Abstract: There is provided a method for analyzing a vibration damping structure in which a tube bundle disposed in a fluid is supported by a vibration damping member disposed in a gap between tubes included in the tube bundle. The method includes a model making step of making a FEM model corresponding to the vibration damping structure, an error setting step of setting an error parameter for a parameter relating to an element included in the FEM model, and an analysis step of performing structural analysis by a finite-element method using the FEM model in which the error parameter is set.

Abstract: Devices and methods for generating electricity in a direct carbon fuel cell are provided herein. The method includes heating and melting an alloy to obtain a liquid alloy anode; circulating the liquid alloy anode through a porous ceramic cathode, the cathode being a tubular structure and in communication with oxygen; reducing the oxygen at the porous cathode to obtain oxygen ions for diffusing through an electrolyte to the liquid alloy anode; and oxidizing the oxygen ions at the liquid alloy anode thereby generating electricity. The direct carbon fuel cells have high electronic conductivity, high carbon solubility with fast carbon diffusion, lower viscosity and eutectic temperatures, and rapid fuel dissolution kinetics.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a heat exchanger includes a structural model creation step (S1) of creating a structural model of a heat exchanger; a iron-linear model creation step (S4) of creating a iron-linear model in which a non-linear spring element in an out-of-plane direction, in which a load is generated only at me time of contact between a heat transfer tube and an anti-vibration member, is applied to an opposing portion between the heat transfer tube and the anti-vibration member in a structural model, and a load distribution acquisition step (S5) of performing analysis in which a load in the out-of-plane direction is applied to the non-linear model to acquire load distribution of the heat exchanger from a value of the load in each opposing portion.

Abstract: Devices and methods for generating electricity in a direct carbon fuel cell are provided herein. The method includes heating and melting an alloy to obtain a liquid alloy anode; circulating the liquid alloy anode through a porous ceramic cathode, the cathode being a tubular structure and in communication with oxygen; reducing the oxygen at the porous cathode to obtain oxygen ions for diffusing through an electrolyte to the liquid alloy anode; and oxidizing the oxygen ions at the liquid alloy anode thereby generating electricity. The direct carbon fuel cells have high electronic conductivity, high carbon solubility with fast carbon diffusion, lower viscosity and eutectic temperatures, and rapid fuel dissolution kinetics.

Abstract: A vibration damping structure for a heat-transfer tube bundle including columns arranged at an interval and each composed of a plurality of heat-transfer tubes curved in a common plane and arranged in parallel to each other. The vibration damping structure includes a first vibration damping member and a second vibration damping member disposed between the columns so as to intersect the array direction of the columns. The first vibration damping member and the second vibration damping member are disposed at different positions in an axial direction of each heat-transfer tube, and thicknesses of the first vibration damping member and the second vibration damping member in the array direction are larger than an average value of a clearance between the columns under operation.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a heat exchanger includes a structural model creation step (S1) of creating a structural model of a heat exchanger; a iron-linear model creation step (S4) of creating a iron-linear model in which a non-linear spring element in an out-of-plane direction, in which a load is generated only at me time of contact between a heat transfer tube and an anti-vibration member, is applied to an opposing portion between the heat transfer tube and the anti-vibration member in a structural model, and a load distribution acquisition step (S5) of performing analysis in which a load in the out-of-plane direction is applied to the non-linear model to acquire load distribution of the heat exchanger from a value of the load in each opposing portion.

Abstract: The preset application relates to a vibration damping structure for a heat-transfer tube bundle including columns arranged at an interval and each composed of a plurality of heat-transfer tubes curved in a common plane and arranged in parallel to each other. The vibration damping structure includes a first vibration damping member and a second vibration damping member disposed between the columns so as to intersect the array direction of the columns. The first vibration damping member and the second vibration damping member are disposed at different positions in an axial direction of each heat-transfer tube, and thicknesses of the first vibration damping member and the second vibration damping member in the array direction are larger than an average value of a clearance between the columns under operation.

Abstract: An image encoding method that encodes an image so as to optimize estimated values of processing units which are a coding unit, a prediction unit, and a transform unit by selecting sizes of the individual processing units. The method includes a division step that divides an image having a size of the coding unit into a plurality of blocks; an activity computation step that computes activities pertaining to the individual blocks; and a transform unit size determination step that determines, based on the computed activities, a size pattern of the transform unit within the image having the size of the coding unit.

Abstract: There is provided a method for analyzing a vibration damping structure in which a tube bundle disposed in a fluid is supported by a vibration damping member disposed in a gap between tubes included in the tube bundle. The method includes a model making step of making a FEM model corresponding to the vibration damping structure, an error setting step of setting an error parameter for a parameter relating to an element included in the FEM model, and an analysis step of performing structural analysis by a finite-element method using the FEM model in which the error parameter is set.

Abstract: In an intra-picture, a predetermined region is set as a normal encoding region, and a region other than the predetermined region is set as a simplified encoding region. In a subsequent picture, the normal encoding region is set as a larger region including a normal encoding region of a previous picture, and a region other than the normal encoding region is set as a simplified encoding region. In each picture, normal encoding is performed on a block of the normal encoding region, and simplified encoding in which a generated code amount and a computation amount are smaller than in the normal encoding is performed on a block of the simplified encoding region.

Abstract: A quantization control apparatus provided in a video encoding apparatus which utilizes intra slices. The quantization control apparatus includes a similarity computation device that computes similarity between an intra slice region of an encoding target picture and an intra slice region of each of previously-encoded pictures, where the similarity is an index determined such that the closer the images of the two different intra slices, the higher the similarity; a picture selection device that selects a picture having the highest similarity from among the previously-encoded pictures, based on the similarity computed by the similarity computation device; and a quantization step determination device that determines a quantization step used for encoding the encoding target picture, based on encoding information for the picture selected by the picture selection device.

Abstract: An object is to suppress an instantaneous increase in the computational complexity of an encoder and an information amount of an encoding result without increasing a delay even when input timing of input video is not constant and fluctuates. A frame rate control method for adjusting a frame rate of input video to a frame rate at which an encoder is able to perform encoding includes: a step of determining whether the number of pictures input in the past within a predetermined time from a time when a determination target picture of dropping is input exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a step of discarding the determination target picture if the number of pictures exceeds the threshold value and designating the determination target picture as an encoding target if the number of pictures does not exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: A video encoding device, which uses intra encoding and inter encoding with motion compensation with respect to an input video signal, includes a determination unit which determines whether the input video signal to be encoded corresponds to a stationary region, a region having minute motion, or a region having normal motion, a first encoding unit which performs inter encoding of a motion vector (0, 0) with respect to a region determined as a stationary region by the determination unit, a second encoding unit which performs motion search and inter encoding in a limited search range with respect to a region determined as a region having minute motion by the determination unit, and a third encoding unit which performs motion search and inter encoding in a normal search range with respect to a region determined as a region having normal motion by the determination unit.

Abstract: An image encoding method that encodes an image so as to optimize estimated values of processing units which are a coding unit, a prediction unit, and a transform unit by selecting sizes of the individual processing units. The method includes a division step that divides an image having a size of the coding unit into a plurality of blocks; an activity computation step that computes activities pertaining to the individual blocks; and a transform unit size determination step that determines, based on the computed activities, a size pattern of the transform unit within the image having the size of the coding unit.

Abstract: A video encoding control method for controlling encoding of an input video signal. The method includes the steps of detecting an underflow of a decoder buffer; if the underflow of the decoder buffer has been detected, suppressing an amount of generated code by skipping an encoding target picture or by encoding the encoding target picture so as to produce a minimum amount of generated code; after suppressing the amount of generated code, comparing a current rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer with a predetermined threshold for the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer; and performing a control for continuously suppressing the amount of code generated for each encoding target image by using the above step of suppressing the amount of generated code until the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer exceeds the threshold based on a result of the above comparison.

Abstract: In a video encoding control method of the present invention, each picture is encoded in units of encoding-order picture groups such as GOPs, and when CPB underflow has occurred, an encoding parameter such as a quantization parameter and filter strength of a pre-filter is changed in such a manner that a generated bit rate is reduced, and an encoding-order picture group that is being encoded is re-encoded from its first picture using the changed encoding parameter.

Abstract: A video encoding control method encodes an input video signal by controlling a generated bit rate so a hypothetical buffer in a decoder does not overflow or underflow includes: sequentially encoding each picture in an encoding-order picture group in accordance with a predetermined encoding parameter, the encoding-order picture group including a predetermined number of pictures and being a collection of successive pictures in the order of encoding; calculating a quantization statistic of each picture based on quantization parameter information used to encode each picture each time each picture is encoded, and checking whether the quantization statistic exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and if the quantization statistic exceeds the predetermined threshold value, changing the encoding parameter so the generated bit rate resulting from encoding is reduced and performing re-encoding from a first picture of an encoding-order picture group that is being encoded using the changed encoding parameter.

Abstract: A code amount control method used in a video encoding method for performing code amount control by estimating a generated code amount for an encoding target picture. The control method includes steps of computing a feature value of the encoding target picture and stores the value into a storage device; extracting a feature value of a previously-encoded picture stored in the storage device and used for generated code amount estimation; comparing the feature values of the encoding target picture and the previously-encoded picture; and a step performed according to a result of the comparison. If it is determined that difference between both feature values is larger than a predetermined criterion value, the amount of code generated for the encoding target picture is estimated using no result of encoding of the previously-encoded picture, and otherwise the relevant generated code amount is estimated based on a result of the encoding.

Abstract: A subirrigation system 10 includes a water-impervious member 16, and keeps water content in soil of a cultivated land 200 in a proper state for growing a plant. The water-impervious member 16 is formed into an upper opening vessel shape, and has a water reserving function. Water is fed to an inner portion of the water-impervious member 16 from a water tank 12 via a feed water pipe 14, whereby a soil portion 26 in a gravitational water state is formed. A water level 28 of the gravitational water within the water-impervious member 16 is properly controlled to a desired water level by a water level controller 18 provided in the feed water pipe 14. The gravitational water within the water-impervious member 16 controlled to the desired water level is appropriately sucked up to the soil in an upper layer in accordance with a capillary phenomenon. Accordingly, a soil portion 30 in a capillary water state having proper water content is formed in the cultivated land 200.

Abstract: In an intra-picture, a predetermined region is set as a normal encoding region, and a region other than the predetermined region is set as a simplified encoding region. In a subsequent picture, the normal encoding region is set as a larger region including a normal encoding region of a previous picture, and a region other than the normal encoding region is set as a simplified encoding region. In each picture, normal encoding is performed on a block of the normal encoding region, and simplified encoding in which a generated code amount and a computation amount are smaller than in the normal encoding is performed on a block of the simplified encoding region.