Abstract: A system and method for managing smart grid communication is disclosed. The system includes a communication module, a discovery module, a translation module and a smart grid module. The communication module receives data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node. The discovery module identifies a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node. The discovery module identifies a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server. The node protocol is incompatible with the server protocol. The translation module performs a protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol. The smart grid module handles the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the protocol translation.

Abstract: A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.

Abstract: Attaching work of a high-voltage cable is improved. In an electric cable connecting construction of battery packs, the high-voltage cable is connected to conductors held in resin busbar modules for connection with the general electrodes by fastening crimp terminals to the conductors. Two ribs are formed on each of the busbar modules where the crimp terminal is held therebetween to limit an entrained rotation of the crimp terminal. A difference between a gap of the two ribs on one of the adjacent battery packs and a width of the crimp terminal connected to the general electrode is set to a first gap dimension L3 and A difference between a gap and a width of the crimp terminal connected to the general electrode of the other of the adjacent battery packs is set to a second gap dimension L6 larger than the first gap dimension.

Abstract: Disclosed is a prismatic secondary battery in which a second insulating member that has a through-hole is disposed between an inversion plate and a first region of a positive electrode collector, and through the through-hole the first region of the positive electrode collector is electrically connected to the inversion plate by a connecting portion. The positive electrode collector has an annular notch portion that encircles the connecting portions connecting with the inversion plate. The product of the thickness t of the thinnest part of the notch portion and the length L of the notch portion is 0.28 to 0.57 mm2. There is thus provided a high-reliability prismatic secondary battery including, between the collector and the external terminals, a current interruption mechanism that is unlikely to be damaged even if high current flows in the battery.

Abstract: Provided is a sealed battery with improved safety and reliability in which no spark discharge or voltage recovery occurs after a current interrupt mechanism has been actuated. A sealed battery 10 includes a current interrupt mechanism 40: having an inversion plate 50 and a collector 60. The collector 60 and the inversion plate 50 are electrically and mechanically joined in the easily breakable section 61 and the inversion section 51, the easily breakable section 61 is broken and displaced together with the inversion section 51 by the displacement of the inversion section 51, and the electric connection of the collector 60 and the inversion plate 50 is interrupted. The distance between the collector 60 and the easily breakable section 61 after the displacement is within a range of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: A current interruption mechanism for prismatic secondary battery includes a tubular conductive member electrically connected to a positive electrode external terminal, an inversion plate, and a positive electrode collector connected to the inversion plate. The positive electrode collector has a first region that is parallel to a sealing body and a second region that is connected to a positive electrode plate. The boundaries between the first and second regions are disposed further outward than the inner surface of the tubular conductive member, and at least one of the edge portions, other than the boundaries between the first region and second region, is located further outward than the inner surface of the tubular portion of the conductive member. The current interruption mechanism is unlikely to be damaged even if the battery is subjected to shock due to vibration, falling, etc.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a current interruption mechanism in at least one of a conductive pathway from the positive electrode sheet to the outside of the outer body and a conductive pathway from the negative electrode sheet to the outside of the outer body. The current interruption mechanism interrupts electric current when the pressure in the outer body exceeds a predetermined value. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains an overcharge inhibitor. The overcharge inhibitor is contained in an amount of 3.0% or more and 4.5% or less with respect to the spatial volume in the outer body in terms of volume ratio. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery has excellent output characteristics in a low temperature condition and can sufficiently ensure reliability even when the battery is overcharged through two-step charging in a low temperature condition.

Abstract: A high-reliability prismatic secondary battery with a current interruption mechanism that is unlikely to be damaged even if the battery is subjected to shock is provided. The prismatic secondary battery includes a second insulating member having a first through-hole, the second insulating member being arranged between a first region of a positive electrode collector and an inversion plate. The first region of the positive electrode collector and the inversion plate are electrically connected to each other through the first through-hole. The second insulating member has a plurality of fixing pawl portions. The fixing pawl portions are hooked and fixed to a fixing portion formed on the outer surface side of the conductive member.

Abstract: Abnormal noise at a battery pack busbar module is prevented. A battery pack busbar module includes busbar accommodating portions each accommodate busbars which connect in series batteries, cover portions coupled by hinges to one of side edges of openings in the busbar accommodating portions to cover the openings, and lock portions to lock the cover portions by bringing first engagement portions provided on the other side edges of the busbar accommodating portions and second engagement portions provided on the cover portions into engagement with each other, and ribs projecting from the cover portions to come into abutment with the busbar accommodating portions are formed in positions spaced away from the lock portions, a height of the ribs being set such that the second engagement portions are not brought into engagement with the first engagement portions when the ribs abut the busbar accommodating portions.

Abstract: A crimped portion of a positive electrode external terminal is crimped on its upper end side to be electrically connected to a positive electrode terminal plate. This crimped portion is welded to the positive electrode terminal plate by applying high energy beams. The negative electrode side has a configuration similar to that of the positive electrode side. The contact area between the positive electrode terminal plate and the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set smaller than the corresponding contact area on the negative electrode side, and the volume of the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set larger than that of the corresponding crimped portion on the negative electrode side. Thus, a prismatic secondary battery is provided that shows strong joining strength between the external terminal and the terminal plate, suppressed internal resistance variations, and improved reliability.

Abstract: Provided is a sealed secondary battery having a current interrupt mechanism with a high heat resistance that prevents fusion of the current collecting plate by the Joule heat generated during high-rate charge and discharged. A current interrupt mechanism 80 of a sealed secondary battery 10 provided in accordance with the present invention is configured such that when the internal pressure inside a battery case 12 rises above the predetermined level, a current interrupt valve 30 is deformed by the internal pressure in a direction of separating from a rectangular plate-shaped current collecting plate 72 and the current collecting plate breaks in the portion of an annular groove 79 of a central thin section 74 of the current collecting plate.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell having laminated cells; a measuring unit that measures an impedance of the cell and a purging unit that performs purging to discharge residual water from a gas passage. The cell includes a wet region and a dry region which are set depending on a distribution of water in the cell when the purging is executed so as to set a total amount of water in the fuel cell to be a necessary amount of water to start up the fuel cell; the measuring unit measures the impedance at a local portion located at a boundary portion between the wet region and the dry region in the cell; and the purging unit terminates the purging when the impedance measured by the measuring means is larger than a predetermined reference threshold value.

Abstract: A plate-like conductor for a busbar, which is a clad member consisting of two copper layers derived from respective two copper plates clad on respective opposite major surfaces of an aluminum plate, an aluminum layer derived from the aluminum plate and formed integrally with the copper layers, and two alloy layers consisting of aluminum and copper and formed between the aluminum layer and the two copper layers.

Abstract: A fastening device includes first to third rotary sensors (position detecting unit) which are provided in a support arm and detect a position of a nut runner (fastening tool), and a main controller (controlling unit) which has a storage unit for storing a plurality of fastening positions of a chain cover, and drives the nut runner when a detection result from the first to third rotary sensors coincides with position information of the fastening position of the chain cover stored by the storage unit. Therefore, during a fastening work, an operator does not need to pull a trigger to drive and rotate the nut runner, thus reducing a burden on the operator during the fastening work.

Abstract: A rotary atomizing head enables cleaning by decomposing from the atomizing head, and enables internal cleaning without decomposing to individual components when paint is changed to a new one of another color. A structural component has a front wall acting as a hub, side wall extending rearward from an outer circumferential perimeter of the front wall to make a circumferentially continuous plane, legs each having a pawl and a bottom wall. The structural component is detachably mounted in a central concavity of an atomizing head body. A bottom wall of the structural component has formed a spoon-cut recess. The central concavity has an inclined circumferential wall, and the side wall of the structural component has an inclined outer circumferential surface complementary with the circumferential wall of the atomizing head body to get in substantial contact with the circumferential wall throughout the entire area of the outer circumferential wall.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exhaust gas purification catalyst that is provided with a base material and a catalyst later, which is formed on the base material and has an upstream side catalyst section and a downstream side catalyst section. Ba is added to the upstream side catalyst section and the downstream side catalyst section, the quantity of Ba added to the upstream side catalyst section is a quantity corresponding to 8 to 22 mass % relative to the total mass of a ceria-zirconia composite oxide contained in the upstream side catalyst section, and the quantity of Ba added to the downstream side catalyst section is a quantity corresponding to 3 to 7 mass % relative to the total mass of a ceria-zirconia composite oxide contained in the downstream side catalyst section 45b.

Abstract: The invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control apparatus of a hybrid power unit that selectively executes a first mode in which a ratio of a period during which an internal combustion engine is operated is relatively small, and a second mode in which the ratio of the period during which the internal combustion engine is operated is relatively large. This air-fuel ratio control apparatus executes a target air-fuel ratio correction when a difference among air-fuel ratios in a plurality of combustion chambers exists or is greater than a predetermined difference. An air-fuel ratio correction amount that is a correction amount for the target air-fuel ratio by the target air-fuel ratio correction is set according to whether operational control of the internal combustion engine according to the first mode is being executed or whether operational control of the internal combustion engine according to the second mode is being executed.

Abstract: An electrode manufacturing method includes: a coating process of applying a coating material to a metal foil while the metal foil is fed forward to form a coated foil; and a drying process of drying the coated foil by heating while the coated foil is fed forward to pass through a drying oven of a drying machine placed in line on a feeding path. The drying oven includes at least a first drying chamber which the coated foil first passes through in the drying process and a second drying chamber which the coated foil passes through following the first drying chamber. The first drying chamber has a smaller area in cross section perpendicular to the feed direction along the feeding path than an area of the second drying chamber to provide a smaller volume than a volume of the second drying chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a driving control device of an opening and closing body, which drives the opening and closing body in a closed state by a motor through an idling section thereof. The device includes a calculation section for calculating a rotation speed difference between a rotation speed of the motor in the idling section and a current rotation speed of the motor; and an insertion detection section for detecting insertion of a foreign member based on the calculated rotation speed difference and a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value monotonously decreases according to an increase in the rotation amount of the motor to coincide with a fully-closed state threshold value at a predetermined rotation amount of the motor within an error range of the rotation amount corresponding to the fully-closed state, and to maintain the fully-closed state threshold value to a maximum rotation amount in the error range.

Abstract: The present invention prevents a lock pin from coming out of a lock hole even if a fuel lid locked in a bolted manner by intrusion of the lock pin into the lock hole is pushed toward a vehicle body. A second lock hole is formed in an inner peripheral wall of the lock hole and a protruding portion formed on the lock pin is engaged in the second lock hole when the fuel lid is pushed toward the vehicle body.