Abstract: An onboard system measures the train position by measuring the rotational speed of a tacho-generator, determines an estimated train occupancy range (in which the train may be present) using the train position, and transmits the estimated train occupancy range to a ground system. The onboard system corrects the train position based on the results of communication with a correction coil when the train has passed through the installation point of a correction coil. When the train position has been shifted backward as a result of correction that utilizes the correction coil, the onboard system determines and transmits the estimated train occupancy range based on the train position immediately before correction until the latest train position reaches the train position immediately before correction, and determines and transmits the estimated train occupancy range based on the latest train position after the latest train position has reached the train position immediately before correction.

Abstract: A phase of the pulse control signal upon restarting is synchronized with the phase of the pulse control signal upon suspending, thereby suppressing fluctuations of output voltage in each phase of the inverter upon restarting and further suppressing fluctuations of voltage supplied to the load. Upon supplying DC power to a plasma generator, when arc discharge occurs in the plasma generator, supplying of the DC power is suspended to reduce damage on the electrodes and substrate, and further upon extinguishing of the arc discharge, supplying of the DC power is restarted. In suspending and resuming the DC output, the current flowing in the chopper upon suspending is held in the form of circulating current, and upon restarting the inverter, this circulating current is supplied to the load. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a delay in supplying the DC power to the load, upon resuming the DC output.

Abstract: Intermittent short-circuit control is performed in the ignition mode, thereby allowing short-circuit current to flow in the current source step-down type chopper. Energy of the short-circuit current is temporarily accumulated in the inductor provided in the current source step-down type chopper. The accumulated energy boosts the output voltage from the direct current power supply device during the period until the next short circuiting, via the current, the multiphase inverter, and the rectifier. The voltage boosting operation where accumulation of the current energy by short circuiting and boosting of the output voltage by conduction are repeated, controls an increase of the output voltage which is applied to the plasma generator.

Abstract: Intermittent short-circuit control is performed in the ignition mode, thereby allowing short-circuit current to flow in the current source step-down type chopper. Energy of the short-circuit current is temporarily accumulated in the inductor provided in the current source step-down type chopper. The accumulated energy boosts the output voltage from the direct current power supply device during the period until the next short circuiting, via the current, the multiphase inverter, and the rectifier. The voltage boosting operation where accumulation of the current energy by short circuiting and boosting of the output voltage by conduction are repeated, controls an increase of the output voltage which is applied to the plasma generator.

Abstract: When RF power is supplied from an RF generator to a load via a power supply unit, (a) the internal impedance of the RF generator is made lower than the characteristic impedance of the power supply unit, and (b) the load-end voltage is increased by selecting the electrical length LE of the power supply unit, which connects between the RF generator and the load to supply RF power, so that the electrical length LE has a predetermined relation with the fundamental wavelength ? of the RF AC. More specifically, the electrical length LE of the power supply unit is selected in such a way that, when the load end, which is the input end of the load, is in an open state, the electrical length LE is (2n?1)·(?/4)?k·??LE?(2n?1)·(?/4)+k·? (n is an integer, k is {??2·cos?1(1/K)}/(4?)) with respect to the fundamental wavelength ? of the RF AC.

Abstract: In an RF power supply for supplying RF power to a plasma load, reflected wave power control is performed in which the reflected wave power of an RF generator is detected and the RF generator is controlled. For a short-time variation in reflected wave power, control is performed based on a peak value variation in the detection value of reflected wave power. For a long-time variation in reflected wave power, control is performed based on a variation in a smoothed value obtained by smoothing detection values of reflected wave power. A reflected wave power control loop system includes a reflected wave power peak value dropping loop system and an arc blocking system that perform control based on a peak variation in reflected wave power and a reflected wave power amount dropping loop system that performs control based on a smoothed power amount of reflected wave power.

Abstract: A phase of the pulse control signal upon restarting is synchronized with the phase of the pulse control signal upon suspending, thereby suppressing fluctuations of output voltage in each phase of the inverter upon restarting and further suppressing fluctuations of voltage supplied to the load. Upon supplying DC power to a plasma generator, when arc discharge occurs in the plasma generator, supplying of the DC power is suspended to reduce damage on the electrodes and substrate, and further upon extinguishing of the arc discharge, supplying of the DC power is restarted. In suspending and resuming the DC output, the current flowing in the chopper upon suspending is held in the form of circulating current, and upon restarting the inverter, this circulating current is supplied to the load. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a delay in supplying the DC power to the load, upon resuming the DC output.

Abstract: When RF power is supplied from an RF generator to a load via a power supply unit, (a) the internal impedance of the RF generator is made lower than the characteristic impedance of the power supply unit, and (b) the load-end voltage is increased by selecting the electrical length LE of the power supply unit, which connects between the RF generator and the load to supply RF power, so that the electrical length LE has a predetermined relation with the fundamental wavelength ? of the RF AC. More specifically, the electrical length LE of the power supply unit is selected in such a way that, when the load end, which is the input end of the load, is in an open state, the electrical length LE is (2n?1)·(?/4)?k·??LE?(2n?1)·(?/4)+k·? (n is an integer, k is {??2·cos?1(1/K)}/(4?)) with respect to the fundamental wavelength ? of the RF AC.

Abstract: In an RF power supply for supplying RF power to a plasma load, reflected wave power control is performed in which the reflected wave power of an RF generator is detected and the RF generator is controlled. For a short-time variation in reflected wave power, control is performed based on a peak value variation in the detection value of reflected wave power. For a long-time variation in reflected wave power, control is performed based on a variation in a smoothed value obtained by smoothing detection values of reflected wave power. A reflected wave power control loop system includes a reflected wave power peak value dropping loop system and an arc blocking system that perform control based on a peak variation in reflected wave power and a reflected wave power amount dropping loop system that performs control based on a smoothed power amount of reflected wave power.

Abstract: In power conversion according to the three-phase converter, symmetrical component voltage values of a balanced system are calculated from wye-phase voltages on the three-phase AC input side of the three-phase converter. On the DC output side thereof, the power factor is set, an average active power value is calculated from an output voltage value and an output current value, and an average reactive power is calculated from the set power factor. On the basis of the symmetrical component voltage values, the average active power, and the active reactive power, a compensation signal for compensating for unbalanced voltages of the three-phase AC voltages and a control signal for controlling the power factor are generated, and according to the compensation signal and the control signal, a control signal for outputting DC is generated.

Abstract: In controlling switching elements of a current source inverter, a switching loss in the switching element is prevented according to a normal switching operation for a commutation operation, without requiring any particular control. In the commutation operation of the current source inverter, a timing for driving the switching elements is controlled in such a manner that an overlap period is generated, during when both a switching element at the commutation source and a switching element at the commutation target are set to be the ON state, a resonant circuit is controlled based on the control of the switching elements having this overlap period, and resonant current of the resonant circuit reduces the switching loss upon commutation operation of the switching elements.

Abstract: An onboard system transmits a train occupancy range based on a measured train position to a ground system. The ground system provisionally detects the occupancy state of each block section based on the train occupancy range acquired from the onboard system. Exit detection points (Qh, Qr) are set at a position outside each block section. It is determined that the train has left the block section when the entirety of the train occupancy range has passed the exit detection point (Qh, Qr). When the provisional detection result indicates that the detection target block section is not occupied, and it has been determined that the train has left the detection target block section, it is determined that the detection target block section is not occupied.

Abstract: An onboard system measures the train position by measuring the rotational speed of a tacho-generator, determines an estimated train occupancy range (in which the train may be present) using the train position, and transmits the estimated train occupancy range to a ground system. The onboard system corrects the train position based on the results of communication with a correction coil when the train has passed through the installation point of a correction coil. When the train position has been shifted backward as a result of correction that utilizes the correction coil, the onboard system determines and transmits the estimated train occupancy range based on the train position immediately before correction until the latest train position reaches the train position immediately before correction, and determines and transmits the estimated train occupancy range based on the latest train position after the latest train position has reached the train position immediately before correction.

Abstract: The pulse modulated RF power control method includes an output amplitude control step for controlling amplitude of a pulse output, and a duty control step for controlling a duty ratio of the pulse output. The output amplitude control step performs a constant amplitude control to control an amplitude value of the pulse output so that the amplitude value becomes equal to a set amplitude value. The constant amplitude control according to the output amplitude control, for instance, gives a feedback of the amplitude value of the pulse output outputted by the power control, obtains a difference value between the feedback value and the set amplitude value, and controls the amplitude value of the pulse output so that the difference value becomes zero.

Abstract: In controlling switching elements of a current source inverter, a switching loss in the switching element is prevented according to a normal switching operation for a commutation operation, without requiring any particular control. In the commutation operation of the current source inverter, a timing for driving the switching elements is controlled in such a manner that an overlap period is generated, during when both a switching element at the commutation source and a switching element at the commutation target are set to be the ON state, a resonant circuit is controlled based on the control of the switching elements having this overlap period, and resonant current of the resonant circuit reduces the switching loss upon commutation operation of the switching elements.

Abstract: In compensating for unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC, instantaneous values of wye-phase voltages 120° out of phase with each other are obtained from line voltages using a centroid vector operation, symmetrical component voltages of three-phase balanced system are obtained from the instantaneous values of wye-phase voltages, a compensation signal to compensate unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC is generated from zero-phase-sequence voltage of symmetrical component voltages is generated, wye-phase voltages 120° out of phase, the unbalanced voltages of which are compensated, are obtained from the compensation signal and the symmetrical component voltages, a control signal of a PWM conversion is generated based on the compensated wye-phase voltage compensated, and the unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC are compensated. The amount of time to compensate the three-phase unbalanced voltages required for detecting an unbalance of voltages and generating a control signal can be shortened.

Abstract: In power conversion according to the three-phase converter, symmetrical component voltage values of a balanced system are calculated from wye-phase voltages on the three-phase AC input side of the three-phase converter. On the DC output side thereof, the power factor is set, an average active power value is calculated from an output voltage value and an output current value, and an average reactive power is calculated from the set power factor. On the basis of the symmetrical component voltage values, the average active power, and the active reactive power, a compensation signal for compensating for unbalanced voltages of the three-phase AC voltages and a control signal for controlling the power factor are generated, and according to the compensation signal and the control signal, a control signal for outputting DC is generated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus for suppressing abnormal electrical discharge used for vacuum equipment which supplies power from a high-frequency power source to a plasma reaction chamber and executes a film formation process, provided with a power controller for controlling the high-frequency power source based on a deviation between a power command value and a power feedback value, and a cutoff controller for cutting off the power supply from the high-frequency power source to the plasma reaction chamber, based on a detection of the abnormal electrical discharge within the plasma reaction chamber. The cutoff controller exercises a first handling cutoff control and a second handling cutoff control, each having a different cutoff time. The first handling cutoff allows ions to remain in the plasma reaction chamber, and exercises the cutoff control over the high-frequency power source within a time duration which allows an arcing element to disappear.

Abstract: In compensating for unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC, instantaneous values of wye-phase voltages 120° out of phase with each other are obtained from line voltages using a centroid vector operation, symmetrical component voltages of three-phase balanced system are obtained from the instantaneous values of wye-phase voltages, a compensation signal to compensate unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC is generated from zero-phase-sequence voltage of symmetrical component voltages is generated, wye-phase voltages 120° out of phase, the unbalanced voltages of which are compensated, are obtained from the compensation signal and the symmetrical component voltages, a control signal of a PWM conversion is generated based on the compensated wye-phase voltage compensated, and the unbalanced voltages of three-phase AC are compensated. The amount of time to compensate the three-phase unbalanced voltages required for detecting an unbalance of voltages and generating a control signal can be shortened.

Abstract: The pulse modulated RF power control method includes an output amplitude control step for controlling amplitude of a pulse output, and a duty control step for controlling a duty ratio of the pulse output. The output amplitude control step performs a constant amplitude control to control an amplitude value of the pulse output so that the amplitude value becomes equal to a set amplitude value. The constant amplitude control according to the output amplitude control, for instance, gives a feedback of the amplitude value of the pulse output outputted by the power control, obtains a difference value between the feedback value and the set amplitude value, and controls the amplitude value of the pulse output so that the difference value becomes zero.