Abstract: A sludge dehydration method includes a recovery process of recovering specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process and a dewatering process of performing solid-liquid separation on sludge in which the dewatering aid recovered in the recovery process and dewatering target sludge are mixed.

Abstract: A recovery device is configured to recover specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process. The recovery device includes: a grinder configured to fragment a solid in the sludge to obtain prepared sludge; a separator configured to separate hardly decomposable organic matter and easily decomposable organic matter from the prepared sludge; and an extractor configured to continuously extract hardly decomposable organic matter having specific properties as the dewatering aid from the hardly decomposable organic matter separated by the separator.

Abstract: A sludge dehydration method includes a recovery process of recovering specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process and a dewatering process of performing solid-liquid separation on sludge in which the dewatering aid recovered in the recovery process and dewatering target sludge are mixed.

Abstract: A sludge dehydration method includes a recovery process of recovering specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process and a dewatering process of performing solid-liquid separation on sludge in which the dewatering aid recovered in the recovery process and dewatering target sludge are mixed.

Abstract: A recovery device is configured to recover specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process. The recovery device includes: a grinder configured to fragment a solid in the sludge to obtain prepared sludge; a separator configured to separate hardly decomposable organic matter and easily decomposable organic matter from the prepared sludge; and an extractor configured to continuously extract hardly decomposable organic matter having specific properties as the dewatering aid from the hardly decomposable organic matter separated by the separator.

Abstract: A sludge dehydration method includes a recovery process of recovering specific material as a dewatering aid from sludge generated in a sewage treatment process and a dewatering process of performing solid-liquid separation on sludge in which the dewatering aid recovered in the recovery process and dewatering target sludge are mixed.

Abstract: A power supply device is provided that includes a battery pack 10, and forcedly discharging circuits 20. The battery pack 10 includes serially-connected rechargeable battery cells 2. The forcedly discharging circuits 20 are connected to the battery cells 2 in parallel so that, when a cell voltage of a battery cell is becomes higher than a predetermined voltage, this battery cell is forcedly discharged. The forcedly discharging circuits 20 are composed of analog circuits. When a cell voltage of a battery cell exceeds the predetermined voltage, one of the forcedly discharging circuits 20 corresponding to this battery cell forcedly discharges this battery cell. Since forcedly discharging circuit 20 is not composed of controlling software but is physically composed of an analog circuit, the forcedly discharging circuit can stably operate without malfunction caused by noise. A power supply device can be provided that includes a protection circuit with improved reliability.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode 11 having a positive electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, a negative electrode 12 having a negative electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity. The positive electrode active material is a layered lithium transition metal composite oxide (for example, one represented by Li1+x(NiyCozMn1?y?z)1?xO2 (where 0?x?0.15, 0.1?y?0.6, and 0?z?0.5)) to which an IVa group element (Zr) and a Va group element (Nb) are added. According to these features, it is possible to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with a selected element to be added to the lithium transition metal composite oxide to reduce the I-V resistance (improve the I-V characteristic), and thereby improving the output/input characteristics.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a carbon material as an active material, and a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent in which ?-butyrolactone is the main solvent, wherein the carbon material has a ratio (ID/IG) of a Raman spectrum intensity (a peak intensity ratio) (R) obtained by Raman spectroscopy of 0.2 or greater, and the nonaqueous electrolyte includes at least 0.1 part by weight of vinylene carbonate and at least 0.1 part by weight of vinyl ethylene carbonate in 100 parts by weight of the nonaqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: Storage performance in a charged state is improved with a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using gamma-butyrolactone as a solvent. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode (2) containing a positive electrode active material including a lithium-containing transition metal oxide; a negative electrode (1) containing a negative electrode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium; and a non-aqueous electrolyte including a solute and a solvent; wherein the solvent contains 50 volume % or more of gamma-butyrolactone with respect to the total volume of the solvent, and the positive electrode active material contains a phosphate salt M1PO4, where M1 is a metal element capable of having a valency of 3.

Abstract: Cycle performance is improved without degrading initial efficiency of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a non-aqueous electrolyte containing a solute and a solvent, the positive electrode including a positive electrode active material made of a lithium-containing transition metal oxide that contains lithium and cobalt and has a layered structure. The lithium-containing transition metal oxide is at least partially covered with a surface-treatment layer containing a phosphate compound represented by the chemical formula M1POk, where M1 is at least one element that can have a valency of 3 and k is an integer in a range of 2 to 4, and the lithium-containing transition metal oxide contains a group IVA element M2 and a group IIA element M3 of the periodic table.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode 11 having a positive electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, a negative electrode 12 having a negative electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity. The positive electrode active material is a layered lithium transition metal composite oxide (for example, one represented by Li1+x(NiyCozMn1-y-z)1-xO2 (where 0?x?0.15, 0.1?y?0.6, and 0?z?0.5)) to which an IVa group element (Zr) and a Va group element (Nb) are added. According to these features, it is possible to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with a selected element to be added to the lithium transition metal composite oxide to reduce the I-V resistance (improve the I-V characteristic), and thereby improving the output/input characteristics.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a lithium-transition metal oxide having a layered structure and containing at least cobalt as a transition metal, wherein at least part of the surface of the lithium-transition metal oxide is coated by a treatment layer comprising low-temperature phase lithium cobalt oxide.

Abstract: Charge-discharge characteristics are improved in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing a phosphoric ester compound as a solvent. In a non-aqueous electrolyte for secondary batteries containing a phosphoric ester compound, a lithium salt having an oxalato complex as an anion is contained as a solute. Preferably, the non-aqueous electrolyte contains lithium bis(oxalato)borate at a concentration of 0.01 to 0.2 mol/L with respect to the solvent, and more preferably, the non-aqueous electrolyte also contains vinylene carbonate.

Abstract: Storage performance in a charged state is improved with a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using gamma-butyrolactone as a solvent. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode (2) containing a positive electrode active material including a lithium-containing transition metal oxide; a negative electrode (1) containing a negative electrode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium; and a non-aqueous electrolyte including a solute and a solvent; wherein the solvent contains 50 volume % or more of gamma-butyrolactone with respect to the total volume of the solvent, and the positive electrode active material contains a phosphate salt M1PO4, where M1 is a metal element capable of having a valency of 3.

Abstract: Cycle performance is improved without degrading initial efficiency of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a non-aqueous electrolyte containing a solute and a solvent, the positive electrode including a positive electrode active material made of a lithium-containing transition metal oxide that contains lithium and cobalt and has a layered structure. The lithium-containing transition metal oxide is at least partially covered with a surface-treatment layer containing a phosphate compound represented by the chemical formula M1POk, where M1 is at least one element that can have a valency of 3 and k is an integer in a range of 2 to 4, and the lithium-containing transition metal oxide contains a group IVA element M2 and a group IIA element M3 of the periodic table.

Abstract: For us in nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cells, the invention provides an electrode which comprises a first carbon material serving as a core material, and a second carbon material coating the first carbon material over the surface thereof and containing boron. When used as an active substance for negative electrode to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell, the electrode diminishes the reduction of the cell capacity that would result if the cell is allowed to store, giving improved storage characteristics to the cell.

Abstract: Storage performance in a charged state is improved in a non-aqueous electrolyte battery that contains 10 volume % or more of ?-butyrolactone, which is highly safe and reliable, as a solvent. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material composed of a lithium-containing transition metal oxide containing lithium and cobalt, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution composed of a solute and a solvent. The solvent contains 10 volume % or more of ?-butyrolactone with respect to the total solvent, and the positive electrode active material contains a Group IVA element and a Group IIA element of the periodic table.

Abstract: A lithium cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode employing a carbon material as an active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte including a solute dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent, and is characterized in that the carbon material in the negative electrode has an RA value (IA/IG) of 0.05 or more, the RA value calculated from a peak intensity (IA) of a broad peak PA having a full width at half maximum of 100 cm−1 or more and a peak intensity (IG) in the vicinity of 1580 cm−1 as determined by laser Raman spectroscopy using an argon ion laser having a wavelength of 514.5 nm, the peak intensity (IA) determined from a peak PD in the vicinity of 1360 cm−1, as determined by the aforesaid laser Raman spectroscopy, which is separated into the broad peak PA having the full width at half maximum of 100 cm−1 or more and a peak PB having a full width at half maximum of less than 100 cm−1.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a carbon material as an active material, and a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent in which &ggr;-butyrolactone is the main solvent, wherein the carbon material has a ratio (ID/IG) of a Raman spectrum intensity (a peak intensity ratio) (R) obtained by Raman spectroscopy of 0.2 or greater, and the nonaqueous electrolyte includes at least 0.1 part by weight of vinylene carbonate and at least 0.1 part by weight of vinyl ethylene carbonate in 100 parts by weight of the nonaqueous electrolyte.