Abstract: A method for charging a battery that is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes first and second steps. The first step is estimating an SOC of the battery based on at least one of a voltage and a current of the battery. The second step is, based on a relationship between the SOC of the battery and an entropy change ?S, determining a maximum charging current to the battery in accordance with the SOC of the battery such that the maximum charging current becomes larger as the entropy change of the battery becomes greater.

Abstract: A power storage device includes a plurality of power storage cells. An end surface portion of a case has an aspect ratio of 1.4 or more. At least a part of a first region between a lower end of a sealing part projected image and an upper end of a principal surface region projected image receives a pressure of a first surface pressure. At least a part of a second region between the upper end of the principal surface region projected image and a lower end of the principal surface region projected image receives a pressure of a second surface pressure. The first surface pressure is higher than the second surface pressure and is 1.5 MPa or more and 3.5 MPa or less. A height of at least a part of the first region receiving the pressure of the first surface pressure is 1 mm or more.

Abstract: A battery module includes a pair of secondary batteries disposed adjacent to each other and a spacer disposed between the secondary batteries. Each of the secondary batteries includes a plurality of electrodes each of which has a rectangular shape and is disposed to face each other, a case configured to house the electrodes, the case having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an electrolyte in the case. The spacer is made of an elastic body. An aspect ratio of each of the electrodes is 10 or less, and a spring constant of the spacer is 0.03 MPa/mm or more and 5.4 MPa/mm or less.

Abstract: A tractor includes a protective frame including a lower frame and an upper frame rotatably coupled with an upper portion of the lower frame, and an assist mechanism to assists a rotation of the upper frame.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide nickel cobalt manganese composite hydroxide particles having a small particle diameter and a uniform particle size distribution, and a method for producing the same. A method for producing a nickel cobalt manganese composite hydroxide by a crystallization reaction is provided. The method includes: a nucleation step of performing nucleation by controlling a pH of an aqueous solution for nucleation including metal compounds containing nickel, cobalt and manganese, and an ammonium ion donor to 12.0 to 14.0 in terms of the pH as measured at a liquid temperature of 25° C. as a standard; and a particle growth step of growing nuclei by controlling a pH of an aqueous solution for particle growth containing nuclei formed in the nucleation step to 10.5 to 12.0 in terms of the pH as measured at a liquid temperature of 25° C. as a standard.

Abstract: Disclosed is a paper-sheet-feeding/conveying roller having a shaft, and a bi-layer roller material which is formed of an inner layer provided on the shaft and an outer layer. The inner layer provided on the shaft is a foamed elastic layer. The outer layer provided on the foamed elastic layer is a non-foamed elastic layer. The foamed elastic layer is formed of a foamed elastic body of silicone-modified EPDM.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor light-emitting device includes: (a) forming a semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer on the first surface of a substrate; (b) forming a first trench and a second trench in the semiconductor layer, the first trench extending in a first direction that is parallel to a principal plane of the substrate, and the second trench being disposed inside and parallel to the first trench; (c) forming a third trench parallel to the first trench in the second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface of the substrate; and (d) forming a semiconductor light-emitting device by dividing the substrate. In (d), an end of at least one divided side of the semiconductor light-emitting device is in the second trench. The first trench has a first width, and the second trench has a second width. The second width is less than the first width.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser element includes: a first conductivity-type cladding layer; a first guide layer disposed above the first conductivity-type cladding layer; an active layer disposed above the first guide layer; and a second conductivity-type cladding layer disposed above the active layer. A window region is formed in a region of the active layer including part of at least one of the front-side end face or the rear-side end face, the first conductivity-type cladding layer consists of (AlxGa1-x)0.5In0.5P, the first guide layer consists of (AlyGa1-y)0.5In0.5P, and the second conductivity-type cladding layer consists of (AlzGa1-z)0.5In0.5P, where x, y, and z each denote an Al composition ratio, 0<x?y<z?y is satisfied, and D/L>0.03 is satisfied, where L denotes a length of the resonator and D denotes a length of the window region in the first direction.

Abstract: A tractor includes a protective frame including a lower frame and an upper frame rotatably coupled with an upper portion of the lower frame, and an assist mechanism to assists a rotation of the upper frame.

Abstract: A controller of a deterioration estimation device for a secondary battery is configured to acquire a first open circuit voltage when a temperature of the secondary battery is a first temperature and a second open circuit voltage when the temperature of the secondary battery is a second temperature changed from the first temperature, and estimate a degree of deterioration of the secondary battery by using a difference between first and second slopes. The first slope is a ratio of a voltage change obtained by subtracting the first open circuit voltage from the second open circuit voltage to a temperature change obtained by subtracting the first temperature from the second temperature. The second slope is a ratio of the voltage change to the temperature change when the temperature of the new secondary battery has changed from the first temperature to the second temperature.

Abstract: ECU evaluates high-rate degradation of a lithium-ion battery, using a score and an in-plane score. The score is an index for evaluating unevenness in salt concentration of an electrode body in a lamination direction of the electrode body. The in-plane score is an index for evaluating unevenness in salt concentration of the electrode body in an in-plane direction of the electrode body. For each computing cycle, ECU calculates a current score, and calculates a current in-plane score based on an SOC (State Of Charge) of the lithium-ion battery. When the absolute value of an in-plane integrated score is beyond a reference value, ECU evaluates the high-rate degradation based on the current score, the current in-plane score, and a degradation score which is obtained by integrating previous scores beyond a deadband. When the absolute value is below the reference value, ECU evaluates the high-rate degradation, based on the degradation score.

Abstract: In a tractor, a radiator is arranged on one front-rear side relative to an engine. A cooling fan is provided between the radiator and an engine. A fan drive belt is wound around a fan support shaft and around an output shaft of the engine extending below the fan support shaft. A compressor is located above the output shaft and is supported to the engine at a position offset to one lateral side of the engine relative to the fan support shaft. A compressor drive belt is wound around the output shaft and a compressor drive shaft. The compressor drive belt is located on a side where the compressor is located relative to the fan support shaft, when viewed in a front-rear direction.

Abstract: A battery module includes a secondary battery, a cooler, and a heat conducting member disposed between the secondary battery and the cooler. The secondary battery has at least one electrode body and a case. The case has an opposite wall facing the cooler. The opposite wall has a recessed groove shaped so as to be depressed toward the inside of the case. The heat conducting member fills a space between the opposite wall and the cooler including the inside of the recessed groove.

Abstract: A method for charging a battery that is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes first and second steps. The first step is estimating an SOC of the battery based on at least one of a voltage and a current of the battery. The second step is, based on a relationship between the SOC of the battery and an entropy change ?S, determining a maximum charging current to the battery in accordance with the SOC of the battery such that the maximum charging current becomes larger as the entropy change of the battery becomes greater.

Abstract: In a method for charging a battery, the battery is a lithium ion battery including a graphite-containing negative electrode. A stage structure of the graphite is classified into a stage 1 to a stage 4 . The battery includes: an SOC region where the stage 4 and the stage 3 coexist; an SOC region where the stage 3 and the stage 2 coexist; and an SOC region where the stage 2 and the stage 1 coexist. The method includes first and second steps. The first step is estimating an SOC of the battery based on at least one of a voltage and a current of the battery. The second step is determining a charging current to the battery in accordance with the SOC of the battery such that the charging current in the SOC region is larger than the charging current in the SOC regions.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser element that includes a semiconductor layer including a waveguide formed in an intra-layer direction of the semiconductor layer and a window region formed in a front-side end face of the waveguide, has a current-laser optical output characteristic in which, at an operating temperature of 25° C. ±3° C., a laser optical output has a maximum value at a first driving current value and the laser optical output is at most 20% of the maximum value at a second driving current value greater than the first driving current value, and is not damaged at the second driving current value.

Abstract: A work vehicle including: a vehicle body frame; a prime mover part located on a front or rear part of the vehicle body frame; a bonnet configured to open and close by swinging, and covering the prime mover part; and an assist unit configured to assist the bonnet to operate to open. A lateral end portion of the vehicle body frame is provided with a first linkage part with which the assist unit is linked. A lateral end portion of a lower end part of the bonnet, which is located closer to an end cover than the first linkage part is, is provided with a second linkage part with which the assist unit is linked. The assist unit is provided with an expansion/contraction mechanism biased so as to expand, and is located laterally outside the prime mover part and spans the first linkage part and the second linkage part.

Abstract: To provide a production method for an aqueous emulsion of modified polytetrafluoroethylene which is environmentally friendly and which is suitable for producing a stretched porous body having excellent breaking strength. A production method for an aqueous emulsion of modified polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a method to obtain an aqueous emulsion of modified polytetrafluoroethylene particles having an average primary particle diameter of from 0.10 to 0.30 ?m, by subjecting tetrafluoroethylene and a perfluoroalkyl ethylene to emulsion polymerization in an aqueous medium, using a polymerization initiator, in the presence of a fluorinated anionic surfactant having a LogPOW of from 2.4 to 3.

Abstract: A vibration damping device including a support member that rotates with a rotary element that receives engine torque; a restoring force generating member coupled to the support member and swingable with rotation of the support member; an inertial mass body that, with rotation of the support member, swings about the center of rotation in conjunction with the restoring force generating member; a guided portion formed in either the restoring force generating member and the inertial mass body; and a guide portion formed in the other of the restoring force generating member and the inertial mass body and configured to guide the guided portion. As the guided portion is guided by the guide portion, the restoring force generating member swings with respect to the center of rotation in the radial direction of the support member and the inertial mass body swings about the center of rotation when the support member rotates.

Abstract: Multi-phase thermal control systems, evaporators, variable porous wick elements, heat transfer structures, and methods for their production are provided. Two-phase evaporators for use in such multi-phase thermal control systems are also provided. Two-phase evaporators incorporate a vapor plate body having there three major layers: a vapor channel network, a wick, and a liquid channel. The vapor channel network comprises a plurality of extrusions (e.g., vapor pillars) and associated channels (e.g., vapor channels) configured to allow a vapor to flow therethrough. The wick comprises a porous body configured to be disposed between the vapor channel network of and the liquid flow reservoir.