Abstract: An oxide superconductor of the present invention characterized in that it comprises: a substrate 1 made of metals having a high melting temperature; at least one oxide intermediate layer 2 and 3 which is formed on at least one surface of the substrate 1; and a thick film oxide superconductor layer 5 which is formed on the oxide intermediate layer 2 and 3 the liquid phase epitaxial method in which the substrate 1 provided with the oxide intermediate layer 2 and 3 is put into a solution 7 containing the elements comprising an oxide superconductor layer, and is then pulled out from the solution 7.

Abstract: A superconducting cable is manufactured by providing spacers 12 in a plurality of cores 2 at the time of stranding of the cores 2, and removing the spacers 12 before the stranded cores 2 are housed in a thermally insulated pipe and housing the cores into the thermally insulated pipe while the strands are held in a slacked state. By means of temporal interposition of the spacers, there is easily manufactured three cores having sufficient slack to manage thermal contraction which occurs when the cores are cooled in the thermally insulated pipe.

Abstract: A control system for a sodium-sulfur battery, which is composed of a plurality of battery modules connected in series, includes a control device having at least a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature of each battery module, a voltage measuring unit for measuring a voltage thereof, and a current measuring unit for measuring a current thereof assembled as a single control device. Preferably, the system includes a unit for detecting the end of discharge and the end of charge. Thus, the time lag in the detection of the end of discharge and the end of charge may be prevented. The reliability of a NaS battery during long-term operation is improved. A fluctuation in the power consumption of heaters during the driving of the NaS battery is reduced. The space required for installing power equipment such as a transformer may be omitted.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightning strike position locating method, apparatus, system and program that are free of topography-dependent error.

Abstract: In a control unit of a hot-water supply system, a boiling time period is estimated based on a hot-water amount stored in a tank at a time of 23:00, a boiling start time is adjusted so that boiling operation is finished at a time immediately before 7:00. For example, when the hot water amount stored in the tank is smaller at the time of 23:00, the boiling time period is made longer and the boiling start time is made earlier. On the other hand, when the hot water amount stored in the tank is larger at the time of 23:00, the boiling time period is made shorter and the boiling start time is made later.

Abstract: There is provided an available transfer capability calculating system for operating an electric power system, calculating optimal power flow with respect to assumption failure occurring in the electric power system and calculating available transfer capability of the electric power system based on the calculated value of the optimal power flow. The system has an optimal power flow calculating processor for deriving data associated with the initial phase angle and maximum electric power value of a generator by calculating mechanical output and electrical output of a generator including a generator phase angle defined by a time function in a condition that the generator phase angle does not exceed a preset value.

Abstract: In a nuclear power plant, by injecting an amount of hydrogen small enough not to increase a radiation dose rate of the main steam system, ECP of metallic component materials composing a nuclear reactor can be decreased to suppress the potential of occurrence of IGSCC, and the control can be easily performed, and the operating cost can be suppressed to increase. Occurrence of intergranular stress corrosion cracking in metallic component materials in contact with reactor cooling water is suppressed by injecting zirconium hydroxide and hydrogen into the reactor cooling water to decrease the electrochemical corrosion potential of the metallic component materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a space-saving and low-cost emergency power system, which can be installed on a narrow place having limited space and employs a battery that is long in service life and low in frequency of replacement. This emergency power system comprises a circuit having a DC load, a rectifier, and a battery, which are electrically connected to one another. This circuit is adapted so that normally, DC power is supplied from the rectifier to the DC load, and the battery is charged, and that in an emergency, such as a power failure, in which an outage of the rectifier occurs, electric power is automatically supplied from the battery to the DC load. In this system, a sodium sulfur battery is employed as the battery.

Abstract: A superconducting cable includes a core material, conductor layers formed by means of helically winding superconducting wires around the core material, electrically insulating layers, and magnetic shielding layers formed by means of helically winding superconducting wires around each of the electrically shielding layers. The superconducting wire is wound at the shortest pitch on the outermost conductor layer and is wound at the longest pitch on the outermost magnetic shielding layer.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a first tube in which water flows and a second tube in which refrigerant flows, and performs heat exchange between water and refrigerant. The first tube and the second tube are bonded to each other by brazing at joint surfaces thereof such that water flow crosses refrigerant flow perpendicularly. The joint surface of the first tube is divided into several surface regions by grooves. Accordingly, the joint surface of the first tube can be brazed to the joint surface of the second tube uniformly.

Abstract: A method of disposing of combustible materials. The method includes the steps of: providing a heating space; providing a first source to generate heat to a first predetermined level at a first location in the heating space sufficient to reconstitute the combustible materials to a molten slag at the first location and so that heat generated by the first source elevates the temperature at a second location within the heating space to a second predetermined heat level that is below the predetermined heat level and high enough to cause combustion of the combustible materials; directing combustible materials to the second location at which the combustible materials are combusted to produce ash; and causing the ash to be directed to the first location to be reconstituted as molten slag.

Abstract: An elevator control apparatus includes a converter, an inverter, a controller for controlling a motor based on AC power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency supplied from the inverter and operating an elevator; a power storage unit for storing DC power; a charge/discharge control circuit that issues a drive signal such that discharge from the power storage unit increases within a range of power that can be discharged when an elevator is driven immediately following completion of uniform charging; and a charge/discharge circuit for starting uniform charging of the power storage unit in accordance with the drive signal. This arrangement permits quick discharging while effectively using discharge electric power until a state of charge is reached wherein regenerative electric power can be used for charging.

Abstract: The present invention is provided for considerably shortening the construction time of a building that is applied to nuclear power plants. When constructing the building, megablocks having a height that extends to a plurality of floors are produced, and together with combining those megablocks, concrete is poured inside them to form a wall member composed of a megawall structure of steel plate reinforced concrete construction. Alternatively, in addition to the wall megablocks, floor megablocks for forming the floor member of the building are used, and together with combining those megablocks, concrete is poured inside or above them to form a structural member (wall member and floor member) composed of a megawall structure of steel plate reinforced concrete construction.

Abstract: In a hot water supply system with a heat pump cycle, an oil separator for separating refrigerant and oil flowing from a compressor from each other is provided, and oil separated from refrigerant in the oil separator returns to the compressor through an oil returning passage after passing through an oil passage of a water heat exchanger. The water heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging portion in which refrigerant from the oil separator and water from a tank are heat-exchanged, and a second heat exchanging portion in which oil from the oil separator and water from the tank are heat-exchanged. In the heat exchanger, a flow direction of water is set opposite to that of refrigerant and oil.

Abstract: A decarbonating apparatus has a dehumidifying section for adsorbing humidity contained in waste gas and a decarbonating section for adsorbing CO2 contained in the dehumidified waste gas. The decarbonating section includes a decarbonating drum rotor loaded with a CO2 adsorbent having a honeycomb structure and arranged so as to adsorb CO2 contained in the waste gas, a heated gas supply pipe for supplying a heated gas so as to desorb CO2 adsorbed by the CO2 adsorbent, a purge gas supply pipe for supplying a purge gas so as to purge desorbed CO2, and a cooling gas supply pipe for supplying a cooling gas so as to regenerate the CO2 adsorbent. The decarbonating drum rotor is rotated to successively pass through the adsorption region, the desorption region, the purging region, and the regeneration region.

Abstract: A hot water supply system wherein a flow of a refrigerant on a high-pressure side of a supercritical heat pump cycle and a flow of hot water are oppositely directed, and wherein water heated by the refrigerant on the high-pressure side is stored in heat insulating tanks of a vacuous and double structure. Water is heated with heat absorbed from the atmosphere and by the supercritical heat pump cycle having a high heat exchange efficiency &eegr;, to reduce the power required to heat the water. Therefore, hot water can be generated even in the daytime during peak power rates. Accordingly, because it is unnecessary to store hot water for daytime use in insulated tanks, system space requirements are reduced.

Abstract: To reduce a total power amount required to drive an elevator by a commercial power supply during a peak power-consumption time period, for instance, afternoon in summer time, a control apparatus for this elevator is arranged by employing: a converter for rectifying AC electric power to be converted into DC electric power; and inverter for inverting the DC electric power into AC electric power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency; a motor driven by said AC electric power having the variable voltage and the variable frequency so as to operate an elevator; a power storage apparatus for charging thereinto electric power; and a power controller for using both the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply so as to supply the electric power to the inverter, and for controlling at least any one of the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply in order to supply electric power which is required for the inverter.

Abstract: In a hot-water supply system with a heat pump cycle, a control unit controls operation of an expansion valve based on a temperature difference between a refrigerant temperature at an outlet side of a refrigerant passage in a water heat exchanger and a water temperature at an inlet side of a water passage in the water heat exchanger. When the expansion valve is controlled in a direction increasing a valve opening degree, the control unit sets an upper limit opening degree of the expansion valve, for obtaining a refrigerant pressure corresponding to a target hot-water temperature, and controls the expansion valve in an opening degree range smaller than the upper limit opening degree.

Abstract: In a heat-pump water heater, a control unit has a heat-radiation determining means for determining a heat radiation from refrigerant to outside air in an air heat exchanger based on a water temperature flowing into a water heat exchanger, and the control unit selectively performs a general cycle operation and a bypass operation in accordance with a determination result of the heat-radiation determining means. That is, when the water temperature flowing into the water heat exchanger is lower than 60° C., the general cycle operation is performed. On the other hand, when the water temperature is equal to or higher than 60° C., the bypass operation is performed.

Abstract: An elevator control apparatus includes a power storage unit for storing the DC power; a charge/discharge control circuit that controls a state of charge of the power storage unit, outputs a drive signal to charge the power storage unit with the DC power during a halt of the elevator based on operational information regarding the elevator received from the controller, and outputs a stop signal to stop charging when a voltage of the power storage unit reaches a preset voltage; and a charge/discharge circuit for starting charging the power storage unit with the DC power in response to the drive signal, and stopping the charging in response to the stop signal. This arrangement ensures landing of the elevator in case of a power failure, eliminates a peak in power consumption, and permits energy saving by effectively using power produced in a regenerative mode of the elevator.