Abstract: A device for controlling a turbocharger with an electric rotary machine detects, at all times, the rotational speed of the engine on a motor vehicle and the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal while the motor vehicle is running, to confirm present running conditions of the motor vehicle. A required boost pressure which is required under the confirmed running conditions is determined, and if the required boost pressure is higher than the boost pressure produced from the turbocharger by the energy of exhaust gases emitted from the engine and corresponding to the rotational speed of the engine, the controlling device drives the electric rotary machine coupled to the rotatable shaft of the turbocharger as a motor to increase the speed of rotation of the turbocharger for a quick buildup of the boost pressure.

Abstract: A device for controlling a turbocharger having an electric rotary machine confirms present running conditions of a motor vehicle by detecting, at all times, the engine speed, the engine load, and the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal while the motor vehicle is running, and determines whether the electric rotary machine is to operate in a generator mode or a motor mode. If the electric rotary machine is to operate in the motor mode, appropriate electric power is supplied to the electric rotary machine based on the engine load, the accelerator pedal depression, and the speed of rotation of the turbine of the turbocharger, for increasing the speed of rotation of the turbocharger to quickly increase the boost pressure developed by the turbocharger.

Abstract: A heating container apparatus is provided for supplying heated air into a heating container on a vehicle for heating or keeping warm the cargo in the heating container, including a burner with an atomizing glow plug and an ignition glow plug; a heat exchanger for recovering heat generated by the burner; an air blower device for circulating heated air; a temperature control device, and a voltage control device. The voltage control device is supplied with electric power from a commercial power feed line to produce a voltage equal to the voltage of a power supply mounted on the vehicle, thereby keeping the interior of the heating container warm even when the engine of the vehicle is stopped. The temperature control device keeps the temperature in the heating container in a suitable temperature range at all times.

Abstract: In a heat insulating engine of this invention, the piston head is made up of a retainer body, a heat insulating member mounted on the retainer body, and a thin ceramic member formed over the upper surface of the heat insulating member exposed to the burning gas and over the circumference of the former two members. The retainer body is mounted to a piston skirt through a heat insulating gasket. The cylinder is so constructed that the piston head does not contact the cylinder liner upper portion of the head-liner but can contact the cylinder liner lower portion. When the piston is situated close to the top dead center, the heat insulating structure of the combustion chamber prevents heat from being released from the piston head.

Abstract: A generator device has a reluctance generator. The reluctance generator comprises stator coils and an I-shaped rotor. The stator coils includes a winding phase for being supplied with a 90.degree.-leading armature current to generate a no-load induced electromotive force. The I-shaped rotor has an extremely small magnetic reluctance in a first direction normal to a rotational axis thereof and a large magnetic reluctance in a second direction normal to the first direction.

Abstract: A quick heatng burner for burning fuel is disposed in the intake pipe of a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, and a heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the burner. Heat generated by the heat exchanger is utilized to heat the interior of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. Operation of the burner and the heat exchanger is monitored by an electronic controller, which generates an alarm and stops the burner and the heat exchanger when they fail.

Abstract: A control system for a turbocharger with a rotary electric machine on a motor vehicle detects the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal, calculates a maximum engine torque corresponding to the rotational speed of an engine on the motor vehicle when the accelerator pedal is fully depressed, calculates an amount of electric power, to be supplied to the rotary electric machine, required to produce a maximum boost pressure corresponding to the calculated maximum engine torque, and supplies the calculated amount of electric power to the rotary electric machine.

Abstract: The heat-insulating piston structure according to the present invention is formed by fixing a piston head, which consists of a material the coefficient of thermal expansion of which is substantially equal to that of a ceramic material, to a piston skirt, and setting a thin, flat plate portion of a ceramic material on the whole of the flat surface of the piston head which is on the side of a combustion chamber via a heat-insulating member. Accordingly, the piston can be formed so that it has excellent heat-insulating characteristics and high thermal resistance, deformation resistance and corrosion resistance. Especially, the thin plate portion of a ceramic material, which is exposed to a combustion gas, can be formed to the smallest possible thickness to reduce the thermal capacity thereof greatly. Therefore, the temperature of the wall of the combustion chamber varies easily with that of the combustion gas (in other words, the amplitude of the temperature of this wall becomes large).

Abstract: The heat-insulating engine structure according to the invention comprises fitting a ceramic head liner for which a cylinder liner top and a head lower surface portion are unified structurally in a cylinder head, coating an outer surface of the cylinder liner top of the head liner with a heat insulating laminate with a metallic sheet and a heat insulating material with potassium titanate as a principal component wound spirally by turns with a compressive force exerted thereon, thus enhancing strength or pressure resistance, forming a wall of the head liner as thin as possible to minimize a thermal capacity of the head liner, thereby enhancing suction efficiency and cycle efficiency. Further, heat insulation efficiency is enhanced all the more by disposing the heat insulating laminate having air layers between the head liner and the cylinder head.

Abstract: A device controlling a heater or warmer on an automobile has a charger for charging, with an external commercial electric power supply, a battery which serves as a power supply for energizing an atomizing glow plug which heats and atomizes fuel, an igniting glow plug which ignites the fuel as atomized by the atomizing glow plug, and blowers. The device also has a driver for driving the blowers with electric power produced by rectifying the power from the commercial electric power supply. The glow plugs of a high power requirement are energized by the battery even while the automobile is at rest, and the battery is charged by the charger. The blowers are driven by electric power produced by rectifying the power from the commercial electric power supply.

Abstract: Intake and exhaust ports of an internal combustion engine possess respective turbine impellers, and an electrical rotary machine is formed on a rotary shaft connecting the impellers. Sensors are provided for sensing the loaded state of the engine at all times based on engine rpm and the amount of fuel supplied to the engine. When the engine is overloaded, the electrical rotary machine is made to operate as a motor to assist in the supercharging of the engine. When the engine load is not excessive, the rotary machine is made to operate as a generator to charge surplus energy, derived from the engine exhaust, in a storage battery.

Abstract: An electric generator for use in a turbocharger includes a rotor mounted on the rotational shaft of the turbocharger and comprising a single permanent magnet fitted in an outer cylindrical sleeve which prevents the rotor from breakage upon high-speed rotaiton thereof. The rotor also includes heat insulation between the permanent magnet and the rotational shaft. The heat insulation portion may be an air gap or a heat insulating member.

Abstract: An energy recovery apparatus for a turbo compound engine is provided having an exhaust turbine with a first rotary machine in an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine; a second rotary machine mounted on a wheel axle of a motor vehicle which is driven by the internal combustion engine, and an exhaust turbine coupled to the exhaust port of the first-mentioned exhaust turbine; and a third rotary machine operable as a generator. The energy recovery apparatus also includes a first sensor for detecting the speed of rotation of the internal combustion engine and a second sensor for detecting the load on the engine. The first through third rotary machines are controlled by signals from the sensors and efficiently utilize the exhaust energy carried by the exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In a burner, a combustion cylinder made of a ceramic material is divided into an atomizing chamber and a combustion chamber by a partitioning plate having openings, a fuel injection port of an atomizing device is opened in the combustion chamber, the atomizing device emerging from a corner portion on the downstream side of the combustion cylinder and penetrating through the combustion chamber, an outer cylinder is so arranged as to form an annular air introducing path along the outer circumference of the combustion cylinder, and air introducing holes are formed in the combustion cylinder being tilted along the line of air stream. The outer cylinder is provided with an air intake pipe in the radial direction thereof. The tilting angle of the air introducing holes formed in the combustion cylinder gradually increases starting from a portion opposed to the air intake port formed in the outer cylinder and then gradually decreases as it goes to the side opposite to the air intake port.

Abstract: A burner comprises a fiber wick-filled atomizing chamber formed at an end of a combustion cylinder that constitutes a combustion chamber; a perforated ceramic disc provided in front of the atomizing chamber; and a heating plug that protrudes into the combustion chamber penetrating through the fiber wick and the ceramic disc. The heating plug is constituted by a heater bar composed of a ceramic material in which a heater coil is buried, in such a manner that a portion positioned in the atomizing chamber has a low temperature and an end protruded into the combustion chamber has a high temperature. The atomizing chamber, the combustion chamber and the combustion gas exhaust port are laterally arranged nearly in a horizontal direction, and a fuel feeding port is open at an upper portion of the atomizing chamber. Moreover, an air introducing path is formed between the combustion cylinder and an outer cylinder which surrounds the combustion cylinder.

Abstract: A device for controlling fuel combustion in a heater including a burner for combusting fuel heated and atomized by a fuel atomizer detects the condition of fuel combustion in the burner and controls the amount of heat energy applied to the fuel by the fuel atomizer dependent on the detected condition of fuel combustion.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine turbo-supercharger including a turbine disc; a cast turbine housing defining an inlet for connection to an engine exhaust manifold, an exhaust port for discharging exhaust gases, a turbine chamber enclosing the turbine disc, and a convoluted passage extending between the inlet and the periphery of the turbine disc; an individual metallic partition plate disposed in the housing and separating the convoluted passage into first and second passages each providing communication between the inlet and the periphery of the turbine disc; and a valve disposed in the first passage and operable to control flow therethrough.

Abstract: An apparatus for recovering thermal energy from an engine of a motor vehicle has a first rotary electric machine coupled to a turbocharger mounted on the engine, a second rotary electric machine coupled to an exhaust turbine disposed in an exhaust system of the engine, and a third rotary electric machine mounted on an axle of the motor vehicle. The apparatus also includes respective means for detecting an engine rotational speed, an engine load, and an engine boost pressure. The first, second, and third rotary electric machines are controlled on the basis of signals from these means for effective utilization of the energy of an exhaust gas discharged from the engine.

Abstract: A turbocharger for an internal combustion engine is disclosed, including a turbine drivable by the exhaust energy of the internal combustion engine, and an air compressor coupled by a shaft to an impeller of the turbine for charging air into engine cylinders in response to rotation of the shaft. A rotor is mounted on the shaft and stator cores and coils are disposed around the rotor. The rotor and the stator cores and coils jointly constitute a motor-generator which operates as a motor or a generator dependent on operating conditions of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A reluctance rotary machine is disclosed including stator coils having a winding phase for being supplied with a 90.degree.-leading armature current to generate a no-load induced electromotive force, and a substantially I-shaped rotor disposed in the stator coils and having an extremely small magnetic reluctance in a first direction normal to a rotational axis and a large magnetic reluctance in a second direction normal to the first direction. The substantially I-shaped rotor is constructed of silicon steel having a small magnetic reluctance.