Abstract: Glass raw material particles are dropped from an oxygen combustion burner 24, and the glass raw material particles are heated by a flame F of an oxygen combustion burner 24 and a thermal plasma P, to melt the particles. Liquid glass particles 30 produced by the melting fall downwardly in a melting tank 12, and fall on a surface of a molten glass liquid G in the melting tank 12. Then, an upper layer G1 of the molten glass liquid G is heated by electrodes 40, 40 of a heating apparatus 38 provided in the melting tank 12. By this method, air and residual gas generated in the molten glass liquid G and the liquid glass particles 30 fallen onto the surface of the molten glass liquid G, become bubbles, surface and are smoothly discharged.

Abstract: The present invention provides (i) a process for producing molten glass from glass raw material particles and glass cullet pieces by an in-flight melting method; (ii) a process for producing glass products using the process (i); (iii) a glass melting furnace for carrying out this process (i); and (iv) an apparatus for producing glass products using the melting furnace (iii).

Abstract: An apparatus for producing molten glass, a process for producing molten glass, an apparatus for producing a glass product and a process for producing a glass product, which are capable of preventing deterioration of the quality of molten glass caused by deposition of scattered particles on a furnace wall or a flue. In the present invention, together with the operation of introducing and melting glass material particles by an oxygen combustion burner, glass cullet pieces are dropped from glass cullet pieces-introducing tubes to form a substantially cylindrical enclosure around a flame by a flow of glass cullet pieces. That is, glass cullet pieces are dropped from eight glass cullet pieces-introducing tubes to partition off the furnace wall from the flame. And, particles scattering from the flame are captured as deposits on the surface of falling glass cullet pieces and dropped into a glass melt in the melt reservoir.

Abstract: A glass-melting furnace, which suppresses the effect of exhaust gas on molten glass quality, a process for producing molten glass, and a process and apparatus for producing glass products. The glass-melting furnace containing: a raw glass material particle feed portion disposed downwardly at a furnace wall portion in an upper portion of the glass-melting furnace; a heating unit provided under the feed portion, which forms a gas phase portion for converting raw glass material particles into liquid glass particles; a flue inlet disposed on the upstream side of the gas phase portion in a flow direction of the molten glass liquid; a furnace-bottom portion, which accumulates the liquid glass particles that produce the molten glass liquid; and a discharge portion, which discharges the molten glass liquid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a Stirling engine capable of effectively recovering heat from exhaust gas flowing through a flue, and connecting a heating portion 10 and a regeneration portion 5 with each other through an operation gas tube without providing a flow passage separating portion 110, and the heating portion 10 includes a heating portion head 10a and a heat-transfer tube group, the heating portion head 10a includes first through holes 30R and second through holes 30S, the first through holes 30R are formed closer to a center region of the heating portion head 10a as compared with the second through holes 30S, one ends of U-shaped tubes are mounted in the first through holes 30R and the other ends of them are mounted in the second through holes 30S, and parallel exhaust gas flow passages is formed between the U-shaped tubes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a Stirling engine capable of effectively recovering heat from exhaust gas flowing through a flue 42, and capable of connecting a heating portion 10 and a regeneration portion 5 with each other through an operation gas tube without providing a flow passage separating portion 110, and as the removing mode, number of revolutions of the Stirling engine is reduced, an operation of the Stirling engine is stopped, an amount of generated electricity at the Stirling engine is reduced, or the Stirling engine is reversely rotated.

Abstract: The present invention provides (i) a glass melting furnace, (ii) a process for producing molten glass, (iii) an apparatus for producing a glass product, and (iv) a process for producing a glass product, which are capable of preventing deterioration of the quality of molten glass caused by deposition of particles floating on a wall of the furnace. The melting furnace described herein includes a melting tank in which a flue located substantially at the center of a ceiling wall and a number of first heating units are disposed, such that particles floating in the furnace are suctioned off by a suction power of the flue and discharged from the furnace without being directed to a surrounding furnace wall. This drastically reduces the amount of floating particles deposited on the furnace wall, which prevents damage to the furnace wall and deterioration of the quality of glass produced therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a molten glass which can produce a molten glass having a good quality, a glass-melting furnace, a process for producing glass products and an apparatus for producing glass products. While an oxygen combustion burner 20 is rotated by a motor 38, glass raw material particles (not shown) are dropped into a high-temperature gas phase atmosphere produced by a flame F of the oxygen combustion burner 20, to be changed into liquid glass particles. By rotation of an outlet (nozzle) of the oxygen combustion burner 20, the falling position of the liquid glass particles 26, 26 . . . changes with time. Accordingly, generation of bubbles caused by continuous fall of the liquid glass particles in a particular position on a molten glass liquid surface is prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to produce a molten glass having a good quality with few bubbles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass-melting furnace etc. which can maintain homogeneity of molten glass in an apparatus and a process for producing molten glass by melting glass raw material particles and glass cullet pieces. In the present invention, glass raw material particles are dropped from a glass raw material particle heating unit 14 constituted by oxygen combustion burners 34, 34 . . . and a glass raw material particle feed portion, and the glass raw material particles are changed into liquid glass particles 38, 38 . . . in high-temperature gas phases produced by flames 32, 32 . . . of oxygen combustion burners 34, 34 . . . . In the step of heating and melting the glass raw material particles, glass cullet pieces 30, 30 . . . are feed by an feed means 40 of a glass cullet piece feed portion 12 so as to be spread radially toward the plurality of flames 32, 32 . . . around the feed portion.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes frictional engagement elements which include a multiple use frictional engagement element applied in common when a first speed stage of the D range, the R range, the P position, and the N range are selected, a first hydraulic pressure supply source for engaging the multiple use frictional engagement element, a second hydraulic pressure supply source for engaging the multiple use frictional engagement element, and a switching mechanism switching a first state where a pressure is supplied from the first hydraulic pressure supply source when the P position or the N range is selected and a second state where the engaging hydraulic pressure is supplied from the second hydraulic pressure supply when the D range or the R range is selected. The switching mechanism switches the first state and the second state in accordance with a level of pressures outputted from a range selector valve.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control apparatus for a torque converter includes a relay valve switching levels of a hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic power transmission chamber and establishing selective connections between a cooler and the hydraulic power transmission chamber or between the cooler and a hydraulic pressure supply source of which a flow amount of the operational fluid is regulated by a first orifice, an electronic control unit controlling operations of the relay valve, a hydraulic pressure declination determining portion judging whether the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic pressure supply source is lower than a threshold value based on a predetermined vehicle state, and a switching command outputting portion outputting a command to connect the cooler and the hydraulic pressure supply source by the relay valve when the hydraulic pressure declination determining portion determines that the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic pressure supply source is lower than the threshold value.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control apparatus for a torque converter, the torque converter including a pump impeller configured to rotate, a turbine runner configured to rotate in response to fluid transmitted from the pump impeller and a lock-up clutch adapted to directly connect the turbine runner to a power source, includes a control valve outputting a lock-up pressure for engaging the lock-up clutch by controlling a hydraulic pressure outputted by a hydraulic pressure source and a relay valve including a first switching portion for selectively allowing and interrupting a communication between the control valve and the lock-up clutch, wherein the relay valve interrupts the communication between the control valve and the lock-up clutch by means of the first switching portion when a value of the lock-up pressure outputted by the control valve is a predetermined value or more.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control apparatus for a hydraulic power transmission, the hydraulic power transmission including a pump impeller configured to rotate, a turbine runner configured to rotate in response to fluid transmitted from the pump impeller, a lock-up clutch adapted to directly connect the turbine runner to a power source and an impeller clutch adapted to disconnect the pump impeller from the power source, wherein the hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes a switching valve provided at a fluid passage connecting the impeller clutch and a hydraulic pressure source and selectively connecting the impeller clutch to one of the hydraulic pressure source and a first control valve controlling a hydraulic pressure applied to the lock-up clutch.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control apparatus for a hydraulic power transmission, which includes a pump impeller, a turbine runner, and a multi-plate impeller clutch, the multi-plate impeller clutch configured to engage the pump impeller to a power source by supplying a hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic pressure chamber. The apparatus further includes a control valve for controlling the hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the hydraulic pressure chamber, a fail valve disposed between the hydraulic pressure chamber and the control valve for selectively connecting the hydraulic pressure chamber and the control valve or the hydraulic pressure chamber and a source of a hydraulic pressure, and an electronic control portion controlling operations of the control valve and the fail valve. The hydraulic pressure chamber is connected to the source of the hydraulic pressure when at least one of the control valve, the fail valve, and the electronic control portion fails.

Abstract: A weight and gradient estimation apparatus a height calculation portion calculating a height displacement of a road based on a first predetermined information obtained at a first time and a second predetermined information obtained at a second time after a predetermined time elapses since the first time, a gradient calculation portion calculating a road surface gradient based on the height displacement calculated by the height calculation portion and a moving distance of a vehicle from the first time to the second time, and a weight calculation portion calculating a weight of the vehicle based on the road surface gradient calculated by the gradient calculation portion, an acceleration of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, and an output torque of the vehicle.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure controlling apparatus includes a hydraulic pressure controlling portion controlling a hydraulic pressure supplied to plural engagement elements of an automatic transmission apparatus, a mechanical oil pump supplying the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic pressure controlling portion, an electric oil pump supplying the hydraulic pressure to a starting shift stage engagement element, and an electronic controlling portion controlling operations of the hydraulic pressure controlling portion, a power source and the electronic oil pump based on a signal indicating a predetermined state of a vehicle, wherein the electronic controlling portion controls the hydraulic pressure controlling portion so as to forbid a shifting to a shift stage, which is likely to induce an interlock at the automatic transmission apparatus, based on an engagement of the starting shift stage engagement element in a case where the electronic controlling portion determines that the electric oil pump is in an on-fail state

Abstract: An airframe (1a) having a main body (4) and a tail body, a main rotor (6) disposed above the main body (4) and driven by an engine inside the airframe (1a), and a tail rotor disposed in a rear part of the tail body (5) are provided. A pair of support legs (8, 8) at left and right sides extending downward from left and right sides in a lower part of the main body (4) and a pair of skids (9) on left and right sides provided on the lower ends of the support legs (8) and positioned out of the main body (4) in the width direction of the airframe (1a) in a front view are provided. A radiator (71) at a position more frontward than the front ends of the skids (9) in a side view, formed extendedly downward from the vicinity of a bottom surface (83) of the front part of the main body, and having wind reception surfaces oriented to the longitudinal direction of the airframe is provided.

Abstract: An exhaust-gas after-treatment device having an oxygen storage capacitor substance which releases oxygen when the exhaust-gas is rich in air-fuel ratio and stores oxygen and heats up by itself when the exhaust-gas is lean in air-fuel ratio. The air-fuel ratio for the exhaust-gas flowing into the device is regulated so as to alternately come into the rich condition and the lean condition when the temperature of the exhaust-gas is not higher than a given temperature and when the device is not in a regeneration condition. Thus, when the device having a deNOx catalyst and a diesel particulate filter is not in a regeneration condition, the temperature of the device is raised by utilizing the self-heating function of the oxygen storage capacitor substance during oxygen absorption. As a result, the purification rate for NOx and particulate matter at the time when the temperature of the exhaust-gas is low is improved.

Abstract: In an apparatus for manufacturing thin sheet glass, comprising a forming body 12 including a main body having a cross-sectional shape converging downwardly, the main body being configured to converging streams of molten glass into a single glass ribbon at a lower converged edge portion thereof, the streams of the molten glass flowing down along both surface of the main body; and edge members, the edge members being configured to restrict a width of the molten glass, wherein the glass ribbon formed by the forming body 12 is downwardly pulled to form thin sheet glass; the apparatus further includes a non-contact support member disposed in the vicinity of the lower converged edge portion of the main body, the non-contact support member being configured to form a thin gas layer on a supporting surface thereof, wherein the glass ribbon is supported over an entire width thereof in a non-contact way by the non-contact support member in a course wherein the glass ribbon is downwardly pulled.

Abstract: In a hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission, a valve element of an accumulator closes communication between a pressure switch circuit and a detection circuit when a hydraulic pressure applied to the detection circuit is lower than a predetermined hydraulic pressure, and opens communication between the pressure switch circuit and the detection circuit when the applied pressure is higher than or equal to the predetermined hydraulic pressure. A switching element opens communication between one end of the pressure switch circuit and an exhaust circuit when the other end of the pressure switch circuit does not communicate with the detection circuit, and closes communication between the one end and the exhaust circuit when the other end communicates with the detection circuit.