Abstract: A power source has a battery pack housing a plurality of interconnected battery modules wherein a plurality of single cells are connected serially. A blower is provided which forces air through the battery pack to maintain the battery modules at a correct temperature. A controller controls the blower in accordance with data provided by sensors which detect voltage, current and temperature. The controller outputs the data and a state of charge. A charging/discharging current circuit includes a relay for interrupting charging and discharging of the battery modules in the event of failure and also includes a rush current prevention resistor and a current sensor. The controller permits the power source to be maintained in a correct operating condition wherein neither overcharging nor undercharging occurs.

Abstract: Variation of the charged amount among battery blocks composing a battery assembly is detected. By subtracting the detected value of the variation from the width between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the charged amount, the movable range of the charged amount is found. The position of the present charged amount is detected as the state of charge. For example, it is arranged that both ends of the movable range are 0% and 100%, and that the movable range is the full scale. Then, the position of the charged amount on this scale is specified by the ratio %. The detection of the state of charge in which the variation in charged amount and the change of the movable range are considered, is performed, and on the basis of this state of charge, a preferable charge and discharge control is performed.

Abstract: The charge and discharge are performed by a proper electric power corresponding to the service environment of a battery and the state of the battery. When the temperature of the battery is not more than a specified temperature, or not less than another specified temperature, the upper limit value Pin-s of the charging electric power and the upper limit value Pout-s of the discharging electric power are determined so as to be smaller than those at a normal temperature. The temperature of the battery is detected, and the charging electric power and the discharging electric power are determined so that they may be not more than the upper limit values Pin-s, Pout-s of the charging and the discharging electric power at this temperature, and the charge control of the battery is performed.

Abstract: The voltage of each of battery block of a battery is detected by a voltage sensor. Further, the temperature of the battery is detected by a temperature sensor. These detected values are supplied to a detecting section of a battery ECU. A judging section reads out the threshold value of the voltage stored in a memory, on the basis of the detected values of temperature, and compares the threshold value of the voltage with the detected voltage of each of the battery blocks. Then, if at least any one is less than the threshold value of the voltage, a relay is turned off. Furthermore, the threshold value of the voltage is arranged to be the voltage at the moment when the value of the current is suddenly increased by the discharge of a constant current of the battery.

Abstract: A power supply unit of the present invention comprises a group of batteries including plural rows of cells arranged in parallel, each row of cells including plural cylindrical cells connected in series. The power supply unit further comprises refrigerant passages comprising main refrigerant passages exposed to the cells arranged in each row of cells and auxiliary refrigerant passages, the upstream sides of the auxiliary refrigerant passages being isolated from the rows of cells, and the downstream sides thereof being connected to the main refrigerant passages at positions corresponding to the midstream or downstream sides of the rows of cells.

Abstract: The invention provides long life alkaline storage batteries free from short-circuiting using plates having a punching metal as a substrate. In the alkaline storage batteries of the present invention, at least one of the positive plate and the negative plate comprises a punching metal as a substrate, the size thereof is different from that of another plate, and the plates are arranged so that the cut side of the plate having the punching metal substrate at which the substrate is cut through the punched portions does not overlap the side of the adjacent plate of opposite polarity. The plates having such a construction prevents needle-shaped projections produced by cutting the substrate through the punched portions from causing the short-circuiting with the adjacent plate of opposite polarity.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing hydrogen storage alloy particles comprises steps of obtaining a melt of the hydrogen storage alloy and pulverizing the hydrogen storage alloy by water atomizing process, whereby the melt is pulverized by contacting or colliding with high-speed jetting thereto to be dispersed in the form of solidified fine particles. By employing an aqueous solution of hypophosphorous acid or an alkali aqueous solution in place of water during the water atomizing process, or by etching the oxide films once formed on the surface of the hydrogen storage alloy particles with an aqueous solution of a strong acid, the thickness of the oxide film can be made thinner, and thus a high discharge capacity of a battery configured with a negative electrode comprising the alloy particles can be realized.

Abstract: A method of producing solvent-soluble chlorinated polyolefin as resin for paint, ink, adhesion and film-forming uses comprising suspending polyolefin powder finely pulverized to a specific surface area of 300 to 20,000 cm.sup.2 /g into aqueous medium and conducting chlorination.

Abstract: A dye solvent useful as a material for microcapsules necessary for the manufacture of pressure-sensitive manifold paper. This solvent essentially consists of a hydroaromatic compound for pressure-sensitive manifold paper. The compound is a polycyclic aromatic compound with three or more aromatic rings, some of which rings have been hydrogenated and exhibits solvency, particularly, for a black pigment and a blue pigment of leuco dye.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a coating system which is capable of uniformly applying coating materials mixed with aggregates with a low fluidity as well as homogeneity on a base material and at remarkably enhancing productivity in the coating process. The coating system according to the present invention is characterized by the provision of a hopper to contain the coating materials mixed with aggregate arranged at a position so as to place a material outlet port of the hopper above a base material conveyer and of at least one levelling roller which is rotated in the same direction as the advancing direction of the base material, and arranged at a position above said base material conveyer but ahead of said material outlet port in the advancing path of the base material. The levelling roller rotates at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of the base material conveyor.

Abstract: A tin-rich lead-bronze based forged and rolled material consisting of 9-12% of Sn, 2-8% of Pb, 1-2% of Ni and 88-78% of Cu, Pb is allowed to exist in a finely dispersed condition at the grain boundaries in the .alpha.-phase of the Cu-Sn-Ni ternary equilibrium diagram. Such finely dispersed condition is stabilized by forging and rolling to provide a texture substantially free of segregation.

Abstract: A method for producing a synthetic crystalline thermoplastic resin film suitable for stretching without necking including adding 5 to 300 parts by weight of a filler to 100 parts of a synthetic crystalline thermoplastic resin film such as polyethylene on isotactic polypropylene having a degree of crystallization of more than 60%, pressing the film against a rigid blade having a radius of curvature of 0.01 to 1.0 millimeter, bending the film around the blade using the blade as a fulcrum to a bending angle between 20.degree. and 170.degree., moving the film relative to the blade while keeping the bending angle constant thereby whitening the film, said whitening of the film being conducted without positively heating or stretching the film, and stretching the film after whitening at a draw ratio below the natural draw ratio of the film.