• KASAI Hidekazu, FUKUSHIMA Hitoshi, TAMURA Masato, INUBUSHI Kazuyuki, NAKATA Toshihiko

Although pulverized coal-fired power plants are important as base load power sources, they emit a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Given this, it is necessary to reduce their CO2 emissions, and co-firing with carbon-neutral woody biomass is an important measure for achieving this. However, while Japan possesses an abundance of forest resources, the actual biomass-to-coal ratio achieved in co-firing remains as low as a few calorific percent. Aiming to achieve 50% co-firing on a thermal basis, IHI has been working to verify and demonstrate the effectiveness of a comprehensive system — including the supply chain for the woody biomass — in cooperation with some universities. Eventually, in 2015, IHI carried out demonstration tests involving processes from logging, wood collection, processing, and transportation through to co-firing power generation at a 150 MW-class commercial thermal power plant. These tests demonstrated that a co-firing biomass-to-coal ratio of 25% (thermal basis) can be achieved using fuel produced from timber grown in Japan, all of whose processes are done in Japan.

• KAMATA Hiroyuki

Reduction of the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and its utilization as a carbon source are urgent to prevent the global warming. Conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals or clean fuel such as methane is one of the important options for CO2 utilization. However, CO2 is chemically very stable thus the development of highly active but yet robust catalyst is necessary. IHI is currently dedicated to developing the process of the methanation and lower olefins production. The unique catalyst IHI developed is confirmed to be very stable in methanation process. For early deployment, we are now focusing on the system verification and demonstration for the methanation process.

• TAKAHASHI Masashige, DAITO Yuichi, KANEDA Shinichi, KIMURA Taichi

In recent years, awareness of reducing CO2 and fuel consumption has increased as a measure against global warming, and various technological developments such as improving the efficiency of internal-combustion engines and cleaning exhaust gas are being promoted. Under such circumstances, the Miller cycle is a technology that has been adopted in automobile engines. In order to meet the needs of our customers, IHI has developed the RHZ series, which can be used with Miller cycle engines, low-viscosity oil (oil grade 0W-12), has high performance, good transient response, and a lightweight, compact design. This paper introduces the merits of the RHZ series to engines and the technologies that support them.

• IHI Corporation

We have developed a motorized turbocharger for fuel-cell vehicles, the environmentally friendly cars of the future. Leveraging our unique oil-free device technologies, electrical machine technologies, and thermal management technologies, we have realized a small lightweight air supply system that supplies air (oxygen) necessary for fuel cells to generate electricity. We have successfully brought this product to market as a key component of passenger fuel-cell vehicles, thus contributing to the realization of a mobility society in which clean energy is used effectively.

• HASHIMOTO Toru, HONDA Toru

In order to further improve the efficiency of gas engines, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd. is continuing development based on the spark-ignition lean-burn gas engine 28AGS for power plants, which was developed in 2012, with a special focus on combustion stability in the main combustion chamber. Studies confirmed that the engine has strengthened ignition energy and reduced unburned area. Furthermore, a series of studies has realized higher efficiency gas engines to be provided to the worldwide market, especially Southeast Asia. This paper introduces these technologies to cope with differences in climate and fuel properties between in Southeast Asia and in Japan.

• WAKABAYASHI Yoshiyuki, AKAMATSU Teruo

In recent years, the introduction of BIM (Building Information Modeling) has been promoted for the purpose of improving productivity at construction sites and improving quality control. BIM is a digital representation of a 3D model that includes attribute information, and it is also possible to carry out pre-simulations such as construction plans with time axis and process progress management. A trial of quality support and remote management of field work has been reported that combines a BIM model and ICT (Information and Communication Technology). This time, the effects were confirmed on-site by using mixed reality, total station surveying, and image analysis technologies. In this paper, we report the details.

• HAMAGUCHI Kenichi, FUJII Masakazu

In recent years, the IoT of plants and industrial equipment has attracted much attention. In particular, to use products for a long time, it is important to properly ascertain and predict the state of products from accumulated operation data and carry out more effective operation and appropriate maintenance. Digital Twin Simulation combines operation data with physical modeling that we have built based on physical and chemical knowledge through design, manufacturing, and testing. With this technology, it is possible to ascertain product characteristics that are difficult to capture with data alone and improve simulation accuracy. We applied this technology to actual product data. As a result, we have confirmed its effectiveness.

• SAITO Hiroki, HATTORI Hitoshi, YONEKURA Kazuo

Recently CAE is becoming widely used in the design of turbomachinery, such as turbochargers and aircraft engines, to predict its performance. In some specific cases, however, it is difficult to predict the performance using CAE. This is mainly because the physical phenomena are not completely clarified due to their complexities. Furthermore, CAE is also used in combination with the optimization techniques, such as genetic algorithms and response surface methods, to obtain a better design solution. Although many simulations are performed and accumulated, these optimization techniques cannot utilize the accumulated knowledge. In this research, two machine learning techniques, deep neural network and deep Q-network, are applied to two problems respectively: performance prediction of the volumetric flow at the surge of compressors and shape optimization for minimizing pressure drop of the low-pressure turbine airfoils. The results show that deep neural network has high predictive accuracy while not requiring physical models. It has also been confirmed that deep Q-network acquires high generalization capabilities to be applied to different scenarios by training with various conditions. In addition, it has been revealed that deep Q-network puts large weight at the same point as well-trained designers do.

• IHI Corporation

The IHI Group’s new hub for innovation promotion The IHI Group encourages innovation working alongside with customers. The Ignition Base (commonly called as “i-Base”), which opened in May 2019, aims to swiftly provide new value for social and customer issues by considering society together with customers using newly adopted design thinking. We propose new value for an appealing future by envisioning the desirable state of society through art thinking. Here, we introduce our innovation activities at i-Base toward co-creation with customers.