Abstract: A mixed positive electrode active material is used. The mixed positive electrode active material is obtained by mixing a layered oxide whose initial charge-discharge efficiency when lithium metal is used for a counter electrode is less than 100% (hereinafter referred to as a first layered oxide) and a layered oxide whose initial charge-discharge efficiency is 100% or more (hereinafter referred to as a second layered oxide). Examples of the first layered oxide include Li1+aMnxCoyNizO2. A sodium oxide such as LiANaBMnXCoYNiZO2 other than a layered compound from which lithium is previously extracted by acid treatment or the like can be used as the second layered oxide whose initial charge-discharge efficiency is 100% or more. A layered oxide obtained by replacing (ion exchange) sodium in the foregoing LiANaBMnXCoYNiZO2 with lithium can be also used as the second layered oxide.

Abstract: A hot-rolling line, a method for photographing the entire width of a hot-rolled metal strip, a method for recording the photographic result of the entire width, a method for appropriately performing quality assurance, and a method for producing a hot-rolled metal strip using them, provide proper quality assurance for delivering a product to a customer. A hot-rolling line includes a near-infrared camera arranged to photograph an entire width of a hot-rolled metal strip on an entry side of a coiler of the hot-rolling line.

Abstract: A forced air induction system for an internal combustion engine (1) has: a forced air induction device; an EGR valve (10) provided in an EGR passage (9) connecting an intake air passage (14) and an exhaust gas passage (6); and a diagnosis device (20) adapted to execute an abnormality diagnosis for the forced air induction device based on a deviation of the actual boost pressure at the forced air induction device from a target boost pressure. The diagnosis device inhibits execution of the abnormality diagnosis when the operation state of the EGR valve is out of a normal operation range specifically determined.

Abstract: A NOx amount capable of being absorbed by a criteria catalyst as a boundary between degradation and normality is supplied to a NOx storage reduction catalyst and thereafter, a reducer amount corresponding to the NOx amount is supplied by a rich spike operation. Degradation of the NOx catalyst is determined based upon the output of the NOx sensor at this time. Since the degradation of the NOx catalyst is determined only by a magnitude of the NOx sensor output, the degradation diagnosis can be performed with high precision. While the catalyst is normal, the excessive reducers are not supplied and therefore, deterioration of the fuel consumption can be prevented.

Abstract: The concentration of a portion of components in the hydrocarbon in exhaust gas flowing into a catalyst is detected or estimated, and the concentration of the portion of components in the hydrocarbon in the exhaust gas flowing out of the catalyst is detected. On the basis of the concentrations of the portion of components in the hydrocarbon flowing into the catalyst and the concentration of the portion of components in the hydrocarbon flowing out of the catalyst, it is determined whether or not the catalyst has been deteriorated.

Abstract: An NOx catalyst of storage reduction type and an after-catalyst NOx sensor are provided in an exhaust passage in an internal combustion engine. The after-catalyst NOx sensor detects the NOx concentration on the downstream side of the NOx catalyst. The NOx concentration on the upstream side of the NOx catalyst is detected or estimated. The possible abnormality of the after-catalyst NOx sensor is determined by comparing the NOx concentration on the upstream side of the NOx catalyst detected or estimated and the NOx concentration detected by the after-catalyst NOx sensor, under the condition that the NOx catalyst does not substantially absorb NOx in exhaust gas. Abnormality diagnosis is performed with the possible impact of the NOx catalyst inhibited.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables detection of a fault of a PM trapper with improved accuracy. In the present invention, a pressure sensor 20 that measures a differential pressure across a PM trapper 11 is provided, and a fault of a PM trapper is determined based on an amount of change in the differential pressure across the PM trapper 11 between two different operation states of an internal combustion engine 1 in which the ambient temperature around the pressure sensor 20 falls within a specific temperature range. Since variations in the offset error of the differential pressure sensor 20 caused by changes in the ambient temperature around the differential pressure sensor 20 is made small, the amount of change in the differential pressure across the PM trapper 11 can be measured more accurately, and a fault of the PM trapper 11 can be detected with improved accuracy.

Abstract: A light emitting diode driving apparatus 10 of the present invention includes: a driving voltage generating section 11 for generating a driving voltage Vout of an LED; a driving current control section 12 for PWM controlling driving currents iW1 to iW3 that flow through the LED; and a monitor voltage generating section 13 that monitors the driving voltage Vout, and that generates a monitor voltage Vm during an OFF period of the driving current by superposing on a predetermined reference voltage Vref, which is used as a standard, a voltage corresponding to a difference occurring in the driving voltage Vout during the OFF period.

Abstract: A frequency domain transforming section transforms mixed signals observed by multiple sensors into mixed signals in the frequency domain, a complex vector generating section generates a complex vector by using the frequency-domain mixed signals, a normalizing section generates a normalized vector excluding frequency dependence of the complex vector, and a clustering section clusters the normalized vectors to generate clusters. Then, a separated signal generating section generates separated signals in the frequency domain by using information about the clusters and a time domain transforming section transforms the separated signals in the frequency domain into separated signals in the time domain.

Abstract: A total amount of NOX that flows into an NOX catalyst between the time that air-fuel ratio control ends and the time that the air-fuel ratio control starts the next time, is obtained. A total stored amount, which is the sum of an oxygen stored amount and an stored amount in the NOX catalyst before the air-fuel ratio control started, is calculated based on the amount of reducing agent that has flowed into the NOX catalyst during the air-fuel ratio control. The oxygen stored amount is calculated by extrapolating a relationship between the total amount of NOX and the total stored amount. The relationship is established beforehand by executing the air-fuel ratio control with at least two levels.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting abnormal air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine are provided. The apparatus includes: a catalyst that is provided in an exhaust passage of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine; a catalyst temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the catalyst; a catalyst temperature estimation unit that estimates a temperature of the catalyst based on an engine operating state; and an abnormality detection unit that determines whether abnormal air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders has occurred based on the detected temperature of the catalyst and the estimated temperature of the catalyst.

Abstract: When an internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders is operating steadily, an index value relating to an actual hydrogen content in exhaust gas downstream of a portion where exhaust passages from the cylinders merge, and upstream of a catalyst is detected. When an index value relating to the actual hydrogen content in the exhaust gas is larger than a determination index value relating to a hydrogen content corresponding to a permissible limit of air-fuel ratio variation, it is determined that there is abnormal air-fuel ratio variation between the cylinders.

Abstract: An object is to estimate the degree of deterioration of an NOx catalyst with improved accuracy in an exhaust gas purification system having the NOx catalyst provided in an exhaust passage. According to the present invention, an NOx sensor is provided downstream of an NOx catalyst, and the difference between an estimated value of the NOx concentration in the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage upstream of the NOx catalyst and a detection value of he NOx sensor at a time when NOx in the exhaust gas is not removed in the NOx catalyst is calculated. In addition, in estimating the degree of deterioration of the NOx catalyst, the estimated value of the NOx concentration in the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage upstream of the NOx catalyst is corrected based on this difference, and the degree of deterioration of the NOx catalyst is estimated based on the difference between this corrected value and the detection value of the NOx sensor.

Abstract: A work machine with an engine control device is provided, which is capable of ensuring fine controllability and providing further improved fine controllability with a simple construction. To this end, the work machine includes: an engine control device for controlling the output of an engine in accordance with each of a plurality of operation modes which are set according to the contents of operations; and operation mode selector switches for selecting any one of the plurality of operation modes. If the operation mode selector switches select, from the plurality of operation modes, an operation mode for setting a set revolution speed for the engine to a relatively low value, the engine control device performs isochronous control for maintaining the revolution speed of the engine to a constant value irrespective of load fluctuations.

Abstract: An apparatus or a method for detecting an abnormality of inter-cylinder air-fuel ratio dispersion in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to the invention is equipped with a catalytic element that purifies exhaust gas of hydrogen, a first air-fuel ratio sensor that detects an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that has not passed through the catalytic element, a second air-fuel ratio sensor that detects an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that has passed through the catalytic element, a device that detects an abnormality of inter-cylinder air-fuel ratio dispersion on the basis of a divergence state of a detected value of a second air-fuel ratio to a lean side from a detected value of a first air-fuel ratio, and a device that forcibly reduces fuel injection amounts in cylinders individually when an abnormality on dispersion is detected by the abnormality detector, detects a divergence state of the detected value of the second air-fuel ratio to the lean side from the detected value of the first air-fue

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables to detect a fault of a PM trapper with improved accuracy. According to the present invention, a plurality of temperature sensors 10 are provided in an exhaust passage 9 just downstream of a PM trapper 17 in such a way that their temperature detection elements are positioned on a plane that is perpendicular to an imaginary center axis of the exhaust passage 9. A change in the radial direction temperature distribution of the exhaust gas flowing out of the PM trapper 17 upon occurrence of a fault in the PM trapper 17 is detected from measurement values of the temperature sensors 10, and a fault of the PM trapper 17 is detected based on this radial direction temperature distribution. Since the measurement values of the temperature sensors 10 are unlikely to be affected by the amount of PM deposited on the PM trapper 17, detection of a fault of the PM trapper 17 can be achieved with improved accuracy.

Abstract: A catalyst monitoring system diagnoses deterioration of an NOX catalyst (18) which is arranged in an exhaust passage (12) of an internal combustion engine (10). An NOX sensor (25) is arranged downstream of the NOX catalyst (18). An output integrated value of the NOX sensor (25) is calculated by integrating an output from the NOX sensor (25) during at least a period near the end of air-fuel ratio control. Deterioration of the NOX catalyst (18) is diagnosed based on the output integrated value of the NOX sensor (25).

Abstract: A storage reduction NOx catalyst is disposed in an exhaust passage for an internal combustion engine. A NOx sensor is disposed upstream of the NOx catalyst. An inflow NOx amount, which is the amount of NOx that has flown into the NOx catalyst, is calculated by accumulating the output of the NOx sensor. A total storage amount, which is the sum of the amounts of oxygen and NOx stored in the NOx catalyst, is calculated based on an output generated by an exhaust gas sensor disposed downstream of the NOx catalyst when rich spike is being executed. The deterioration of the NOx catalyst is determined based on the inflow NOx amount and the total storage amount.

Abstract: Li2-xAxMO3 obtained by replacing lithium in Li2MO3 having a layered structure by an alkali metal having ion radius larger than that of lithium is used as a positive electrode active material. In this Li2-xAxMO3, x satisfies the relation 0<x?O.5, the above-mentioned A indicates the alkali metal having the ion radius larger than that of lithium (Li) (for example, sodium (Na) or potassium (K)) and M indicates a transition metal that can be tetravalent. Examples of the transition metal that can be tetravalent indicated by the above-mentioned M include manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and the like.

Abstract: In a compression ignition internal combustion engine provided with an NOx storage-reduction catalyst on an exhaust system, when the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas being in a lean state is controlled to a rich state, a response time (ResS) from a time point an air fuel ratio sensor detects a first air fuel ratio (AF1), which is leaner than a stoichiometric air fuel ratio (AFS), to a time point the air fuel ratio sensor detects a second air fuel ratio (AF2), which is equal to or leaner than the stoichiometric air fuel ratio (AFS) and richer than the first air fuel ratio (AF1). When the response time (ResS) exceeds a stoichiometric air fuel ratio shift reference time (StdS), a determination is made that the air fuel ratio sensor is degraded.