Abstract: In a power grid stabilization system, a second energy storage system has a larger energy storage capacity than a first energy storage system. A bidirectional AC/DC converter is connected between an AC power grid and a pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system. A first bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system and a pair of input and output terminals of the second energy storage system.

Abstract: An electric power control system includes a plurality of power converters connected in parallel. Each power converter, among the plurality of power converters, converts a direct-current power of an electricity storage device connected to the power converter into an alternating-current power, and outputs the alternating-current power to the power system. The electric power control system further includes: a power generator simulation unit to simulate characteristics of the synchronous generator based on an aggregate active power to generate a phase of the alternating-current voltage; a signal generation unit to generate a control signal for the power converter, based on the phase of the alternating-current voltage. The power generator simulation unit generates a first angular frequency based on a first difference between the aggregate active power and a target value for the aggregate active power, and generates, based on the first angular frequency, the phase of the alternating-current voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image held by the image holding unit onto a medium in a transfer region, a reduction unit that is positioned further upstream than the transfer region and that reduces an electrical resistance of a first surface of the medium, the first surface being opposite to a second surface of the medium onto which an image is to be transferred, and a control unit that controls the reduction unit in accordance with a type of a medium to be used in such a manner that the electrical resistance of the first surface does not exceed a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds an image that is formed of a developer, the image being intended to be transferred onto a medium, and an image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium, a transfer unit that transfers the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium onto a medium, a removing unit that removes the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium from the image holding unit, and a forming unit that forms the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium onto the image holding unit by using a developer and that has a first forming mode for a first medium and a second forming mode for a second medium that has a transfer sensitivity lower than a transfer sensitivity of the first medium, the forming unit being configured to use a larger amount of the developer in formation of the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium in the first forming mode than in the second forming mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an image, a developing unit that applies a developing voltage to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier with a developer, a transfer unit that electrostatically transfers the image onto media of different types, and a development controller that controls a developing operation of the developing unit. The development controller has a first control mode for a first medium, and a second control mode for a second medium having a lower transferability than the first medium. In the first control mode, the developing unit applies the developing voltage according to a first developing condition. In the second control mode, the developing unit applies the developing voltage according to a second developing condition in which a developing property is reduced as compared with the first developing condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier unit, an image display control unit, and a forming unit. The image carrier unit holds images formed from a developer. The images include an image intended to be transferred to a medium and an image unintended to be transferred to the medium. The image display control unit causes a display unit to display an image asking whether the image unintended to be transferred is to be formed when a predetermined condition for forming the image unintended to be transferred is satisfied. The forming unit forms the image unintended to be transferred to the medium when a command of forming the image unintended to be transferred to the medium is input to a display on the display unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier configured to carry an image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image to a medium; and a cleaner configured to remove deposits on a surface of the image carrier after passing through a position of the transfer unit, in which when a type of a medium to be used is a first medium, the cleaner improves an ability to remove the deposits from the image carrier as compared with a case where the medium to be used is a second medium having a lower transfer sensitivity than the first medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that includes a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; a contact section that acts as an electrode to ground while being in contact with the recording medium when the recording medium passes through the transfer region; a first resistance detection section; a second resistance detection section; a comparison section that compares a first system resistance detected by the first resistance detection section with a second system resistance detected by the second resistance detection section; and a switching section that switches between constant voltage control and constant current control for the transfer electric-field produced by the transfer section depending on a result of comparison by the comparison section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an image, a developing unit that applies a developing voltage to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier with a developer, a transfer unit that electrostatically transfers the image onto media of different types, and a development controller that controls a developing operation of the developing unit. The development controller has a first control mode for a first medium, and a second control mode for a second medium having a lower transferability than the first medium. In the first control mode, the developing unit applies the developing voltage according to a first developing condition. In the second control mode, the developing unit applies the developing voltage according to a second developing condition in which a developing property is reduced as compared with the first developing condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds an image that is formed of a developer, the image being intended to be transferred onto a medium, and an image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium, a transfer unit that transfers the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium onto a medium, a removing unit that removes the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium from the image holding unit, and a forming unit that forms the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium onto the image holding unit by using a developer and that has a first forming mode for a first medium and a second forming mode for a second medium that has a transfer sensitivity lower than a transfer sensitivity of the first medium, the forming unit being configured to use a larger amount of the developer in formation of the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium in the first forming mode than in the second forming mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier configured to carry an image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image to a medium; and a cleaner configured to remove deposits on a surface of the image carrier after passing through a position of the transfer unit, in which when a type of a medium to be used is a first medium, the cleaner improves an ability to remove the deposits from the image carrier as compared with a case where the medium to be used is a second medium having a lower transfer sensitivity than the first medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that has a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; contact sections that act as electrodes to ground while being in contact with the recording medium; a humidification section that is provided upstream of the transfer region and humidifies the recording medium; a first control section that performs control without humidification by the humidification section; a second control section that performs control to cause the humidification section to humidify the recording medium; and a selection section that selects the first control section or the second control section depending on a type of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds an image that is formed of a developer, the image being intended to be transferred onto a medium, and an image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium, a transfer unit that transfers the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium onto a medium, and a forming unit that forms, upon receiving a print instruction to form the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium onto the image holding unit, the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium at a position on the image holding unit where the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium is to be formed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that has a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; contact sections that act as electrodes to ground while being in contact with the recording medium; a humidification section that is provided upstream of the transfer region and humidifies the recording medium; a first control section that performs control without humidification by the humidification section; a second control section that performs control to cause the humidification section to humidify the recording medium; and a selection section that selects the first control section or the second control section depending on a type of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section; a transfer section that includes a transfer member, applies a transfer electric-field to a transfer region between the image holding section and the transfer member, and electrostatically transfers an image held by the image holding section onto a recording medium; a contact section that acts as an electrode to ground while being in contact with the recording medium when the recording medium passes through the transfer region; a first resistance detection section; a second resistance detection section; a comparison section that compares a first system resistance detected by the first resistance detection section with a second system resistance detected by the second resistance detection section; and a switching section that switches between constant voltage control and constant current control for the transfer electric-field produced by the transfer section depending on a result of comparison by the comparison section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit that holds an image to be transferred onto a recording medium, a base image formation unit that forms a planar base image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using an opaque base image forming agent, the base image being brought into contact with and disposed onto an entire surface of the recording medium or a partial region of the surface of the recording medium, a transparent image formation unit that forms a transparent image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using a transparent image forming agent, a first control unit that performs control for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed on the intermediate transfer unit by the base image formation unit onto the recording medium, a second control unit that performs control for superposing a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed by the base image formation unit onto the transparent image formed on the intermediate

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer unit that transfers an image on an image carrier carrying the image onto a first surface of a recording material by applying a voltage containing an alternating-current component to the recording material; and a humidifying unit that humidifies the recording material transported toward the transfer unit from a second surface of the recording material that is opposite to the first surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit that transfers a toner image to a transfer body; a guide unit disposed upstream of the transfer unit in a direction in which the transfer body is transported, the guide unit guiding the transfer body; a supply unit that supplies a transfer voltage to the transfer unit; and a setting unit that sets the transfer voltage supplied by the supply unit so that a transfer current supplied to the transfer unit is within a predetermined range at the time when the transfer body becomes separated from the guide unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit that holds an image to be transferred onto a recording medium, a base image formation unit that forms a planar base image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using an opaque base image forming agent, the base image being brought into contact with and disposed onto an entire surface of the recording medium or a partial region of the surface of the recording medium, a transparent image formation unit that forms a transparent image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using a transparent image forming agent, a first control unit that performs control for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed on the intermediate transfer unit by the base image formation unit onto the recording medium, a second control unit that performs control for superposing a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed by the base image formation unit onto the transparent image formed on the intermediate

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer unit that transfers an image on an image carrier carrying the image onto a first surface of a recording material by applying a voltage containing an alternating-current component to the recording material; and a humidifying unit that humidifies the recording material transported toward the transfer unit from a second surface of the recording material that is opposite to the first surface.