A piezoelectric valve includes: a valve main part including a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas supplied from outside; a plate inside the valve main part, and an actuator fixed to the plate and inside the valve main part, which is a case with an opening on a front surface. The plate includes a gas discharge path and a valve seat coming into contact with a valve element of the actuator opening and closing the gas discharge path. A lid member that closes the opening of the case has a gas discharge opening communicating with the gas discharge path of the plate; is welded and fixed to a front surface of the plate, where the gas discharge path opens, on an annular welded part surrounding the gas discharge opening; and is welded and fixed to an end surface of the case on an annular welded part on the outer peripheral part.

Provided is a fluid control apparatus capable of setting, to a value as close as possible to an opening start voltage, an initial applied voltage applied when controlling a control valve so that a measured amount becomes a set amount from a fully closed state and capable of preventing occurrence of large overshoot while increasing a response speed. A valve controller inputs a voltage command for setting an initial driving voltage to be applied to a control valve to a voltage generation circuit in a case where the control valve is changed from a fully closed state to a predetermined opening degree, and includes a drive history storage unit that stores therein drive history information of the control valve. The controller is configured to change a value of the initial driving voltage in accordance with the drive history information.

A process fluid-flow control device comprising: an inlet, an outlet, an actuation mechanism and a diaphragm; wherein: the diaphragm is in direct operational communication with the outlet and/or the inlet; the mechanism comprises a driving piezoelectric component, and the device is configured to allow: employing the driving piezoelectric component to adjust force exerted on the diaphragm and thereby regulating flow of the process fluid through the device within a first rate range.

To provide a flow rate control valve that can improve responsiveness of flow rate control of a pressure differential type of a flow rate control device. The flow rate control valve is so configured to comprise a pair of valve members each of which has a seat surface being in contact with each other, to provide an internal flow channel that opens toward the seat surfaces and that passes through the inside of at least one of the valve members, and to control a flow rate of a fluid flowing out through the internal flow channel to the outside by adjusting a separation distance between the seat surfaces. And a restricted flow channel is formed in the internal flow channel so that a differential pressure is generated between an upstream side and a downstream side of the restricted flow channel.

The following invention relates to a subsea actuator (16′; 16″) for actuating a subsea rotating component (81; 181); comprising: a first biasing element (82; 182); a motor (85; 185); a holding element (83; 100, 183) configured to receive an input force; a rotatable stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) operatively connectable to the component; a force transmitting arrangement (84, 80′, 80″; 83, 84; 183′, 195, 201; 84, 99, 86, 101, 83) connectable to the first biasing clement (82; 182) and the holding element (83; 100, 183); a first connection which in a first mode is configured to lock the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) in a rotatable engagement with the motor (85; 185) and in a second mode is configured to unlock the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) from the rotatable engagement with the motor (85; 185) and allow the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) to be influenced by the first biasing element (82; 182); wherein the first biasing element (82; 182) and the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) are releasably connected via the force transmitting arrangement (84, 80′, 80″; 83, 84; 183′, 195, 201; 84, 99, 86, 101, 83), such that when the first biasing element (82; 182) and the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) are released from each other, the first biasing element (82; 182) is configured to be pre-tensioned to a position representing a first pre-tensioned position of the actuator (16′; 16″) without operating the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200); the holding element (83; 100, 183) is configured to exert a holding force on the force transmitting arrangement (84, 80′, 80″; 83, 84; 183′, 195, 201) and the first biasing element (82; 182) in the first pre-tensioned position; and wherein, when the first biasing element (82; 182) and the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) are connected and the first biasing element (82; 182) is pre-tensioned, the first connection is in the first mode such that the motor (85; 185) is configured to operate the stem (80′, 80″, 250, 84; 80; 200) to a position representing a second pre-tensioned position of the actuator (16′; 16″); wherein, in the second pre-tensioned position, upon loss of input force to the holding element (83; 100, 183), the holding element (83; 100, 183) is configured to release its holding force on the force transmitting arrangement (84, 80′, 80″; 83, 84; 183′, 195, 201; 84, 99, 86, 101, 83) and the first b

Provided is a piezoelectric valve in which the valve is opened/closed utilizing a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element, including: a valve main body having a gas pressure chamber that receives compressed gas supplied externally; and an actuator having a valving element, the laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force required for operating the valving element as the displacement, and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric element to be acted on the valving element, the actuator being disposed in the valve main body, in which a surface of the laminated piezoelectric element is coated with silicone in a state in which the laminated piezoelectric element is integrated into the actuator.

A valve linear drive provided for connection to a valve body having a valve seat includes a drive housing, a valve closure member, an actuator, and a spring device. The valve closure member is adjustable along an adjustment axis (V) between an open position and a closed position by means of the actuator and an actuating means. The spring device urges the actuating means into the open position or into the closed position. Further, the spring device includes a plurality of springs and a receiving unit for the springs. Here, each spring has its own spring chamber formed in the receiving unit, in which the associated spring is inserted. Furthermore, a valve having such a valve linear drive is provided.

An actuator (22) comprises at least one actuator body (32) of dielectric elastomeric material and two electrodes (34, 36) being attached to opposite surfaces of the actuator body (32), respectively. At least one of the actuator body (32) and at least one of the electrodes (34, 36) is at least partly covered at its outer side with a protective layer (38a, 38b) of polymer material, wherein a mechanical stiffness of the protective layer (38a, 38b) is at least three times lower than a mechanical stiffness of the actuator body (32). Moreover, a valve actuator unit comprises such an actuator (22) and a housing, wherein the actuator (22) is arranged within the housing and the remainder of the housing is filled with a gas. Additionally, a valve comprises such a valve actuator unit and a valve element, wherein the valve element is movable by the valve actuator unit.

In order to achieve an enlargement of a seating surface, and to additionally achieve an improvement in productivity while forming this seating surface using a resin layer, without having to sacrifice any of the drive range of the valve body, there is provided a fluid control valve that is formed such that drive force from an actuator is transmitted to a valve body via a plunger, and that controls a flow of a fluid by causing a seating surface of the valve body to move towards or away from a valve seat surface of a valve seat, wherein the valve body is a separate body from the plunger, and the seating surface is formed by a resin layer.

A pressure control valve has: a passageway having a flow opening; an member displaceable relative to the opening for obstructing the opening by differing amounts; a piezo actuator; and a linkage mechanism adapted to amplify a dimensional change in the piezo actuator and to use the amplified dimensional change to displace the member relative to the opening, wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a frame attached to a wall and fixed at a first end in relation to the passageway, a portion of the frame moveable in a first direction while being substantially restrained in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the piezo actuator extending between the wall and the movable portion such that an expansion of the piezo actuator results in movement of the movable portion in the first direction by an amount greater than the expansion of the piezo actuator, the moveable portion connected to the member.