Abstract: An evaporative fuel treating apparatus includes: a canister; a vapor passage configured to cause a fuel tank to communicate with the canister; a closure valve including a valve disc arranged in the vapor passage and a stepping motor configured to open and close the valve disc; and a control device configured to control the closure valve. The control device is configured, in opening the valve disc to perform a pressure relief operation of the fuel tank, to: execute a flow rate estimation processing that calculates an estimated flow rate of gas passing through the closure valve, based on the absolute value of the amount of change of in-tank pressure of the fuel tank and a space volume inside the fuel tank; and execute a motor control processing that controls the number of steps of the stepping motor such that the estimated flow rate approaches a required flow rate.

Abstract: In a case where external electricity feed is being performed, a water temperature threshold Tref is set to a temperature T2 that is lower than in a case where the external electricity feed is not being performed, and canister puree is executed when an engine is in operation and a cooling water temperature Tw is the water temperature threshold Tref or higher. Thereby, it is possible to increase the opportunity to perform the canister purge, and to enhance evaporative emission performance. Furthermore, in the case where the external electricity feed is being performed, a maximum purge rate Pmax is set to a value P2 that is greater than in the case where the external electricity feed is not being performed. Thereby, it is possible to quickly complete the canister purge.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with an initializer configured to increase a step number with which a stepping motor is rotated in a valve closing direction, when there is an initialization request for the blocking valve and tank pressure of the fuel tank is in a predetermined pressure range near atmospheric pressure, in comparison with when the tank pressure is out of the predetermined pressure range.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an objective substance-producing ability, which microorganism has been modified so that the activity of enolase is reduced.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an objective substance-producing ability, which microorganism has been modified so that the activity of an L-cysteine biosynthesis enzyme is increased.

Abstract: A method is described for producing an objective substance, for example, an aldehyde such as vanillin. The objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an ability to produce the objective substance, wherein the microorganism has been modified to have a specific carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) gene, such as a Gordonia CAR gene, Novosphingobium CAR gene, or Coccomyxa CAR gene.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an objective substance-producing ability, which microorganism has been modified so that the activity of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase is increased.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an objective substance-producing ability, which microorganism has been modified so that the activity of NCgl2048 protein is reduced.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism that is able to produce the objective substance, which microorganism has been modified so that the activity of an enzyme involved in SAM cycle (SAM cycle enzyme) is increased.

Abstract: A surface defect inspecting device for steel sheets includes: an illuminating unit configured to illuminate an imaging target portion on a surface of a steel sheet; first and second diffuse reflection light imaging units arranged at a first angle and at a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to a specular reflection direction of illuminated light reflected from the imaging target portion, respectively, imaging simultaneously reflection light of illuminated light reflected from the imaging target portion; and an image signal processor configured to process first and second diffuse reflection image signals acquired by the first and second diffuse reflection light imaging units, respectively, detecting, as a surface defect portion, a portion for which brightness level is lower than a first predetermined threshold in the first diffuse reflection image signal as well as higher than a second predetermined threshold in the second diffuse reflection image signal.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with a blocking valve disposed in a vapor passage. The blocking valve has: a valve whose stroke amount is adjusted by a stepping motor; and a relief valve being opened regardless of the stroke amount when tank pressure of a fuel tank is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure to allow communication between the fuel tank and a canister. The evaporated fuel processing apparatus is provided with a controller configured (i) to control the stepping motor to move the valve in a valve opening direction while prohibiting a valve opening position learning process when the tank pressure is greater than or equal to the predetermined pressure and (ii) to allow the valve opening position learning process when the tank pressure is less than the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A vaporized fuel treatment device includes a sealing valve disposed in a vapor passage between a fuel tank and a canister and is configured to include a valve element moves forward and backward in an axial direction to a valve seat, a cut-off valve configured to cut off a communication between the canister and an atmosphere, a tank internal pressure sensor detects an internal pressure of the fuel tank, and a canister internal pressure sensor that detects an internal pressure of the canister, a controller programmed to change an axial distance between the valve element and the valve seat in a state where the cut-off valve cuts off the communication between the canister and the atmosphere and to learn a valve opening start position of the sealing valve based on changes in the internal pressures of the fuel tank and the canister depending on a change in the axial distance.

Abstract: An ECU includes: a control section for controlling an engine such that the engine is operated in an intermediate load state during electric power feed to the outside of a vehicle; a learning section for learning a control parameter based on a detected state quantity; and a determination section for determining whether a learning condition that the learning section learns the control parameter is established. When the learning condition is established during the electric power feed from the electric power feed section to the outside of the vehicle, the engine is controlled such that a state thereof is changed from the intermediate load state to either an idle state or a low load state, and the control parameter regarding the engine in the idle state or the low load state is learned.

Abstract: A vaporized fuel treatment device includes a sealing valve disposed in a vapor passage between a fuel tank and a canister and including a valve element that moves in an axial direction with respect to a valve seat, a cut-off valve that cuts off a communication between the canister and an atmosphere, a pump that reduces an internal pressure of the canister, a vapor passage diagnostic module that decreases an internal pressure of the fuel tank by the pump via the canister so as to diagnose whether leakage occurs in the vapor passage in a state where the communication between the canister and the atmosphere is cut off and the sealing valve is opened, and a learning module that executes a learning of a valve opening start position of the sealing valve based on a change in the internal pressure of the fuel tank when changing an axial distance between the valve element and the valve seat when the internal pressure of the fuel tank is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value after a diagnosis of leakage in the

Abstract: A surface defect inspecting device for steel sheets includes: an illuminating unit configured to illuminate an imaging target portion on a surface of a steel sheet; first and second diffuse reflection light imaging units arranged at a first angle and at a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to a specular reflection direction of illuminated light reflected from the imaging target portion, respectively, imaging simultaneously reflection light of illuminated light reflected from the imaging target portion; and an image signal processor configured to process first and second diffuse reflection image signals acquired by the first and second diffuse reflection light imaging units, respectively, detecting, as a surface defect portion, a portion for which brightness level is lower than a first predetermined threshold in the first diffuse reflection image signal as well as higher than a second predetermined threshold in the second diffuse reflection image signal.

Abstract: A controller controls a vaporized fuel treatment device including a sealing valve that is disposed in a vapor passage between a fuel tank and a canister and includes a valve element that moves forward and backward in an axial direction with respect to a valve seat. The controller executes a learning of a valve opening start position of the sealing valve based on a change in an internal pressure of the fuel tank when changing an axial distance between the valve element and the valve seat. The controller stores a command value of the axial distance just before an interruption of the learning of the valve opening start position in response to the interruption during an execution of the learning. The controller executes the learning of the valve opening start position while using the command value of the axial distance just before the interruption as an initial command value when a next learning timing is arrived after the interruption.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a battery, and is configured to perform external power feeding of supplying electric power to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an MG that generates electric power by using an output from the engine, and an ECU that controls the engine and the MG such that an SOC of the battery is maintained at a prescribed control center value. When an amount of remaining fuel of the engine falls below a prescribed reference amount during execution of the external power feeding, the ECU sets the control center value to a smaller value than when the amount of remaining fuel is not below the reference amount.

Abstract: A method for producing an objective substance such as vanillin and vanillic acid is provided. An objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an objective substance-producing ability, which microorganism has been modified so as to have a specific feature, such as a reduced activity of AICAR formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase, an increased activity of 3-PGDH, and/or a reduced activity of L-serine deaminase.

Abstract: A method for producing benzaldehyde is provided. Benzaldehyde is produced from L-phenylalanine or a carbon source by using microorganism(s) having amino acid deaminase, 4-hydroxymandelate synthase, (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase, and benzoylformate decarboxylase.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel treating device includes: a canister configured to adsorb evaporated fuel generated in a fuel tank through a vapor passage; a blocking valve configured to close and open the vapor passage, the blocking valve having a stepping motor as a drive source; and a controller configured to operate the blocking valve by controlling electric power that is supplied from a predetermined power supply to the blocking valve. The controller is configured, when there is a request to drive the blocking valve, to operate the blocking valve by controlling the electric power such that when a voltage that is supplied from the power supply to the blocking valve is less than a predetermined value, a driving period which is an interval between pulses that are supplied to the stepping motor becomes long compared to when the voltage is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.