A damper valve assembly for an exhaust system of a vehicle includes a valve housing and a valve flap. The valve housing is adapted to be attached to a pipe of the exhaust system and defines an opening. The valve flap is rotatable relative to the valve housing and about a pivot axis between a first position whereat fluid flow through the opening of the valve housing is restricted and a second position whereat fluid flow through the opening of the valve housing is allowed. The valve flap includes a body and a mass damper. The mass damper is integral with the body and includes a plurality of segments that are folded so that the plurality of segments are in a stacked arrangement.

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.

A check valve including a valve housing defining a pair of valve openings; a pair of flappers pivotably mounted for rotation relative to the housing between an open position in which they permit fluid flow through the respective valve openings and a closed position in which they prevent fluid flow through the valve openings; and a stop element arranged such that the flappers will contact the stop element in their open positions. Each flapper includes a primary flapper element pivotally mounted to a hinge pin that extends across the valve, and a secondary flapper element. The primary flapper element further includes at least one flapper opening formed therethrough. The secondary flapper element is pivotally mounted such that it may rotate relative to the primary flapper element for opening and closing the at least one flapper opening in the primary flapper element.

An air admittance valve preventing mephitis overflow, having a main body with an air entry guide base defining an air entry guide; a pivot support; and a valve seat. A sealing valve group having a sealing valve body that defines a recess; a flexible member; a pivot housing; and a pivot. The valve seat is located about the air entry guide. The pivot is located in the pivot housing and the pivot support, and the pivot is located along, or adjacent to, the center of gravity of the sealing valve body. The flexible member is at least partially located in the recess and abuts the main body; and when the air admittance valve is closed, the sealing valve body abuts the valve seat.

A contoured check valve disc features a pivot portion and a check valve portion. The check valve portion is attached to the pivot portion, and has two sides, a first side to respond to the fluid flow in a first direction and move the check valve portion away from a fluid opening to the one or more open positions depending on the fluid flow to allow the fluid to flow through the fluid opening, and a second and opposing side to respond to fluid flow in an opposite direction through the fluid opening and move the check valve portion towards the fluid opening to the closed position to seal the fluid opening and stop fluid flow. The check valve portion a near-sloped portion formed nearest to the pivot portion, having a near-sloped contoured surface curving away from the pivot point to a first point of inflection with a first curvature, and a far-sloped portion formed farthest from the pivot portion, having a far-sloped contoured surface curving away from the point of inflection towards a farthest point away from the pivot portion with a second curvature that is less curved or bent than the first curvature, the near-sloped portion and the far-sloped portion combining to form a combined surface having a contoured pressure/force distribution on the first side to respond to the fluid flow and move the check valve portion away from the fluid opening.

A valve assembly for an exhaust system includes a conduit, a valve flap disposed within an exhaust passageway for controlling exhaust flow through the exhaust passageway, a shaft supporting the valve flap in the exhaust passageway for rotation about a pivot axis, and a mass damper disposed external to the conduit and coupled to the shaft. The mass damper includes a longitudinal segment coupled to the shaft. The mass damper also includes a first damping mass that is disposed proximal to a first end of the longitudinal segment and is linearly movable along a centerline axis to a first distance with respect to the pivot axis. The mass damper further includes a second damping mass that is disposed proximal to a second end of the longitudinal segment and is linearly movable along the centerline axis to a second distance with respect to the pivot axis.

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.

A flapper assembly for an aspirator system includes a flapper plate and a valve assembly. The flapper plate defines a first plurality of apertures. The valve assembly includes a first valve plate disposed over the first plurality of apertures and a first pressure relief assembly arranged to move the first valve plate relative to the flapper plate.

An air admittance valve preventing mephitis overflow, having a main body with an air entry guide base defining an air entry guide; a pivot support; and a valve seat. A sealing valve group having a sealing valve body that defines a recess; a flexible member; a pivot housing; and a pivot. The valve seat is located about the air entry guide. The pivot is located in the pivot housing and the pivot support, and the pivot is located along, or adjacent to, the center of gravity of the sealing valve body. The flexible member is at least partially located in the recess and abuts the main body; and when the air admittance valve is closed, the sealing valve body abuts the valve seat.

A backflow prevention device includes a main pipe body extending along a first center longitudinal axis, at least one check valve disposed within the main pipe body, an inlet pipe connected to an inlet side of the main pipe body, and an outlet pipe connected to an outlet side of the main pipe body. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe extend along a second center longitudinal axis. The first center longitudinal axis is offset with respect to the second center longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the first and second center longitudinal axes. A center of the valve seat of the at least one check valve is offset with respect to the second center longitudinal axis in the direction perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal axes.