Abstract: An electrostatic induction generator has a first substrate and a second substrate that can move relative to each other while remaining opposed to each other, an electret provided in the first substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode provided on a surface side opposed to the electret in the second substrate. A positional relationship between the electret and the first electrode and a positional relationship between the electret and the second electrode change in association with a change of relative positions between the first substrate and the second substrate, whereby an electrostatic capacitance between the electret and the first electrode and an electrostatic capacitance between the electret and the second electrode change to output an electric power. A structure that decreases the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor optical device includes the steps of preparing a mold having an imprint pattern; forming a substrate product including a semiconductor layer; forming a first resin layer on the semiconductor layer; forming a diffraction grating pattern having periodic projections and recesses in the first resin layer using the mold, the projection of the diffraction grating pattern having a top portion and a base portion; changing a duty ratio of the diffraction grating pattern by dry-etching the first resin layer; forming a second resin layer on the first resin layer so as to cover the projection and the recess; removing the top portion by etching back the first and second resin layers; and selectively etching the first resin layer so as to have a reverse pattern to the diffraction grating pattern; and etching the semiconductor layer through the first resin layer.

Abstract: In cases where at the upstream side of an NOx selective reduction catalyst there is provided another catalyst, sulfur poisoning of both the catalysts is recovered in an appropriate manner. To this end, provision is made for an NH3 generation catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine for generating NH3, the NOx selective reduction catalyst arranged in the exhaust passage at a location downstream of the NH3 generation catalyst for reducing NOx in a selective manner, an upstream side recovery unit to recover sulfur poisoning of the NH3 generation catalyst, and a downstream side recovery unit to recover sulfur poisoning of the NOx selective reduction catalyst after the sulfur poisoning of the NH3 generation catalyst has been recovered by the upstream side recovery unit.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine including an NSR catalyst and an SCR, to provide an exhaust purifying system that can limit aggravation of emissions by allowing the SCR to recover effectively from degraded performance caused by poisoning. An exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine capable of a lean burn operation includes an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; an SCR disposed downstream of the NSR catalyst; means for detecting sulfur poisoning of the SCR; and means for increasing a bed temperature of the SCR when the poisoning detecting means detects sulfur poisoning of the SCR. The temperature increasing means includes bank control, stoichiometric control, and rich spike control, any one of which is selected for performance according to an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In cases where an NOx selective reduction catalyst is provided at a location downstream of an NOx storage reduction catalyst, NOx purification performance in an exhaust gas purification apparatus as a whole is maintained, irrespective of deterioration of the NOx storage reduction catalyst. For this purpose, the reduction of NOx in the NOx storage reduction catalyst is promoted more when the degree of deterioration of the NOx storage reduction catalyst or the NOx selective reduction catalyst is low than when it is high, and the reduction of NOx in the NOx selective reduction catalyst is promoted more when the degree of deterioration of the NOx storage reduction catalyst or the NOx selective reduction catalyst is high than when it is low.

Abstract: An exhaust purification system for an internal combustion engine capable of lean-burn driving comprises: an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passageway; an SCR disposed downstream of the NSR catalyst; a NOx sensor, disposed downstream of the SCR, for producing output in response to NOx concentration; and rich-spike means for causing a rich-spike. When the NOx sensor has produced output indicative of a NOx concentration higher than a given NOx concentration, the system increases the amount of the NOx contained in the exhaust gas discharged during the rich-spike. Under a given high-load condition, the air-fuel ratio is made stoichiometric during the rich-spike caused at a particular timing. Under a given low-load condition, the amount of exhaust gas is increased during the rich-spike.

Abstract: An operation device comprises: a plurality of operation members attached to a common supporting member; and a plurality of inserting components having the same configurations with one another. The operation members include latching apertures for securing the inserting components to the operation members and include a plurality of kinds of structure to be attached to the common supporting member so that opening directions of the latching apertures are different from one another. The inserting components include a plurality of latching projections that protrude outward from a main body, and have configurations that can engage the latching apertures in any one of the operation members. The latching projections protrude from the main body in a plurality of directions corresponding to the opening directions of the latching apertures so that any one of the latching projections can engage the latching aperture in any one of the operation members.

Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a technique which can eliminate HC poisoning of an exhaust gas purification catalyst in a suitable manner in a fuel injection control system of an internal combustion engine which can use a liquid fuel and a gas fuel. In order to achieve this object, the present invention is constructed such that in the fuel injection control system of an internal combustion engine capable of using a liquid fuel and a gas fuel, when HC poisoning of the exhaust gas purification catalyst has occurred, HC poisoning is intended to be eliminated by causing the internal combustion engine to operate by the use of the gas fuel if the temperature of the exhaust gas purification catalyst is less than a specified value, whereas the elimination of HC poisoning is intended by causing the internal combustion engine to operate by the use of the liquid fuel if the temperature of an exhaust gas purification device is not less than the specified value.

Abstract: The exhaust cleaner for internal combustion engine is equipped with NOx storage reduction catalyst (161, 162) which is disposed in exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and which absorb and reduce the NOx contained in exhaust gas. The NOx storage reduction catalyst (161, 162) each include a coating layer that has been formed on the inner wall of cells through which the exhaust passage, the coating layer having the catalytic function. The coating layers have been formed so that the thickness of the coating layer of the NOx storage reduction catalyst (161) located upstream in the flow of the exhaust gas is smaller than the thickness of the coating layer of the NOx storage reduction catalyst (162) located downstream. Due to this configuration, the NOx storage reduction ccatalyst (161, 162) are inhibit from being poisoned by sulfur and high NOx removal percentage is maintained.

Abstract: An accurate determination of deterioration of a NOx storage reduction catalyst. A supply device supplies a reducing agent to the NOx catalyst to change an air fuel ratio of an exhaust gas passing through the NOx catalyst, an NH3 detection device detects NH3 in the exhaust gas at the downstream side of the NOx catalyst, a control device adjusts an amount of the reducing agent so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, and a determination device makes a determination that the NOx catalyst has deteriorated, when a detected value of the NH3 detection device becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, at the time of supplying the reducing agent while adjusting the amount of the reducing agent so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes the predetermined rich air fuel ratio.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor optical device includes the steps of growing a semiconductor stacked layer including an etch stop layer and a plurality of semiconductor layers on a major surface of a substrate; forming a mask layer on a top surface of the semiconductor stacked layer so that a tip portion of each of protrusions that protrude from the top surface among protrusions generated in the step of growing the semiconductor stacked layer is exposed; etching the protrusion by wet etching using the mask layer; after etching the protrusion by wet etching, removing the protrusion by dry etching; and removing the mask layer from the top surface, after removing the protrusion by dry etching.

Abstract: The determination of deterioration of a NOx storage reduction catalyst (4) is carried out more accurately. When a reducing agent is supplied from a supply device (5) to the NOx catalyst (4), a first supply of the reducing agent and a second supply of the reducing agent are carried out in a sequential manner by adjusting an amount of the reducing agent in such a manner that an air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, and a determination whether or not the NOx catalyst (4) has deteriorated is made based on a detected value of a detection device (8), which detects NH3 in the exhaust gas at the downstream side of the NOx catalyst (4), after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the start of the first supply of the reducing agent, and after the start of the second supply of the reducing agent.

Abstract: A NOX sensor degradation detection system includes: a three-way catalyst disposed in an exhaust passageway of an internal combustion engine; a selective reduction catalyst disposed in the exhaust passageway downstream of the three-way catalyst; a NOX sensor disposed in the exhaust passageway downstream of the selective reduction catalyst; and a controller configured to execute a rich-shift process that is a process for causing air/fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the three-way catalyst to become rich, and to determine that the NOX sensor has degraded on a condition that a measurement value from the NOX sensor does not reach nor exceed a threshold value within a prescribed time that follows start of the rich-shift process. A degradation detection method for use in the system is also provided.

Abstract: An exhaust emission control device of an internal combustion engine capable of effectively restoring an NSR catalyst from sulfur poisoning while suppressing reduction of fuel efficiency and worsening of emission, in the internal combustion engine including the NSR catalyst and SCR. An exhaust emission control device of an internal combustion engine capable of a lean burn operation includes a TWC that is placed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and supports a precious metal in an inside thereof, an NSR catalyst that is placed at an exhaust downstream side of the TWC and supports a precious metal and a base in an inside thereof, and an SCR that is placed in the exhaust passage at a downstream side of the NSR catalyst, wherein the NSR catalyst is placed in a region in which a bed temperature at a time of an operation thereof becomes 500° C. to 750° C.

Abstract: An electrostatic induction power generator includes a first base body and a second base body, which are configured to be able to reciprocate relative to each other and between which an annular clearance is formed. The electrostatic induction power generator further includes an electret provided on the first base body, and a first electrode and a second electrode provided on the second base body. The electret is formed by coating a charged dielectric material on a surface of a linear conducting wire and both of the first electrode and the second electrode are formed of a linear conducting wire.

Abstract: An electrostatic induction power generator includes a spherical member for making a distance between surfaces of a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other constant. A housing is provided with a first reference surface to which a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate is fixed and which is a positioning reference for the second substrate with respect to the surface facing the first substrate in a vertical direction, and a second reference surface with which the spherical member is slidably in contact and which is a positioning reference for the spherical member with respect to the surface facing the first substrate in the vertical direction. The spherical member is slidably in contact with a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate.

Abstract: A synchronous motor including therein a three-phase inverter and position sensors, having a unit for calculating a digital input current value from the analog output of an input current detection circuit that detects the input current flowing into the DC input terminal of the three-phase inverter, and a digital feedback speed control unit for adjusting the amplitudes and frequency of the AC voltages outputted from the three-phase inverter in such a manner that the motor speed calculated by a motor speed calculation unit 41 on the basis of the outputs of the position sensors approaches a speed command value received by a communication reception unit from outside the synchronous motor. The synchronous motor further includes therein a communication transmission unit for transmitting the input current value and the motor speed to outside the synchronous motor.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor optical device includes the steps of growing a semiconductor stacked layer including an etch stop layer and a plurality of semiconductor layers on a major surface of a substrate; forming a mask layer on a top surface of the semiconductor stacked layer so that a tip portion of each of protrusions that protrude from the top surface among protrusions generated in the step of growing the semiconductor stacked layer is exposed; etching the protrusion by wet etching using the mask layer; after etching the protrusion by wet etching, removing the protrusion by dry etching; and removing the mask layer from the top surface, after removing the protrusion by dry etching.

Abstract: An exhaust purification system for an internal combustion engine capable of lean-burn driving comprises: an NSR catalyst disposed in an exhaust passageway; an SCR disposed downstream of the NSR catalyst; a NOx sensor, disposed downstream of the SCR, for producing output in response to NOx concentration; and rich-spike means for causing a rich-spike. When the NOx sensor has produced output indicative of a NOx concentration higher than a given NOx concentration, the system increases the amount of the NOx contained in the exhaust gas discharged during the rich-spike. Under a given high-load condition, the air-fuel ratio is made stoichiometric during the rich-spike caused at a particular timing. Under a given low-load condition, the amount of exhaust gas is increased during the rich-spike.

Abstract: An operation device comprises: a plurality of operation members attached to a common supporting member; and a plurality of inserting components having the same configurations with one another. The operation members include latching apertures for securing the inserting components to the operation members and include a plurality of kinds of structure to be attached to the common supporting member so that opening directions of the latching apertures are different from one another. The inserting components include a plurality of latching projections that protrude outward from a main body, and have configurations that can engage the latching apertures in any one of the operation members. The latching projections protrude from the main body in a plurality of directions corresponding to the opening directions of the latching apertures so that any one of the latching projections can engage the latching aperture in any one of the operation members.