Abstract: A plant disease control agent contains a magnesium oxide obtained by firing magnesium hydroxide at 400 to 1000° C. and a nonionic surfactant that contains a polyoxyalkylene group and has an HLB value of 14.5 or less. Alternatively, a plant disease control agent contains a magnesium oxide that generates radical species and nonionic surfactant that contains a polyoxyalkylene group and has an HLB value within a range of 14.5 or less.

Abstract: An electric power converter has a semiconductor module that has a switching element therein, cooling pipes that contact with heat radiating surfaces of the semiconductor module and cool the semiconductor module, and a capacitor module formed by sealing a capacitor element therein by a potting material. A piled unit is formed by piling the semiconductor module and the cooling pipes. A direction in which the semiconductor module and the cooling pipes are piled is defined as a piling direction. The piled unit is sandwiched between the capacitor module disposed in a first end side in the piling direction of the piled unit and a pressing member disposed in a second end side in the piling direction of the piled unit. The first end of the piled unit is contacted to a potting surface that is a surface of the potting material in the capacitor module.

Abstract: A heliostat capable of collecting light with high efficiency and having reduced manufacturing and installation costs; and a method of controlling the heliostat. The heliostat includes a reflecting mirror configured to reflect sunlight; and a support mechanism configured to tiltably support the reflecting mirror. The support mechanism has a single supporting column and first and second cylinders. The reflecting mirror is supported at its back surface by a supporting column upper end of the supporting column, a first cylinder upper end of the first cylinder and a second cylinder upper end of the second cylinder in a tiltable manner, which are arranged to form a triangle on the back surface of the reflecting mirror. A gimbal bearing connects the supporting column upper end and the reflecting mirror, the gimbal bearing being configured to be tiltable in two axial directions intersecting with each other.

Abstract: To provide a plant disease controlling agent and the method for controlling plant diseases using the same, the plant disease controlling agent being commonly applicable to various crop and soil conditions, and ensures safety over a long period throughout the environment. Provided is a plant disease controlling agent including magnesium oxide obtained by baking magnesium hydroxide at 400 to 1000° C. Further, provided is a method for controlling plant diseases using the plant disease controlling agent. The method is preferably any of mixing the plant disease controlling agent with the surface soil, mixing the plant disease controlling agent with the nursery soil, treating foliage with an aqueous suspension of the plant disease controlling agent, immersing plant roots in the plant disease controlling agent, and irrigating plant feet with the plant disease controlling agent.

Abstract: An electric power converter has a semiconductor module that has a switching element therein, cooling pipes that contact with heat radiating surfaces of the semiconductor module and cool the semiconductor module, and a capacitor module formed by sealing a capacitor element therein by a potting material. A piled unit is formed by piling the semiconductor module and the cooling pipes. A direction in which the semiconductor module and the cooling pipes are piled is defined as a piling direction. The piled unit is sandwiched between the capacitor module disposed in a first end side in the piling direction of the piled unit and a pressing member disposed in a second end side in the piling direction of the piled unit. The first end of the piled unit is contacted to a potting surface that is a surface of the potting material in the capacitor module.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a heliostat which is capable of collecting light with high efficiency and whose manufacturing cost and installation cost are reduced and also to provide a method of controlling the heliostat.

Abstract: A current Ibe and a voltage Vbe before a large current discharge in a secondary battery are stored in a memory. Plural voltage-current pairs are detected and stored in the memory during the large current discharge. Next, a regression curve (or a regression line) is obtained based on the plural voltage-current pairs stored in the memory using a well-known method. A discharge current Ip which exceeds a current-sensor detectable range is input in the regression curve to obtain a voltage Vp. A maximum discharge coordinate is set using the discharge current Ip and the voltage Vp. An internal resistance Rin of the secondary battery is calculated based on an inclination of a line that connects the coordinates (Ibe, Vbe) and (Ip, Vp).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to control a power voltage on a power-supplying line extending from a generator and connecting to a battery and eclectic loads. The apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and comprises a detecting device, a calculator, and a controller. The detecting device detects pairs of voltage and current of the battery. The calculator calculating a control current on the basis of the detected pairs of voltage and current and a target voltage for the power voltage. The pairs of voltage and current are used to calculate an internal resistance and/or a regression line of the battery. The controller controlling a charge and discharge current of the battery on the basis of the control current so that the power voltage is controlled to the target voltage.

Abstract: A charged state detecting apparatus for a secondary battery is provided, which can suppress deterioration in the accuracy of detecting a charged state, such as an SOC, the deterioration being caused by variation of a polarization state of a battery. The charged state detecting apparatus stabilizes an amount of polarization of the battery, stops power generation upon confirmation of the stabilization of the polarization amount, and sufficiently alters the current of the battery to sample a required number of data pairs of voltage and current of the battery. Using these data pairs, the charged state detecting apparatus detects a charged state, such as the SOC, of the battery.

Abstract: A neural network type of apparatus is provided to detect an internal state of a secondary battery implemented in a battery system. The apparatus comprises a detecting unit, producing unit and estimating unit. The detecting unit detects electric signals indicating an operating state of the battery. The producing unit produces, using the electric signals, an input parameter required for estimating the internal state of the battery. The input parameter reflects calibration of a present charged state of the battery which is attributable to at least one of a present degraded state of the battery and a difference in types of the battery. The estimating unit estimates an output parameter indicating the charged state of the battery by applying the input parameter to neural network calculation.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating state variables of a secondary battery as an estimation target performs so that a neural network unit studies a true value of a battery temperature, a temperature large value which is larger than the true value of the battery temperature by an approximating temperature sensor detection error, and a temperature small value which is smaller than the true value of the battery temperature by the approximating temperature sensor detection error. After completion of the learning of those values, the neural network unit inputs a battery temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and performs a neural network based calculation to calculate a SOC (state of charge) of the secondary battery. This can drastically increase the calculation accuracy of the SOC of the secondary battery.

Abstract: A current Ibe and a voltage Vbe before a large current discharge in a secondary battery are stored in a memory. Plural voltage-current pairs are detected and stored in the memory during the large current discharge. Next, a regression curve (or a regression line) is obtained based on the plural voltage-current pairs stored in the memory using a well-known method. A discharge current Ip which exceeds a current-sensor detectable range is input in the regression curve to obtain a voltage Vp. A maximum discharge coordinate is set using the discharge current Ip and the voltage Vp. An internal resistance Rin of the secondary battery is calculated based on an inclination of a line that connects the coordinates (Ibe, Vbe) and (Ip, Vp).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to control a power voltage on a power-supplying line extending from a generator and connecting to a battery and eclectic loads. The apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and comprises a detecting device, a calculator, and a controller. The detecting device detects pairs of voltage and current of the battery. The calculator calculating a control current on the basis of the detected pairs of voltage and current and a target voltage for the power voltage. The pairs of voltage and current are used to calculate an internal resistance and/or a regression line of the battery. The controller controlling a charge and discharge current of the battery on the basis of the control current so that the power voltage is controlled to the target voltage.

Abstract: A charged state detecting apparatus for a secondary battery is provided, which can suppress deterioration in the accuracy of detecting a charged state, such as an SOC, the deterioration being caused by variation of a polarization state of a battery. The charged state detecting apparatus stabilizes an amount of polarization of the battery, stops power generation upon confirmation of the stabilization of the polarization amount, and sufficiently alters the current of the battery to sample a required number of data pairs of voltage and current of the battery. Using these data pairs, the charged state detecting apparatus detects a charged state, such as the SOC, of the battery.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of neural network type are provided to detect an internal state of a secondary battery implemented in a battery system. Electric signals indicating an operating state of the battery is detected and, using the electric signals, information indicating the internal state of the battery is calculated on the basis of neural network calculation, in which the information reflects a reduction in an effect of polarization of the secondary battery. Using the electric signals, input parameters required for calculating the internal state of the battery is calculated. The input parameters may include, as one input parameter, a polarization-related quantity to correct the effect of the polarization in an output parameter (such as SOC and/or SOH) from the neural network. Further, the input parameters may include, as one input parameter, a functional value already subjected to the correction for correcting the effect of the polarization.

Abstract: A neural network type of apparatus is provided to detect an internal state of a secondary battery implemented in a battery system. The apparatus comprises a detecting unit, producing unit and estimating unit. The detecting unit detects electric signals indicating an operating state of the battery. The producing unit produces, using the electric signals, an input parameter required for estimating the internal state of the battery. The input parameter reflects calibration of a present charged state of the battery which is attributable to at least one of a present degraded state of the battery and a difference in types of the battery. The estimating unit estimates an output parameter indicating the charged state of the battery by applying the input parameter to neural network calculation.

Abstract: A state-of-charge detector device for detecting the state of charge of a secondary battery is provided. The device has a current detector that detects an electric current through the secondary battery, a voltage detector that detects a voltage between terminals of the secondary battery, and an internal resistance calculator that calculates an internal resistance of the secondary battery based on the detected current and the detected voltage. Furthermore, an internal resistance changing rate calculator is provided which calculates a rate of change in the internal resistance calculated, with respect to an amount of charge stored in the secondary battery. A state-of-charge determinator determines a state of charge of the secondary battery based on the rate of change in the internal resistance calculated.

Abstract: An internal condition detection system detects a charging and discharging current and a terminal voltage of a charge accumulating device, and learns the internal condition quantity of the charge accumulating device through a neural network based on the current values and the terminal voltage values. The current values and the terminal voltage values are stored in a buffer and supplied as time-series data so that historical information is included. Further the neural network is fed with type information of the charge accumulating device. The type information is stored in a memory.

Abstract: A state-of-charge detector device for detecting the state of charge of a secondary battery is provided. The device has a current detector that detects an electric current through the secondary battery, a voltage detector that detects a voltage between terminals of the secondary battery, and an internal resistance calculator that calculates an internal resistance of the secondary battery based on the detected current and the detected voltage. Furthermore, an internal resistance changing rate calculator is provided which calculates a rate of change in the internal resistance calculated, with respect to an amount of charge stored in the secondary battery. A state-of-charge deterrninator determines a state of charge of the secondary battery based on the rate of change in the internal resistance calculated.

Abstract: A battery control system is provided which charges or discharges a storage battery installed in a hybrid vehicle to bring a state-of-charge of the storage battery into agreement with a target one. The system determines whether the state-of-charge lies within a given narrower range defined around the target state-of-charge and corrects the state-of-charge based on an open-circuit voltage of the battery when the state-of-charge lies within the given narrower range, thereby eliminating a cumulative error in calculating the state-of-charge of the battery caused by a variation in charge/discharge efficiency of the battery.