Abstract: An insulation failure diagnosis apparatus is provided which diagnoses presence/absence of insulation failure between a body of a vehicle and a connection path to a power supply for a traction unit. The apparatus includes a power converter circuit connected to the power supply and supplying power to an in-vehicle auxiliary unit, an outputting unit outputting an AC signal to the connection path, and a diagnosis unit diagnosing presence/absence of the insulation failure based on a current flowing through the connection path when the AC signal is outputted. The diagnosis unit includes a storage unit storing a determination value for determining the insulation failure or information for setting the determination value. The determination value or the information is obtained by measuring an electrical state quantity of the connection path depending on stray capacitance and is dielectric resistance of the connection path obtained when an AC signal is outputted to the connection path.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a lateral semiconductor element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode on the substrate, and an isolation structure located in the substrate to divide the substrate into a first island and a second island electrically insulated from the first island. The lateral semiconductor element includes a main cell located in the first island and a sense cell located in the second island. The main cell causes a first current to flow between the first electrode and the second electrode so that the first current flows in a lateral direction along the surface of the substrate. The first current is detected by detecting a second current flowing though the sense cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a lateral semiconductor element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode on the substrate, and an isolation structure located in the substrate to divide the substrate into a first island and a second island electrically insulated from the first island. The lateral semiconductor element includes a main cell located in the first island and a sense cell located in the second island. The main cell causes a first current to flow between the first electrode and the second electrode so that the first current flows in a lateral direction along the surface of the substrate. The first current is detected by detecting a second current flowing though the sense cell.

Abstract: An insulation failure diagnosis apparatus is provided which diagnoses presence/absence of insulation failure between a body of a vehicle and a connection path to a power supply for a traction unit. The apparatus includes a power converter circuit connected to the power supply and supplying power to an in-vehicle auxiliary unit, an outputting unit outputting an AC signal to the connection path, and a diagnosis unit diagnosing presence/absence of the insulation failure based on a current flowing through the connection path when the AC signal is outputted. The diagnosis unit includes a storage unit storing a determination value for determining the insulation failure or information for setting the determination value. The determination value or the information is obtained by measuring an electrical state quantity of the connection path depending on stray capacitance and is dielectric resistance of the connection path obtained when an AC signal is outputted to the connection path.

Abstract: A five-phase motor includes a stator and a movable member movable relative to the stator in a preset direction. The stator includes a stator core provided with five slots within 360 electrical degrees thereof. The five slots are arranged in the preset direction at preset first pitches. The stator includes at least one set of five-phase stator windings. The five-phase stator windings are arranged in the five slots relative to each other such that each of the five-phase stator windings is wound at a preset second pitch. The second pitch substantially corresponds to two of the first pitches.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a lateral semiconductor element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode on the substrate, and an isolation structure located in the substrate to divide the substrate into a first island and a second island electrically insulated from the first island. The lateral semiconductor element includes a main cell located in the first island and a sense cell located in the second island. The main cell causes a first current to flow between the first electrode and the second electrode so that the first current flows in a lateral direction along the surface of the substrate. The first current is detected by detecting a second current flowing though the sense cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell system has a fuel cell stack, a controller, and a cooling water channel. The controller executes the control for the temperature of cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel in the fuel cell stack. When judging the necessity to increase an oxygen concentration of air at an area near an air outlet of the air channel, the controller instructs to change a temperature of the cooling water to a condense available temperature at which water vapor involved in the air at the area near the air outlet can be condensed in order to increase the oxygen concentration in the air at the area near the air outlet. As a result, the magnitude of the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack is increased efficiently.

Abstract: A five-phase motor includes a stator and a movable member movable relative to the stator in a preset direction. The stator includes a stator core provided with five slots within 360 electrical degrees thereof. The five slots are arranged in the preset direction at preset first pitches. The stator includes at least one set of five-phase stator windings. The five-phase stator windings are arranged in the five slots relative to each other such that each of the five-phase stator windings is wound at a preset second pitch. The second pitch substantially corresponds to two of the first pitches.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a laminated stator core from core pieces according to a manufacturing method has a first station, a second station and a piling unit. The first station blanks out a steel plate to form a first hole in one core piece every blanking cycle so as to partly shape a portion of the core piece by forming the first hole. The second station blanks out the plate to form a second hole in one core piece every blanking cycle so as to partly shape the portion of the core piece by forming the second hole. Further, the first station differentiates a position of the first hole in each core piece from those in the other core pieces. Therefore, the core pieces having the respective portions are produced. The piling unit piles up the core pieces in layers to manufacture the laminated stator core.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack has plural fuel cells stacked in series along a direction vertical to a main surface of each fuel cell. Each fuel cell has a lamination body made of an anode, a cathode, and a polymer proton exchange membrane. The lamination body is sandwiched between a pair of separators. Each of the anode and cathode has a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer laminated. A water collecting groove and fuel gas passages are formed in the inner surface of each separator. The bottom end of the water collection groove is lower in position than the end of the catalyst layer and the diffusion layer. The water collecting groove is not joined to the fuel gas passages and collects water produced by electrochemical reaction in each fuel cell, and drains the collected water.

Abstract: A fuel cell system has a fuel cell stack, a controller, and a cooling water channel. The controller executes the control for the temperature of cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel in the fuel cell stack. When judging the necessity to increase an oxygen concentration of air at an area near an air outlet of the air channel, the controller instructs to change a temperature of the cooling water to a condense available temperature at which water vapor involved in the air at the area near the air outlet can be condensed in order to increase the oxygen concentration in the air at the area near the air outlet. As a result, the magnitude of the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack is increased efficiently.

Abstract: A fuel cell system designed to supply non- or low-humidified air to a fuel cell stack and ensure the stability of operation thereof. The system works to monitor operating conditions of the fuel cell stack and determine whether electrolyte films of fuel cells are getting dried or not or whether an undesirable quantity of water has been produced on the side of air electrodes of the cells or not. When either condition is true, the system works to elevate the pressure of air in an air drain line of the fuel cell stack to enhance the production of water in the cells to keep the electrolyte films or-to transfer the water from the air electrodes to the fuel electrodes of the cells to keep the electrolyte films in a desired wet condition, thereby ensuring the stability of operation of the fuel cell stack.