Abstract: In a charging/discharging unit provided with: a lithium secondary battery, a voltage detecting sensor for detecting a voltage and a current detecting sensor; the charging/discharging control unit is further provided with a controller, and a discharging element for performing a constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V. A voltage, V0, of the battery when a discharging operation is terminated (t=0) is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If V0?3.6 V, within a rest time during which the battery is not charged/discharged until a next charging operation, a voltage, V1, of the battery when a time, t1, has elapsed is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If this voltage charge is in a range of V1-V0?0.2 V, then the constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V is carried out for a time duration longer than or equal to 1 hour.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery which has improved safety, mainly coming from use of an electrolyte solution which is not inflammable at room temperature (20° C.), while not deteriorating output characteristics at low temperatures and room temperature or output maintenance characteristics after storage at high temperature (50° C.). The lithium secondary battery of the present invention, encased in a container, is provided with a cathode and an anode, both capable of storing/releasing lithium ions, a separator which separates these electrodes from each other, and an electrolyte solution containing a cyclic carbonate and a linear carbonate as solvents and a compound such as VC at composition ratios of 18.0 to 30.0%, 74.0 to 81.9% and 0.1 to 1.0%, respectively, based on the whole solvents, all percentages by volume.

Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary battery includes: a winding body in a coil formation at a battery container, the winding body wrapping a cathode film in which lithium ions store and from which lithium ions extract and a anode film in which lithium ions store and from which lithium ions extract, and the cathode film and the anode film being electrically separated from each other via a porous separator; and a heat sink disposed inside the battery container, which contacts the battery container and transmits heat inside the winding body to the battery container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery which has improved safety, mainly coming from use of an electrolyte solution which is not inflammable at room temperature (20° C.), while not deteriorating output characteristics at low temperatures and room temperature or output maintenance characteristics after storage at high temperature (50° C.). The lithium secondary battery of the present invention, encased in a container, is provided with a cathode and an anode, both capable of storing/releasing lithium ions, a separator which separates these electrodes from each other, and an electrolyte solution containing a cyclic carbonate and a linear carbonate as solvents and a compound such as VC at composition ratios of 18.0 to 30.0%, 74.0 to 81.9% and 0.1 to 1.0%, respectively, based on the whole solvents, all percentages by volume.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery which has improved safety, mainly coming from use of an electrolyte solution which is not inflammable at room temperature (20° C.), while not deteriorating output characteristics at low temperatures and room temperature or output maintenance characteristics after storage at high temperature (50° C.). The lithium secondary battery of the present invention, encased in a container, is provided with a cathode and an anode, both capable of storing/releasing lithium ions, a separator which separates these electrodes from each other, and an electrolyte solution containing a cyclic carbonate and a linear carbonate as solvents and a compound such as VC at composition ratios of 18.0 to 30.0%, 74.0 to 81.9% and 0.1 to 1.0%, respectively, based on the whole solvents, all percentages by volume.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium ion secondary battery that has high degrees of reliability and safety and is applicable to an auxiliary electric power supply for a next-generation clean energy vehicle such as a fuel-cell-powered vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or the like. A lithium ion secondary battery in the present invention comprises a positive electrode capable of lithium storage and release; a negative electrode capable of lithium storage and release; a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a lithium salt; and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the separator is a porous polymer membrane, and a layer including lithium carbonate and a separator binder is formed on a surface of the separator facing the positive electrode.

Abstract: In a charging/discharging unit provided with: a lithium secondary battery, a voltage detecting sensor for detecting a voltage and a current detecting sensor; the charging/discharging control unit is further provided with a controller, and a discharging element for performing a constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V. A voltage, V0, of the battery when a discharging operation is terminated (t=0) is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If V0?3.6 V, within a rest time during which the battery is not charged/discharged until a next charging operation, a voltage, V1, of the battery when a time, t1, has elapsed is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If this voltage charge is in a range of V1?V0?0.2 V, then the constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V is carried out for a time duration longer than or equal to 1 hour.

Abstract: To provide a lithium secondary battery having an excellent input and output balance, a high capacity, and a long life. A lithium secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material which is applied to both sides of a positive electrode collector foil and contains a lithium transition metal complex oxide; a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material which is applied to both sides of a negative electrode collector foil and occludes and releases lithium; and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a lithium salt, wherein there is an SOC region where a specific input power is almost equal to a specific output power in a range of 20 to 40% of state of charge (SOC) of the lithium secondary battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery which has improved safety, mainly coming from use of an electrolyte solution which is not inflammable at room temperature (20° C.), while not deteriorating output characteristics at low temperatures and room temperature or output maintenance characteristics after storage at high temperature (50° C.). The lithium secondary battery of the present invention, encased in a container, is provided with a cathode and an anode, both capable of storing/releasing lithium ions, a separator which separates these electrodes from each other, and an electrolyte solution containing a cyclic carbonate and a linear carbonate as solvents and a compound such as VC at composition ratios of 18.0 to 30.0%, 74.0 to 81.9% and 0.1 to 1.0%, respectively, based on the whole solvents, all percentages by volume.

Abstract: This invention provides an oxide-type superconducting flat wire having a critical current density of at least 1,000 A/cm.sup.2, which comprises a Y--Ba--Cu oxide layer having a superconducting property and a silver layer surrounding the oxide layer and has so flat a cross section vertical to the longitudinal direction of the wire that the upper and lower lines between the oxide layer and the silver layers appearing on the cross section having a zone over they are parallel to each other, the thickness of the oxide layer being cold rolled in the range of 0.35 to 0.75 based on the whole thickness of the wire, the whole thickness being 0.2 mm or less, and the metal layer being deformable to follow the shrink deformation of the oxide layer when heat treated to be sintered, but rigid when used.

Abstract: A shape memory alloy pipe coupling in the present invention for joining two pipes, the pipe coupling comprising a tube of a shape memory alloy, and a cover of stainless steel having a sufficient thickness and having high corrosion resistance for covering the tube. The shape memory alloy is enclosed by the cover of high corrosion-resistant stainless steel, by which high-temperature water can be prevented from making the shape memory alloy brittle and from corroding and damaging the shape memory alloy particularly through galvanic corrosion even in the case where such high-temperature water exists in the inside or outside of the pipes.

Abstract: A method of producing a high-temperature oxide superconducting material, which comprises the steps of (a) preparing a material corresponding to an oxide superconductor of the perovskite type structure consisting essentially of a first member selected from the group consisting yttrium, lanthanoids, thallium and bismuth; at least one alkaline earth metal; copper; and oxygen and (b) heating the material in the presence of an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of potassium, sodium, rubidium and cesium to a temperature around the melting point of the alkali metal or to a higher temperature for a time sufficient to effect grain growth in the superconductor material, thereby to produce the superconductor containing the alkali metal in an amount not larger than 4 mole % based on the first member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shaped superconductor article such as wire, tape or disk, comprising an oxide superconductor phase and a metal phase in a monolayered or multilayered form, the metal phase comprising a copper, iron, nickel or titanium base alloy containing 1 to 10% by weight of aluminum and having an oxygen-impermeable oxide film formed thereon, preventing the diffusion of oxygen from the oxide superconductor phase to the metal phase.

Abstract: An electric rotary machine (for example, a dynamoelectric machine) having a superconducting rotor is disclosed in which an outer shielding member for protecting a superconducting field winding from the influence of the magnetic flux from the stator side and for interrupting heat radiated from the normal temperature side is made of a nickel alloy containing not more than 0.3% carbon, not more than 1% silicon, not more than 2% manganese, not more than 1.5% titanium, from 2 to 8% aluminum, from 8 to 40% copper, and not less than 55% nickel for the balance by weight. The nickel alloy has a structure that a .gamma.'-phase precipitation is formed by aging in an austenitic matrix, and is non-magnetic at 20.degree. C.

Abstract: A gas turbine combustor defines a combustion chamber for combustion of injected fuel and for introduction of the resultant hot combustion gas to nozzles of a gas turbine. The combustor has parts subjected to hot combustion gas during operation of the turbine, such as a cap connected to a fuel injection nozzle, a liner connected to the cap, and a transition piece connected to the liner. These parts subjected to the hot combustion gas are made from an alloy having a composition consisting essentially of 0.02 to 0.2 wt % of C, 15 to 30 wt % of Cr and 10 to 25 wt % of W.

Abstract: An electric rotary machine (for example, a dynamoelectric machine) having a superconducting rotor is disclosed in which an outer shielding member for protecting a superconducting field winding from the influence of the magnetic flux from the stator side and for interrupting heat radiated from the normal temperature side is made of a nickel alloy containing not more than 0.3% carbon, not more than 1% silicon, not more than 2% manganese, not more than 1.5% titanium, from 2 to 8% aluminum, from 8 to 40% copper, and not less than 55% nickel for the balance by weight. The nickel alloy has a structure that a .gamma.'-phase precipitation is formed by aging in an austenitic matrix, and is non-magnetic at 20.degree. C.