Abstract: An apparatus 1 for determining a kind of a steel material detects a spark pixel from a color picked-up image 2 of a spark 19 produced when a steel material 18 is ground, and detects a pixel, in which the density of any one color component for judgment selected from among RGB color components is low, as a low-density pixel from the spark pixels. The apparatus 1 determines that the steel material is a steel material consisting of the high-strength steel if the ratio of the total number of low-density pixels to the total number of spark pixels is not lower than a threshold value for judgment, and determines that the steel material is a steel material consisting of the ordinary steel if the ratio is lower than the threshold value for judgment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing bisphenol A by reacting phenol with actone, wherein reaction is performed at higher temperatures while maintaining high selectivity, and thus high productivity is obtained. The invention relates to a cation-exchange resin, wherein a cation-exchange group is introduced into a syndiotactic polystyrene polymer and the amount of acid is 0.8 milliequivalent/g or more, to a catalyst comprising the cation-exchange resin, and to a process for producing bisphenol A using a cation-exchange resin catalyst.

Abstract: To provide a method for purifying tetrafluoroethylene by removing, from tetrafluoroethylene containing a polymerization inhibitor, the polymerization inhibitor by adsorption. A method of bringing tetrafluoroethylene containing a polymerization inhibitor into contact with a silica gel containing a metal salt in an amount of from 250 to 100,000 mass ppm as calculated as metal atoms to remove the polymerization inhibitor by adsorption, and the metal salt is preferably a salt of a metal of Group 3 to 13 of the Periodic Table, more preferably a salt of a metal of Group 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table. For example, as the metal salt, a salt of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum may be used.

Abstract: A highly efficient rectifier can readily replace a two-terminal diode. Its conduction losses are reduced from that of the two-terminal diode. Connected between the source and drain of a MOSFET including a parasitic diode are a micro-power converter section for boosting a conduction voltage Vds between the source and drain to a predetermined voltage, and a self-drive control section that operates based on a voltage output from the micro-power converter section. When the source and drain are conductive with each other, the micro-power converter section generates, from the conduction voltage Vds, a power source voltage for the self-drive control section, and the self-drive control section (4) continues drive control of the MOSFET.

Abstract: An electric motor system including: a rotor (9); a stator (8); the rotor and the stator being mounted for movement relative to one another; the rotor having multiple magnetic poles (11); the stator having multiple salient poles (12) facing the magnetic poles; a first coil set (1A) and a second coil set (1B); the first coil set having three phases, each of the phases comprising a first coil (u1, v1, w1) and a second coil (u1 v1?, w1?) connected in series and wrapped around different of the salient poles in different directions relative to the rotor; the second coil set having three phases, each of the phases comprising a first coil (u2, v2, w2) and a second coil (u2?, v2?, w2?) connected in series and wrapped around different of the salient poles in different directions relative to the rotor; a driver (2) configured to drive the first coil set with a first three-phase voltage (U1, V1, W1) and to drive the second coil set with a second three-phase voltage (U2, V2, W2); the driver configured to drive the first p

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument according to the present invention includes: a wire disposed in a flexible sheath and capable of freely projecting relative to the flexible sheath, the distal end of the wire expanding in radius to form a loop section or a basket section upon being projected from the sheath; and a fixture cylinder for fixing the inserted proximal end of the wire, wherein the fixture cylinder is provided with a wire-radius-increasing-direction-regulating section for regulating the direction in which the radius of the wire increases; and a wire-fixing section, disposed in the vicinity of the proximal end relative to the wire-radius-increasing-direction-regulating section, for fixing the wire.

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument according to the present invention includes: a wire disposed in a flexible sheath and capable of freely projecting relative to the flexible sheath, the distal end of the wire expanding in radius to form a loop section or a basket section upon being projected from the sheath; and a fixture cylinder for fixing the inserted proximal end of the wire, wherein the fixture cylinder is provided with a wire-radius-increasing-direction-regulating section for regulating the direction in which the radius of the wire increases; and a wire-fixing section, disposed in the vicinity of the proximal end relative to the wire-radius-increasing-direction-regulating section, for fixing the wire.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus including: a three-level inverter including bridge circuits each including a first semiconductor switching device and a second semiconductor switching device connected in series, the bridge circuits being connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of a DC power supply, and switch circuits having bidirectional characteristics and connected to respective AC output terminals of the bridge circuits which are the connection points between the first semiconductor switching devices and the second semiconductor switching devices, and to an intermediate potential point of the DC power supply; and single-phase inverters each including a plurality of semiconductor switching devices and respectively connected in series to the AC output terminals of the bridge circuits. The sum of an output voltage of the three-level inverter and output voltages of the single-phase inverters is supplied to a load.

Abstract: An ultrasonic testing apparatus for a pipe end portion, which enables accurate ultrasonic testing, comprises an ultrasonic probe disposed under the pipe end portion. The probe 1 transmits ultrasonic waves to the pipe end portion and receives the ultrasonic waves therefrom. A probe holder houses the probe which is disposed under the pipe end portion to face the pipe end portion and follows the pipe rotation. The probe holder comprises a coupling medium reserver part that surrounds a space between the probe and the pipe end portion to contain a coupling medium therein and comprises a coupling medium reserver part body into which the coupling medium is supplied. An annular bellows part, which communicates with the reserver part body, can expand and contract vertically and an annular spacer, which is attached to the upper side of the bellows part and an upper surface thereof has a flat horizontal surface.

Abstract: A novel olefin production process is provided which can be established as an industrial and practical process capable of producing olefins by directly reacting a ketone and hydrogen in a single reaction step. In particular, a novel olefin production process is provided in which propylene is obtained with high selectivity by directly reacting acetone and hydrogen. The olefin production process according to the present invention includes reacting a ketone and hydrogen in the presence of at least one dehydration catalyst and a silver-containing catalyst, and the at least one dehydration catalyst is selected from metal oxide catalysts containing a Group 6 element, zeolites, aluminas and heteropoly acid salts in which part or all the protons in heteropoly acids are exchanged with metal cations.

Abstract: According to a process of the invention, a ketone, an aromatic compound and hydrogen as starting materials are reacted together in a single reaction step to produce an alkylaromatic compound in high yield. A process for producing phenols in the invention includes a step of performing the above alkylation process and does not increase the number of steps compared to the conventional cumene process. The process for producing alkylated aromatic compounds includes reacting an aromatic compound such as benzene, a ketone such as acetone and hydrogen in the presence of a solid acid substance, preferably a zeolite, and a silver-containing catalyst.

Abstract: An ultrasonic testing apparatus 100 comprises an ultrasonic probe 1 including n (n?2) number of transducers arranged along a predetermined direction, disposed so as to face a test object P, and a transmission/reception control device 2 for selecting m (n>m?1) number of transducers from among the n number of transducers, transmitting ultrasonic waves from the selected m number of transducers toward the test object, receiving the ultrasonic waves therefrom, and switched m number of transducers to b selected successively. If an angle that the arrangement direction of the transducers makes with the surface of the test object which ultrasonic waves enter is ?, and the effective beam width of each selected m number of transducers with respect to a target flaw is W1, the transmission/reception control device switches m number of transducers to be selected successively by a switching pitch length P satisfying the formula: P?W1·cos?.

Abstract: A power converting apparatus includes a first inverter (3) connected to a first DC power supply (1) and a plurality of second inverters (4A, 4B) connected in series to the first DC power supply (1). The plurality of second inverters (4A, 4B) provide compensation to an output voltage of the first inverter (3) by the sum of outputs at which a power balance becomes approximately zero. The power converting apparatus generates output voltage commands (VrefA, VrefB) for the respective second inverters (4A, 4B) upon individually making an adjustment so that DC bus voltages of the second inverters (4A, 4B) become equal to each other depending on whether charging or discharging mode is selected while keeping the sum of the individual output voltage commands (VrefA, VrefB) at a target sum voltage (Vref2).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a highly pure ammonium succinate solution including the steps of (A) producing calcium succinate trihydrate by crystallization fermentation of a microorganism; (B) converting calcium succinate trihydrate to calcium succinate monohydrate by transition crystallization; (C) separating the calcium succinate monohydrate crystals; (D) substituting the calcium salt in the calcium succinate monohydrate with ammonium salt resulting in an ammonium succinate solution; and (E) removing the solid calcium carbonate from the ammonium succinate solution.

Abstract: A novel olefin production process of the invention can be established as an industrial and practical process of producing an olefin with high selectivity by directly reacting a ketone and hydrogen in a single reaction step. In particular, a novel olefin production process is provided in which propylene is obtained with high selectivity by directly reacting acetone and hydrogen. An olefin production process of the invention includes reacting a ketone and hydrogen at a reaction temperature in the range of 50 to 300° C. in the presence of a Cu-containing hydrogenation catalyst and a solid acid substance.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an alkylated aromatic compound and a method for producing cumene that can greatly reduce the amount of solid acid substance, and a method for producing phenol including a step of producing cumene by the method for producing cumene.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a material determining apparatus for a steel product and a material determining method for a steel product which can stably and precisely determine a carbon content of the steel product.

Abstract: A ultrasound flaw probing device (100) is provided with a ultrasonic probe (1) with a plurality of vibrators (11) arranged along a predetermined circular curved surface, a transmission and reception control means (2) that selects at least two or more pieces of the vibrators to carry out the transmission and reception of a ultrasonic wave for inspecting a tubular subject member (P) to be probed, and a probing waveform display means (3) that radially displays a probing waveform received by the selected pieces of the vibrators arranged in accordance with propagation directions of the ultrasonic transmitted and received from the vibrators.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing bisphenol A by reacting phenol with actone, wherein reaction is performed at higher temperatures while maintaining high selectivity, and thus high productivity is obtained. The invention relates to a cation-exchange resin, wherein a cation-exchange group is introduced into a syndiotactic polystyrene polymer and the amount of acid is 0.8 milliequivalent/g or more, to a catalyst comprising the cation-exchange resin, and to a process for producing bisphenol A using a cation-exchange resin catalyst.

Abstract: To provide a method for purifying tetrafluoroethylene by removing, from tetrafluoroethylene containing a polymerization inhibitor, the polymerization inhibitor by adsorption. A method of bringing tetrafluoroethylene containing a polymerization inhibitor into contact with a silica gel containing a metal salt in an amount of from 250 to 100,000 mass ppm as calculated as metal atoms to remove the polymerization inhibitor by adsorption, and the metal salt is preferably a salt of a metal of Group 3 to 13 of the Periodic Table, more preferably a salt of a metal of Group 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table. For example, as the metal salt, a salt of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum may be used.