Impact of maximum back-EMF limits on the performance characteristics of interior permanent magnet synchronous machines

Interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous machines are vulnerable to uncontrolled generator (UCG) faults at high speed that can damage the inverter. One approach to reducing this risk is to impose limits on the maximum machine back-EMF voltage at top speed. This paper presents the results of a comparative design study that clarifies the nature and extent of the penalties imposed on the IPM machine metrics and performance characteristics as a result of imposing progressively tighter values of back-EMF voltage limits. As an alternative to limiting back-EMF and penalizing machine designs, this paper also investigates the effectiveness of the system-side protection approach to the same UCG fault problem.Seok-hee Han, Thomas M. Jahns, Metin Aydin, Mustafa K. Guven, Wen L. Soon

Design and experimental verification of a 50 kW interior permanent magnet synchronous machine

This paper presents the design details for an IPM machine designed to deliver 50 kW constant power over a 5:1 speed range extending from 850 rpm to 4250 rpm, with a gradual reduction in the required output power up to 8000 rpm (25 kW). Electromagnetic, thermal, and structural considerations have been included in the design optimization process. The resulting machine is designed with two magnet layers per pole and a distributed stator winding. Special features of the machine include its deep stator slots and four-layer winding, made necessary by the desire to minimize the machine's moment of inertia. Test results available to date demonstrate that the machine is capable of delivering the required output torque and power, and the agreement between the predicted and measured machine parameters is generally quite good. Calculated iron losses for high-speed flux-weakening operation are presented in the final section of the paper, illustrating the challenges associated with minimizing the impact of high-frequency harmonic flux density components.Jahns, T.M.; Seok-Hee Han; El-Refaie, A.M.; Jei-Hoon Baek; Aydin, M.; Guven, M.K.; Soong, W.L

An Overview of Active Structural Control under Seismic Loads

The concept of active structural control as a means of structural protection against seismic loads, developed over the last 20 years, has received considerable attention in recent years. It has now reached the stage where active systems have been installed in full-scale structures. It is the purpose of this paper to provide an overview of this development with special emphasis placed on laboratory experiments using model structures and on full-scale implementation of some active control systems. Included in this paper is a report on the formation of a U.S. Panel on Structural Control Research and some discussion on possible future research directions in this exciting research area

Triboelectrostatic Separation of Mineral Matter from Slovakian Coals

V èlánku sú diskutované niektoré technické aspekty triboelektrostatickej separácie a výs-ledky aplikácie tohto postupu pri úprave troch typov uhlia, konkrétne energetického uhlia z Cíg¾a, Handlovej a Novák. Bolo zistené, e úèinnos separácie ve¾mi úzko závisí na druhu separovan uhlia. Prvé výsledky preukázali súvislos medzi úèinnosou separácie obsahom popola v uhlí

Delayed presentation of symptomatic breast cancers in Hong Kong: Experience in a public cancer centre

Objective Delayed presentation is an important obstacle to improving cancer treatment outcomes. We aimed to study the magnitude of this problem in Hong Kong and the factors associated with delayed presentation of patients with symptomatic breast cancers. Design Retrospective study using self-administered questionnaires. Setting Clinical Oncology Department in a regional public hospital in Hong Kong. Patients A total of 158 Chinese women with breast cancer referred to our hospital between October 2006 and December 2007 consented to participate in this study. Among these, 59 (37%) patients were referred after having surgery in private sector. Results The mean total delay (from first symptom to treatment) was 22 weeks. The mean patient delay (from first symptom to first consultation) was 13 weeks, constituting the largest component (60%) of the total delay. After symptom onset, the delay exceeded 12 weeks for consulting a doctor in 29%, and for receipt of treatment in 52% of them. Low family income (<HK$5000 per month; P<0.001) and surgery in public hospitals (P=0.013) were both independent predictors of patient delay. Surgery in public hospitals (P=0.006) and low family income (P=0.005) were the only predictors of doctor/system delay and total delay, respectively. Conclusions Delayed presentation and treatment of symptomatic breast cancer remains an important issue in Hong Kong. Apart from socio-economic factors, limited access to public medical care was likely an important contributing factor in delays related to patients as well as to doctor/system.published_or_final_versio

Comprehensive biomarker analyses identifies HER2, EGFR, MET RNA expression and thymidylate synthase 5'UTR SNP as predictors of benefit from S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy in Japanese patients with stage II/III gastric cancer

Purpose: A comprehensive molecular analysis was conducted to identify prognostic and predictive markers for adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy in stage II/III Japanese gastric cancer (GC) patients and to evaluate their potential suitability for alternative cytotoxic or targeted drugs. Experimental Design: We investigated genetic polymorphisms of enzymes potentially involved in 5-fluoruracil (5-FU) metabolism as well as platinum resistance, previously identified genomic subtypes potentially predicting 5-FU benefit, and mRNA expression levels of receptor tyrosine kinases and KRAS as potential treatment targets in a single institution cohort of 252 stage II/III GC patients treated with or without S-1 after D2 gastrectomy. Results: 88% and 62% GC had a potentially 5-FU sensitive phenotype by SNP analyses of TS 3'UTR, and TS 5'UTR, respectively. 24%, 46%, 40%, 5%, and 44% GC had a potentially platinum sensitive phenotype by SNP analyses of GSTP1, ERCC1 rs11615, ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC2, and XRCC1, respectively. High HER2, EGFR, FGFR2, or MET mRNA expression was observed in 49%, 66%, 72%, and 54% GC, respectively. High HER2 expression was the only significant prognosticator (HR=3.912, 95%CI: 1.706-8.973, p=0.0005). High HER2 (p=0.031), low EGFR (p=0.124), high MET (p=0.165) RNA expression, and TS 5'UTR subtype 2R/2R, 2R/3C, or 3C (p=0.058) were significant independent predictors for S-1 resistance. Conclusions: The present study suggests that platinum-based or RTK targeted agents could be alternative treatment options for a substantial subgroup of Japanese GC patients currently treated with S-1. HER2, EGFR, MET, and TS 5'UTR SNP appear to be promising predictive markers for S-1 resistance warranting validation in an independent GC series

Relativistic effects and two-body currents in 2H(e⃗,e′p)n^{2}H(\vec{e},e^{\prime}p)n using out-of-plane detection

Measurements of the ${^2}H(\vec{e},e^{\prime}p)n$ reaction were performed using an 800-MeV polarized electron beam at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator and with the out-of-plane magnetic spectrometers (OOPS). The longitudinal-transverse, $f_{LT}$ and $f_{LT}^{\prime}$, and the transverse-transverse, $f_{TT}$, interference responses at a missing momentum of 210 MeV/c were simultaneously extracted in the dip region at Q$^2$=0.15 (GeV/c)$^2$. On comparison to models of deuteron electrodisintegration, the data clearly reveal strong effects of relativity and final-state interactions, and the importance of the two-body meson-exchange currents and isobar configurations. We demonstrate that these effects can be disentangled and studied by extracting the interference response functions using the novel out-of-plane technique.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, and submitted to PRL for publicatio