Abstract: [Technical Problem] It is an object to provide a device for a single-crystal growth and a method of a single-crystal growth in which even when materials that are different in, for example, a melting point or a diameter are to be grown, the conditions for the stable growth of a single crystal can be obtained and a high-quality single crystal having a desired diameter can hence be grown. In addition, the device and the method have a reduced fluctuation of heating intensity to facilitate a crystal growth. [Solution of Problem] A device for a single-crystal growth is provided with a raw material rod (14) that is supported by an upper crystal driving shaft (8), a seed crystal rod (16) that is supported by a lower crystal driving shaft (12), and a heating means, and a contact part of the raw material rod (14) with the seed crystal rod (16) is heated with a heating means to form a melting zone (18) and grow a single crystal.

Abstract: PrBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.Y exhibiting superconductivity is provided by a method including the steps of preparing a solvent consisting of a mixture of praseodymium oxide, at least one of barium oxide and barium carbonate, and copper oxide at a mixing ratio of between 1:3:5 and 1:8:20, disposing the solvent between a feed rod of PrBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 formed to a high density and a seed crystal, heating the solvent to a temperature of 880.degree.-980.degree. C. in an atmosphere of an inert gas of at least one of argon and nitrogen mixed with 0.01-2% oxygen to form a floating solvent zone, moving the floating solvent zone toward the feed rod at 0.1-1.0 mm/hr under a temperature gradient at the solid-liquid interface of 25.degree.-35.degree. C./mm to precipitate single crystal on the seed crystal, and heat-treating the single crystal obtained in an atmosphere containing not less than 15% oxygen. Another aspect of the invention provides a superconducting device including the superconducting PrBa.sub.2 Cu.

Abstract: Disclosed is an engine having an air-fuel ratio control apparatus for obtaining various air-fuel ratios, the range of which is between the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or lower than that ratio and the high air-fuel ratio providing a very lean air-fuel mixture. A plurality of ignition timing maps is provided, these maps having a respective order of priority determined by the air-fuel ratio. During operation of the engine, parameters substantially related to the air-fuel ratio ranges are detected, and a map having the highest order of priority is selected from the maps which meet the engine parameters. The ignition timing is calculated from the selected map.

Abstract: An ignition timing control system mounted at an internal combustion engine, particularly, a non-surge tank type engine, is constituted by a crank angle sensor, an engine rotational speed sensor, an intake pipe air pressure sensor, and a microcomputer. In the microcomputer, an intake pipe air pressure correction unit for calculating a correction term and for obtaining a corrected intake pipe air pressure value, an optimal advanced angle calculation unit for obtaining an optimal advanced crank angle based on a control map having an optimal advanced angle between the corrected intake pipe air pressure and the engine rotational speed, and an ignition command unit for commanding an ON/OFF timing of a primary current of an ignition coil, are provided.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, when the opening of a throttle valve is smaller than a relatively small definite value, the feedback of the air-fuel ratio of the engine is controlled so that the air-fuel ratio is brought close to a first target air-fuel ratio. When the opening of the throttle valve is equal to or larger than a relatively small definite value and is smaller than a relatively large definite value, the feedback of the air-fuel ratio of the engine is controlled so that the air-fuel ratio is brought close to a second target air-fuel ratio on the rich side with respect to the first target air-fuel ratio. Further, when the opening of the throttle valve is equal to or larger than the relatively large definite value, the air-fuel ratio of the engine is controlled to be a power fuel increment air-fuel ratio.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve, a flag or switch having hysteresis characteristics using the operation of the throttle valve is provided.

Abstract: In the fuel control for an engine for which cut off of fuel supply is performed while the engine is in the decelerating operation condition, at the time of fuel cut off termination, an injection of fuel through a fuel injector into an intake system of the engine is supplied at substantially the same time as stopping the fuel cut off, wherein the amount of such fuel injection is controlled according to the temperature of the air being sucked into the engine intake system so as to be decreased as the air temperature increases.

Abstract: An engine fuel supply system has a main conduit which supplies fuel into an intake passage, a means for regulating fuel flow through this main conduit through a range of values according to the value of a control signal with the fuel flow provided when the control signal is zero being a basic non zero value, a power conduit which selectively supplies fuel into the intake passage, and a means for opening or closing the power conduit. When the power conduit is closed: a basic value Sb for the main conduit control signal is determined according to engine operational parameters; a value Sn is added to Sb; a multiplicative correction is applied; and the main conduit control signal value is determined by subtracting Sn.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, the concentration of a specific composition is detected, and the fluctuation thereof is calculated. Surging in the engine is detected by comparing the calculated fluctuation with a predetermined value.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine wherein feedback control of the air-fuel ratio is carried out in accordance with the concentration of a specific composition in the exhaust gas, so that the air-fuel ratio is close to an aimed air-fuel ratio, the atmospheric pressure is detected, and the aimed air-fuel ratio is varied in accordance with the detected atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, feedback control of the air-fuel ratio is carried out in accordance with the concentration of a specific composition in the exhaust gas, so that the air-fuel ratio is close to a target air-fuel ratio on the lean side with respect to the stoichimetric air-fuel ratio, the target air-fuel ratio is variable in accordance with the engine temperature.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having two bypass air passages for controlling the idling speed, one (first) of the bypass air passages is controlled in accordance with the engine speed, and the other (second) is controlled in accordance with the ON and OFF state of an electrical load such as an air conditioner. When the electrical load is in the ON state, the first bypass air passage is not closed. Also, before a predetermined time period passes after the electrical load is changed from the ON state to the OFF state, the first bypass air passage is not closed.

Abstract: Synchronous fuel injection amount of injected from a fuel injector in synchronization with rotation of an engine is controlled in relation to the second time differential of either the intake pipe pressure or intake flow rate.

Abstract: An engine having a swirl control valve in the intake port. When the engine is operating at a low speed, a lean air-fuel mixture is fed into the engine cylinder, and a swirl control valve is closed in order to create a swirl motion in the combustion chamber. When a predetermined time elapses after the engine operating state is changed from the low speed-light load state to the low speed-heavy load state, the vacuum chamber of an actuator actuating the swirl control valve is opened to the outside air and, thereby, the swirl control valve is forced to open to the maximum extent. At the same time, the air-fuel mixture fed into the engine cylinder is changed to an air-fuel mixture of an approximately stoichiometric air-fuel ratio from the lean air-fuel mixture.

Abstract: Disclosed is an engine having a swirl control valve in the intake port. When the engine is operating under a partial load, a lean air-fuel mixture is fed into the engine cylinders, and the swirl control valve is closed in order to create a swirl motion in the combustion chamber. When the throttle valve is fully open, a rich air-fuel mixture is fed into the engine cylinders, and the swirl control valve is closed. In addition, the ignition timing is retarded. After this, when the throttle valve is slightly closed, the swirl control valve is maintained at the open position, and the air-fuel mixture of an approximately stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is fed into the engine cylinders. At the same time, the ignition timing is slightly advanced.

Abstract: A control device determining the air-fuel ratio in the leanest fashion or in the leaner fashion depending on the position of the throttle valve. The ignition timing is also determined in relation to the air-fuel ratio. The ignition timing is advanced when the air-fuel ratio is in the leanest fashion and the ignition timing is retarded with respect to the former timing when the air-fuel ratio is in the leaner fashion. The control device further causes a delay in change-over of the ignition timing between two timing patterns relative to the change-over of the air fuel ratio when the opening of the throttle valve is changed beyond the predetermined value.

Abstract: A bypass passage bypassing a throttle valve and communicating a portion upstream of the throttle valve with a portion downstream of the throttle valve is blocked when an engine speed is increased to the upper limit value or more of a predetermined range or the bypass passage is opened when the engine speed is decreased to the lower limit value or less of the predetermined range, whereby the engine speed during idling is controlled to a value within the predetermined range. An idle speed is stabilized by opening the bypass passage immediately after the start and during warm-up process, where the engine speed is particularly instable during idling. Furthermore, the period of time of opening or blocking the bypass passage is shortened in accordance with the increase in a difference between the upper or lower limit of the predetermined range and the engine speed, whereby the engine speed is controlled so as to be quickly to a value within the predetermined range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing air/fuel ratio feedback control for an internal combustion engine by comparing the results of the two comparisons; (a) comparing a determined (i.e., decision) value with a measured value detected by an oxygen sensor, and (b) comparing the determined value with a reference value, so as to determine if either is relatively large or small. Further included is an arrangement for determining whether the determined value coincides with the measured value as well as whether it coincides with the reference value, and then increasing or decreasing the determined value in accordance with the result of the determination (comparison), thereby correcting an abnormal condition of the determined (i.e., decision) value whenever the determined value is displaced from a normal condition due to injected random noise.

Abstract: An electronic engine control apparatus and method for computing various engine operating parameters such as fuel injection amount on the basis of input signals from a temperature sensor which detects engine temperature, wherein the signals from the temperature sensor are read more frequently before the complete explosion (i.e., running without a starter motor) of the engine than after attainment of complete explosion (i.e., after a start period) so that degradation of accuracy in the computed fuel injection amount, due to variation of the input signals from the temperature sensor which is caused by the starting motor, is reduced.

Abstract: In a method wherein a fuel injection time duration is allowed to perform a proportional-plus-integral action by the use of an air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient obtained from the output of an O.sub.2 sensor thereby to control an air-fuel ratio to a target air-fuel ratio, a correction value for allowing a mean value of the air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient to approach a predetermined value is varied every time the air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient skips a plurality of times, thereby to learn-control the air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture to be a stoichiometric one.