Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided which controls the temperature while maintaining the internal pressure of the fuel cell system to a permitted pressure range. A target variation amount in the flow rate of the anode effluent is calculated based on a single target temperature-time curve selected from a plurality of target temperature-time curves. Furthermore the pressure variation of the reformate gas produced by variation in the target flow rate is predicted. It is determined whether the predicted pressure will be maintained to a permitted temperature range. When the predicted pressure will not be maintained to the permitted temperature range, a temperature-time curve with more gentle variation is selected. A final curve is selected by repeating the selection process until it is determined that the predicted pressure will be maintained to the permitted temperature range.

Abstract: A combustion control system controls combustion in a direct fuel injection spark ignition engine that maintains a constant pressure in an accumulator when fuel is not being injected. The combustion control system controls combustion when fuel injection is resumed after being temporarily stopped. The combustion control system has a target fuel pressure acquiring section that acquires a target fuel pressure based on an engine rotational speed and an engine load, an actual fuel pressure detecting section that the actual fuel pressure, a timing acquiring section, and a first timing control section. The timing acquiring section acquires the fuel injection timing and ignition timing (50 and 30 degrees BTDC) based on the rotational speed and load. The first timing control section controls the fuel injection timing and the ignition timing based on actual fuel pressure, e.g., retards the fuel injection and ignition timings to 40 and 25 degrees BTDC.

Abstract: A resin composition comprises a thermoplastic resin, and an oxidized compound having a hydrophobic group and a polar group on the surface thereof. The resin composition of the present invention has high rigidity, dimensional stability, transparency and impact strength by dispersing the oxidized compound having the hydrophobic group and the polar group on the surface thereof in the thermoplastic resin, and is thus preferably applied to various molded products and parts of a vehicle.

Abstract: A seatbelt-fastening prompting apparatus which includes; a seatbelt fastening detector for detecting whether a seatbelt is fastened or unfastened; a vibrator for vibrating a steering wheel; and a controller for activating the vibrator when an ignition switch is turned on and the seatbelt fastening detector detects the seatbelt as being unfastened.

Abstract: A sealed nickel-metal hydride storage cell includes a positive electrode containing nickel as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode containing a hydrogen-absorbing alloy as a negative electrode active material, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and an electrolyte immersing therein the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The negative electrode has a theoretical capacity larger than a theoretical capacity of the positive electrode so as to provide a charge reserve capacity when the positive electrode is in a fully charged state and to provide a discharge reserve capacity when the positive electrode is in a fully discharged state. A ratio of the charge reserve capacity to the discharge reserve capacity ranges from 1:0 to 1:0.5.

Abstract: A flame propagation modeling method is provided to accommodate a variety of combustion modes. The flame propagation modeling method defines a flame surface area density to be the flame surface per unit volume and models the flame propagation based on the fact that the progress of the flame transports, generates, and diffuses the flame surface area density. The generation of the flame surface area density, which expresses the progress of the flame, is expressed as flame growth resulting from turbulent combustion and as flame growth resulting from laminar combustion. The flame growth resulting from turbulent combustion is inversely proportional to the chemical reaction characteristic time and is a function of a turbulent Reynolds number. The flame growth resulting from laminar combustion is proportional to both the laminar flame speed and to the ratio of the temperature of a burned portion to the temperature of an unburned portion and is a function of the Karlowitz number.

Abstract: A wall surface of a combustion chamber (5) of an internal combustion engine (1) is divided into a low temperature wall surface (5b) and a high temperature wall surface (5a, 6a, 15a) comprising other components, and behavior models of the fuel adhering to these wall surfaces are created. By determining the fuel ratio which vaporizes from the wall surfaces and burns, and the fuel ratio which is discharged without being burnt, in respective models according to the wall surface temperatures, particularly under transient conditions, these behavior models allow the fuel amount burnt in the combustion chamber (5) and the fuel amount discharged in the exhaust gas to be precisely known.

Abstract: A lane-keep control system is installed in a host vehicle equipped with an inter-vehicle distance control system. The lane-keep control system is arranged to decrease a threshold to be compared with the vehicle traveling condition for determining the tendency of the lane deviation when the inter-vehicle distance is being executed, so that the deviation avoidance control during execution of the inter-vehicle distance control is started earlier than the deviation avoidance control during inexecution of the inter-vehicle distance is started.

Abstract: A positive electrode material for a lithium secondary battery includes a lithium manganese oxide having a spinel structure, expressed by one of the general formulae; LixMnyO4 (where 1≦x≦1.33 and 3−x<y≦3.1−x); and LixMnyMzO4 (where M is a metallic element other than Li and Mn, 1≦x≦1.33, 3−x−z<y≦3.1−x−z, and o<z≦1.0). The metallic element M may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr and Ni. A lithium secondary battery includes at least a positive electrode of the positive electrode material.

Abstract: In the present invention, in a direct-injection spark ignition internal combustion engine, an air-fuel mixture mass of appropriate density and size is formed in a combustion chamber having a piston bowl with fixed volume, according to an operating condition of the engine. For this purpose, a fuel injection amount is increased according to a rise of an engine load, the momentum of a fuel spray in the axial direction of a cylinder is increased, and also an increase rate of the momentum of a fuel spray in an axial direction of a cylinder is made greater than that of the fuel injection amount.

Abstract: A map which defines a relationship of an exhaust gas pressure P2 at the outlet of a filter (13) to a load Q and rotation speed Ne of an engine (1) is prepared, and an exhaust gas pressure P1 at the inlet to the filter (13) is determined from a differential pressure &Dgr;P between the front and rear of the filter and the outlet pressure P2 obtained by referring to the map. The inlet pressure P1 determined in this manner is used to determine an exhaust gas volumetric flow rate Q1, and thus an accurate particulate accumulation SM, which is required to determine the need for regeneration of the filter (13), can be calculated.

Abstract: An element for use in an annular metal belt (1) is disclosed. The annular metal belt (1) transmits torque between two pulleys each having a V-shaped groove. The element has a flank capable of making frictional contact with the V-shaped groove for transmission of torque. A plurality of threads are disposed on the flank substantially in parallel to one another. The threads has a slight height relative to a dimension of the flank, and the top section of each thread is substantially planar.

Abstract: A regeneration device for a filter (13) which traps particulate matter in an exhaust gas of an engine (1) is disclosed. The regeneration device has a sensor (25) which detects an engine running point containing an engine load and a controller (22) storing a map which defines a low load region (A) relating to engine running points. The controller (22) determines whether or not the detected engine running point is in the low load region referring to the map, when the deposition amount of particulate matter is more than a first reference amount (PMn). Further, the controller (22) immediately start a first filter regeneration control by raising a temperature of the exhaust gas, when the detected engine running point is not in the low load region, and start a second filter regeneration control by raising the temperature of the exhaust gas after the deposition amount of particulate matter exceeds a second reference amount (PMe), when the detected engine running point is in the low load region.

Abstract: A vehicle closure body structure is provided with an outer panel, an inner panel opposed to the outer panel, with the outer panel and the inner panel forming a hollow structure of a closure body adapted to be mounted to an opening portion of a vehicle body through a hinge secured to the inner panel, a reinforce joined to the inner panel, inside the closure body, in at least a hinge fixing area thereof at which the hinge is fixed, and a tunneled portion formed in the reinforce to form a passage between the tunneled portion and the inner panel so as to permit wiring harness to be arranged therein.

Abstract: A cam bracket is disclosed for lubricating the vicinity of a thrust plate sufficiently even during starting of the engine. In the cam bracket adapted to support a camshaft for rotation in cooperation with a cylinder head and provided with a support portion having a slot for supporting a thrust plate of the camshaft for rotation, an oil sump is formed in a hollow fashion on the upper surface of the support portion around the edge of the slot at least on one side in a rotation direction of the thrust plate.

Abstract: An oil level gauge guide device is coupled to an engine to make the operation of inserting an oil level gauge easier. The oil level gauge guide device has a guide body and a fastening portion. The guide body is generally funnel shaped and narrows gradually from a first open end toward a second open end. The fastening portion fastens the guide body to a cylinder head of main engine body in such a manner that the second open end of the guide body faces an oil level gauge insertion opening of the cylinder head into which the oil level gauge to be inserted.

Abstract: When a fuel reforming system for a fuel cell comprising an autothermal reformer 1 wherein a partial oxidation reaction and steam reforming reaction proceeds simultaneously, is stopped, firstly, a supply valve 6 is closed to stop supply of fuel and water for steam reforming, and a supply valve 7 is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed to stop supply of air. In this way, the partial oxidation reaction which is an exothermic reaction is continued temporarily and the catalyst layer temperature of the reformer 1 is raised, so the catalyst layer temperature can be maintained high until the system restarts, and the time required for restarting the system can be shortened.

Abstract: While a power transistor which is positioned in an upper arm with respect to an inductive load and a power transistor which is positioned in a lower arm are both controlled to be OFF by a controller, reverse currents flowing in current mirror circuits which respectively correspond to these power transistors positioned in the upper arm and the lower arm are detected by current detectors. Since the currents which flow in the current mirror circuits are proportional to the currents which flow in the power transistors provided corresponding thereto, it is possible to detect the load current based upon the reverse currents which are detected by the current detectors.

Abstract: In input and output enabling power estimating apparatus and method for a secondary cell, an input enabling power (Pin) of the secondary cell is estimated on the basis of parameter estimated values (&thgr;) and an open-circuit voltage (Vo), and an output enabling power (Pout) of the secondary cell is estimated on the basis of the parameter estimated values and the open-circuit voltage (Vo), the parameters are integrally estimated from at least one of equations (1) and (2): 1 V = B ⁡ ( s ) A ⁡ ( s ) ⁢ • ⁢   ⁢ I + 1 C ⁡ ( s ) ⁢ • ⁢   ⁢ Vo , ⁢ wherein ⁢ ⁢ A ⁡ ( s ) = ∑ k = 0 n ⁢ a k ⁢ • ⁢   ⁢ s k , B ⁡ ( s ) = ∑ k = 0 n ⁢ b k ⁢ • ⁢   ⁢ s k , C ⁡ ( s ) = ∑ k = 0 n ⁢ c k ⁢ • ⁢   ⁢ s k , ( 1 )

Abstract: A fuel cell is protected from performance degradation and damage by determining when an ion exchange resin filter needs replacement before the occurrence of an increase in the electric conductivity of water used in the fuel cell system. The replacement time of the ion exchange resin filter 11 is judged by an ion-exchange capacity judging part 152 on the basis of the result of comparing a reference electric conductivity as preset with the electric conductivity of coolant water circulating in a coolant water cycle as measured by an electric conductivity meter 12 a predetermined time after a coolant water pump 14 starts operation.