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For an effective grid integration of a large share of intermittent renewable energy sources such as a photovoltaic and a wind power, the flexible operation of the centralized or decentralized thermal power plants are required as a control reserve of demandsupply balance (frequency control). It is cleared that the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Gas Turbine (SOFC/GT) with additional air compressor system offers high efficiency in the wide range load operation. The efficiencyload ratio curve of the Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) and SOFC/GT with air compressor system are applied to the secondary control reserve (SCR) operation units, and the daily schedule of power units in the modelled power grid is calculated. Since the efficiency at low load is high in SOFC/GT with air compressor system, the total fuel cost of the modelled power grid diminishes in the case that the SOFC/GT with air compressor system is operated at low load as a load frequency control (LFC) unit for the SCR.

Steamed rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae, called Koji, is an essential ingredient for making amazake or brewing sake. However, A. oryzae usually offers low enzyme yield, especially in case of glucoamylase. Co-culture of Aspergillus and Rhizopus strains in Koji increased glucoamylase and α-amylase activities. The ratio of initial spore counts of A. oryzae and R. oryzae influenced the activity of amylolytic enzymes. When this ratio was 1:1, α-amylase showed maximum activity (573 U/g-substrate, 95 h), and when this ratio was 200:1, glucoamylase showed maximum activity (180 U/g-substrate, 95 h).

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae are used as koji fungi in the spot of the brewing. Since koji-muro (room for making koji) was a low level of airtightness, microbial contamination has long been a concern to the alcoholic beverage production. Therefore, we focused on the fatty acid salt which is the main component of soap. Fatty acid salts have been reported to show some antibacterial and antifungal activity. This study aimed to find the effectiveness of the fatty acid salt in koji-muro. Nine fatty acid salts were tested. The result, C12K was antibacterial effect against B. subtilis. C10K and C12K was antifungal effect against R. oryzae. These results suggest C12K has potential in the field of koji-muro.

Trichophyton violaceum is an anthropophilic fungus. Dermatophytosis (Tinea) is fungal infection that can infect the scalp, glabrous skin, and nails. In general, Tinea can be spread by skin-to-skin contact or bathroom or floor materials. The treatments of Tinea need antifungal medication and good hygiene environment. The effective antifungal medication and infection prevention, and the creation of antifungal medication with high safety are required. In this study was focused on the antifungal effect of fatty acids potassium salts. The antifungal activity of nine fatty acid salts (butyrate, caproate, caprylate, caprate, laurate, myristate, oleate, linoleate, and linolenate) was tested on the spores of Trichophyton violaceum NBRC 31064. The results show that C6K, C8K, C10K, C12K, C18:2K, C18:3K was the most inhibit 4-log unit (99.99 %) of the fatty acids potassium incubated time for 10 min. It was observed that C12K and C18:3K was most high antifungal activity MIC. Commercially soap was lowest antifungal activity. This is because of the oleic acid is a major component of soap. Although further investigation is necessary to make clear antifungal mechanisms, our results suggest that fatty acid potassium will use to the development of a coating agent such as furniture.

Various kinds of stainless steels have been widely utilized as a mold substrate material for injection molding and as a die for mold-stamping and direct stamping processes. Since they suffered from high temperature transients and thermal cycles in practice, they must be surface-treated by dry and wet coatings, or, by plasma nitriding. Martensitic stainless steel mold was first wet plated by the nickel phosphate (NiP), which was unstable at the high temperature stamping condition; and, was easy to crystalize or to fracture by itself. This issue of nuisance significantly lowered the productivity in fabrication of optical elements at present. In the present paper, the stainless steel mold was surface-treated by the low-temperature plasma nitriding. The nitrided layer by this surface modification had higher nitrogen solute content than 4 mass%; the maximum solid-solubility of nitrogen is usually 0.1 mass% in the equilibrium phase diagram. Owing to this solid-solution with high nitrogen concentration, the nitrided layer had high hardness of 1400 Hv within its thickness of 40 μm without any formation of nitrides after 14.4 ks plasma nitriding at 693 K. This nitrogen solid-solution treated stainless steel had thermal resistivity even at the mold-stamping conditions up to 900 K.