A high efficiency steam engine or steam expander includes a cylinder, cylinder head and piston in which cylinder clearance volume is zero or nearly zero together with a negligible amount of compression such that any pressure in the cylinder clearance volume just before the power stroke is as low as ambient pressure or condenser pressure to provide superior thermal efficiency in a compact compound engine having a high pressure expansion chamber within the piston and low pressure chamber in the cylinder. The inlet valve is opened slightly by piston movement and a steam assist force then drives it to its fully open position. Steam passes from the high pressure chamber to the low pressure chamber through a transfer valve located in the head of the piston and steam is released through an automatic exhaust valve in the cylinder head.

The emergency shutoff device is provided with a casing (21) in which inflow ports (22) through which control oil flows into a space (A1) provided therein and a plurality of outflow ports (23) through which the control oil flows outside of the space (A1) are formed; and a switching unit (24) configured to slide along an inner circumferential surface of the casing (21) in which the space (A1) is formed, to change its position relative to the plurality of outflow ports (23), and thus to switch a circulation state of the control oil in the space (A1). The switching unit (24) switches the circulation state between the first circulation state in which the control oil is circulated from a first inflow port (221) to a first outflow port (231) and the third circulation state in which an open and closed state of a test outflow port (236) is switched while the control oil is being circulated from the first inflow port (221) to the first outflow port (231).

Various embodiments include a method for checking a variable valve lift control of an internal combustion engine comprising: during operation of the internal combustion engine, detecting a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; and measuring an intake pressure in the intake tract of the internal combustion engine corresponding to the detected rotational speed. The method further includes: defining a reference frequency dependent on the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; defining a comparison frequency as a non-integral multiple of the reference frequency; determining amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the reference frequency and amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the comparison frequency; and evaluating a ratio of the determined amplitudes and the respective absolute values.

Various embodiments include a method for checking a variable valve lift control of an internal combustion engine comprising: during operation of the internal combustion engine, detecting a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; and measuring an intake pressure in the intake tract of the internal combustion engine corresponding to the detected rotational speed. The method further includes: defining a reference frequency dependent on the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; defining a comparison frequency as a non-integral multiple of the reference frequency; determining amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the reference frequency and amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the comparison frequency; and evaluating a ratio of the determined amplitudes and the respective absolute values.

Various embodiments include a method for checking a variable valve lift control of an internal combustion engine comprising: during operation of the internal combustion engine, detecting a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; and measuring an intake pressure in the intake tract of the internal combustion engine corresponding to the detected rotational speed. The method further includes: defining a reference frequency dependent on the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; defining a comparison frequency as a non-integral multiple of the reference frequency; determining amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the reference frequency and amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the comparison frequency; and evaluating a ratio of the determined amplitudes and the respective absolute values.

A hydraulically operated camshaft phasing mechanism has two lock pins. One of the lock pins engages at an intermediate position and an end lock pin engages near one of the stops at the end of the phaser range of authority. At least one of the locking pins, preferably the end lock pin, when the vane is at an end stop position, is engaged by oil pressure and spring loaded to release when the oil pressure side of the end lock pin is vented.

A gas turbine plant including a gas turbine and a compressor is provided with a steam turbine plant including a steam turbine and a condenser, and, an exhaust heat recovery boiler. Steam from the exhaust heat recovery boiler is directly flown to the condenser of the steam turbine plant through a bypass control valve. A pressure sensor detects pressure in a turbine bypass system. A controller outputs, based on a set value from an input device and a process value from the pressure sensor, an open level instruction value to the control value so as to make the process value consistent with the set value in a predetermined sampling cycle. A corrector corrects the set value from the input device in a direction in which the open level instruction value decreases when the open level instruction value from the controller becomes a value that substantially fully opens the control valve.

A gas turbine plant including a gas turbine and a compressor is provided with a steam turbine plant including a steam turbine and a condenser, and, an exhaust heat recovery boiler. Steam from the exhaust heat recovery boiler is directly flown to the condenser of the steam turbine plant through a bypass control valve. A pressure sensor detects pressure in a turbine bypass system. A controller outputs, based on a set value from an input device and a process value from the pressure sensor, an open level instruction value to the control value so as to make the process value consistent with the set value in a predetermined sampling cycle. A corrector corrects the set value from the input device in a direction in which the open level instruction value decreases when the open level instruction value from the controller becomes a value that substantially fully opens the control valve.

The emergency shutoff device is provided with a casing (21) in which inflow ports (22) through which control oil flows into a space (A1) provided therein and a plurality of outflow ports (23) through which the control oil flows outside of the space (A1) are formed; and a switching unit (24) configured to slide along an inner circumferential surface of the casing (21) in which the space (A1) is formed, to change its position relative to the plurality of outflow ports (23), and thus to switch a circulation state of the control oil in the space (A1). The switching unit (24) switches the circulation state between the first circulation state in which the control oil is circulated from a first inflow port (221) to a first outflow port (231) and the third circulation state in which an open and closed state of a test outflow port (236) is switched while the control oil is being circulated from the first inflow port (221) to the first outflow port (231).

The emergency shutoff device is provided with a casing (21) in which inflow ports (22) through which control oil flows into a space (A1) provided therein and a plurality of outflow ports (23) through which the control oil flows outside of the space (A1) are formed; and a switching unit (24) configured to slide along an inner circumferential surface of the casing (21) in which the space (A1) is formed, to change its position relative to the plurality of outflow ports (23), and thus to switch a circulation state of the control oil in the space (A1). The switching unit (24) switches the circulation state between the first circulation state in which the control oil is circulated from a first inflow port (221) to a first outflow port (231) and the third circulation state in which an open and closed state of a test outflow port (236) is switched while the control oil is being circulated from the first inflow port (221) to the first outflow port (231).