formation, can be prevented.

Abstract: Based on a shape of gores of the Natural-Shaped Balloon, side edge parts of gores having a large width and a large length are connected to load tapes of a length equal to a circumferential length of a side edge part of the gores of the Natural-Shaped Balloon, in a state that wrinkles are formed uniformly and shortened on the side edge parts of the gores. As these gores are swollen out from between the load tapes from the beginning, the radius of curvature of the gores becomes small and the tension against the internal pressure of gas within a gas bag becomes small, so that higher pressure resistance is obtained. Further, a manufacturing method of the present invention is for connecting the side edge parts of the gores with the load tapes while shortening the length of the side edge parts. Thus, it is possible to efficiently manufacture this super-pressure balloon.

Abstract: When the operation of an electromagnetic thruster valve disposed in a fluid assage for establishing the connection between a gas tank and a thruster unit for jetting gas filled in the gas tank is controlled to follow a thrust command, rise time of thrust at certain thrust is measured based on a state of the operation of the electromagnetic thruster valve. Then, the measured value and a predetermined delay value are subject to a comparison. The obtained difference is used as previous delay time to correct delay time of operation control of the electromagnetic thruster valve with respect to a next thrust command when the operation of the electromagnetic valve is controlled.

Abstract: A sample collector of this invention includes a projectile projecting unit n which a projectile is loaded and which has a projecting outlet for projecting out the projectile loaded therein, an enclosed container which is communicated with the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit, which has a projectile passing hole arranged at a position located away from the projecting outlet, the passing hole allowing the projectile to pass through it after the projectile is projected out from the projecting outlet, and which covers a space between the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit, and a kinetic energy absorbing mechanism which is arranged around a projectile path between the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit and the projectile passing hole of the enclosed container. The kinetic energy absorbing mechanism may be an independent active type such as brushes or an integral passive type structured by a part of the container.

Abstract: A liquid oxidizer immersion hybrid rocket having a combustion chamber, a porous fuel material placed in the combustion chamber, a liquid oxidizer filled into pores of the porous fuel material, and two holding plates provided in the combustion chamber so as to hold opposite ends of the porous fuel material respectively. The porous fuel material comprises a large number of layers stacked one another in an axial direction of the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An inner tube tube an outer surface of which is machined to define regerative coolant grooves for flowing a coolant to cool a combustor is split at a throat into upper and lower portions which in turn are fitted into an outer tube fabricated as a unitary structure. The upper and lower inner tube portions and the inner and outer tubes are integrally joined together.

Abstract: An inner tube tube an outer surface of which is machined to define regerative coolant grooves for flowing a coolant to cool a combustor is split at a throat into upper and lower portions which in turn are fitted into an outer tube fabricated as a unitary structure. The upper and lower inner tube portions and the inner and outer tubes are integrally joined together.