Abstract: An apparatus is provided for application to a waste heat reuse system that recovers and reuses engine waste heat, and for controlling the amount of waste heat based on a requested heat amount of a heat utilization request. In the apparatus, an overlap angle between a valve-opening period of an intake valve and that of an exhaust valve of the engine is controlled based on an engine driving condition. Ignition timing of the engine is controlled to fall on maximum-efficient timing that minimizes fuel consumption in a current engine driving condition. When a requested heat amount cannot be satisfied, overlap-increase control is performed to increase an overlap angle, and ignition advance control is performed to advance ignition timing with reference to a maximum-efficient timing that corresponds to the increased overlap angle. Waste heat amount of the engine is controlled with the overlap-increase control and the ignition advance control.

Abstract: The waste heat control apparatus is used in a heat recovery system for recovering and reusing waste heat of an engine. The waste heat control apparatus includes a plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections activated to increase an amount of the waste heat of the engine, and a control section which performs waste heat control in accordance with a heat utilization demand to increase the amount of the waste heat of the engine by activating at least one of the plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with a heat-generation chamber disposed so as to be adjacent to a combustion chamber, a heat-generation chamber valve capable of setting up either a communicating state or a shut-down state between the heat-generation chamber and the combustion chamber, and a heat-recovery pipe for recovering heat of a gas guided into the combustion chamber and utilizing the heat as recovered for warm-up. The heat-generation chamber is provided with a heat-generation-chamber spark plug. A catalytic unit is provided between the heat-generation-chamber spark plug and the heat-recovery pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus is used for diagnosing the temperature state of a catalyst converter. The catalyst converter includes a catalyst for cleaning an emission, and a conductive carrier for carrying the catalyst. The conductive carrier is energized for temperature rise of the catalyst, and the conductive carrier has a characteristic in which resistance drops with temperature increase. In the apparatus, a first obtaining unit obtains a first parameter having a first correlation with supply power to the conductive carrier for energization of the conductive carrier. A second obtaining unit obtains a second parameter having a second correlation with a temperature of the conductive carrier. A diagnosing unit diagnoses the temperature state of the conductive carrier based on a comparison between the first parameter and the second parameter.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling supply power to a conductive porous carrier of a catalyst converter for cleaning an emission, a moisture determiner determines whether moisture is contained in and/or on the conductive porous carrier. A power controller controls supply power to the conductive porous carrier for energization of the conductive porous carrier such that a value of the supply power to the conductive porous carrier when it is determined that the moisture is contained in and/or on the conductive porous carrier is lower than a value of the supply power to the conductive porous carrier when it is determined that the moisture is not contained in and/or on the conductive porous carrier.

Abstract: In an emission control system, an absorbent in exhaust-emission passage absorbs a particular component in the emission with a temperature thereof being lower than a first temperature, and desorbs therefrom the absorbed particular component with the temperature thereof being equal to or higher than the first temperature. A catalyst in the exhaust-emission passage converts the particular component desorbed from the absorbent into another component with a temperature thereof being equal to or higher than a second temperature higher than the first temperature. A heat recovery device is disposed in the exhaust-emission passage upstream of the absorbent and recovers heat from the exhaust emission by heat exchange between a heat-transfer medium and the exhaust emission. An adjusting unit adjusts an amount of heat to be recovered by the heat recovery device to thereby adjust a temperature state of the exhaust emission.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for application to a waste heat reuse system that recovers and reuses engine waste heat, and for controlling the amount of waste heat based on a requested heat amount of a heat utilization request. In the apparatus, an overlap angle between a valve-opening period of an intake valve and that of an exhaust valve of the engine is controlled based on an engine driving condition. Ignition timing of the engine is controlled to fall on maximum-efficient timing that minimizes fuel consumption in a current engine driving condition. When a requested heat amount cannot be satisfied, overlap-increase control is performed to increase an overlap angle, and ignition advance control is performed to advance ignition timing with reference to a maximum-efficient timing that corresponds to the increased overlap angle. Waste heat amount of the engine is controlled with the overlap-increase control and the ignition advance control.

Abstract: The waste heat control apparatus is used in a heat recovery system for recovering and reusing waste heat of an engine. The waste heat control apparatus includes a plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections activated to increase an amount of the waste heat of the engine, and a control section which performs waste heat control in accordance with a heat utilization demand to increase the amount of the waste heat of the engine by activating at least one of the plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections.

Abstract: A required valve timing change rate Vreq is calculated so as to make a deviation D between a target valve timing VTtg and an actual valve timing VT small and then a required speed difference DMCRreq between a motor 26 and a camshaft 16 is calculated on a basis of the required valve timing change rate Vreq. When the deviation D is larger than a predetermined value, a required motor speed Rmreq is calculated by adding the required speed difference DMCRreq to a camshaft speed RC and a motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the required motor speed Rmreq. When the deviation D is not larger than the predetermined value, the camshaft speed RC is set as the required motor speed Rmreq and the motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the camshaft speed RC.

Abstract: In detecting a deterioration of an air-fuel ratio sensor, a sensor output change speed integrated value is calculated when an element temperature of a solid electrolyte is stabilized at a low temperature. Successively, a sensor output change speed integrated value is calculated when the solid electrolyte element is stabilized at a high temperature. Finally, a deviation between the change speed integrated values is calculated. By comparing the deviation amount with a predetermined determinant, presence or absence of the deterioration is determined.

Abstract: A deterioration detecting apparatus for an exhaust gas sensor of an internal combustion engine, the exhaust gas sensor including a sensor element and a heater that heats the sensor element, computes a first sensor characteristic parameter, which is related to a characteristic of the sensor element, by estimating an interchange state of thermal energy between the sensor element and a periphery of the sensor element. The deterioration detecting apparatus senses impedance of the sensor element. The deterioration detecting apparatus computes a second sensor characteristic parameter, which is related to the characteristic of the sensor element, based on the sensed impedance. The deterioration detecting apparatus determines a degree of deterioration of the exhaust gas sensor by comparing the first sensor characteristic parameter and the second sensor characteristic parameter.

Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: An simplified structure of an air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes an upstream and a downstream catalytic device installed in an exhaust pipe of the engine and a first, a second, and a third air-fuel ratio sensor installed in upstream or downstream side of the exhaust pipe. The system also includes a first feedback controller working to bring a value of the air-fuel ratio, as measured by the first air-fuel ratio sensor, into agreement with a target one and a second feedback controller working to sample values of the air-fuel ratios, as measured by the second and third air-fuel ratio sensors, to correct a predetermined controlled parameter in the feedback control of the first feedback controller.

Abstract: A control duty is obtained, which asymptotically makes the output of a control subject consistent with an output of a reference model. The output of the control subject simulates a dynamic characteristic of a variable valve timing controller, and the output of the reference model simulates an ideal input-output characteristic of the variable valve timing. The control duty makes a difference between the output of the reference model and an actual valve timing small enough. A parameter of a controller is consecutively corrected to make the difference small by means of a parameter correcting mechanism when the dynamic characteristic of the variable valve timing controller is varied due to a variation of an operating environment thereof so that the difference becomes large.

Abstract: A deterioration detecting apparatus for an exhaust gas sensor of an internal combustion engine, the exhaust gas sensor including a sensor element and a heater that heats the sensor element, computes a first sensor characteristic parameter, which is related to a characteristic of the sensor element, by estimating an interchange state of thermal energy between the sensor element and a periphery of the sensor element. The deterioration detecting apparatus senses impedance of the sensor element. The deterioration detecting apparatus computes a second sensor characteristic parameter, which is related to the characteristic of the sensor element, based on the sensed impedance. The deterioration detecting apparatus determines a degree of deterioration of the exhaust gas sensor by comparing the first sensor characteristic parameter and the second sensor characteristic parameter.

Abstract: A required valve timing change rate Vreq is calculated so as to make a deviation D between a target valve timing VTtg and an actual valve timing VT small and then a required speed difference DMCRreq between a motor 26 and a camshaft 16 is calculated on a basis of the required valve timing change rate Vreq. When the deviation D is larger than a predetermined value, a required motor speed Rmreq is calculated by adding the required speed difference DMCRreq to a camshaft speed RC and a motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the required motor speed Rmreq. When the deviation D is not larger than the predetermined value, the camshaft speed RC is set as the required motor speed Rmreq and the motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the camshaft speed RC.

Abstract: A required valve timing change rate Vreq is calculated so as to make a deviation D between a target valve timing VTtg and an actual valve timing VT small and then a required speed difference DMCRreq between a motor 26 and a camshaft 16 is calculated on a basis of the required valve timing change rate Vreq. When the deviation D is larger than a predetermined value, a required motor speed Rmreq is calculated by adding the required speed difference DMCRreq to a camshaft speed RC and a motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the required motor speed Rmreq. When the deviation D is not larger than the predetermined value, the camshaft speed RC is set as the required motor speed Rmreq and the motor control value is calculated so as to control the motor speed RM to the camshaft speed RC.

Abstract: When the output of the AFR ratio sensor is stable in a steady operating state, the amount of fuel is increased by step inputting to detect a point where the gradient of change in the sensor output exceeds a threshold value as a point of start of change. The time from the timing of increasing the fuel until the point of start of change is detected as a dead time. A response time is calculated until the amount of change in the sensor output reaches a predetermined ratio of the amount of change (AA?BA) of up to the steady value AA of the sensor output after the amount of the fuel is increased from the steady value BA of the sensor output before the amount of the fuel is increased. The fail condition in the AFR ratio sensor is determined based on the dead time TA and the response time TB.

Abstract: A writing implement includes a cylindrical shaft member, a pen tip member which is fixed to one end of the shaft member and from which colored ink seeps out, liquid for ink which is stored in the shaft member and which comprises a part of the colored ink seeping out from the end of the pen tip member, and colorant to be added to the above described liquid for ink to be the colored ink. Moreover, at least a part of a cylindrical side surface of the shaft member corresponding to the storing part of the liquid for ink is formed to be transparent. Between the liquid for ink and the colorant-storing part storing the colorant is provided a colorant-adsorbing core which introduces the liquid for ink into the colorant-storing part while capturing the colorant diffusing toward the storing part of the liquid for ink.

Abstract: A writing implement includes a cylindrical shaft member, a pen tip member which is fixed to one end of the shaft member and from which colored ink seeps out, liquid for ink which is stored in the shaft member and which comprises a major component of the colored ink seeping out from an end of the pen tip member, colorant to be added to the liquid for ink, and a valve member for isolating the colorant from the liquid for ink. In the writing implement, at least a part of a cylindrical side surface of the shaft member corresponding to a part where the liquid for ink is stored is formed to be transparent, the valve member is positioned between the storing part of the liquid for ink and the colorant, and the storing part of the liquid for ink is provided with a pressure-regulating part.