Abstract: A power transmission unit for a vehicle comprises: a motor arranged on an output side of an engine coaxially therewith in a housing adjacent to an outer face of the engine; an end cover arranged in the housing to cover an end portion of the motor to protect from the engine; a rotary shaft extending coaxially with the motor to be connected to an output shaft of the engine while penetrating through the end cover; and an engagement device disposed on an outer circumferential side of the rotary shaft between the motor and the engine to selectively restrict a rotation of the rotary shaft. A sub-cover to which the rotary shaft penetrates is attached to an end face of the end cover and a chamber is hermetically enclosed by the sub-cover, the end cover, and the rotary shaft. The engagement device is held in the housing.

Abstract: A battery state estimating unit (110) estimates an internal state of a secondary battery according to a battery model equation in every arithmetic cycle, and calculates an SOC based on a result of the estimation. A parameter characteristic map (120) stores a characteristic map based on a result of actual measurement performed in an initial state (in a new state) on a parameter diffusion coefficient (Ds) and a DC resistance (Ra) in the battery model equation. The parameter change rate estimating unit (130) estimates a DC resistance change rate (gr) represented by a ratio of a present DC resistance (Rc) with respect to a new-state parameter value (Ran) by parameter identification based on the battery model equation, using battery data (Tb, Vb and Ib) measured by sensors as well as the new-state parameter value (Ran) of the DC resistance corresponding to the p resent battery state and read from the parameter characteristic map (120).

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOx selective reduction catalyst (14) is arranged in an engine exhaust passage, and an NOx storage catalyst (12) is arranged in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the NOx selective reduction catalyst (14). When the amount of NOx stored in the NOx storage catalyst (12) exceeds a predetermined allowable value, the NOx storage catalyst (12) is raised in temperature to make the NOx storage catalyst (12) release the NOx. The amount of urea feed is decreased by exactly the amount of reduction of the calculated stored NOx amount with respect to the amount of urea feed determined from the engine operating state, and the amount of urea feed is increased by exactly the amount of reduction of the calculated released NOx amount with respect to the amount of urea feed determined from the engine operating state.

Abstract: With the use of a model expression (FIG. 9C), of which inputs include a desired value of an in-cylinder air amount that is a controlled object of a system and predetermined parameters, such as engine speed (ne), a desired throttle opening degree (?ref) required to control the in-cylinder air amount to the desired value is calculated. In this model expression, parameters, such as the engine speed (ne), that oscillate at a relatively high frequency are excluded from subjects of differentiation, and the desired in-cylinder air amount value only is included in the subjects of differentiation.

Abstract: A first control valve is disposed downstream of a junction point of a first exhaust passage, and a second catalytic converter is disposed downstream of a junction point of the second exhaust passage. The first control valve and the second control valve are controlled so that the exhaust gas of all of the cylinders mainly passes one of the first catalytic converter disposed in the first exhaust passage and the second catalytic converter disposed in the second exhaust passage during a fuel-supply cutoff period.

Abstract: Control apparatus of an electric vehicle controls a power supply system of the electric vehicle equipped with a first direct current power supply apparatus for supplying direct current power to a traction inverter, and a second direct current power supply apparatus connected in parallel with the first direct current power supply apparatus via a DC/DC converter. This control apparatus is also provided with a relay for cutting off supply of power from the first direct current power supply apparatus to the traction inverter in synchronization with the operation of the self-protection circuit in the event that the self-protection circuit of the traction inverter operates as a result of overcurrents supplied by the first direct current power supply apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high production method of prenyl alcohol, which comprises culturing prenyl alcohol-producing cells in a medium with an increased sugar content in the presence of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a fat or oil, and a terpene to produce and accumulate prenyl alcohol in the cells; allowing the accumulated prenyl alcohol to be secreted from the cells; and then collecting prenyl alcohol. The present invention enables prenyl alcohol to be highly produced in and effectively secreted from prenyl alcohol-producing cells by culturing the cells in a medium with an increased sugar content in the presence of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a fat or oil, and a terpene.