A positive displacement pump includes a suction cover disposed in a suction access bore defined in the fluid end and housing, where the suction cover is configured to cover the suction access bore. A retainer nut is configured for abutting against the suction cover and retaining the suction cover within the suction access bore. A suction gland has an inner circumferential threaded interface configured to engage an external circumferential threaded interface defined on the retainer nut, and the suction gland has a plurality of threaded openings configured to receive a plurality of threaded fasteners that can be used for securely fastening the suction gland to the fluid end housing.

A positive displacement pump includes a suction cover disposed in a suction access bore defined in the fluid end and housing, where the suction cover is configured to cover the suction access bore. A retainer nut is configured for abutting against the suction cover and retaining the suction cover within the suction access bore. A suction gland has an inner circumferential threaded interface configured to engage an external circumferential threaded interface defined on the retainer nut, and the suction gland has a plurality of threaded openings configured to receive a plurality of threaded fasteners that can be used for securely fastening the suction gland to the fluid end housing.

An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to hold liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a vaporizer including a heating element with an internal passage at least partially defined by a surface of the heating element, and a micro pump configured to deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the internal passage of the heating element, such that the vaporizer is configured to heat the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate at the internal passage to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The micro pump may be configured to deliver a particular amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the internal passage based on the micro pump performing an individual pump cycle.

Provided are an electroosmotic pump, including: a membrane; a first electrode which is provided on one surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support; and a second electrode which is provided on the other surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support, and a fluid-pumping system including the electroosmotic pump.

Provided are an electroosmotic pump, including: a membrane; a first electrode which is provided on one surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support; and a second electrode which is provided on the other surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support, and a fluid-pumping system including the electroosmotic pump.

A piston pump assembly of an electronic controlled brake device for a vehicle includes: an inlet housing configured to accommodate a reciprocating piston and elastically support the piston; an outlet housing configured to accommodate the inlet housing and form a working chamber that allows a working fluid to be introduced from the inlet housing; an outlet ball valve accommodated in the working chamber to open and close a flow passage of the working fluid that is introduced from the inlet housing to the outlet housing; an outlet spring accommodated in the working chamber to elastically support the outlet ball valve toward the inlet housing; and a damper accommodated in the working chamber and mounted within the outlet spring to allow shape deformation while contacting the outlet ball valve. When the outlet ball valve is pushed and pressed toward an end of the working chamber, the damper generates viscous damping while discharging the accommodated working fluid into the working chamber. Accordingly, it is possible to actively reduce noise or vibration upon initial operation of the electronic controlled brake device or in a low frequency section, thereby improving ride comfort.

A functional ink that includes a precursor sol-gel solution and a solvent is provided. The precursor sol-gel solution is used for forming an oxide dielectric film having a perovskite structure represented by a general formula ABO.sub.3, and has been subjected to a partial hydrolysis process in which a viscosity change resulting from the partial hydrolysis process is controlled to be less than or equal to 50%, and water contained in the precursor sol-gel solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 0.50 times and less than or equal to 10 times by molar ratio with respect to a B site atom contained in the precursor sol-gel solution. The functional ink has a metal oxide concentration and a viscosity that renders the functional ink suitable for being discharged from a nozzle of a liquid droplet discharge apparatus included in a thin film fabrication apparatus.

Today vaporizing humidifier must achieve their desired function and operate with conflicting requirements such as cost of ownership (CoO) and regulatory guidelines. Low CoO requires high injection efficiency, low water consumption, and high energy efficiency to reduce energy consumption and running costs. All of this is sought with variable humidification and low exhaust gas temperatures from safety/regulatory viewpoints as well as ducting material selection and venting of the exhaust gases and high efficiency. To date vaporizing humidifiers have been partially successful utilizing a single stage heat exchanger that could not extract latent energy from exhaust gases because the secondary fluid is boiling water. High exhaust temperature requires high temperature stainless steel exhaust venting. Embodiments of the invention provide dual-stage humidification systems with an effective design for achieving the conflicting objectives under variable humidification operation as well as addressing the control loop design of such dual-stage humidification systems.

A motor-driven fluid pump has a positive displacement rotary pumping element with an offset circular cam carried outwardly of the element, the cam being rotated with the pumping element by contact with pistons carried radially by the pumping element. Ends of the pistons are spherical and bear directly on the cam's inner surface. During breaking in of each pump, the piston ends wear a single concave groove in the inner surface of the cam, which helps to stabilize the pistons. The pump maintains a constant mass flow rate for a given input command by adjusting for fluid type, measured fluid operating temperature, and changing motor speed. The pump also maintains a constant flow output for its life by adjusting for internal wear; it also predicts its remaining life by comparing its current motor speed for a given flow against the maximum allowable motor speed.

A case for an electronic cigarette vaporiser, the case including an automatic lifting mechanism that lifts the vaporiser up a few mm from the case to enable a user to easily grasp the vaporiser and withdraw it from the case. The lifting mechanism can be spring- based. The case both re-fills the vaporiser with liquid and also re-charges a battery in the vaporiser.