4No.

The 21st Century COE Program
Mechanical Systems Innovation, The University of Tokyo

EDecember 1, 2004

Energy Innovation Project
In order to enrich human life, it is increasing necessary not
only to deliver stable electric power, but also to provide users
with various options for its delivery, such as a stationary
small-scale distributed energy systems and mobile energy
sources to power communication to devices and patient careequipment.
Future power technologies should also contribute to thesafety and security of human society by reducing environmental load due to energy consumption, monitoring living environments, and exploring new natural resources in the ocean
and in space.
In this newsletter, some of fundamental researches related
to energy and environment are introduced.

Technology for resources recycling―Toward a sustainable social system―
Recycling Technology
Toyohisa Fujita, Professor
Department of Geosystem Engineering
Energy saving and environmental
friendly techniques are being developed in our laboratory. The examples are as follows: electrical disintegration and explosive fragmentation of electricparts, flotation and leaching of rare metals, air separation and triboelectric separation of plastics,
magnetic separation, wastewater treatment andsoil remediation etc. The purpose is to create asustainable development of human activity.

Air separatorof plastics

Leaching of gold

New crushingand fragmentation

Separated cell phone

Triboelectric separator

Flotation & sink-float separator

Micro energy conversion system― Development of innovative mobile power sources ―Innovative Miniature Gas Turbine
Toshio Nagashima, Professor
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Just as we presently enjoy a lap-top computer and cellphones for personal use, our ubiquitous society in thenear future would ensure individual management of energy devices for electricity, air conditioning and transport, which all in all could profoundly expand the freedom of our social activities. The battery, thoughconvenient and good in specific output [W/kg], is notsatisfactory with respect to specific energy [W-hr/kg] forlonger use of the above mobile info-communication devices, not to mention about inadequate application for
actuating robots and UAV propulsion. Whilst, the fuelcells, typically DMFC and PEFC, are able to keep continuing use for a longer period, but their specific outputmay be poor and unsuitable for mobile compactness.
Internal combustion engines, which are good in both
specific output and energy because of fuel chemical
property, are advantageous for miniaturization.

The present research program aims to establish a technical data base for designing further extremes of miniature gas turbine system, that is, thermal, fluid dynamicand structural integrability, as well as the performance
prediction and improvement in major components likecompressor, turbine and combustor, in addition, newly awave rotor, that requires more precise and advanced
knowledge about non-adiabatic and low Re number flows,
fuels and mixing to result in stable micro flame, bearingsand seal to sustain over-million rpm rotation, manufacture
tolerance, ultra-compact motor and electric generator.

Numerical analysis of each component and system integration

Prototyping of a Very Smallsized
Radial Gas Turbine
Chisachi Kato, Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering

A very small-sized radial gas turbine that installs a several-mm impeller has ten to hundred
times greater power as well as energy density
than batteries and fuel cells and is therefore expected as a promising candidate for next-generation portable
power source for lap-top computers and cell phones. We aredeveloping a very small-sized and high-efficiency radial turbine
impeller, one of the key components for such a power source.
The shape of the turbine must be restricted to two-dimensional
when it is fabricated with MEMS. But, little is known regarding
the aerodynamics of a two-dimensional radial turbine. As thefirst step, we are prototyping radial turbines with 40 mm impeller and measuring their adiabatic efficiencies by air test (figure2). We are also developing 8 mm radial turbine as shown in figure 3.

Fig.1 Computationally predicted internal flowin 2-D radial turbine.

Fig.2 Fabricated 40 mm radial turbine (left)
and measured adiabatic efficiencies (right).

Fig.3 8mm turbine rotor with (left)and experimental setup for performance measurement (right).

High-efficiency fuel cell power generation system―From development of a new electrolytic film to simulation of heat and fluid flow inside a cell―
Synthesis of Polymer Electrolyte
Membrane for PEFC

Cross-linking

Introductionof ionic groupstyrenemonomer

Fabrication of Water Electrolysis Cell using PEFC

Takayuki Terai, ProfessorIrrad.
High-TIrrad.

Department of Quantum Engineeringand System Science

Hydrogen energy system is expected as
an secondary energy system, and “fuelcell” is a key technology. We are investigating the improvement of PEFC (PolymerElectrolyte Fuel Cell) , which has some advantages including low operating temperature. In particular, we are developing a new polymer electrolyte membrane, and successfully synthesized a new polymer membrane from crosslinked poly-tetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE) with radiation grafting reaction. It has some advantages such as higher
strength, lower swelling for water or methanol, higher proton conductivity and lower fabrication cost than the currently used Nafion membrane. In addition, we simulated themolecular structure of the membrane using the dispersed
particle dynamic method and found the the formation ofwater molecule clusters in the membrane.

Graftingwith styrene

Sulfonation

Synthesis of PEFC Membrane
Fabrication of MEA
Carbon sheet with Pt catalyst ( 5cm2 )Structure Analysis of the Cross-linked PTFE Electrolyte by theDispersed Particle Dynamic Method (Water molecule clustersare shown by the blue zones)

Numerical Simulation of Thermochemical
Reaction inside a Fuel Cell
Nobuhide Kasagi, Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Fuel cell is one of the most promising energy conversion processes. Especially, thesolid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is expected toachieve very high efficiency for a wide
power output range, and its prospective application extends from large power plants to small-scale distributed
generation systems. The objective of this work is to develop high performance SOFC by managing temperature distribution and promoting mass transfer in a cell. The heatand mass transfer as well as electrochemical reactions in
the cell are solved simultaneously to predict the performance of the cell. We also try to propose new cell configurations and operating methods to achieve even higher efficiency with this cell and system simulator.

Computational modelof the SOFC

Velocity and hydrogen molar
fraction profile at the cell inlet

Development of innovative intellectual materials―Monitoring technologies for ensuring human safety―
Fiber-Optic Sensing
Kazuro Kageyama, Professor
Department of Environmentaland Ocean Engineering
We found a new phenomena inoptical fiber; “Doppler Effect inFlexible and Expandable LightWaveguide (DEFEW)”. We andour company have developed a new fiber-optic vibration/acoustic sensor based on the principle.
DEFEW sensor has very wide frequency range
and extremely high sensitivity and applicable tostructural health monitoring such as bridges, buildings, airplanes, undergroundstructure, energy related plants, etc, bymeasuring and analyzing AE and vibrations.

Elastic wave emitted by fiber breakage

Sensor under the elevated temperature

Impact byelectric discharge

Structural Health Monitoringof Advanced Composite Structure Systemproviding some important academic contributions to the technological developmentwith our unique ideas.

Nobuo Takeda, Professor
Department of Aeronautics
and Astronautics

Advanced composites have been extensively used especially in recent aerospacestructures. For such applications, a structural health monitoring (SHM) system ishighly required to detect the damage type, location andsize, and to judge the structural integrity in real time. We
have been developing a small-diameter optical fiber andits FBG (fiber Bragg grating) sensor which is 1/3 in diameter of a conventional optical fiber. Embedment into a
CFRP composite structure and its impact damage monitoring were successfully shown in our composite fuselage
demonstrator test. Further development is underway forreal applications to next-generation civil aircraft. Moreover,
CFRP structures and SHM system are also necessary inspace structures, such as CFRP cryogenic tanks for reusable launch rockets and satellite structures. We have been

Uncoated normal
FBG sensor
Cladding:φ125μm

Polyimide-coatedsmall-diameter
Fbg sensor
Cladding:φ40μm
Polyimide Coating:φ52μmWireless Onboard system

Exploration natural resources and use of space energy―In search of unknown energy resources―
See-bed Resources Exploration
Tamaki Ura, Professor
Department of Environmentaland Ocean Engineering

Since 1984, Ura laboratory,
Institute of Industrial Science,
the University of Tokyo is continuing R&D activities of theAutonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).
AUV “r2D4”, completed in July 2003, is thelatest version of the ocean-cruising type AUVof our group, major missions of which are automatized investigation of ocean resources andundersea singular regions, such as hydrothermal vents. Since its launch, “r2D4” has alreadycompleted a few undersea missions, e.g., fullautonomous survey of Rota underwater volcano, located at Mariana back-arc basin within
Mid-west Pacific.
In May 2005, “r2D4” is planned to be de-ployed at Myojinsho off Izu-Ogasawara Islands. As theresult of this mission, numerous valuable information
about deep sea hydrothermal vents are hopefully to beobtained, which are known to have close relation withundersea earthquakes and volcanic activities.

AUV “Tri-Dog1”

AUV “r2D4”
under deep sea mission

AUV “R-One Robot”

Nano-Satellites
Shinichi Nakasuka, Professor
Department of Aeronautics
and Astronautics

We have been studying nano-scalesatellites of 0.5kg to 5kg. We launched the world smallest satellite
named “CubeSat” (1kg, 10cm cubic)
successfully in June 2003, which has been operated
on orbit for more than one and half year. Besides,
350ml juice-can sized satellite “CanSats” have beendeveloped. While the national space development
seems to come to dead-end because of enormous
cost (several million US $ per satellite) and extremely long development time (3-5 years), we are pursuing much lower development cost and much shorter
development time for satellites in order to open novel
ways of space utilization. Nano-Satellites require different architecture, different ways of achieving certain functions and different players from those for

A Snapshot of the plume issuing from a hydrothermal vent at Rota - taken by “r2D4”
fully autonomously

Rota undersea volcano and survey trajectory by “r2D4”

conventional satellites. We are carrying out joint
satellite projects with Higashi-Osaka small companies to realize a novel satellite concept“PETSAT,” studying how to deploy small satellite
into a large one on orbit, and developing nanoscale Earth observation system suited for nanosatellites. Hand-made nano-satellites are also
providing us with excellent material for practicalspace engineering education, and its tremendous effects not only on technological training
but also on project management training for large
scaled project has been observed.

CanSat

PRISM: 5kg EarthObservation Satellite

CubeSat

CubeSat andCaptured Earth Image

Panel Extension Satellite “PETSAT”

Program Executive Organization
Project Promoters
Program leader
Nobuhide Kasagi
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering
Energy innovation
Toshio Nagashima
Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, School of Engineering
Chisachi KatoProfessor, Department of Human and Society, Institute of Industrial Science
Takayuki Terai
Professor, Department of Quantum Engineering and System Science, Schoolof Engineering
Kazuo Kageyama
Professor, Department of Environmental and Ocean Engineering, School ofEngineering
Nobuo Takeda
Professor, Department of Advanced Energy, School of Frontier Sciences
Tamaki Ura
Professor, Department of Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Institute ofIndustrial ScienceShinichi Nakasuka
Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, School of Engineering
Toyoshisa Fujita
Professor, Department of Geosystem Engineering, School of Engineering

Biomedical innovation
Mamoru Mitsuishi
Professor, Department of Engineering Synthesis, School of Engineering
Masao Washizu
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering
Masayuki Nakao
Professor, Department of Engineering Synthesis, School of Engineering
Teruo Fujii
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Ocean Engieering,
Institute of Industrial Science
Hyper modeling / simulation
Masahiro Shoji
Professor emeritus, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering
Yoichiro Matsumoto
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering
Takafumi Fujita
Professor, Department of Information and System, Institute of Industrial Science
Hideaki Miyata
Professor, Department of Environmental and Ocean Engineering, School ofEngineering
Shinsuke Sakai
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering

Specially appointed members
Kensuke TsuchiyaSpecially Appointed Research Associate, International Research and Education Center for Mechanical Systems Innovation, School of Engineering
Yosuke Hasegawa
Specially Appointed Research Associate, International Research and Education Center for Mechanical Systems Innovation, School of EngineeringAdvisory Committee
Advisory Committeemen
Koutaro Inoue
Senior Fellow, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Noboru Kikuchi
Professor, The University of Michigan

Yoshitsugu Kimura
Tetsuya Tateishi

Chair, President, Kagawa University
Professor, Tokyo Denki University

Activities of Mechanical Systems Innovation Program (scheduled)〈Open Seminars〉◎FY2004-8th Seminar
Date: September 10, 2004
Venue: Lecture Room No.226, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.7, HongoCampus
Speaker : Prof. Seung Jin Song (Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Seoul National University)
Subject : Rotor Dynamics in Turbomachinery◎FY2004-9th Seminar
Date: September 28, 2004
Venue: Lecture Room No.27, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.2, Hongo
CampusSpeaker : Prof. Ahmed F. Ghoniem (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Subject : Combustion Dynamics and Control: Mechanisms, Simulations,
Modeling and Design◎FY2004-10th Seminar
Date: November 9, 2004
Venue: Conference Room No.1, Institute of Industrial Science, Komaba
CampusSpeaker : Dr. Wolfgang Fritzsche (Department Biotechnical Microsystems,
Institute for Technology Jena)
Subject : Bridging Molecular Constructs with the Macroscopic World: Concepts Based on a Combination of Biomolecular Self Organization and Microsystem Technology◎FY2004-11th Seminar
Date: November 11, 2004
Venue
: Lecture Room No.84, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.8, Hongo
CampusSpeaker : Dr. Wolfgang Fritzsche (Department Biotechnical Microsystems,

Subject

Institute for Technology Jena): Bridging Molecular Constructs with the Macroscopic World: Concepts Based on a Combination of Biomolecular Self Organization and Microsystem Technology◎FY2004-12th Seminar
Date: November 22, 2004
Venue
: Lecture Room No.226, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.8, Hongo
CampusSpeaker : Dr. Sivaram Arepalli (NASA-Johnson Space Center)
Subject : Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Research at NASA-Johnson
Space Center◎FY2004-13th Seminar
Date: December 3, 2004
Venue
: Seminar Room No.2, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.2, Hongo
CampusSpeaker : Dr. Christopher Hebling (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar EnergySystems)
Subject : Micro Energy Technology by means of Micro Fuel Cells, Device
Integrated Solar Cells, Thermophotovoltaics and Laser PowerTransmission◎FY2004-14th SeminarDate: December 13, 2004
Venue
: Lecture room No.226, Faculty of Engineering Bldg.8, Hongo
CampusSpeaker : Dr. Peigang Deng (Department of Mechanical Engineering, TheHong Kong University of Science and Technology)
Subject : Micro Bubble Actuator for DNA Hybridization Enhancement

The 21st Century COE Program Mechanical Systems Innovation, Newsletter No.4E
December 1, 2004
The 21st Century COE Program Mechanical Systems Innovation Office, The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, JAPAN
Phone and Fax/+81 3 5841 7437
URL/http://www.mechasys.jp/

In the interests of environmental conservation,thisnewsletter was printed
using soybean oil ink.