The feasibility study was conducted on a model project in Vietnam, aimed at solving the environmental pollution problems resulting from use of coal by demonstrating and disseminating the Japan's environmental technologies in the Southeast Asian countries. The feasibility study was conducted for the Cua Ong Coal Preparation Enterprise, which has the largest coal preparation capacity in Vietnam and port facilities. It is treating raw coal from 10 coal mines for classification and preparation, and shipping coal of various types that meet the standards for domestic use and export. The survey results point out that unrecovered coal remains in waste water discharged from the coal preparation plants to pollute the sea area, and that quantity of the refuse increases because of the unrecovered coal it contains. The environmental technologies needed to introduce include modification to variable wave pattern type jigging separator, refuse height measuring instrument and automatic ...
For the purpose of digging up themes of the joint research which develop the R and D in the industrial technology field in Japan to a new stage, researchers were sent to the world representing research institutes to conduct the research survey of 'Nano-structured carbon and hydrogen absorption' and 'Development of the creation technology of nano-porous materials.' As to the former, an experiment on electrochemical hydrogen absorption of carbon materials including nanotubes was conducted by researchers dispatched, but the large absorption amount was not observed. As to the latter, visits were paid to Fraunhofer Institute and the related facilities in Germany, Princeton University, MIT, GIT and Naval Research Laboratories in the U.S., Orleans University in France, AO Research Institute (bone repair study) in Switzerland, Cambridge University and University of Bristol in the U.K., etc., and the research survey was made on the technology for making ...
Recent Kawasaki Steel's development on size and shape measurement techniques for hot steel rolling processes is reviewed. First, a precision enhancement technique for a laser distance meter is described, then its rugged structure necessary for measurement in such tough environment as hot rolling processes is described in detail. A plate length meters and an inter-stand sensors for a hot strip mill are shown as developed size measurement techniques. Furthermore, plate shape meters and laser profile gauges for H-beams are depicted as specific examples of shape measurement techniques. (author)
Investigations and studies are conducted seeking for a CO2 fixation method improved by utilizing the photosynthesizing function of higher vegetation. Details of higher vegetation genes are being disclosed thanks to the rapid progress of studies making use of molecular biological techniques, and the application of the genetic mechanism to scientific and technological fields is becoming increasingly feasible. In particular, the role of the CO2 fixation enzyme RuBisCO has been elucidated almost completely. It has been learned that, in terms of photosynthesizing capability, the C{sub 4} plants (corn etc.) are 2-3 times higher than the C{sub 3} plants (rice, wheat, etc.), and 5-10 times higher than the CAM plants (cactuses etc.). Studies are also under way about the rice genome so that a photosynthesizing capability so high as that of the C{sub 4} plants may be endowed the rice plant. The metabolism and control of useful substances produced in the CO2 fixation process etc. in the higher ...
This report surveys potential impacts of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) on inter-ASEAN affairs and its external relations when ASEAN will enlarge its members to include all nations in South East Asia, and thus fully represent the region. For this purpose, the survey was conducted on Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which joined in 1995, from the viewpoint of their economic and political system, and their relations with other member countries. The nature of ASEAN has gradually transformed, in which all the countries in the region have increased and internal economic issues have been tackled. It has an aim to stimulate inter-ASEAN trade and induce foreign direct investment into ASEAN as a whole by reducing import duties on intra-ASEAN trade. Underlying in these, new development is a concern about growing economic and military power of China. ASEAN solidarity will work an leverage against China should change toward worse, and ASEAN will function as a regional ...
Studies are made on coal in terms of its effective utilization, coal cleaning, fluidization and production of new fuel, and issues globally raised. Coal is abundant in reserves and high in supply stability and economic efficiency. However, it is much in CO2 emission per calorific value. To control as much CO2 emission as possible, effective utilization such as increasing of power generation efficiency has been proceeded with. In addition to ultra supercritical pressure and fluidized bed combustion, cited are coal gasification combined cycle power generation and high temperature type fuel cell. Coal has 5-20% ash and impurities like sulfur/nitrogen. Coal should be used clean by pollution abatement measures such as dust collecting, desulfurization and denitrification. Japan is at a world top level of these technologies. Coal is solid, and therefore, is more difficult to handle than liquid fuel. To use it easily, coal is liquefied into slurry such as COM and CWM, and technology ...
Microbial indicators in the environmental water are categorized as follows. 1. Index for pathogenic microbial contamination, especially enteric canal based ones. 2. Index for the ordinary microbial contamination. 3. Index for nutritive assessment. 4. Index for the treating effect of final effluent discharged into an environmental water. 5. Index for distinction of of the contamination source. Above 1 and 2'' are among the indices which cannot be replaced by other physico-chemical substances or indices. Up to the present time, 1'' is assessed by a coliform group and 2'' by the bacteria. Recently, however, the status on the microbial contamination of the environmental water is changing, thus urging the reexamination of the assessment systems. This report describes the following items. Characteristics and the elements of the indices (enteric canal based pathogenic microbial contamination); indices under examination (coliform group, ...
The industrial policy of fine ceramics which is one of the new material expected to solve energy/environmental problem, is described. Fine ceramics are possessed with the characteristics like surpassing electromagnetic properties, heat resistance, high strength, etc. and its use as highly efficient power generation plant material, functional material for various sensors/electronic, and activation of existing industries are cited. As for the reclamation of global environment, promotion of saving energy in a global scale, development of innovative environmental technology and increase of carbon dioxide absorption source are described. Furthermore, research and development work in Japan on global environmental industrial technology for 1992 to 1993, new sunshine project and technical developments relating to fine ceramics are explained. As for the results of research and development, the results from the case study of 300kw type gas turbine are given, and the comparative study of the ...
The aim of our project is to develop high-performance processor architectures for both general purpose and application-specific purpose. We also plan to develop basic softwares, such as compliers, and various design aid tools for those architectures. We are particularly interested in performance evaluation at architecture design phase, design optimization, automatic generation of compliers from processor designs, and architecture design methodologies combined with circuit layout. We have investigated both microprocessor architectures and design methodologies / environments for the processors. Our goal is to establish design technologies for high-performance, low-power, low-cost and highly-reliable systems in system-on-silicon era. We have proposed PPRAM architecture for high-performance system using DRAM and logic mixture technology, Softcore processor architecture for special purpose processors in embedded systems, and Power-Pro architecture for low power systems. We also developed ...
This paper indicates first that the base content in desert soil is by far much higher than that in soils in moist areas, that salts with the higher solubility to water have their deposition depth greater, and that the organic content is extremely low. The paper also describes the experiments to verify that the desert soil contains soil lumps with a diameter of about several millimeters, which function effectively to form the long term survival locations for microorganisms. Desert soil containing soil lumps and the one removed of lumps by pulverizing them into powder were prepared as test specimens, which were left submerged. It was confirmed that the velocity of decomposing the organics and the mechanical strength in the latter soil are obviously inferior to those in the former soil. Additional remarks are given that when the desert soil environment is changed the microorganisms get more active appreciably and that certain kinds of mold fungi and green algae were detected from the ...
The representative result as the global environmental problems caused by chemical substance is the ozone layer depletion of the stratosphere by chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). The regulation of the CFC began in 1989 based on 'Vienna Convention for the Ozone layer protection' (1985) and 'Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer' (1987). Production and consumption of CFC, tetrachloromethane, methylchloroform and halon have already been aborted, and the regulation of HCFC and bromomethane were also began to turn to the abolition. The increase of atmosphere average concentration such as CFC and methylchloroform has already blunted in such the international regulation. The chloride concentration of stratosphere from substance of the ozone layer depletion would reach a peak soon, and was prospected to be reduced after then. It is expected to drop to previous level before the South Pole ozone hole appeared after the middle in the twenty-first ...
It is necessary to establish scenarios for reducing CO2 emissions and for developing CO2 emission control technologies to obtain a global consensus, using appropriate analytical models. For modification of the DNE-21 (Dynamic New Earth 21) model, it has a category designated as innovative technologies not involving CO2 emission and an optional consideration for the absorption of atmospheric CO2 by biomass. A global carbon circulation model, including vegetation in its scope, is also incorporated. Major results of the simulation are shown. When 20% reduction in CO2 emissions is required for only OECD countries after the year 2020, it has been demonstrated that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere will reach as high as about 900 ppm in 2100 due to CO2 emission by developing countries, and will not be a tolerable level. Under the condition that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is controlled at 450 ppm in 2100, the amount of renewable source of energy from photovoltaic power generation ...
This paper reports the study results on the standard weather data necessary for simulation of PV power generation systems in fiscal 1994. In the study on the selection criterion of the standard weather data from the viewpoint of PV power generation systems, three typical years are used; a year with average solar radiation, and two years with extremely less and more solar radiation for safe simulation. The standard weather data are arranged for output calculation of PV power generation systems by selecting the most typical year based on long-term observation data. The data to be arranged are as follows; total, direct and scattered solar radiations incident upon a horizontal surface, solar radiation upon a slope surface, sunshine duration, air temperature, wind direction, wind velocity, amount of precipitation, and snow depth. For arrangement of the nationwide standard weather data, estimation of total solar radiation is necessary based on sunshine duration data observed by all weather ...
Concerning the above, it is discussed whether such a system is feasible in Japan. A zinc/air cell system requires some special plants for zinc regeneration, etc. It is necessary to build a zinc refining plant and to install dozens of electrode replacing facilities in an area dozens of kilometers in diameter with the plant at the center. For such a system to be functional, there have to be several tens of thousands of automobile users in a limited area. In Japan, so large a number will not be found anywhere even if the appeal is directed to those in the postal service and electric utilities. There will be no economic success in Japan, different from in Germany. As for the economic comparison between a zinc/air cell system and natural gas system, the two will be equivalent to each other as far as the use of the quick filling stations for the natural gas automobiles remains as it is. When the number in consideration is so large as several tens of thousands, however, the natural gas system ...
Industrial utilization of reaction mechanisms of microorganisms under anaerobic condition permits structuring energy saving type production processes. The present survey has investigated features of new microorganisms under anaerobic condition and the status of researches thereon inside and outside the country, and discussed their future applications. Chapter 1 compares anaerobic microorganisms and functions of microorganism under anaerobic condition with those aerobic to describe their general features, and describes the purpose of this survey and the summary of the investigations. Chapter 2 surveys the current status of technologies to utilize microorganisms under anaerobic condition. Chapter 3 outlines metabolic characteristics of the anaerobic microorganisms, and extracts functions effective for material production by different anaerobic microorganisms to describe their applicability. Chapter 4 evaluates the system classification for the anaerobic microorganisms utilizing the basic ...
Introduction of geothermal heat pump systems, which depend on temperature differential, is investigated for urban areas, which have large energy demands. Results of the surveys on the current situations of geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems indicate that they have already numbered 300,000 units in USA and totaled more than 50,000 units in Switzerland and Northern European countries, and that they are increasing at an annual rate of higher than 10%. The results also indicate that introduction of these systems are well feasible in Japan, which generally has better topographical conditions than American and European countries, and the GHP system with vertical ground heat exchanger is investigated for its topographical and environmental considerations. These systems could annually abate approximately 52 million tons of CO2 (4.3% decrease), if disseminated to all households. They are also expected to help control the heat island phenomenon, and reduce peak power consumption. The ...
It is desired that the data on past ground information are easily picked out and used effectively when construction of power facilities such as power plants is planned. For this purpose, a data base system that is available for survey planning and design business has been developed. This system is divided into subsystems for input, registration, and output, which all can be processed by the personal computers. It also has a retrieval function for maps such as area maps and power facility maps in addition to a retrieval function for characters. As output functions, the system has a function to extract ground information through maps of facilities and their peripheries, an output function for geological profiles and soil test results, and liquefaction analysis and design constant setting support functions. As instances, applications of this system to the thermal power plant location program and to the construction of underground transmission lines are introduced. In the example of the ...
A geothermal heat pump-assisted heating system is introduced into Changchun City and a survey is conducted to determine if the system may be popularized in this extremely cold region located in the northeastern part of China. In concrete terms, the hot water that circulates through the office building of Changchun Ground Heat Development Co., Ltd., is switched to hot water prepared by a geothermal heat pump. The test continued from December 2000 to March 2001. It is then concluded that heating by geothermal heat pumps will be fully serviceable to Changchun City. Implemented are (1) the shift from the coal fired boiler system to a geothermal heat pump system comprising 16 subterranean heat exchangers for the heating of the office building which is approximately 1000 m{sup 2} large, (2) long-term monitoring of the operating conditions, (3) measurement of subterranean heat exchanger thermal conductivity and subterranean temperature, and (4) the study of pipe shapes for improved thermal ...
This project is aimed at development of optimum combustion technology with diversified fuels, e.g., naphtha and LCO, for gas turbines and others as power sources for topographical energy supply. The combustion under the microgravity is also investigated using the underground facilities at Japan Microgravity Center. Described herein are the FY 2000 results. For construction of combustion model and simulation, the combustion reactions for various liquid fuels are simplified to calculate ignition delay, adiabatic flame temperature and laminar burning velocity with an error less than about 3%. The microgravity combustion experiments are conducted for spray dispersed into a cylinder, to find flame propagation velocities changing with the vaporization characteristics of liquid fuels, and also to construct the combustion models. The premixed turbulent combustion simulation program is developed using a probability density function and analyzed. Development of new combustion technologies ...
Studies are made of optimum materials and methods for manufacturing low-carbon fuels for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. When their thermal dynamic limits and the technological maturity are considered, it is inferred that no extensive improvement will be achieved by merely improving on the efficiency of the existing fuels. The use of various high-efficiency driving power sources utterly different in mechanism from the conventional ones, such as those for fuel cell-powered automobiles, and the promotion of the use of low-carbon fuels such as methanol and methane for all kinds of driving power sources including those for the said fuel cell-powered automobiles, will become necessary. The use will also be necessary of recyclable materials. The biomass resources, in particular, since they absorb CO2 gas in their growing process by virtue of photosynthesis, may be said to be free of CO2 gas emissions. They have their own problems, however, which involve the economy of energy consumed ...
A borehole televiewer (BHTV) logging was conducted to investigate cracks in bored wells. The logging process shoots ultrasonic waves onto bore walls and utilizes reflection waves from the bore walls. If the bores are filled with muddy water, or the ultrasonic waves can pass through even if vinyl chloride tubes have been inserted after excavation, the state of the bore walls can be investigated in principle. Conventional optical scanners are, however, incapable of making this investigation. The BHTV logging can be used for identifying lithofacies from reflection intensities from bore walls (it depends on sound impedance of rocks), not to speak of finding cracks. As a result of making logging upon setting time windows from 105 to 145 {mu} sec in a bored well inserted with a vinyl chloride tube, cracks in the bore wall were identified clearly through the vinyl chloride tube. If the distance between the bore wall and the vinyl chloride tube becomes smaller, setting the time window becomes ...
A study was made for the purpose of electrification of unelectrified zones of the mountainous areas in developing countries using extremely small hydroelectric power facilities. The target for this project is a development of a micro hydroelectric power system with a size of about 5kW, which is estimated regarding that 1 village has 80 houses and each house needs electricity of 60W. In the study, the low-head system using a weir of irrigation channels in Subang pref. of West Java state was selected by the evaluation of access, stability of flow rate, natural conditions, etc. The hydroelectric power plant is of a flow-in method in which water is taken from the left bank and is injected/discharged to the downstream of the left bank. As the hybrid complementary power source, hybrid battery with a two-hour charging time at peak and a capacity of 3.5kWh was considered. When estimating the construction cost of the hybrid micro hydroelectric power system and equalizing by durable years, the ...
At COP3 in 1997, an agreement was made to the innovative technical development/promotion by international cooperation, and the promotion of transfer of environmental technology to developing countries. Under the agreement, a feasibility study of international cooperation was made, and especially a study was conducted of the utilization/development of solar energy by the innovative solar thermochemical process. The main reason for global warming is emissions of a large amount of CO2 caused by the direct combustion of fossil fuels. Therefore, a CO2 recycle system taken up in the study enables a more substantial decline in CO2 emission (kg/kWh) per unit generation than the conventional thermal power system by composing solar methanol or solar dimethyl ether using fossil fuels including coal, water, CO2, etc. as raw materials and using solar energy as heat source, and by using this as fuel (solar fuel). CO2 can be reduced by 13% to 14% by substituting solar methanol or solar dimethyl ether ...
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatky (P-K) city in Kamchatka, Russia is operating hot-water district heating using heavy oil boilers and waste hot water of thermal power plants as heat sources. Feasibility study was made on district heating using natural geothermal hot water and/or geothermal heat pump systems as heat sources of hot water supply for reduction of greenhouse effect gas emission. Among 3 areas including geothermal hot water, use of hot water in K area was impossible because of lower temperature and less spring water. Use of hot water in P and UP areas was impossible as primary hot water because of temperature drop to 64 degrees C during hot water supply toward P-K city. The building heating operation test was carried out using the geothermal heat pump system installed in a newly drilled heat exchange well of 100m deep. As a result, sufficient heat recovery was achieved for heating. If all of 49 boiler houses for heating are replaced with such geothermal heat pump systems, CO{sub 2} ...
Discussed in this paper are the P-wave and S-wave zero-offset VSPs carried out utilizing boreholes located in Nada Ward, Kobe City, and Hokudan-cho, Hyogo Prefecture, as part of the deep layer boring survey following Hanshin Earthquake Disaster. This effort aims at the elucidation of P-wave and S-wave velocity structures, high-precision identification of data obtained by the surface reflection method, and collection of basic data for active faults investigation in the future. Among the velocity structures obtained for various layers, the S-wave velocity structures in particular agree with the stratigraphy excellently and may be utilized in seismic analyses to be conducted in the future. Reflection from geological boundaries is received with precision, providing accurate information about correlation between reflection and geological cross sections. The records will be useful in formulating plans for reflection surveys for instance of the boundary between the Osaka group and Kobe group. ...