On 21st March 2024, Rei Taguchi (D3) , Izumi Laboratory, Department of Systems Innovation, received Excellence Research Award at GPIF Finance Awards for Students. Click here for details

On 7th January 2024, Keigo Kinoshita (M1) and Masayoshi Kurihara (B4), Shimada Lab., Department of Systems Innovation, receied the first prize at Sports Data Science Competition 2023 (Football).

Click here for details

• Name, Faculty/Graduate School, Department (Stream / Program) / Major: Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, Takumi Morishima (D1) Peng Lu (M1) Zihao Zhao (D3)

• Name of the award and a short explanation about the award: Student Best Student Presentation Award

• About awarded research:
  Best Student Presentation Award: T. Morishima, Y. Wan, P. Xue, J. Takahashi and H. Akimoto, The application of recycling CFRP sandwich to the blade of a vertical floating offshore wind power generation LCA and LCC of the environmental and cost impacts of applying recycled carbon fiber to the blades of a vertical floating offshore wind turbine has quantitatively revealed the trade-off between the environmental impact reduction and cost increase of recycled CFRP. Student Presentation Award: P. Lu, R. Xu, Y. Wan and J. Takahashi, Experimental validation of tensile properties of CFRTP-SMC with parallelogram tapes Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheet molding compounds (CFRTP-SMC) are suitable for mass production of complex-shaped components and are beginning to be widely used in the automotive, aerospace and construction industries, but the tape shape has traditionally been rectangular. In this study, for the first time in the world, it was shown by Monte Carlo simulation that parallelogram-shaped SMC exhibits better mechanical properties, and this was verified by experiment. Student Presentation Award: Z. Zhao, Y. Wan and J. Takahashi, Experimental investigation of mechanical properties and internal structure of CFRTP-SMC: influence of tape length and thickness in flow compression molding During the heat-compression molding of complex-shaped components by carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheet molding compounds (CFRTP-SMC), it is known that the flow of the material changes the tape shape and has a negative influence on the mechanical properties. In this study, the thickness and length of the tape were varied and the degree of influence of the material flow distance during molding on the internal structure and mechanical properties of the SMC was systematically clarified.

• Awardee’s impression & future plan:
  Takumi Morishima: I am delighted to have received such a prestigious award. I will continue to engage my research in line with my interests and passions. Peng Lu: I am extremely honored to receive this award. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors and seniors who have been the driving force behind my growth, and considering the vastness and depth of the field of CFRTP-SMC, I am keenly aware that there is still much to learn and new knowledge and skills to acquire. I will continue to devote myself to my research path. Zihao Zhao: It was a great honor to receive this award. This international conference provided me with a valuable opportunity to share insights, receive positive feedback, and interact with experts in the field, which inspired my passion for materials science. In the future, I plan to conduct more extensive experiments to deepen my understanding of tape length, thickness, and mechanical properties.

 

• Name, Faculty/Graduate School, Department (Stream / Program) / Major: Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, Fan Zhang (M2), Shingo Miyamoto (M2), Peng Lu (M1), Ryo Miyamoto (B4), Keisuke Naito (B4)

• Name of the award and a short explanation about the award: Student TheSAMPE (The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering) Student Bridge Contest is an annual student competition (about 100 teams) for lightweight bridges made of fiber-reinforced composite materials. This report is from the Japan preliminary round (21 teams participated) in the Recycled Carbon Fiber category (Category R).

• About awarded research:
  In the bridge contest, bridges made of fiber-reinforced composites designed and manufactured by student teams from various universities will be evaluated by a three-point bending test, and the lightest bridge that exceeds the specified load will be declared the winner. The Recycled Carbon Fiber Category (Category R) was newly established in light of the recent trend toward circularity, and only requires the use of recycled carbon fiber non-woven fabrics provided by SAMPE Japan and the maximum external dimensions of the bridge, with no specification on resin or molding method.

• Awardee’s impression & future plan:
  We are very honored to receive this award. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone in our laboratory who provided us with various kinds of support in receiving this award. Even though we used recycled carbon fiber for the first time, we were able to obtain better results than expected. We hope that next year we will be able to take full advantage of the material’s performance and produce even lighter and better bridges.

 

On 16th November 2023, Ryotaro Kobayashi (M1) , Izumi-Lab, Department of Systems Innovation, recieved Excellence Award at the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence (JSAI) 37th Annual Conference.

Click here for details

• Name, Faculty/Graduate School, Department (Stream / Program) / Major: Mitsuki Ogasawara (Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, M2), Wataru Sasaki (Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, M1), Ryosuke Matsunami (Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, M1)

• Name of the award and a short explanation about the award: Student Outstanding Presentation Award at The 130th Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of Japan

• About awarded research:
  Mitsuki Ogasawara
  Title : Study on the mineralization age of the Akenobe deposit in Hyogo prefecture, on the basis of Re-Os geochronology
  Outline : The discovery of new mineral deposits is of global importance in order to secure the supply of various metals needed to realize a sustainable society. The formation of ore deposits is closely related to underground magmatic activity, but the details of this process are not yet clear. If the formation process of a superior ore deposit is clarified, it is expected to lead to the discovery of new promising ore deposits based on similar geological conditions as a clue. In this study, the formation age of the Akenobe deposit in Hyogo Prefecture was determined with high precision using the Re-Os radiometric dating method in order to clarify the causal relationship between magmatic activity and the formation of the deposit. As a result, the formation age of the Akenobe deposit was found to be about 10 million years older than previously estimated, suggesting a close genetic relationship with the surrounding granitic magma.

Wataru Sasaki
Title : The distribution mode of ferromanganese nodules around Minamitorishima Island based on peak-fitting of the acoustic backscatter intensity histograms and analysis of seafloor images
Outline : Manganese nodules contain high concentrations of cobalt and nickel, which are important materials for rechargeable batteries, and are attracting attention as a new rare metal resource. In 2016-17, research cruises for the manganese nodule distribution survey were conducted around Minamitorishima Island, and a backscatter intensity of the seafloor surface obtained by a multinarrow-beam acoustic sounder combined with ground-truthing by “Shinkai 6500” was revealed to be effective for seafloor Fe-Mn deposits survey. In a previous study, Machida et al. (2021) analyzed the backscatter intensity data and identified an intensity threshold indicating a dense area of manganese nodules. However, the relationship between the distinct multiple peaks seen in the histogram of the data and the characteristics of the seafloor surface remained unresolved. In this study, we performed peak-fitting analysis to explore the relationship between these peaks and the characteristics of the seafloor surface. In addition, we also analyzed seafloor images obtained by the Shinkai 6500 to investigate the relationship between each peak and manganese nodule distribution. This study clarified how the acoustic reflections from the seafloor surface correspond to the distribution of manganese nodules. 

Ryosuke Matsunami
Title : Long-term variation of factors controlling REE-rich mud formation based on a box-model simulation of ocean-sediment Nd mass balance
Outline : For the selection of promising areas for rare-earth elements (REE)-rich mud, which is expected to be developed as a new resource, it is critical to understand the ore genesis. In this study, we developed a new theoretical model for neodymium (Nd), which is industrially important as a raw material for powerful magnets essential for motors and generators, and a representative element of REE. The model quantifies the mass balance of Nd between ocean and deep-sea sediments. Through sensitivity analyses and long-term simulations, the dominant factors of REE-rich mud formation and their long-term variations in the entire Pacific Ocean were quantitatively investigated. The results show that sedimentation rates and the discharge of REE from the continental margin to the ocean have a significant impact on the grade of REE-rich mud. We also demonstrated that variations in dust fluxes can generally reproduce the trends in grades of REE-rich mud in actual pelagic sediment core samples.

• Your impression & future plan:
  Mitsuki Ogasawara
  In receiving this award, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Kato and the laboratory members, the people of Yabu City in Hyogo Prefecture who cooperated with my research, the colleagues of Chiba Institute of Technology who helped my analysis, and the Hattori International Scholarship Foundation, which has been providing constant support to me. While I am proud to receive such a prestigious award, I am not satisfied with the current state of my research, and I would like to continue to pursue my research. There are still many things to be clarified in my master’s research, and I will continue to work hard to elucidate them to the best of my ability. 

Wataru Sasaki
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Yasukawa, Prof. Nakamura, Prof. Kato of Department of Systems Innovation, Dr. Machida of Chiba Institute of Technology, and others who supported me in receiving this award. I am very proud to receive such a prestigious award in recognition of my master’s research. This research has shown the possibility to estimate the distribution and abundance of seafloor manganese nodules in more detail and more efficiently than ever before by acoustic exploration from a ship. In the future, we plan to apply machine learning to analyze images more precisely, to examine the reasons for the correspondence, and to study the possibility of applying this method to other ocean areas. I am grateful to have received this award and intend to work even harder on my research.

Ryosuke Matsunami
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Yasukawa and all those who have supported me in receiving this award. I am very proud to receive such a prestigious award in recognition of my research achievements. Encouraged by this award, I will continue to devote myself to my research activities.

• Date: 25th September, 2023
• Name:　 Takumi Morishima
• Graduate School, Department: Department of Systems Innovation, D1
• Name of award: Encouraging Prize of SAMPE Japan
• About awarded research： Life cycle analysis on Floating axis wind turbine
• Your impression & future plan： I am truly honored to receive this scholarship award. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Takahashi for his guidance, as well as to all the members of the research lab who were involved in this study. Floating offshore wind turbines are a relatively new structure with many challenges to overcome. I will take this award as an encouragement and continue to strive towards solving these challenges in the future.

• Date, Name: Peng Xue, Zhengyang Zhu, Qiujun Wang, Yuanyuan Wu
• Faculty/Graduate School, Department (Stream / Program) / Major: Department of Systems Innovation, D3, M2, M2, D3
• Name of the award and a short explanation about the award: Encouraging Prize of SAMPE Japan
• About awarded research: The University of Tokyo team has been awarded First Place in the SAMPE Student Bridge Contest 2023 World Competition, Category B.
• Your impression & future plan: We are very honored to receive this award. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the members of our laboratory for making it possible for us to receive this award. We gained valuable insights and advice from the world-class competition, and we will continue to improve our design and molding techniques to pass them on to the younger members of our laboratory.

• Date of Award：2023/09/11
• Prize-winner：The University of Tokyo
• Name and brief description of the award received：The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers, a public interest incorporated association, certifies maritime heritage with historical significance as “Fune Heritage” and aligns with its mission to raise awareness within society and to ensure its transmission to future generations as cultural heritage. The University of Tokyo, Ship Navigation Performance Test Basin is the first basin dedicated to seakeeping and maneuverability experiments in the world. Despite its non-existing facility, it has been certified as a “Fune Heritage” within the category of <ship research-related facilities and equipment>.
• Award-winning research and activities：It was the first seakeeping basin globally equipped with a computer-controlled X-Y towing train system, thus serving as the foundation for the development of water tanks and basins of its kind. This basin has contributed to advancing research on the navigational performance of ships and various offshore structures necessitating a vast water surface area for experimentation. Notably in the field of maneuverability, an innovative test method called CMT (Circular Motion Test) was developed as an alternative to the conventional specialized circular water tank. This innovative method swiftly as the standard approach in assessing maneuverability.
• Future aspirations, impressions, etc.：Although the basin is not preserved, we proceed the studies on ships and offshore structures utilizing the other water tank facilities in the University of Tokyo.

 

On September 13, 2023, Professor Ken Tsuji of the Department of Systems Innovation was awarded The Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize at the 2023 American Geophysical Union (AGU). The award ceremony will be held at the AGU Annual meeting in San Francisco in December. School of Engineering Website