Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a control valve and a controller. The fuel cell is configured to receive anode gas and cathode gas to generate electric power. The control valve is configured to control pressure of the anode gas being fed to the fuel cell through an anode flow channel. The controller controls the control valve to periodically increase and decrease the pressure of the anode gas flowing through the anode flow channel in an area downstream of the control valve. The controller sets an anode pressure differential value for the anode gas resulting from periodic increasing and decreasing of the pressure of the anode gas based on a requested fuel cell output. The controller determines a quantity of liquid in the anode flow channel. The controller decreases the anode pressure differential value that was set based on the requested fuel cell output.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a control valve and a controller. The controller controls the control valve to periodically increase and decrease the anode gas pressure downstream of the control valve. The controller executes a shutdown/restart operation of the fuel cell by closing the control valve to stop the anode gas and shutting down power generation of the fuel cell upon receiving a shutdown command, and restarting feeding of the anode gas and restarting the power generation upon a prescribed operation restart condition being met. The controller estimates an anode gas concentration at a location where the anode gas concentration is locally lower within a power generation region of the fuel cell based on a control state of the anode gas when the shutdown command is issued. The controller sets the prescribed operation restart condition for executing the shutdown/restart operation based on the anode gas concentration.

Abstract: An accelerator reaction force control apparatus has an accelerator position detecting device that detects an accelerator position and a reaction force varying device that varies a reaction force of an accelerator. The reaction force varying device increases the accelerator's reaction force beyond a base reaction force in response to the accelerator position being equal to or larger than a reaction force increase threshold, and decreases the accelerator's reaction force toward the base reaction force in response to the accelerator position becoming equal to or smaller than a reaction force increase cancellation threshold after the reaction force has been increased beyond the base reaction force. The reaction force varying device varies a reaction force decrease rate at which the accelerator's reaction force is decreased based on an accelerator position change condition existing at a time when the accelerator position becomes equal to or smaller than the reaction force increase cancellation threshold.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a control valve and a controller. The controller controls the control valve to periodically increase and decrease the anode gas pressure downstream of the control valve. The controller executes a shutdown operation of the fuel cell by closing the control valve to stop the anode gas and shutting down power generation of the fuel cell upon receiving a shutdown command. The controller estimates an anode gas concentration at a location where the anode gas concentration is locally lower within a power generation region of the fuel cell based on a control state of the anode gas at a time the shutdown command is issued. The controller determines whether to permit or prohibit shutting down the power generating operation based on the anode gas concentration.

Abstract: A vehicle running control method includes detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle; detecting a dynamic state of the vehicle; detecting an operation of the vehicle, the step of detecting including detecting at least a first steering operation amount of a driver; generating a collision avoidance route; calculating a second steering operation amount, the second steering operation amount being a steering operation amount necessary to be added to the first steering operation amount for following the generated collision avoidance route; and performing running control of the vehicle based on the generated collision avoidance route. When the vehicle is in a state of avoiding a collision, if the first steering operation amount is insufficient for following the generated collision avoidance route, the running control of the vehicle is implemented such that the second steering operation amount is used to compensate for the insufficiency of the first steering operation amount.

Abstract: A laser welding method basically includes providing a robot that is moveably in accordance with predetermined movement data, and controlling the controlling a laser beam emitting section of the robot to emit a laser beam onto a predetermined irradiation position of a workpiece to conduct welding. The laser welding method further includes: measuring a current movement position of the robot with respect to a movement position specified in the predetermined movement data; operating of the robot to change the current movement position of the robot to a prescribed position based on the predetermined movement data; and adjusting a laser emission direction by controlling an emission changing section of the laser beam emitting section based on the current movement position of the robot and the predetermined movement data such that a laser beam is emitted from the laser beam emitting section and strikes the predetermined irradiation position of the workpiece.

Abstract: A polymer battery is provided with a positive electrode active material layer, a negative electrode active material layer placed in opposition to the positive electrode active material layer, a polymer electrolyte layer disposed between the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer, and a distance defining member included in the polymer electrolyte layer to define a distance between the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing a press-molded product with a preform including a pair of side wall portions and a connecting wall portion are taught. The preform is pressed with a mold until at least one wall portion is bent toward a gap within the mold, and a plate thickness is increased at the at least one wall portion and the connecting wall portion by pressing other wall portions.

Abstract: In a vacuum container (2), a bag-shaped laminate film (12) containing a battery element (11) and having an opening (12a) is pinched at positions corresponding to two principal surfaces (11a) of the battery element (11), the battery element (11) having a positive layer and a negative layer stacked via a separator. Pressure in the vacuum container (2) is reduced. An electrolytic solution (20) is poured from an electrolytic-solution supply line (4) into the bag-shaped laminate film (12) through the opening (12a) with pressure in the vacuum container (2) kept reduced until the entire battery element (11) is immersed in the electrolytic solution (20). The reduced pressure in the vacuum container (2) is increased to make the battery element (11) absorb the electrolytic solution (20) by means of the difference in pressure.

Abstract: A fuel tank has a fuel tank body with an upper wall and a lower wall, an upper recess formed in the upper wall and a lower recess formed in the lower wall, and at a cover that seals the one of the upper recess or the lower recess. The upper recess and the lower recess extend into the fuel tank. Soles of the upper recess and the lower recess are abutted against each other and joined to form a first joint.

Abstract: A diaphragm actuator is operated by the pressure difference between a pressure chamber and a negative pressure chamber, and causes an operating shaft to slide through a wall portion of the negative pressure chamber. When the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is highly negative, ambient air leaks along a shaft seal and flows through the negative pressure chamber into a suction manifold of an engine, resulting in fluctuation of the air-fuel ratio. According to the present invention, the shaft seal includes a sealing diaphragm mounted on the wall portion, which supports a movable annular member. This annular member has a tapered surface by which an O-ring is compressed axially and radially inwardly against the operating shaft. The compression force applied to the O-ring increases as the negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber becomes higher.