Physics of shock waves and high-temperature hydrodynamic phenomena - Ya.B. Zeldovich and Yu.P. Raizer (translated from the Russian and then edited by Wallace D. Hayes and Ronald F. Probstein); Dover Publications, New York, 2002, 944 pp., $34.

A novel method by C. Zhou and R. Betti [Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 50, 140 (2005)] to assemble and ignite thermonuclear fuel is presented. Massive cryogenic shells are first imploded by direct laser light with a low implosion velocity and on a low adiabat leading to fuel assemblies with large areal densities. The assembled fuel is ignited from a central hot spot heated by the collision of a spherically convergent ignitor shock and the return shock. The resulting fuel assembly features a hot-spot pressure greater than the surrounding dense fuel pressure. Such a nonisobaric assembly requires a lower energy threshold for ignition than the conventional isobaric one. The ignitor shock can be launched by a spike in the laser power or by particle beams. The thermonuclear gain can be significantly larger than in conventional isobaric ignition for equal driver energy.

http://absimage.aps.org/image/DPP06/MWS_DPP06-2006-000513.pdf

Shock Ignition of Thermonuclear Fuel with High Areal Density

A method of charging a powertrain includes detecting an external power source in electrical communication with the powertrain, establishing a virtual network between charging control module, and transferring charge from the external power source to the powertrain.

Method for charging a powertrain

A power transmission system of a hybrid electric vehicle may include an input shaft, an output shaft, a first planetary gear set including a first rotation element directly connected to a first motor/generator, a second rotation element connected to the output shaft through an externally-meshed gear and a third rotation element directly connected to the input shaft, a second planetary gear set including a fourth rotation element directly connected to a second motor/generator, a fifth rotation element connected to the output shaft through an externally-meshed gear and a sixth rotation element selectively connected to a transmission housing and selectively connected to the first rotation element, transfer gears forming the externally-meshed gears, and frictional elements selectively connecting two rotation elements of the second planetary gear set, selectively connecting the first rotation element to the sixth rotation element, or selectively connecting the sixth rotation element to the transmission housing

Power transmission system of hybrid electric vehicle

A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit which detects an intake air negative pressure for the engine, an estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit which estimates an intake air negative pressure based on a revolution number of the engine and an opening degree of a throttle, and an engine control unit which compares an actual intake gas negative pressure obtained by the actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit with an estimated intake gas negative pressure obtained by the estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit. The engine control unit prohibits a fuel supply to the engine until the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure, and carries out the fuel supply to the engine when the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure.

Control device for hybrid vehicle

A vehicle driving apparatus is provided which can execute cranking of an internal combustion engine by transmitting a mechanical power from a rotor of a motor to an engine output shaft without executing an engaging/disengaging operation of a clutch. A driving apparatus 10 of a hybrid vehicle 1 includes a first speed change mechanism 30 capable of receiving the mechanical power from an engine output shaft 8 by a first input shaft 27 and transmitting the mechanical power to drive wheels 88, a second speed change mechanism 40 capable of receiving the mechanical power from the engine output shaft 8 and a rotor 52 by a second input shaft 28 engaged with the rotor 52 and transmitting the mechanical power to the drive wheels 88, a first clutch 21 capable of engaging the engine output shaft 8 with the first input shaft 27, and a second clutch 22 capable of engaging the engine output shaft 8 with the second input shaft 28, wherein the second clutch 22 is placed in an engaged state when operation force for executing an engaging/disengaging operation is not applied to the second clutch 22.

Drive device for vehicle

A driving apparatus (10) includes a first transmission mechanism (30) for receiving mechanical power from an engine output shaft (8) by a first input shaft (27), a second transmission mechanism (40) for receiving the mechanical power from the engine output shaft (8) and a motor (50) by a second input shaft (28), and a first clutch (21) capable of engaging the engine output shaft (8) with the first input shaft (27). When performing cranking of an internal-combustion engine (5), an ECU (100) selects a gear position of the first transmission mechanism (30) and the second transmission mechanism (40) so as to reduce speed of the mechanical power received by the second input shaft (28) and transmit the power to the first input shaft (27), and puts the first clutch (21) into an engaging state. The speed of the mechanical power from the motor (50) is reduced by the second transmission mechanism (40) and the first transmission mechanism (30) to increase torque, and the power is transmitted to the engine output shaft (8) through the first clutch (21).

Driving device for vehicle

In a power supply device of the invention, when the state of charge SOC1 of a low-voltage battery is lower than a discharging reference value Shi1 below a full charge level and when the state of charge SOC2 of a high-voltage battery is not lower than a discharging reference value Slow2 at a system-off time, the low-voltage battery is charged close to its full charge level with the electric power supplied from the high-voltage battery. The lead acid battery used for the low-voltage battery has the high potential for deterioration in the continuously low state of charge SOC. The lithium secondary battery used for the high-voltage battery has the high potential for deterioration in the continuously high state of charge SOC. The charge of the low-voltage battery in combination with the discharge of the high-voltage battery enables both the low-voltage battery and the high-voltage battery to have respective favorable states of charge with little potentials for deterioration. The technique of the invention thus effectively prevents quick deterioration of both the low-voltage battery and the high-voltage battery.

Power supply device, control method of power supply device, and motor vehicle equipped with power supply device

A fuel economy improvement assist device (1) has: accelerator operation amount detection means (12); and display control means (15a) for displaying, on a display device (20), a target value corresponding to a target accelerator operation amount and a deviation value of the detected accelerator operation amount from the target accelerator operation amount (14a). The display control means (15a) calculates an accelerator depression speed based on the detected accelerator operation amount, and variably displays the deviation value in accordance with the calculated accelerator depression speed.

Fuel economy improvement assist device and method of fuel economy improvement assist

A shift control system for hybrid vehicles which is constructed to transmit a motive energy of the prime mover to a wheel via a clutch and a transmission, comprises an electric power generating means for generating an electric power by the motive energy of the prime mover, and for supplying the generated electric power to an electric motor, when executing a gear shift of the transmission and transmitting the motive energy of the motor to the wheel.

Osamu Komeda

Papers

Drive device for vehicle

Driving device for vehicle

Power supply device, control method of power supply device, and motor vehicle equipped with power supply device

Fuel economy improvement assist device and method of fuel economy improvement assist

Shift control system for hybrid vehicles