The present invention is intended to improve the responsiveness while increasing a flow rate, and is an orifice having a valve seat surface, the orifice includes: a vertical channel that opens to valve seat surface and a facing surface that faces the valve seat surface; and a horizontal channel that opens to an outer circumferential surface between the valve seat surface and the facing surface, and that intersects with the vertical channel. The vertical channel is split into a plurality of channel branches from an intersection with the horizontal channel, with a space therebetween, on a side of the facing surface.

Provided is a piezoelectric actuator that can reduce a risk of air leakage due to weakening of pressing force of a valve element against a valve seat surface and airtightness. The piezoelectric actuator is used for a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes a valve utilizing displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric actuator includes: a valve element; a laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force, required for operation of the valve element, as a displacement; and a displacement enlargement mechanism that enlarges a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element and causes the enlarged displacement to act on the valve element. In the piezoelectric actuator, a surface of the valve element to be in contact with a valve seat of the piezoelectric valve is made flat and smooth in a state in which a tensile load is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element.

Various examples of an active combustion control valve, combustion systems, and method of controlling the flow of liquid fluid in a gas combustion system are described. In one aspect of the present invention, an active combustion control valve includes a core valve housing, an actuator, a valve seat in communication with the actuator, and a passageway in fluid communication with the core valve housing and the valve seat. The control valve is responsive to change in voltage applied to the actuator and is capable of a first condition permitting a first fluid flow through the passageway and a second condition permitting a second fluid flow through the passageway, the first fluid flow being different than the second fluid flow. The combustion control valve is small, robust, responsive and self-cooling to operate in severe thermal environment.

To avoid formation of surface sag formed when an internal flow path of a valve element is processed and to ensure a maximum flow rate in a fluid control valve where a seating surface of the valve element is formed of a resin layer, in a fluid control valve that includes a valve seat, and a valve element including resin layers provided in concave grooves formed on a facing surface facing the valve seat, the valve element further includes internal flow paths whose inflow ports are opened in a back surface facing away from the facing surface and whose outflow ports are opened in portions around the concave grooves on the facing surface, and counterbored portions are formed on sides of the inflow ports of the internal flow paths.

A diaphragm valve includes: a valve body having flow paths of fluids formed therein and having a diaphragm-arrangement portion on one surface; a diaphragm arranged in the diaphragm-arrangement portion and can open and close the flow path and adjust the opening degree of by elastic deformation; and a driving unit having a stem for pressing the diaphragm to elastically deform and an actuator for driving the stem, wherein the stem is axially movably held via a resin sleeve by a bonnet fixed to the valve body side.

A valve for metering a flowing medium, in particular a fluid, having a metering opening situated in the fluid flow and surrounded by a valve seat, a valve needle that controls the metering opening and that has a closing head that works together with the valve seat to close and release the metering opening, a piezoelectric actuator that acts on the valve needle to release the metering opening, and an elastic resetting element that acts on the valve needle to close the metering opening. To minimize the required stroke of the piezoelectric actuator for a required stroke of the closing head of the valve needle, the point of action of the resetting element on the valve needle is situated on or close to the end of the valve needle that bears the closing head.

A piezoelectric adjustment apparatus has a piezo element whose movement is transmitted via a lever to a plunger. The plunger can be set against an abutment that is arranged at one side of the lever and a second abutment is provided at the other side of the lever.

A diaphragm valve includes: a valve body having flow paths of fluids formed therein and having a diaphragm-arrangement portion on one surface; a diaphragm arranged in the diaphragm-arrangement portion and can open and close the flow path and adjust the opening degree of by elastic deformation; and a driving unit having a stem for pressing the diaphragm to elastically deform and an actuator for driving the stem, wherein the stem is axially movably held via a resin sleeve by a bonnet fixed to the valve body side.

A flow control apparatus and a program are disclosed herein. A flow control apparatus includes a piezoelectric element coupled to a valve element configuring a flow regulating valve and that works the valve element to regulate a flow, a driving circuit that applies a voltage to the piezoelectric element to drive the piezoelectric element, an accepting means for accepting a target flow, and an output means for outputting a signal corresponding to the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element to the driving circuit, to change the flow so as to coincide with the target flow. When the target flow is changed, the output means transiently outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage value different from a target voltage value corresponding to the target flow after the change, and then the output means outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage change converging at the target voltage value.

An electrically actuated control valve has three mouths and three operating positions, in which the three mouths includes a first mouth for inlet of a working fluid, and a second mouth and a third mouth for outlet of the working fluid. The three operating positions include a first operating position in which a passage of fluid from the first mouth to the second mouth and the third mouth is enabled, a second operating position in which a passage of fluid from the first mouth to only one of said second and third mouths is enabled, and a third operating position in which the passage of fluid from the first to the second mouth and the third mouth is disabled. The control valve includes an electric or electromagnetic actuator for controlling the passage of fluid from the first mouth to the second and third mouths providing the aforesaid three operating positions.