A piezoelectric valve, having superior responsiveness during valve opening and capability to stabilize gas supply at an early stage, includes a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas and an exhaust path discharging the compressed gas from the gas pressure chamber; a valve disc placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the exhaust path; a piezoelectric element generating a driving force for operation of the valve disc, as a displacement; a displacement magnifying mechanism magnifying the displacement of the piezoelectric element and applying the magnified displacement to the valve disc; and driving means including a signal generator generating a signal including a first prepulse, a second prepulse, and a main pulse, applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element using the signal generated by the signal generator, as an input signal to a drive circuit, and drives and opens the valve disc by expanding the piezoelectric element.

A valve device includes a valve body that defines flow paths, a diaphragm provided so as to be capable of opening and closing the flow paths, an operation member provided so as to be capable of moving in opening and closing directions that open and close the flow paths by operating the diaphragm, a main actuator that applies a driving force corresponding to an operating pressure applied in the opening direction or the closing direction of the opening and closing directions with respect to the operation member, a switching mechanism capable of selectively switching a position of the operation member that regulates a degree of opening of the flow paths between a first open position and a second open position in accordance with a magnitude of the operating pressure, and regulating mechanisms capable of independently regulating the first open position and the second open position.

A fluid control device is adapted to include: a valve provided in a flow path through which a fluid flows; a pressure sensor provided upstream of the valve; a flow rate sensor provided on downstream of the pressure sensor; a set flow rate generator that outputs a set flow rate corresponding to the measured pressure on the basis of a pressure-flow rate map; a valve control part that controls the opening level of the valve so that the deviation between the set flow rate and a measured flow rate decreases; and the set flow rate generator that outputs the set flow rate corresponding to the measured pressure to the valve control part. In addition, the set flow rate generator is adapted to control the set flow rate so that the measured pressure has a value up to a limit pressure.

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.

In order to provide a piezoelectric actuator and a fluid control valve that can vaporize a liquid material more effectively than a conventional arrangement, the piezoelectric actuator comprises a piezoelectric stack wherein a piezoelectric ceramic layer and an electrode layer are alternately laminated, a DC voltage application circuit that displaces the piezoelectric stack by applying a DC voltage to at least a part or whole of the piezoelectric stack, and a vibration voltage application circuit that vibrates the piezoelectric stack by applying a voltage having a predetermined frequency or above to at least a part or whole of the piezoelectric stack.

A piezo actuator is provided which is capable of continuing a provisional operation at least in a limited movable range without bringing an operation to a complete stop even upon occurrence of dielectric breakage. The piezo actuator includes a plurality of piezo blocks and a driving circuit. The piezo blocks are formed by alternately stacking a piezoelectric ceramic layer and an electrode layer. The driving circuit is connected to the piezo blocks. The piezo blocks are arranged in an extension/contraction direction. The driving circuit includes a power source part to which the piezo blocks are individually connected in parallel, and a plurality of limiting resistors respectively disposed in series to the piezo blocks.

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 piezoelectric linear actuator comprising a laminated piezoelectric actuator having a cylindrical shape; a lower support member supporting the laminated piezoelectric actuator and extending laterally to the left and right of the laminated piezoelectric actuator; a pair of displacement transfer members extending along the left and right sides of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, respectively, to slidably intersect the lower support member and transferring displacement due to the piezoelectric effect of the laminated piezoelectric actuator; and an output part locked to the pair of displacement transfer members below the lower support member and coupling lower end portions of the displacement transfer members, wherein the pair of displacement transfer members are formed to have a width dimension that is the same or substantially the same as the width dimension of the laminated piezoelectric actuator.

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.

A piezoelectric-element-driven valve includes a valve seat provided on a flow path, a valving element detachably seated on the valve seat, and a piezoelectric element, and is configured to move the valve body by extension of the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric-element-driven valve also is provided with a detection mechanism for detecting an extension amount of the piezoelectric element, the detection mechanism including a strain sensor, and being capable of detecting an movement amount of the valving element from an output of the strain sensor.