Abstract: The present invention provides a novel biomass plastic. The biomass plastic of the present invention is an alternative to polyethylene terephthalate and is composed of an adhesive polymeric substance. The biomass plastic is obtained by a production method including the steps of: (1) culturing a microorganism mixture composed of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, and Bacillus thuringiensis at 30 to 50° C. for 12 hours to 4 days in an environment (medium) including starch and silicic acid or a silicate acceptable in microbial culture; (2) subsequently adding Corynebacterium glutamicum thereto and culturing it at 30 to 50° C. for 12 hours to 4 days; and (3) collecting the adhesive polymeric substance from culture obtained.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a natural biodegradable material having both properties of biodegradability and mechanical strength; a biodegradable film or container produced from the natural biodegradable material; a binder for producing the biodegradable material; and a method for producing these. A natural polymeric substance which has a cellulose-like property of having hydroxy group which is not present in a petroleum-derived polymeric compound, and which moreover has a polypropylene-like structure is obtained by the steps of using a cereal starch such as Kaoliang starch as a culture raw material, adding a microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus to the raw material to conduct a culture, and recovering a viscous polymeric substance. A biodegradable material having biodegradability comparable to that of cellulose and also having a mechanical strength property of polypropylene can be obtained by using the natural polymeric substance as a binder and mixing starch and/or shell powder thereto.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a natural biodegradable material having both properties of biodegradability and mechanical strength; a biodegradable film or container produced from the natural biodegradable material; a binder for producing the biodegradable material; and a method for producing these. A natural polymeric substance which has a cellulose-like property of having hydroxy group which is not present in a petroleum-derived polymeric compound, and which moreover has a polypropylene-like structure is obtained by the steps of using a cereal starch such as Kaoliang starch as a culture raw material, adding a microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus to the raw material to conduct a culture, and recovering a viscous polymeric substance. A biodegradable material having biodegradability comparable to that of cellulose and also having a mechanical strength property of polypropylene can be obtained by using the natural polymeric substance as a binder and mixing starch and/or shell powder thereto.

Abstract: A turbine control system for changing over a throttle governing operation of a steam turbine to a nozzle governing operation thereof and vice versa by controlling control valves on the basis of a main control flow-rate request signal comprises function generators grouped according to the two governing operations and operating to produce function outputs in response to the opening degrees of the control valves. The function outputs are biased according to the two governing operaton and applied to respective high-value gates, the output signals of which are compared with the main control flow-rate request signal to control the opening degrees of the control valves in such a manner that the flow rate of steam introduced through the control valves into the steam turbine are maintained constant during the speed governing operation changing period.

Abstract: A turbine control system for changing two speed governing operations of a steam turbine from a throttle governing operation to a nozzle governing operation and vise versa by controlling steam control valves comprises function generators grouped according to the two speed governing operations and operated by a main control flow-rate request signal to produce function outputs which are applied to respective low-value gate circuits, means for comparing the sum of the outputs of the gate circuits and the main control flowrate request signal, and means for varying the main control flowrate request signal with the aid of the difference between the signals thus compared in such a manner that while one of the outputs of the gate circuits decreases, the other output increases to supplement the decrease, whereby the steam control valves are gradually operated with the output of the turbine being kept unchanged during the operating mode changing operation.