Abstract: This invention provides a gas engine in which a natural gas reforming apparatus for thermally decomposing CH.sub.4 in a natural gas into a reformed fuel of CO and H.sub.2 is used to improve the thermal efficiency, CO.sub.2 in an exhaust gas being used for the thermal decomposition operation to reduce the CO.sub.2 content of the discharged exhaust gas and minimize the generation of NOx. An oxygen eliminating apparatus for removing O.sub.2 from CO.sub.2 separated from the exhaust gas can be provided in the natural gas reforming apparatus. In this natural gas reforming apparatus, a gas fuel case in which a gas fuel flows is provided on the outer side of an exhaust gas passage body in which the exhaust gas flows, and a surface of a porous member provided in the gas fuel case is coated with a catalyst. The oxygen eliminating apparatus comprises a porous carbon member provided in a CO.sub.2 passage so as to subject O.sub.2 in CO.sub.2 and C to a reaction and convert the same substances into CO and CO.sub.

Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle which is driven by a motor powered with electric power generated by an engine, wherein the cylinder, piston, and sub-combustion chamber of the engine have insulation structure so that heat sufficient for evaporating fed fuel is held in the sub-combustion chamber.

Abstract: In the vibration isolation device for a cogeneration system with an engine, to suppress vibrations and noise from the engine, the mounting table on which the engine and the generator are mounted is installed through the main tires and the subtires on the base laid at the installation site. The support members arranged on the base are made to contact the main tires and the subtires and are secured to the base. Further, the sound isolation device for a cogeneration system has a truck--comprising the mounting table and the tires--mounted on the base placed in the installation chamber at the installation site. The installation chamber is formed by multilayer wall bodies. The multilayer wall bodies each comprise a hollow metal housing, a rubber covering layer secured to the inner surface of the metal housing, and a corrugated support member incorporated in the metal housing. The multilayer wall bodies have their hollow portions evacuated.

Abstract: A slidably engaged surface of a sliding member has a first travel length portion formed of a composite material providing a small contact angle with respect to lubricating oil and an adjoining second travel length portion formed of a composite material providing a higher contact angle with the lubricating oil. The first length portion preferably corresponds to boundary and mixed lubricating areas and the second length portion corresponds to a fluid lubricating area.

Abstract: An electric current self-controlling device is prepared by impregnating a porous structure of a PTC material with a fused form of aluminum in a vacuum so that it can act as a heat sensor with the contact area between the PTC material and aluminum being increased. The outer surface of the metal impregnating PTC structure is covered with insulating films of alumina and the PTC material is accompanied with an outer terminal 43 and the aluminum impregnating in the PTC material is connected with an inner terminal 44. A terminal screw 3, the current controller device 4, the heating coil 51, and a current limiting coil 52 are connected in series. Accordingly, the heating temperature of the heating coil 51 can be determined by controlling the flow of the energizing current from the terminal screw 3 with the positive temperature coefficient resistant action and nonlinear variable resistance action of the current controller device 4.

Abstract: This invention to achieve efficient combustion of volatile fuels through the precise control of the opening/closing of a control valve installed in the path between the main and the subcombustion chambers installed to vaporize and ignite volatile fuels for combustion at high-compression ratios.The control valve 5 is installed in the path 31 between the main combustion chamber 23 and the subcombustion chamber 3. The subcombustion chamber 3 with a heat-insulating structure, is equipped with the injection nozzle 6 and the spark plug 7. The controller 8 judges the load applied to the engine by verifying the signals which are input from the revolution sensor 81, the load sensor 82 and the crankshaft position sensor 83. If the load is applied to part of the engine, the control valve 5, which was opened at the initial stage of the expansion stroke, is closed at the final stage of expansion so that hot gases remain in the subcombustion chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exhaust gas purifier for collecting particulates with fiber filters while reducing NO.sub.x by the action of granulated materials disposed on the outer sides of the fiber filters and having an NO.sub.x -reducing action. In this exhaust gas purifier, the fiber filters for collecting particulates contained in exhaust gas are constituted of a randomly laminated nonwoven fabric, and electric wire nets are disposed on the inner sides of the fiber filters. The granulated materials made of Ba.sub.3 Y.sub.4 O.sub.9, BaLa.sub.2 O.sub.4 or Ba.sub.2 In.sub.2 O.sub.5 having an NO.sub.x -reducing action are filled in a large numbers of cells of porous members disposed on the downstream sides of the fiber filters.

Abstract: A ceramic sheath capable of preventing damage to conductive wire rod exhibits excellent thermal resistance and a thermal shock resistance. A conductive wire rod is provided in a protective pipe of silicon nitride, silicon carbide or SiAlON so as to extend longitudinally from one end toward the other, and buried in a filler of reaction sintered silicon nitride. The filler comprises two layers, i.e. a core portion having a low sintering time size variation ratio, and a seal portion constituting a boundary layer between the core portion and the protective pipe and having a sintering time size variation ratio higher than that of the core portion. The conductive wire rod comprises a coil of a metal wire. The coil is formed helically along its whole length, and the winding pitch of the coil is set small, large and small in this order from the front end portion of the shell of the protective pipe toward its base end portion.

Abstract: In this DPF apparatus, the filters have large trapping areas and three-dimensionally and efficiently trap particulates contained in the exhaust gas thereby cleaning the gas and reducing the size of the apparatus. The DPF apparatus has the main filter installed in the case incorporated into the exhaust system, the sub-filter arranged in the central portion of the main filter, and the bypass cylinder interposed between these filters. The bypass valve is installed on the exhaust gas inflow side of the sub-filter to open and close the inflow port of the sub-filter. The main filter and the sub-filter are made from ceramics porous sheet filters, or comprise a nonwoven cloth made of silicon carbide fibers and a woven cloth made of ceramics long fibers chosen from Si-C and Si-C-Ti-O long fibers and arranged adjacent to and downstream of the nonwoven cloth. The mesh heaters are laminated over the main filter on the exhaust gas inflow side.

Abstract: This diesel particulate filter comprises of a composite filter plate composed of thin filter plates formed out of ceramic fiber, and a latticed heating wire, and metal nets. The composite filter plate is bent into a bellows-like structure so as to increase a cross-sectional area of an exhaust gas passage. The latticed heating wire is formed to a current self-controlling type heating wire out of a material containing Ni as a main component the resistance value of which increases as the temperature rises. The particulates collected by the thin filter plates are burnt by supplying an electric current to the latticed heating wire. When a high-temperature region occurs on the thin filter plates, the level of an electric current flowing to the portion of the latticed heating wire which corresponds to the same region is reduced. Consequently, all the regions of the thin filter plates are heated at a uniform temperature, and the melting and breakage of the thin filter plates do not occur.

Abstract: The damage detecting apparatus for ceramic parts detects breakage of the ceramic combustion chamber structure and valves or breakage and wear of the cylinder liner and minimizes the damages to the structure and valves. The breakage of the head liner forming the ceramic combustion chamber can be detected by arranging the conductive ceramic wires on the outer circumferential surface of the head liner and passing a small current through these wires. The breakage of the valves installed in the ports of the cylinder head can be detected by arranging the conductive lines over the entire length of the valve stem and passing a small current to the conductive lines. The damages to the ceramic cylinder liner, such as wear, can be detected by arranging the conductive lines over the inner wall surface and passing a small current to the conductive lines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sound absorption structure-carrying engine provided on the outer sides of combustion chambers with sound absorption layers adapted to shut off the pressure waves occurring in the combustion chambers. In this engine, combustion chamber members are provided in the cavities in a cylinder head via sound absorption gaskets. The pistons moved reciprocatingly in the cylinders comprise piston heads, piston skirts, and sound absorption gaskets provided between the piston heads and piston skirts. The sound absorption gaskets comprise sound absorption layers formed out of a rubber material, such as synthetic rubber of a high heat conductivity capable of minimizing the transmission of vibration and a metallic material. In a heat insulating structure-carrying engine, heat insulating layers preventing the radiation of heat are provided between the combustion chambers and sound absorption layers.

Abstract: A diesel engine using a low evaporativity fuel, and improves the fluidity of the air and fuel by injecting the fuel into a cylinder at the beginning of a compression stroke forming a uniform gaseous mixture, whereby the generation of NO.sub.x is minimized. A swirl chamber is formed in a piston, and a primary chamber by a combustion chamber structure provided in a cavity of a cylinder head. A fuel injection nozzle injects a low evaporativity fuel, such as heavy oil, into the cylinder at the beginning of a compression stroke, disperses the fuel into an air swirl in the cylinder, forms a uniform gaseous mixture of the fuel and air therein, and ignites and burns with the assistance of a glow plug the gaseous mixture entering the swirl chamber through communication ports at the end of the compression stroke.

Abstract: To provide an improved heat insulating structure in which the movement of air in the air space of a heat insulating layer is permitted as small as possible thus giving a higher heat shielding effect. A heat insulating layer of an air space is provided between a center tube and an external heat shielding tube in a fuel injection nozzle and a carbon getter is disposed at an interface between the heat insulating layer and a combustion chamber. When a combustion gas moves into the carbon getter, its carbon components are trapped and accumulated thus blocking between the heat insulating layer and the combustion chamber. As the heat insulating layer is isolated, its inside air remains stagnate increasing the heat shielding effect. This srtacture has been appied to the pre-combustion chamber.

Abstract: A thermocouple structure capable of measurement of a high temperature with a high accuracy is constituted of a protective pipe made of a heat-resistant ceramic; a pair of wires differing in kind and extending in the protective pipe from one end thereof to the other end thereof in the longitudinal direction thereof in a state of being spaced away from each other; a thin film constituting a temperature-sensing portion, made of a tungsten alloy, disposed on one end portion of said protective pipe, and connected to the wires; and a covering layer made of a heat-resistant ceramic and covering the thin film in such a way as to disallow exterior exposure of the thin film. The protective pipe is made of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, and a filling member made of a powder mixture of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and TiN is filled in the protective pipe. Alternatively, a pair of printed strips differing in kind may be formed as wires in a protective pipe to provide such a thermocouple structure.

Abstract: In a diesel particulate filter apparatus, the surface of the fiber of a ceramic fiber material 5 such as a silicon carbide fiber material is covered with a coating layer made up of a Ba.sub.2 In.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ba.sub.3 Y.sub.4 O.sub.9 or BaLa.sub.2 O.sub.4 compound having a brownmillerite-like structure having an NO.sub.x -reducing action, and a glass layer. A filter body is constituted of a nonwoven fabric which is the randomly laminated ceramic fiber material with the coating layer on the surface of the fiber thereof. Alternatively, the diesel particulate filter apparatus may be constituted of a filter body made of a nonwoven fabric which is a randomly laminated ceramic fiber material, and a porous sinter containing the above-mentioned compound, provided that the porous sinter is disposed on the downstream side of the filter body.

Abstract: There is disclosed a diesel particulate filter for filtering exhaust gasses of a diesel engine while collecting particulates and burning them by electric heat. The diesel particulate filter includes at least one filter body disposed in a filter case with filtering passages characterized as coarseness or mesh which gradually changes density of the exhaust flow as it moves from an upstream side toward a downstream side.

Abstract: In this DPF apparatus, the filters have large trapping areas and three-dimensionally and efficiently trap particulates contained in the exhaust gas thereby cleaning the gas and reducing the size of the apparatus. The DPF apparatus has the main filter installed in the case incorporated into the exhaust system, the sub-filter arranged in the central portion of the main filter, and the bypass cylinder interposed between these filters. The bypass valve is installed on the exhaust gas inflow side of the sub-filter to open and close the inflow port of the sub-filter. The main filter and the sub-filter are made from ceramics porous sheet filters, or comprise a nonwoven cloth made of silicon carbide fibers and a woven cloth made of ceramics long fibers chosen from Si--C and Si--C--Ti--O long fibers and arranged adjacent to and downstream of the nonwoven cloth. The mesh heaters are laminated over the main filter on the exhaust gas inflow side.

Abstract: This DPF apparatus has the main filter and the sub-filter installed in the exhaust gas passage, with an open-close valve provided to the main filter and a bypass valve provided to the sub-filter. A particulate accumulation sensor is also installed in the exhaust gas passage on the inlet side of the main filter. In response to the detection signals from the particulate accumulation sensor and the temperature sensor, the controller operates the open-close valve and the bypass valve and applies electricity to the metal net forming heaters to incinerate collected particulates. The particulate accumulation sensor comprises a detection filter whose ventilation resistance per unit volume is almost equal to that of the filter body, terminals made of a conductive metal and attached to the ends of the detection filter, and a resistance sensor to measure resistance between the terminals.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display capable of changing the polarities of voltages to be applied to a liquid crystal for every scanning line, so as to correct viewing angle characteristics. The liquid crystal display includes: a circuit for generating a view angle correcting signal on the basis of a vertical scanning signal which is generated by a pulse at the scanning start of one field; circuits for converting the viewing angle correcting signal into an AC signal by changing its polarity for every scanning lines; and a driver for generating a video signal from the AC viewing angle correcting signal.