Abstract: The voltage detection circuits each detect the terminal voltage of the corresponding cell and output a detection signal accordingly. Current bypass circuits are each provided in parallel to one of the cells. The voltage detection signal from a given voltage detection circuit is input to the corresponding current bypass circuit. If the cell terminal voltage at any cell reaches a first target voltage which is slightly lower than the voltage corresponding to SOC 100% while the battery pack 1 is charged, the current bypass circuit bypasses the charge current to the cell. As the cell terminal voltage reaches a second target voltage corresponding to SOC to 50%, the current bypass circuit bypasses the charge current to the cell. The current bypass circuit selectively switches over to one of the target voltages.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery comprises a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, and a current collector which is coated with an active material and immersed in the electrolytic solution. By setting the coating thickness of said active material 5-80 &mgr;m, the power density of the lithium ion secondary battery is improved.

Abstract: There is provided a positive electrode comprising positive electrode active material granules which each are composed of lithium manganate; and a first surface layer which is formed on each of the positive electrode active material granules and is to transmit lithium (Li) ion but not manganese (Mn) ion therethrough.

Abstract: A vehicle (V) includes a battery enclosure (152) enclosing a battery system (B). Each battery (Bn) includes a cell (1) that comprises a rolled lamination (LM) of a positive sheet electrode (11) having layers (13) of positive-pole-oriented active substance coated on both side of a charge collecting sheet (12), a negative sheet electrode (21) having layers (23) of negative-pole-oriented active substance coated on both sides of another charge collecting sheet (22), and electrolyte-containing separator (31) between the layers of active substances. The batter further includes a cell enclosure (2) totally enclosing the cell. A gas effluent system (100) for the battery system comprises a gas release system (RSn) for generated gas in the cell of each battery to be released outside the cell enclosure, and a gas discharge system (DS) for released gas to be discharged outside the battery enclosure. The gas release system comprises gas release circuitry including a network (NT) of blanks (Cp: P=1,2, . . . , q, . .

Abstract: A cell which has become inactive is detected in a multi-cell battery (15) comprising plural cells (Cn). An inactivity detecting circuit comprising a signal generator (Dn1) and a diode (Dn2) connected in series, is connected in parallel with the cell (Cn) When the cell becomes inactive, the signal generator (Dn1) emits a signal to indicate the state of the cell. Hence, it is possible to economically detect loss of cell activity.

Abstract: This invention relates to a lithium ion multi-cell battery (15) wherein plural lithium ion cells (C.sub.n) are arranged in series. Each cell comprises a positive electrode of manganese/spinal oxide and a negative electrode. A first Zener diode (Z.sub.n 1) and first resistor (R.sub.n 1) are connected in series between the electrodes. By setting the Zener voltage (VZ1) of the first Zener diode (Z.sub.n 1) equal to the cell voltage VL of the responding cell (C.sub.n) when positive electrode crystal phase transport stars in that cell (C.sub.n), the charge amount of each cell is made uniform.

Abstract: A state of charge indicator of a lithium ion battery computes a state of charge (SOC) corresponding to a cell open circuit voltage from a SOC-cell open circuit voltage characteristic map, and displays the SOC on a display device. Herein, the SOC-cell open circuit voltage characteristics are obtained by defining the battery charge amount when the open circuit voltage of the cell is 3.9 V as SOC=100%, and defining the battery charge amount when the open circuit voltage of the cell is 3.5 V as SOC=100%. By defining SOC=100% and SOC=0% in this way, the SOC can be correctly computed and displayed even if the battery has deteriorated.

Abstract: An inductor (L), capacitor (C) and alternator (OSC) are connected in series to the positive and negative poles of a battery (15). The temperature of the battery (15) is increased by causing the alternator (OSC) to generate an alternating current having the resonance frequency of the inductor (L) and capacitor (C). The alternating current is consumed by the internal resistance of the battery (15) due to the resonance of the inductor (L) and capacitor (C), and the temperature of the battery (15) therefore rises due to the heat thereby generated in the battery. In this way, the temperature of the battery (15) can be effectively increased with minimum power consumption.

Abstract: A fuel supply control system performs asynchronous fuel injection in response to acceleration demand for injecting a controlled amount of fuel irrespective of an engine revolution cycle. The amount of fuel for asynchronous injection in an engine transition state from engine decelerating state, in which fuel cut-off is performed, to engine acceleration state, is determined on the basis of a set value which is a latched fuel injection upon initiation of fuel cut-off operation, and an instantaneous fuel injection amount derived on the basis of the instantaneous fuel injection control parameters. The set value is modified in relation to an amount of fuel left on a periphery of an induction system.

Abstract: A system for detecting deterioration of a catalyst monitors temperature of catalyst. The system sets a temperature criterion which represents possible lowest temperature when the catalyst is in a normal condition. Abnormality of the catalyst is detected by detecting the catalyst temperature lower than the temperature criterion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control systems for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine, e.g., an automotive engine, which uses a three-way catalyst to purify the exhaust gas, by using an exhaust sensor to detect actual values of air/fuel ratio in the engine. The control system has the function of varying the target value of air/fuel ratio according to operating conditions of the engine. The target value becomes super-stoichiometric during steady-state operation of the engine and changes to a lower value optimum for the activities of the three-way catalyst, such as the stoichiometric value, under predetermined transient conditions of the engine. At the start of such a change in the target value, the control system functions so as to intentionally deviate the air/fuel ratio from the value optimum for the three-way catalyst in a direction away from the target value immediately before the change.

Abstract: In order to obviate the delay between a demand for transitory engine operation and the injection of the appropriate amount of fuel, an initial correction pulse width is generated in response to the change in throttle valve position is added to a basic width which is developed based on the output of an air flow meter located in an upstream section of the induction conduit. The system further provides for continuously updating correction factors which are applied to the throttle sensor to ensure linearity and generating weighting factors and the like which are appropriately applied to improve the air-fuel control.

Abstract: The amount of air being inducted into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine is detected and a signal indicative thereof is sampled at a predetermined intervals. The difference between two sampled values is used with the time required for a single induction phase to be carried out, to predict the total amount of air which will be inducted into each cylinder. Utilizing this approximation the amount of fuel which should be injected or otherwise supplied to the engine can be accurately determined and thus enable accurate real-time cycle to cycle A/F control.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine is composed of a wide range oxygen sensor capable of sensing an actual air/fuel ratio from a rich side to a lean side, and a control unit having a reference determining section for determining a desired air/fuel ratio in accordance with engine operating conditions such as engine speed and coolant temperature, and a controlling section for controlling a fuel metering system such as fuel injectors so as to reduce a deviation of the actual air/fuel ratio from the desired air/fuel ratio in accordance with a prescribed control action such as a proportional plus integral control action.

Abstract: The outputs generated by the throttle position sensor and the pressure responsive type air flow sensor (or alternatively a flap type air flow meter or the like) are used to generate correction factors which when combined permit the correction of the air flow sensor output for a short period following the initiation of a demand for engine acceleration to obviate the discrepency between the actual and indicated air flows and thus improve the real-time control of the air-fuel ratio (A/F) of the mixture and the level of emission control and performance of the engine.

Abstract: This invention relates to a control system for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine, which may be an automotive engine, by using an oxygen sensor to detect actual values of the air/fuel ratio from the concentrations of oxygen in the exhaust gas. The control system has the function of temporarily shifting the feedback control of air/fuel ratio to open-loop control when any of predetermined transient operating conditions of the engine is detected. To resume the temporarily interrupted feedback control at an optimum time-point, the air/fuel ratio control system includes means to detect the degree of warm-up of the engine and means to variably determine the duration of the temporary open-loop control according to the detected degree of warm-up of the engine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine by using a solid electrolyte oxygen sensor to sense oxygen in the exhaust gas. The oxygen sensor is of the type having an oxygen concentration cell and an oxygen ion pump cell to which a pumping current is supplied to vary the partial pressure of oxygen in the exhaust gas admitted in a measurement space in the sensor. The pumping current is controlled so as to nullify a difference between the output voltage of the oxygen concentration cell and a target voltage. A signal derived from the controlled pumping current is used as an air/fuel ratio signal on the premise that a definite correlation exists between the magnitude of the pumping current and the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: A fuel injection detecting system is used with a diesel engine having a fuel injection nozzle, the nozzle including a movable member for effecting fuel injection into the engine when the valve member is displaced from its normal position and interrupting fuel injection when the valve member is returned to its normal position. The detecting system includes a sensor for sensing displacement of the valve member and generating a signal indicative thereof. A comparator is provided to compare the signal from the sensor with a reference signal and to generate a signal indicative of fuel injection via the nozzle. The detecting system also includes a device for preventing the fuel injection signal from including components unrelated to fuel injection via the nozzle. This device may disable the sensor for a predetermined period immediately after the first major displacement of the valve member.

Abstract: A device and method for measuring a temperature difference at different positions which cancels offset voltages produced by a temperature sensitive element, e.g., a thermocouple used in the device and the device itself.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio control system uses an oxygen sensor with which the air/fuel ratio of rich fuel mixture is measured. In this system, a feedforward control of the air/fuel ratio is executed even under operating condition when the engine operates on the rich fuel mixture, and a feedforward control of the air/fuel ratio is executed to enrich the fuel mixture at acceleration in accordance with a control data table which is subject to change after learning during the engine operation.