Many types of continuous ATP (automatic train protection) systems, which are called ATC (automatic train control) in Japan, have been used over the years for safe train operations of rapid transit systems in Japan. Generally, ATC systems are classified into three categories: 1) systems with discrete intervention speeds determined by the trackside equipment for multi-step deceleration, 2) similar systems for single-step deceleration, and 3) systems with continuous intervention speeds determined by the onboard equipment. With track profiles stored on onboard equipment and transponders on tracks, the third category offers shorter train headway than the first two categories in exchange for heavier maintenance effort.

As a replacement for older ATC systems in the first two categories, authors propose a new type of ATC system that is classified under a new category with continuous intervention speeds determined by the trackside equipment. It offers shorter train headway than the two categories without track profiles stored on the onboard equipment and transponders on tracks, which are required for the third category. This paper describes the proposed ATC system and evaluates shortening of train headway and traveling time, which will be attained by the proposed system on busy commuter rail lines.

This paper proposes a method to remove high distortion from input images using a Wide Angle Fovea (WAF) sensor. The WAF sensor is specifically designed to acquire an input image with (1) wide-angle field of view (FOV) and (2) high resolution in the central FOV. The WAF sensor achieves this by distorting the input image. Furthermore, it is difficult to accurately to remove a distortion so high by applying conventional camera calibration methods such as the Zhang method. Therefore, we propose a novel distortion removal method that does not consider distortion coefficients for distortion correction. In the proposed method, the distortion is removed according to an extensive distortion correction lookup table. This method removes distortion from input images by wide-angle sensors using a local small test pattern and not a huge one. Although this implies that, inevitably, this method requires a much larger number of input images with a narrow FOV, it achieves processing complexity reduction for accurately mapping an undistorted image with a sufficiently wide angle. Accuracy evaluation experiments were conducted, and their results quantitatively proved that our proposed method performed effectively for distortion correction.

The flux-modulating consequent pole motor (FCM) is a new type of variable-flux permanent magnet (PM) motor with a field winding on the stator. The magnetic poles of the rotor are consequent poles containing PM and iron poles. In this paper, the cross-coupling effects between d- and q-axes on the torque characteristics are analyzed for each MMF source when the permeability distribution in the FCM is frozen under each operating condition. Experimental results of a prototype machine are provided to justify the analysis. The results show that the cross-coupling effects between d- and q-axes can be reduced by appropriately designing the shape of the iron poles.

Over the years, wireless power transfer has been increasing attention. With the development of high-speed switching devices, research on wireless power transfer system using megahertz bands has been increasing. The size and weight of the coupler can be reduced using megahertz bands. However, the loss of the coupler owing to the skin effect and the proximity effect must be considered in the high frequency range. Therefore, in this paper, a two-layer open spiral coupler using copper foil for the coil is proposed. Moreover, it is experimentally confirmed that the proposed two-layer open spiral coupler using copper foil achieved high-efficiency high-power transmission using high frequency 13.56MHz at a transmission distance of 300mm.

In most manufacturing cases of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), the permanent magnet (PM) is magnetized post-assembly. A magnetization process with high accuracy is desirable for manufacturing a high-performance PMSM, and therefore, estimating the magnetization of the PM is essential. Estimation methods for PM magnetization have been proposed however, to the best of the author's knowledge, no method has been applied to the magnetic circuit with a nonlinear iron core. In this paper, the Magnetization Estimation using the Leakage Flux derived from the magnetic circuit (MELF) is proposed. The fundamental performance of MELF is verified using the rotor of the IEEJ N-model, which is the benchmark PMSM.

We applied a bipolar interleaved buck converter to a welding power supply. In short-circuit transfer of arc welding, an experiment was conducted, in which the current was rapidly attenuated by a bipolar interleaved buck converter. Consequently, it was confirmed that the fast attenuation of the current reduces the spatter generated during re-arcing.