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Wireless power transfer (WPT) has been attracting a lot of attention in recent years for its ability to greatly improve the convenience of our lives. Moreover, WPT for Electric Vehicles (EVs) has become an important key to the spread of EVs. The efficiency of WPT using magnetic field resonant coupling can be evaluated by the kQ product, but the optimal coil design method to maximize the kQ product at a specific frequency has not yet been established. In this paper, taking the Test station GA‐WPT1 and the Test station VA‐WPT1/Z3 of SAE J2954, which is officially defined as the standard for WPT while the electric vehicle is stationary in October 2020, as examples, the coil parameters that maximize the kQ product in the case of the coreless are determined according to the proposed method. An efficiency of 99.13% was obtained with a transmission distance of 200 mm and the number of turns of N1 = 34 and N2 = 30. Also, since all analyses can be derived immediately except for the analysis of the Litz wire to be used, the optimization time could be reduced significantly compared with the electromagnetic field analysis. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early estimation of biological growth of organisms is an indispensable task in ecology and related research areas. The biological growth is always time-continuous, while our observations of the phenomenon are time-discrete in practice. The formalism of the discrete costly observation (DCO) enables us to mathematically bridge the two qualitatively different processes. This formalism is still germinating, and its practical applications have not been carried out. This paper presents a first application of the DCO formalism to a cost-effective early estimation problem of the biological growth, and its mathematical and numerical analysis. Growth dynamics of organisms, which are fishery resources in this paper, is governed by a stochastic differential equation whose solution is observed discretely. The optimality equation to be solved for finding the most cost-effective observation policy is derived as a fixed point problem based on degenerate parabolic partial differential equations. The fixed point problem turns out to be uniquely solvable. A recursive approximation of the fixed point problem is presented and its solvability in a viscosity sense is discussed. A finite different scheme is then employed to fully-discretize the recursive equations. The present model is finally applied to a problem of Japanese smelt Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis (Ayu): an important inland fishery resource in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic localized mode (ILM) can be generated in multiple mass‐spring systems using nonlinear springs, and ILM has attracted a lot of attention due to its special vibration modes that are not found in linear systems. However, the difficulty of creating nonlinearity remains a barrier to ILM research. In this paper, we propose a rotating magnetic spring based on magnetic nonlinearity. The nonlinear restoring properties of the proposed magnetic spring are confirmed by finite element method (FEA). Finally, using the restoring properties obtained from FEA, it is shown that ILM can be excited by MATLAB numerical analysis. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, numerical modeling and analysis of a hybrid-spar floating wind turbine is presented. The hybrid-spar consists of steel at the upper part and precast prestressed concrete at the lower part. Such a configuration is referred to as a hybrid-spar in this paper. The hybrid spar was successfully installed offshore of Kabashima island, Goto city, Nagasaki prefecture, Japan, on Oct. 18, 2013 (see Utsunomiya et al., 2015, "Design and Installation of a Hybrid-Spar Floating Wind Turbine Platform," ASME Paper No. OMAE2015-41544 for details). In this paper, some details on numerical modeling of the hybrid-spar for design load analysis are presented. Then, the validation of the numerical analysis model is presented for a full-scale hybrid-spar model with 2-MW wind turbine. The comparison has been made for the natural periods and the response during rated power production test. Basically, both comparisons have shown good agreement between the measured values and the simulation, showing reliability of the developed code and the numerical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake is a threat to all kinds of structures including underground structures. Before the 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu Japan earthquake, however, it was considered that underground structures are at minimum seismic risk in comparison to above-ground structures unless they are crossing the active faults. The collapse of Daikai station in the Kobe subway system during the 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake exhibited that underground structures are at high risk of earthquake with shallow overburden. Though researches have been done on this issue, it is still necessary to investigate further the mechanical behavior of underground structure during an earthquake and corresponding efficient seismic enhancement. In this paper, in order to find out an optimum ground-improvement pattern for a rectangular-shaped box culvert constructed in soft ground that does not meet the present seismic requirement, numerical tests with nonlinear 2D/3D dynamic FEM are conducted. Different patterns of the ground improvement for the box curvet constructed with cut-and-cover method are investigated to find out an optimum pattern that can reduce the impact of earthquake in the most effective way. In the 2D/3D dynamic finite element analysis, the ground is Toyoura sand, typical clean sand, and its nonlinear mechanical behavior is described by Cyclic Mobility model. Validity of the proposed numerical method is firstly confirmed with 1 g shaking table test and then numerical tests are conducted to find out the optimum pattern for the ground improvement. Finally, an effective pattern of ground improvement for existing box culvert is proposed by the numerical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-directional site response of a well-documented downhole array in Japan is numerically investigated with three directional (3-D) dynamic hydro-mechanically (HM) coupled Finite Element (FE) analysis. The paper discusses the challenges that 3-D modelling poses in the calibration of a cyclic nonlinear model, giving particular emphasis on the independent simulation of the shear and volumetric deformation mechanisms. The employed FE model is validated by comparing the predicted site response against the recorded motions obtained from the KiK-net downhole array monitoring system in Japan. The results show that, by employing the appropriate numerical model, a good agreement can be achieved between the numerical results and the monitored acceleration response in all three directions simultaneously. Furthermore, the comparison with the recorded response highlights the significance of the independent modelling of the shear and volumetric deformation mechanisms to the improvement of the numerical predictions of multi-directional site response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish the wildfire danger rating system, detailed data of wildfire and some related parameters such as weather, population and tree species are required. In this paper, the raw data of weather parameters in Japan are first expanded into more detailed data. The daily value of each weather parameter in each third-level mesh, which is about 1 km × 1 km in size, from year 1999 to 2000 is calculated by means of inverse distance weighted interpolation. Expansion results for third-level meshes are demonstrated. Fire probability for each parameter is calculated and analyzed. It is found that the dependency relation of fire probability on some parameters have surprisingly regular format. The data calculated and analyzed in the paper and the results may act as a basic database for wildfire researchers, and are expected to promote the study of wildfire danger rating method and the development of such systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new construction method for 2-D IIR digital filters with all-pass subfilters as components. Recently, numerous studies have been made to construct digital filters by combining all-pass characteristics. This paper is based on the construction by a parallel connection of an all- pass subfilter and delay element, which can realize approximately the linear phase characteristic. First, the basic design for 1-D digital filters as well as its properties are described. Then the theory for the 1-D case is extended to the 2-D case, and a new construction method for 2-D digital filters with low-pass characteristics with circular symmetry is shown. The proposed method features the following. The phase characteristic is approximately linear in the passband. The filter can be realized with a smaller number of multipliers than in the traditional method. The coefficient sensitivity is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Luneburg lenses are already in practical use, few papers have been published on their wave-optical analysis. This is due to the difficulty in the wave-optical analysis of the electromagnetic field in an inhomogeneous medium with a large radius, in addition to the fact that most researchers have been interested so far in a geometrical-optic analysis. Increased applications of this type of lens to a microwave hand require more precise analysis from the wave-optics viewpoint. This paper deals with the wave-optical analysis of a cylindrical Luneburg lens. Taking several numerical analysis methods, the relationship between the number of terms of a truncated series and the accuracy of the analysis, and the relationship between the computation time and the accuracy of the analysis are examined. A method is proposed which can be applied to a lens having a large radius compared with the wavelength. By using this method, actual numerical analyses are carried out, and the focus characteristics and the distribution of the heat generation (the power dissipation density) in the lens are shown. These are compared with the results of published numerical analyses. Some interesting results, which cannot be obtained from a conventional geometrical-optic analysis, are obtained by the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As temporary structures, steel-sheet-pile-quay (SSPQ) retaining walls have been widely used to counteract excavation problems in Japan not only in urban areas, but also in mountainous areas. The most important features of retaining walls are that they are easy to install in any narrow space, they can be reused many times in different types of soil and, above all, they are strong enough to resist any kind of earth pressure. The shortcoming of retaining walls, however, is that the deformation of the structures may sometimes be rather large, which might become an obstacle for geotechnical engineers wanting to use them as permanent structures. In this paper, centrifuge model tests [1] on the seismic performance of SSPQ retaining walls are simulated systematically with a two-dimensional (2D) dynamic analysis using the finite element method (FEM). In the centrifuge model tests, an SSPQ retaining wall subjected to five consecutive seismic waves is considered. To analyze the influence of the soil density on the performance of the retaining wall and the ground, a middle dense Toyoura sand ground (D r =60%) and a dense Toyoura sand ground (D r =75%) are used. In the analysis, the seismic behavior of the SSPQ retaining wall and the surrounding ground are described separately by beam elements and a cyclic mobility model in which the stress-induced anisotropy, the density and the structure of the ground can be described in a unified way. In order to clarify the influence of the fixed boundary adopted in the centrifuge model vibration tests, an analysis in prototype scale, that completely corresponds to the conditions of the centrifuge model tests, and an analysis in full scale, that corresponds to the real ground conditions, are carried out. By comparing the calculated results with the results of the centrifuge model vibration tests, the anti-seismic capacity of the SSPQ retaining wall and the dynamic performance of the ground during earthquakes are discussed in detail. The accuracy of the evaluation method using FEM is also verified. The purpose of this study is to establish an evaluation approach for the seismic behavior of SSPQ retaining walls as permanent earth-balanced structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, various networks have come to exist in our surroundings. This not only includes examples such as the internet and airline routes that can be thought of as networks; protein interactions are also networks. A network is defined as an arrangement of nodes (points) and links (lines). An "economic network design problem" can be discussed by assuming that a vertex is an economic player and that a link represents some connection between economic players. An economic player can mean an individual, an association, a city, a nation and so forth. A connection between economic players signifies items such as a transport link, a telecommunication net or an economic regional alliance. In this paper, an "economic network design problem" is modeled based on Jackson and Wolinsky's connections model, and the utility function of the network is defined. In the field of economics, generally, the game theory approach is adopted for analysis of network formation. However, we encounter difficulties when a network has many heterogeneous nodes. Therefore, we suggest that the optimization of an "economic network design problem" can be solved using evolutionary computation. As an example of an "economic network design problem," we consider an optimization problem of a network between regions in West Japan. In addition, the priority of the network maintenance is clarified via the optimum network obtained in the simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On March 11, 2011, a large earthquake and subsequent tsunami near the east coast of Japan destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FD-NPP), causing a massive release of nuclear contaminants. In this paper, a Pacific basin-wide physical dispersion model is developed and used to investigate the transport of nuclear contaminants. The Pacific circulation model, based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), is forced with air-sea flux climatology derived from COADS (the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set). It is shown that ocean current dominates nuclear contaminant transport. Following the Kuroshio Extension and North Pacific Current, nuclear contaminants at the surface will move eastward in the Pacific as far as 140°W, thereafter dividing into two branches. For the south branch, nuclear contaminants will be transported westward by the equatorial current, and can reach the Philippines after 10 years' time. In contrast, the north branch will arrive at the American west coast and then migrate to the Bering Sea. At 200 m water depth, part of the nuclear materials will move southwestward along with deep ocean circulation, which could potentially reach the east coast of Taiwan. The other part will move to the west coast of America and separate into two branches. One will move northward along the west coast of Alaska, while the other will travel southward to the Hawaiian Islands. The transport of radiation contaminants below 500 m is slow, and will primarily remain in the central Pacific. The physical dispersion model results show that high concentrations of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 (Cs) will move eastward and reach the central Pacific and west coast of North America in two and eight years, respectively. The sea areas influenced by the nuclear contaminants continue to expand, while peak concentrations decrease in the North Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Described is the process of trial, adjustment, and development of the joint complex of models consisting of the WRF-ARW (Weather Research and Forecasting) regional hydrodynamic model (the United States) and radionuclide transport model from the NOSTRADAMUS package. Using these models, the computation is carried out of the fallout and radiation dose rate on the territory of Japan after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. To adjust the hydrodynamic model, its results were preliminarily compared with the data of observations at the mast and the assessment of the model complex was based on the data of atmospheric tracer concentration measurements during the in situ experiments carried out in 1983-1985 near Karlsruhe (Germany). Described is the version of hydrodynamic prognostic model and radionuclide transport model prepared for the present paper. Given are the results of the statistical analysis of different numerical experiments of the model complex and the results of the simulation of radiation conditions on the territory of Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident. It is demonstrated that the errors in the vertical distribution of the model wind are extremely sensitive to the type of parameterization of surface and boundary layers in the model. The comparison of computed and measured values demonstrated their satisfactory coincidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear induction motor (LIM) is suitable for use in trains. The motor can be used in both wheel-suspended and contact-less types such as the Linear Metro and HSST trains in Japan. The LIM has end winding as well as asymmetrical winding. The end effect is a major problem in the LIM, and it makes the analysis, design, and control of motors difficult. This paper describes a method that combines numerical analysis and the equivalent circuit for the LIM in order to design a high-performance controller for the LIM that includes the end effect. A sample basic field-oriented control scheme that is based on the plant model is applied to the LIM in order to check the control performance. The theory of rotary induction motors is used for verification. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 179(2): 44-54, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (). DOI 10.1002/eej.21171 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the current Japanese bridge design code, the seismic load of only one direction (1-dimension, 1-d) is considered. However, in fact, an actual seismic load has three components for N–S (north–south), E–W (east–west) and U–D (up–down) directions. The current paper presents a series of numerical results of steel box columns, which are used as piers of viaduct, under 3-d seismic load with 3 components. Two types of ground motion patterns of the main shock and the maximum aftershock measured in the Chuetsu Earthquake in 2004 are used as the seismic load. The results indicate that the severer deformation arises in the columns under 2-d (N–S and E–W components) or 3-d seismic load than the 1-d load by the main shock. However, under the aftershock, which contains ground motion of higher frequency, 1-d load gives larger displacement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A quantitative measurement of inequality in geographic accessibility to pediatric care as well as that of mean distance or travel time is very important for priority setting to ensure fair access to pediatric facilities. However, conventional techniques for measuring inequality is inappropriate in geographic settings. Since inequality measures of access distance or travel time is strongly influenced by the background geographic distribution patterns, they cannot be directly used for regional comparisons of geographic accessibility. The objective of this study is to resolve this issue by using a standardization approach. Methods: Travel times to the nearest pediatric care were calculated for all children in Oita Prefecture, Japan. Relative mean differences were considered as the inequality measure for secondary medical service areas, and were standardized with an expected value estimated from a Monte Carlo simulation based on complete spatial randomness. Results: The observed mean travel times in the area considered averaged 4.50 minutes, ranging from 1.83 to 7.02 minutes. The mean of the observed inequality measure was 1.1, ranging from 0.9 to 1.3. The expected values of the inequality measure varied according to the background geographic distribution pattern of children, which ranged from 0.3 to 0.7. After standardizing the observed inequality measure with the expected one, we found that the ranks of the inequality measure were reversed for the observed areas. Conclusions: Using the indicator proposed in this paper, it is possible to compare the inequality in geographic accessibility among regions. Such a comparison may facilitate priority setting in health policy and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A numerical method, which combines the boundary element method (BEM) and the volume of the fluid method (VOF method), has been presented to solve wave–structure interactions; the intense wave motion at the proximity of the structure is modeled by the VOF method and the rest of the fluid region is modeled by the BEM. The combined method can considerably reduce the time-consuming VOF domain, and thus practically makes it possible to apply the VOF method for random wave calculations, in which long time computations are usually required to obtain statistically meaningful results, and therefore the use of the single-VOF model often becomes prohibitive in terms of computational time and storage memories. A VOF model CADMAS-SURF, which is based on SMAC scheme and had been constructed by a number of VOF researchers in coastal engineering in Japan, is used in the combined BEM–VOF model. The two-way coupling treatment, which enables us to deal with bidirectional wave propagations, which was originally given for the SOLA-VOF model by Yan et al. (2003a) and later improved by Kim et al. (2007), was modified for the SMAC scheme. The coupling treatments are described in detail in the paper. The validity of the combined BEM–VOF model was investigated by comparing the numerical results with the theoretical results for the propagations of Stokes 5th order waves and random waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents an integrated multicriteria analysis method for the quantitative evaluation of a state’s nuclear nonproliferation credibility level. Underscoring the implications of policy on the sources of political demand for nuclear weapons rather than focusing on efforts to restrict the supply of specific weapons technology from the “haves” to the “have-nots”, the proposed methodology considers the political, social, and cultural dimensions of nuclear proliferation. This methodology comprises three steps: (1) identifying the factors that influence credibility formation and employing them to construct a criteria tree that will illustrate the relationships among these factors; (2) defining the weight coefficients of each criterion through pairwise comparisons of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP); and (3) assigning numerical scores to a state under each criterion and combining them with the weight coefficients in order to provide an overall assessment of the state. The functionality of this methodology is examined by assessing the current level of nuclear nonproliferation credibility of four countries: Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Switzerland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A detection of a defect of a helical heating tube installed in the fast breeder reactor “Monju” in Japan is done by a feeding of an eddy current testing (ECT) probe with magnetic sensor into the tube. An undesirable vibration of the ECT probe always happens under a certain condition and makes the inspection difficult. Several characteristics of the vibration have been made clear by some experiments using a mock-up, but the essential factor of the vibration is still unclear. In this paper, a numerical simulation of the vibration is implemented on the assumption that the vibration is caused by Coulomb friction. An analytical model, which is obtained as a lumped mass model, is a large-scale non-linear vibration system and many computational costs are ordinarily required to carry out the simulations. The Transfer Influence Coefficient Method is applied so that the simulation is efficiently carried out. The results of simulation qualitatively agree well with the experimental results. It confirms the validity of the assumption that the vibration is caused by Coulomb friction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Tunnel Sealing Experiment (TSX) was an international project developed by Canada, Japan, France, and the United States. The TSX consisted of a clay bulkhead and a concrete bulkhead. The two bulkheads were at opposite ends of a 12-m-long sand-filled chamber. The heating phase involved the circulation of heated water through the TSX chamber to raise the temperature of the sealing system. This was done to evaluate the influence of elevated temperature on the performance of the bulkheads. Numerical analyses to simulate the thermohydromechanical evolution of the clay bulkhead and the surrounding rock of the TSX were performed using MOTIF finite-element program and compared with measured data. This paper focuses on a preliminary interpretation of the results from the fully coupled thermohydromechanical modeling of the clay bulkhead and the adjacent rock during heating. Discussion of the issues that will affect the ability to model a field application is provided in the course of comparing simulated and measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a new method for designing two-dimensional (2-D) digital filters with complex coefficients having circularly symmetric and fan characteristics by applying variable transformation (spectral variable) to one-dimensional (l-D) IIR digital filters with complex coefficients. A 2-D digital filter with complex coefficients has an advantage in that it can increase greatly the degree of freedom for design, since once it satisfies the design specification partly in the frequency plane, its characteristics can be arbitrary in other regions. Here, a design method is proposed which makes positive use of this property of the complex coefficient digital filters. Since we have introduced the complex coefficient filters into spectral transformation functions and 1-D prototype filters, there is no constraint on cutoff frequency (radius) accomplishable in circularly symmetric filters. In fan filters even a characteristic that has been difficult to design unless one uses optimization techniques, has become easy to design by means of variable transformation without using any optimization techniques. Moreover, the stability of the resulting IIR filters is guaranteed in simple conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In equations describing switched-capacitor (SC) circuits, the switching equation of some switching instant is represented by Vc+ = F · Vc- + G · u+. Historically, the transformation matrices F and G have been obtained by the limiting method, in which each switching resistance approaches infinity or zero. This method derives the transformation matrices F and G directly. But it has numerical instability for large-scale SC circuits, because Frame's method is used. In this paper, we propose two methods to obtain the transformation matrix F from a characteristic matrix C. The first method is the Danielevsky's method, and the second is the backward Euler method. We also propose another method to transform F to G by means of characteristic matrices given by circuit topology, by relation of zero input and the zero state responses. The results of the simulation are represented by a simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to know the scattering properties of objects buried underground so that the techniques of imaging the buried objects by electromagnetic waves may be established. This paper analyzes numerically the transient scattering characteristics by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method where an infinitely long perfect conductor of arbitrary cross section is buried in the ground and an infinitely long current source is located above the ground surface parallel to the object. The calculation error resulting from the approximation of the scattering object by square mesh is decreased by introducing the field interpolation which satisfies the boundary conditions of the scattering surface. The spatial distribution of the electromagnetic field at each step of the calculation is shown. Moreover, the propagation characteristics of the wave near the ground surface and the scattering characteristics of various objects are studied and the presence of two types of waves, i.e., direct and lateral, is confirmed between the source and ground and between the object and ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the printed dipole antenna has attracted attention as a two-dimensional array element which is electromagnetically coupled to an open-type feed line. This paper analyzes the characteristics of the printed dipole which is excited by an infinitely long microstrip line, by applying the method of moment to Richmond's reaction equation. If we assume that the feed line is sufficiently close to the ground plane, the dipole which is placed perpendicular to the feed line is treated as an equivalent parallel element. If the dipole forms a rotation angle with the feed line at the center of the dipole, it is regarded as an equivalent series element. Through a comparison of theoretical and experimental results for their frequency characteristics of equivalent impedances, the appropriateness of the theory has been confirmed. Basic characteristics were examined by numerical analyses for equivalent impedances of a microstripline-fed printed dipole antenna, the distribution of the electric current on the dipole, and the antenna radiation pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welcome to the first issue of the modified Fluid Dynamics Research (FDR) journal, which is now being published by IOP Publishing on behalf of the Japan Society of Fluid Mechanics. Since its launch in 1986, FDR has become a well-established international journal that publishes theoretical, numerical and experimental studies contributing to the fundamental understanding and application of fluid phenomena. It has also been an invaluable resource for physicists and researchers in engineering interested in problems relevant to the motion of fluids. From 2009, FDR will be edited by a new international Editorial Board, with the strong intention of establishing the journal further and bringing it to a wider audience. In this new-look FDR, which will be published six times per year, readers will find several special sections containing high quality invited reviews and papers written by leading researchers who have been selected by the international Editorial Board. This is in addition to the regular papers on a variety of topical subjects by active researchers in the field. As before, there are no publication charges for standard articles, and now article numbering has been adopted, enabling accepted papers to be published online more quickly, ahead of print publication. In order to maintain a balanced and up-to-date perspective, we welcome feedback from our readers regarding the content of the journal, as well as suggestions for topics to cover and areas to highlight. Finally, I would like to thank our authors, members of the international Editorial Board, and the staff at IOP Publishing for producing this first issue. We hope you will enjoy reading this renewed and exciting journal for the international fluid dynamics community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]