Kyūshū Electric Power Company (九州電力株式会社, Kyūshū Denryoku Kabushiki Gaisha) (TYO: 9508, OSE: 9508, FWB: 2CJ) is a Japanese energy company that provides power to 7 prefectures (Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Ōita, Saga, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima), and recently, to some parts of Hiroshima Prefecture. Its shortened name of 九電 (Kyuu den) is sometimes used. In 2011 the company was criticised for attempting to manipulate public opinion in favor of reactivating two reactors at the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant.
Foldable wings in certain insects represent the ultimate deployable structure, capable of rapid folding/unfolding while possessing the strength and rigidity to withstand high-speed flapping. Among these insects, earwigs use a unique fan-like folding mechanism, allowing for the most compact wing folding in insects. The authors have elucidated a geometrical design method to apply the intricate folding patterns of earwig fans to various forms of deployable structures. In this paper, we show new deployable structures developed through biomimetics, including paper fans, tents, deployable roofs, and providing insights into deployable solar panel arrays designed for lunar base applications.
The authors have analyzed the seasonal characteristics of lightning discharges in the coastal areas of the Sea of Japan using the datasets observed by two slow antennas, the Japanese Lightning Detection Network (JLDN), and the Local Forecasting Model (LFM) provided by the Japan Meteorology Agency (JMA). We clarified that the frequency of lightning discharges with a charge transfer exceeding 50 C increased when the altitude of the -10 degrees C isothermal layer descended below 2,500 meters.
Origami embodies a traditional aspect of art culture. This technique facilitates the compact folding of deployable structures and improves construction and transportation performance in engineering. While these advantages are attractive, designing deployable structures is complex because it requires consideration of material thickness. Here we introduce the thickness accommodation techniques into the highly efficient folding patterns derived from biomimetic engineering approach. The underlying simple geometrical elements within the complex crease patterns of earwig hindwings were already revealed, and design software was implemented to customize the pattern using an algorithmic design tool. However, the crease pattern has a zero thickness, and the thickness accommodation should be performed for engineering applications as a deployable structure. We propose thickness accommodations for two folding modes with mountain and valley folding line assignments. For each folding mode, the thickness accommodation solves the interference, and we make a model made of thick materials to verify the deployment behavior. The research results represent a further step toward developing biomimetic engineering applications using origami techniques based on the crease patterns of earwig hindwings.
