A diverter is provided for use in directing airflow from an input port to selected output ports. The diverter allows for operation without valves, and is able to provide an air signal to selected output ports in a predetermined manner. The diverter having a rotatable member, or swivel valve, directing air signals to the desired output port depending on the rotational position thereof. The diverter is driven by a controlled actuator or motor, to thus control the manner in which air signals are provided to a plurality of output ports in a controlled manner.

In order to accurately judge whether or not there is a seat leakage in the first valve and the second valve in a short period of time, a fluid control apparatus comprises a fluid resistor arranged in a flow channel, a first valve arranged upstream of the fluid resistor, a first pressure sensor that measures a pressure in a first volume between the first valve and the fluid resistor in the flow channel, a second valve arranged downstream of the fluid resistor, a second pressure sensor that measures a pressure in a second volume between the fluid resistor and the second valve, a valve controller that controls the first or second valve, and a seat leakage judging part that judges whether or not there is a seat leakage in the valve valves based on the pressure sensors in a state where the valves are fully closed.

In order to provide a piezo valve in which it is possible to accurately predict the remaining lifespan of a piezo actuator, there are provided a valve seat, a valve body that is able to move between a fully closed position in contact with the valve seat and a fully open position, a piezo actuator that drives the valve body, a drive circuit that receives an input signal, and outputs to the piezo actuator a corresponding drive voltage, and a leakage current detector that, when the drive circuit outputs a voltage equal to or greater than a maximum rated voltage that drives the valve body to the fully closed/open position, detects leakage current from the piezo actuator. When the leakage current is detected or in a state immediately prior to detection, a fluid is flowing between the valve seat and the valve body.

In some examples, a pressure reducing valve includes a valve body defining a defining a flow path and a restricting element within the flow path. A sensing element is configured to modify a position of the restricting element in the flow path. The sensing element defines a first area in fluid communication with the flow path and a second area fluidly isolated from the flow path. The pressure reducing valve includes control circuitry configured to determine a differential pressure over a section of the flow path, determine a position of the restricting element, and determine a flow rate based on the differential pressure and the position of the restricting element.

A flow control device includes a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet. A flow vane is coupled to the valve body and disposed in the flow path to divide a flow of fluid through the valve body. The flow vane has a first surface, a second surface, and a corrugation formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces. A control element is disposed in the flow path and movable in the valve body between an open position and a closed position.

A flow control device includes a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet. A flow vane is coupled to the valve body and disposed in the flow path to divide a flow of fluid through the valve body. The flow vane has a first surface, a second surface, and a corrugation formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces. A control element is disposed in the flow path and movable in the valve body between an open position and a closed position.

A Centering Electronic Rotary Valve (CERV) includes a drive system and a rotor structure comprising a rotor fluid channel input opening communicated with a rotor fluid channel output opening via a rotor fluid directional channel that is moveable via a rotor shaft. The rotor fluid channel input opening is adjacent to and aligned with one of a plurality of stator input channel bottom opening. The rotor fluid channel output opening is adjacent to and aligned with at least one of the plurality of stator output channel bottom openings. The drive system includes a motor and a microprocessor for (i) controlling the rotor shaft to rotate about an axis M and (ii) for positioning the rotor shaft at a defined circumferential position.

Calibration of a valve in a vacuum system and providing a diagnostic indication in the vacuum system using the calibration includes measuring conductance of the valve as a function of angular valve position and generating a conductance calibration map or function for use during operation of the valve. An actual angular valve position is set based on the received set point angular valve position and a difference between the measured valve conductance and a predefined metric of conductance versus angular valve position. An actual system conductance and a difference between the actual system conductance and a reference system conductance for the system are determined. The diagnostic indication of a fault in the system is generated based on the actual angular valve position of the valve and the difference between the actual system conductance and the reference system conductance for the system.

A valve module (1) for mounting on a valve module carrier (2), the valve module (1) being of plate-shaped design, extending in a longitudinal direction (x), and being subdivided into a plurality of longitudinal sections adjoining one another in the longitudinal direction (x), the valve module having, as a first longitudinal section, a main valve section (8) with a first main valve (9), and, as a second longitudinal section adjoining the main valve section (8) in the longitudinal direction (x), a pilot section (10) with a pilot valve (11) for actuating the first main valve (9), the valve module (1) further having, as a third longitudinal section adjoining the pilot section (10) in the longitudinal direction (x), a pressure sensor section (12) with a pressure sensor (13) for detecting a fluid pressure of the valve module (1).

To achieve improvement in work efficiency of calibration work and improvement in calibration accuracy, by performing control so that the time taken to increase the sweep of an applied current becomes substantially constant, upon the calibration of a valve opening position current value when a valve operated by electrical current applied to an electrical actuator opens a flow passage. There is provided a predicted value calculating means for predicting a calibration value of a valve opening position current value on the basis of information concerning valve opening position current values, and the sweep starting current value is set so that the time taken to increase the sweep to a predicted value predicted by the predicted value calculating means from a sweep start becomes a fixed time.