Abstract: An evaporated fuel treating device includes: a canister configured to adsorb evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank through a vapor passage; a blocking valve configured to close and open the vapor passage, the blocking valve having a stepping motor as a drive source; and a controller configured to operate the blocking valve by controlling electric power that is supplied from a predetermined power supply to the blocking valve. The controller is configured, when there is a request to drive the blocking valve, to operate the blocking valve by controlling the electric power such that when a voltage that is supplied from the power supply to the blocking valve is less than a predetermined value, a driving period which is an interval between pulses that are supplied to the stepping motor becomes long compared to when the voltage is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment device executes a pressure reducing control while monitoring inner pressure of a fuel tank, so that when the inner pressure of the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined value prior to fueling to the fuel tank, pressure reduction progresses within a range that the flow rate of a vapor passage does not exceed the boundary flow rate where the vapor passage is closed by a valve element of an ORVR valve, and also a valve opening speed of the closing valve is made higher as the inner pressure of the fuel tank becomes lower.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing an objective substance, for example, an aromatic aldehyde such as vanillin. The objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a coryneform bacterium that is able to produce the objective substance, wherein bacterium has been modified so that the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase is reduced.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance is provided. An objective substance is produced by culturing a microorganism which has been modified so that the activity of a dicarboxylic acid exporter protein is reduced in a medium, and collecting the objective substance from the medium.

Abstract: A surface defect inspecting device for hot-dip coated steel sheets comprising: an illuminating unit for illuminating an imaging target portion on a hot-dip coated steel sheet; a specular reflection light imaging unit for imaging specular reflection light from the imaging target portion; a diffuse reflection light imaging unit for imaging diffuse reflection light from the imaging target portion; and an image signal processing unit for processing specular reflection image and diffuse reflection image signals, the specular and diffuse reflection light imaging units simultaneously imaging light reflected from the imaging target region, the image signal processing unit extracting a portion having brightness level lower than a predetermined threshold, as a defect portion, from the specular reflection image signal, and threshold processing the diffuse reflection image signal, with respect to a portion corresponding to an extracted defect portion, to determine a defect type by classifying the extracted defect portion

Abstract: A fuel vapor processing apparatus includes an adsorbent canister, a vapor path connecting the adsorbent canister to a fuel tank, and a flow control valve disposed in the vapor path. The flow control valve is kept closed while a movement distance of a valve body from a predetermined initial position toward a valve opening direction is less than a predetermined distance. A control unit comprising part of the apparatus is configured to set a valve opening speed of the flow control valve to a first speed under a condition where the movement distance of the valve body is less than the predetermined distance, and to set the valve opening speed of the flow control valve to a second speed lower than the first speed under a condition where the movement distance of the valve body is greater than the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a filter, an electrical storage device, a rotating electric machine, and a controller. The filter is configured to trap particulate matter in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The rotating electric machine is configured to generate electric power using power from the internal combustion engine so as to charge the electrical storage device, and drive the internal combustion engine using electric power from the electrical storage device. The controller is configured to control the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine, so as to warm up the electrical storage device when regeneration control needs to be performed and when the temperature of the electrical storage device is lower than a reference value. The regeneration control is control for raising the temperature of the filter to a predetermined temperature so as to burn the particulate matter.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a first motor generator that is configured to generate electric power using the power of the engine, an electric storage device that is configured to store the electric power that is generated by the first motor generator, a connection part through which the electric power that has been stored in the electric storage device is supplied to the outside of the vehicle; and an ECU that is configured to start the engine when the SOC of the electric storage device reaches a predetermined starting threshold value. The ECU sets a starting threshold value ON2 that is used when the vehicle is in an undrivable condition and electric power is being supplied to the outside of the vehicle through the connection part to a value smaller than a starting threshold value ON1 that is used when the vehicle is in a drivable condition.

Abstract: A processor may perform a purging process, which may introduce fuel vapor adsorbed by a canister into an intake passage. The processor may identify clogging of a purge passage based on a decrease amount of the pressure in the canister that results from execution of the purging process. The processor may open an isolation valve when the pressure in a fuel tank is less than or equal to a first pressure, which is less than an atmospheric pressure, and close the isolation valve when the pressure in the fuel tank is greater than or equal to a second pressure, which is greater than the first pressure and less than the atmospheric pressure. The processor may disable the purging process at least in a period from when the processor closes the isolation valve to when a prescribed time has elapsed from the closing of the isolation valve.

Abstract: A fuel vapor processing apparatus includes a vapor path connecting an adsorbent canister to a tank, where a valve is disposed in the vapor path and comprises a body and a seat, and a control unit configured to detect a movement distance of the body from the seat as a valve movement distance at a valve opening start position. This position results when a change in inner pressure of the tank after starting movement of the body toward a valve opening direction becomes greater in magnitude than a predetermined amount, wherein the control unit stores the valve movement distance in the valve opening direction as a learning value, and also stores one of two predetermined restriction values as the learning value instead of the valve movement distance when the valve movement distance is not within a range between a previously stored learning value and one of the restriction values.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with a blocking valve disposed in a vapor passage. The blocking valve has: a valve whose stroke amount is adjusted by a stepping motor; and a relief valve being opened regardless of the stroke amount when tank pressure of a fuel tank is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure to allow communication between the fuel tank and a canister. The evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with a controller configured (i) to control the stepping motor to move the valve in a valve opening direction while prohibiting a valve opening position learning process when the tank pressure is greater than or equal to the predetermined pressure and (ii) to allow the valve opening position learning process when the tank pressure is less than the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with an initializer configured to increase a step number with which a stepping motor is rotated in a valve closing direction, when there is an initialization request for the blocking valve and tank pressure of the fuel tank is in a predetermined pressure range near atmospheric pressure, in comparison with when the tank pressure is out of the predetermined pressure range.

Abstract: A method for producing a dicarboxylic acid is provided. A dicarboxylic acid is produced by culturing a bacterium having a dicarboxylic acid-producing ability, which has been modified so that the expression of one or more of the yeeA gene, ynfM gene, yjjP gene, and yjjB gene is increased, in a medium, and collecting the dicarboxylic acid from the medium.

Abstract: A method for producing an L-amino acid of glutamate family such as L-glutamic acid is provided. An L-amino acid of glutamate family is produced by culturing a coryneform bacterium having an ability for producing an L-amino acid of glutamate family, which has been modified so that the activity of an ?-ketoglutaric acid (?-KG) uptake carrier is increased, in a medium, and collecting the L-amino acid of glutamate family from the medium.

Abstract: In pressure increasing control for raising a pressure within a sealed type fuel tank from an excessive negative pressure to a low negative pressure, an opening or closing operation of a sealing valve, when the interior of a vehicle is very quiet, may cause the working noise thereof to be transmitted to a passenger, thereby deteriorating the noise characteristic. When the pressure within a fuel tank is below a predetermined negative pressure near a saturated vapor pressure of the fuel and an interior noise level is equal to or greater than a threshold value, a controller may operate a sealing valve to thereby raise the pressure of the fuel tank to a normal negative pressure region which may be higher than the predetermined negative pressure.

Abstract: A vehicle is configured to perform external power supply which supplies electric power to outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a battery, an engine, a first MG configured to generate electric power using motive power of the engine, a fuel supply port for supplying a fuel for the engine, and an ECU for controlling an external power supply operation. When fuel supply into the fuel supply port is performed during the external power supply, the ECU prohibits driving of the engine, and supplies electric power stored in the battery to the outside of the vehicle.

Abstract: An acidic substance having a carboxyl group is produced by culturing in a medium a microorganism which has been modified to enhance expression of the ybjL gene, and collecting the acidic substance having a carboxyl group from the medium.

Abstract: A surface defect inspecting device for hot-dip coated steel sheets comprising: an illuminating unit for illuminating an imaging target portion on a hot-dip coated steel sheet; a specular reflection light imaging unit for imaging specular reflection light from the imaging target portion; a diffuse reflection light imaging unit for imaging diffuse reflection light from the imaging target portion; and an image signal processing unit for processing specular reflection image and diffuse reflection image signals, the specular and diffuse reflection light imaging units simultaneously imaging light reflected from the imaging target region, the image signal processing unit extracting a portion having brightness level lower than a predetermined threshold, as a defect portion, from the specular reflection image signal, and threshold processing the diffuse reflection image signal, with respect to a portion corresponding to an extracted defect portion, to determine a defect type by classifying the extracted defect portion

Abstract: An acidic substance having a carboxyl group is produced by culturing in a medium a microorganism which has been modified to enhance expression of the ybjL gene, and collecting the acidic substance having a carboxyl group from the medium.

Abstract: When reproduction of a filter is required, and a filter temperature is within a first temperature range, an ECU executes a control process including the steps of executing a successive motoring control, determining an intermittent motoring period, an intermittent stopping period, and an intermittence number when the filter temperature is within a second temperature range, and executing an intermittent motoring control.