Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Yuji Itoh

Kiyohito Murata

Takashi Noro

Toshitake Sasaki

Seiji Ohmura

When electric power is obtained from a thermoelectric element, a value of electric current is changed, and two combinations of the electric current value and a voltage value (i, V) and (iand V) are obtained. An electric current value iat which the maximum electric power Wmax can be obtained is obtained using an electric current-voltage characteristic estimated based on the obtained two combinations of the electric current value and the voltage value. The electric current is controlled such that the value of the electric current becomes equal to the obtained value iwhen the electric power is obtained from the thermoelectric element. The value iis represented by an equation,=()/().

Electric power generating apparatus and control method for electric power generating apparatus

A method of grinding the outer circumferential surface of a workpieceformed of a hard and brittle material into a predetermined shape using a grinding wheel while rotating the workpieceis disclosed. The method includes plunge grinding the workpieceat an arbitrary portion (plunge ground portion) in the longitudinal direction of the workpieceby causing the grinding wheel to come in contact with the workpiecein a direction which intersects a rotational axisof the workpiece, and traverse grinding the workpiecetoward the plunge ground portionby moving the grinding wheel relative to the workpiecein a direction parallel to the rotational axisof the workpiece. This allows the outer circumferential surface of the workpiece made of a hard and brittle material, such as a honeycomb structure used for a DPF, to be ground into a predetermined shape in a short time, and prevents occurrence of chipping during grinding.

Grinding method

The exhaust heat recovery system of the invention includes: a thermoelectric conversion element that generates electric energy by thermoelectric conversion using heat of exhaust gas discharged from an engine; and a heat pump including a heat recovery unit that absorbs the heat contained in the exhaust gas through an endothermic reaction using a heating medium, and a heat generation unit which generates heat through an exothermic reaction of the heating medium and which supplies the heat to the thermoelectric conversion element. With this configuration, the thermoelectric conversion element and the heat generation unit are movably attached to each other such that they can be placed in contact with and separated from each other, and the heat recovery unit is positioned in an exhaust gas passage in an exhaust gas downstream flow direction from the heat generation unit.

Exhaust heat recovery system

In a device for controlling the flow rate of a hydraulic operating fluid from a pump to a hydraulic motor for driving an engine cooling fan in a vehicle by modifying either the cross sectional opening area of a variable flow constriction means in the fluid conducting passage while maintaining a constant pressure difference across the flow constriction means by a pressure control valve responsive to the pressure difference across the flow constriction means or the pressure difference by selectively partly leaking the pressure transmitted from the downstream side of the flow constriction means to a rear side of the pressure control valve, a cold state relief means is provided to temporarily relieve the rear side of the pressure control valve at cold start of the engine to avoid abnormally high fluid pressure being supplied to the motor due to delayed response of the pressure control valve under high viscosity of the operating fluid at low temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Yuji Itoh