Kensuke Ito

On-line monitoring of moisture and salt contents by the microwave transmission method in a continuous salted butter-making process

The microwave transmission technique was applied to simultaneously monitor the moisture and salt contents in a butter-making process. The dielectric properties of a salted water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion as a model of salted butter was investigated. The dielectric loss tangent, tanδ, of a non-salted W/O emulsion was independent of the volume fraction of the dispersed phase, whereas that of the salted W/O emulsion increased with increasing volume fraction of the dispersed phase below a frequency of 3 GHz. It was theoretically confirmed that the moisture and salt contents of the salted W/O emulsion could be evaluated from the linear formula for phase shift and attenuation in the same frequency region, and that the electrolyte had more effect on attenuation than the phase shift. The moisture and salt contents of salted butter could be simultaneously monitored in the butter-making process by means of a linear regression formula for the phase shift and attenuation at a frequency of 3 GHz in a concentration range between 15.5 and 17.5% by weight, and between 1.0 and 2.0% by weight, respectively.

DISTURBANCE OBSERVER-BASED PRACTICAL CONTROL OF SHAKING TABLES WITH NONLINEAR SPECIMEN

Abstract This paper presents a practical control methodology of shaking tables for earthquake simulators. Reaction force generated by a nonlinear specimen on the shaking table generally deteriorates the motion performance of the table, resulting in the lower control accuracy of the seismic tests. In order to provide the precise table motion, therefore, a disturbance observer-based control approach is adopted, where the unknown disturbances in the table can be compensated in real time manner. The proposed compensation algorithm has been verified by experiments using an actual shaking table system.

Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Determination of Sugar Contents in Culture Media

Abstract A simple, rapid and accurate method for determining sugar contents in culture media by mid-infrared spectroscopy was developed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer equipped with an attenuated total reflectance accessory by focusing our attention on sugar consumption by plant cells. In addition, we performed lactic acid fermentation under the different conditions of the media and the starter concentration to examine this measuring method. Consequently, this study represents an important step in the development of nonintensive on-line monitoring devices for bioreactors and of simple, rapid and accurate analysis of the cellular metabolism through the composition changes in media.

Suppression of Cell Metabolism by Structuring Water under Hydrophobic-Gas Pressure.

疎水性ガスを細胞内水に溶解させ, 水を構造化させる新しい細胞の代謝抑制方法を提案した.そして, 栄養成分が含まれていない細菌懸濁液に疎水性ガスを溶解させて保存実験をおこない, すべての供試ガス (キセノン, クリプトン, アルゴン, ヘリウム) において, 細菌の死滅抑制効果が認められた.また, 細菌の種類により死滅抑制効果に差異が生じ, 細胞壁の厚いグラム陽性菌に対する死滅抑制効果よりも, 細胞壁の薄いグラム陰性菌に対する死滅抑制効果のほうが大きかった.一方, キセノンガスを用いた場合, 死滅抑制効果は他のガスを用いた場合よりも顕著であった.また, 本研究の実験範囲では, キセノンガスを用いた場合のみ死滅抑制に最適な初期分圧の存在が観察された.この最適キセノンガス分圧においては, 細菌の代謝をほぼ完全に抑制できる最適な水の構造をとることが実験的に示唆された.

Disturbance Observer-Based Reaction Force Compensation in Shaking Table Systems

This paper presents a practical control methodology of the shaking tables for earthquake simulators. Reaction force generated by a nonlinear specimen on the shaking table generally deteriorates the motion performance of the table, resulting in the lower control accuracy of the seismic tests. In order to provide the precise table motion, therefor, a disturbance observer-based control approach is adopted, where the unknown disturbances of the table can be compensated in real time manner. The proposed compensation algorithm has been verified by experiments using an actual shaking table system.