Abstract: An apparatus is provided to measure a depth of a hardened layer formed at a surface layer of a quenched workpiece. The apparatus includes an exciting coil configured to generate a magnetic flux to magnetize the workpiece and a detecting coil configured to detect the magnetic flux generated by the exciting coil. The exciting coil has a U-shaped excitation core portion and an excitation coil portion wound on the excitation core portion. The excitation core portion is arranged such that distal ends of magnetic poles of the excitation core portion face the workpiece. The detecting coil has a detection core portion and a detection coil wound on the detection core portion. The detection core portion is arranged between the magnetic poles of the excitation core portion and along a surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: In a power converter, a first electrical path connects between the series resonant circuit and a selected terminal from the high- and low-side input and output terminals of the power converter. An auxiliary diode is provided on one of the series resonant circuit and the first electrical path. An auxiliary switch, when turned on, causes an inductor current to flow through the auxiliary diode to the resonance inductor, thus storing electromagnetic energy into the resonance inductor, and causes the resonance inductor and the capacitance component of the series resonant circuit to resonate with each other. A second electrical path bypasses the auxiliary switch for flow of the inductor current. A discharge unit is provided on the second electrical path. The discharge unit is activated to discharge the electromagnetic energy stored in the resonance inductor via the second electrical path.

Abstract: The present invention provides an alloy fine particle including palladium and ruthenium, the alloy fine particle including at least one first phase in which the palladium is more abundant than the ruthenium and at least one second phase in which the ruthenium is more abundant than the palladium, the at least one first phase and the at least one second phase being separated by a phase boundary, the palladium and the ruthenium being distributed in the phase boundary in such a manner that the molar ratio of the palladium and the ruthenium continually changes, a plurality of crystalline structures being present together in the phase boundary.

Abstract: In a power converter, switch-off of the synchronous rectification switch while the auxiliary switch is on causes the first capacitance of the main switch and the second capacitance of the synchronous rectification switch to resonate with the inductance of the second magnetic component. A parameter obtainer detects a voltage across a selected one of the main switch and the synchronous rectification switch, and obtains a parameter indicative of a corresponding one of rising and falling waveforms of the voltage across the selected switch while the selected switch is switched. A controller controls a switching control signal for the auxiliary switch to adjust switch-on timing of the auxiliary switch as a function of the parameter obtained by the parameter obtainer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst in which a reaction initiation temperature at which self-heating function is exhibited is low and which is capable of suppressing carbon accumulation even when a reaction is repeated. The catalyst of the present invention includes a CeZr-based oxide, silicon, and a catalytically active metal, wherein the CeZr-based oxide satisfies CexZryO2 (x+y=1) and the silicon satisfies molar ratios of 0.02?Si/Zr and 0.01<Si/(Ce+Zr+Si)<0.2. When the catalyst is used, a reduction temperature for generating initial oxygen deficiency can be decreased. Depending on the catalytically active metal, a reduction activation treatment can be performed even at about 20° C. without any need for heating. In a repeated hydrogen generating reaction, the deposition of carbon generated on the surface of the catalyst can be suppressed, and a decrease in catalytic activity can be prevented.

Abstract: A quenching depth measuring method is used for measuring the quenching depth in a workpiece and includes the steps of: magnetizing the workpiece by disposing, in the vicinity of the workpiece, a magnetizer equipped with an exciting coil; detecting, through a detection coil, an induced magnetic field generated by the magnetization; measuring the induced magnetic field as the output voltage of the detection coil; and specifying the thickness of the quenched hardened layer of the workpiece on the basis of known electromagnetic characteristic information of an unquenched material and a fully-quenched material and an output voltage value measured by the detection coil, the unquenched material being made of the same material as the constituent material of the workpiece and being a material on which a quenching process is not performed, the fully-quenched material being a material on which the quenching process is performed.

Abstract: A problem of the present invention is to provide a switching power supply device and a pulse width modulation circuit capable of operating stably in synchronization with a clock signal. To solve the problem, a pulse width modulation circuit 3A in a switching power supply device 1A includes square-wave voltage output means 8A for, when an integrated voltage Vn rises to an upper threshold voltage or more, shifting a square-wave voltage VPWM to L level, or when the voltage Vn drops to a lower threshold voltage or less, shifting the voltage VPWM to H level, and clock means 6A for outputting a first clock signal VCL1 and a second clock signal VCL2, which are 180° out of phase from each other.

Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing an olefin having 2 to 4 carbon atoms including: reacting a catalyst with synthesis gas through a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, thereby obtaining the olefin having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, in which the catalyst is a catalyst obtained by reducing the iron ion and the cobalt ion in a dispersion liquid or a solution containing the iron ion, the cobalt ion and a dispersant that interacts with the iron ion and the cobalt ion, and a method of manufacturing propylene, which uses the above manufacturing method.

Abstract: There is provided a catalyst for hydrocarbon reforming having a high deposition suppressing effect with respect to a carbonaceous material on the catalyst surface even in a case where a reforming material including carbon dioxide, in particular, formed of only carbon dioxide is used in a reforming reaction, a method of manufacturing the same, and a method of manufacturing a synthesis gas using the catalyst.

Abstract: The drive of direct-heat-supply type reforming of hydrocarbon at ordinary temperature is necessary in order to realize a self-sustaining, on-site reforming type fuel cell system which does not necessitate the supply of energy from the outside. According to the invention, an oxide, CeO2 or Pr6O11, or a Ce/Zr or Ce/Zr/Y double oxide is used as the oxide containing a rare earth element capable of changing the oxidation number with an active metal and oxygen defects are introduced into the oxide or double oxide by activating the oxide or double oxide with a reducing gas at high temperature. When a reaction gas containing hydrocarbon and oxygen is passed though the catalyst at low temperature, the oxygen defects react with oxygen and thereby return to the original oxide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst in which a reaction initiation temperature at which self-heating function is exhibited is low and which is capable of suppressing carbon accumulation even when a reaction is repeated. The catalyst of the present invention includes a CeZr-based oxide, silicon, and a catalytically active metal, wherein the CeZr-based oxide satisfies CexZryO2 (x+y=1) and the silicon satisfies molar ratios of 0.02?Si/Zr and 0.01<Si/(Ce+Zr+Si)<0.2. When the catalyst is used, a reduction temperature for generating initial oxygen deficiency can be decreased. Depending on the catalytically active metal, a reduction activation treatment can be performed even at about 20° C. without any need for heating. In a repeated hydrogen generating reaction, the deposition of carbon generated on the surface of the catalyst can be suppressed, and a decrease in catalytic activity can be prevented.

Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing an olefin having 2 to 4 carbon atoms including: reacting a catalyst with synthesis gas through a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, thereby obtaining the olefin having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, in which the catalyst is a catalyst obtained by reducing the iron ion and the cobalt ion in a dispersion liquid or a solution containing the iron ion, the cobalt ion and a dispersant that interacts with the iron ion and the cobalt ion, and a method of manufacturing propylene, which uses the above manufacturing method.

Abstract: When a commercial power supply E operates normally, converter sections PFC1, PFC2 connected in parallel to each other can operate to approximate the input current from the commercial power supply E to the waveform and phase of the input voltage to correct a power factor while supplying stabilized output voltages Vo1, Vo2 to a load. When the voltage of the commercial power supply E drops, the smoothing capacitor Co1 operates as an input power supply to power the converter section PFC2, which allows the smoothing capacitor Co2 to supply the stabilized output voltage Vo2 to the load.

Abstract: To provide a power supply apparatus that can supply a large current and a small current to a load circuit in a switchable manner, with a minimum circuit scale and an efficient use of electronic devices and elements contained in conventionally used power supply apparatuses.

Abstract: To eliminate the problem that a magnetic deflection is caused in a transformer even when a coupled inductor converter is in a stationary operation state, provided is a DC-DC converter including a first series circuit portion formed by a first switching transistor, a first capacitor, a first inductor, and a second capacitor which are connected to a DC power in series in this order, and a second series circuit portion formed by a second switching transistor and a second inductor which are connected in series in this order, the second series circuit portion is connected in parallel to the first capacitor and the first inductor, and the first inductor and the second inductor constitute a coupled inductor having a plurality of windings and a common magnetic core.

Abstract: The drive of direct-heat-supply type reforming of hydrocarbon at ordinary temperature is necessary in order to realize a self-sustaining, on-site reforming type fuel cell system which does not necessitate the supply of energy from the outside. According to the invention, an oxide, CeO2 or Pr6O11, or a Ce/Zr or Ce/Zr/Y double oxide is used as the oxide containing a rare earth element capable of changing the oxidation number with an active metal and oxygen defects are introduced into the oxide or double oxide by activating the oxide or double oxide with a reducing gas at high temperature. When a reaction gas containing hydrocarbon and oxygen is passed though the catalyst at low temperature, the oxygen defects react with oxygen and thereby return to the original oxide.