A vehicle linear motor includes: a tubular casing; a pair of armatures placed and fixed in the casing; a mover formed in a flat plate shape and placed to face the pair of armatures and to be movable in the casing; and a support member configured to slidably support the mover such that the mover moves in a longitudinal direction of the mover. The mover formed in the flat plate shape includes a plurality of magnets that are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction. Each of the pair of armatures has a magnetic pole that is arranged to move the mover relative to the armatures in the longitudinal direction. The casing is mounted on a vehicle such that the longitudinal direction is a horizontal direction, and the mover and the armatures are placed to face each other in the horizontal direction.

A vacuum generation system and method utilizes a dual-action piston-cylinder vacuum generation system to evacuate a vacuum storage. Saturated steam of higher than ambient pressure is inserted into a condensation cylinder with two chambers separated by a movable piston. Steam moves the piston to fill one chamber while expel gaseous content and condensate out of the other chamber. Steam is then condensed to a rough vacuum (RV) state by cooling. By repeated operations of inserting and condensing steam in each chamber alternatively, a sustained vacuum generation is achieved. A multi-level vacuum storage is also disclosed with a high vacuum (HV) storage placed inside a rough vacuum (RV) storage to reduce leakage as well as mechanical stresses. The vacuum generation system and method is extended for creating a prime mover or actuator to drive vacuum pumps maximizing thermal energy usage for increased vacuuming capacity.

A vacuum generation system and method utilizes a dual-action piston-cylinder vacuum generation system to evacuate a vacuum storage. Saturated steam of higher than ambient pressure is inserted into a condensation cylinder with two chambers separated by a movable piston. Steam moves the piston to fill one chamber while expel gaseous content and condensate out of the other chamber. Steam is then condensed to a rough vacuum (RV) state by cooling. By repeated operations of inserting and condensing steam in each chamber alternatively, a sustained vacuum generation is achieved. A multi-level vacuum storage is also disclosed with a high vacuum (HV) storage placed inside a rough vacuum (RV) storage to reduce leakage as well as mechanical stresses. The vacuum generation system and method is extended for creating a prime mover or actuator to drive vacuum pumps maximizing thermal energy usage for increased vacuuming capacity.

A device for air supply of a fuel cell operated with hydrogen, via a compressor of an exhaust gas turbocharger. The compressor is drive-effectively connected to a turbine of the turbocharger that can be driven by an exhaust gas flow of the fuel cell via a shaft and the turbocharger, is drive-effectively connected to a motor via the shaft. The mounting of the shaft of the turbocharger is formed by a gas or air-lubricated mounting.

A vehicle linear motor includes: a tubular casing; a pair of armatures placed and fixed in the casing; a mover formed in a flat plate shape and placed to face the pair of armatures and to be movable in the casing; and a support member configured to slidably support the mover such that the mover moves in a longitudinal direction of the mover. The mover formed in the flat plate shape includes a plurality of magnets that are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction. Each of the pair of armatures has a magnetic pole that is arranged to move the mover relative to the armatures in the longitudinal direction. The casing is mounted on a vehicle such that the longitudinal direction is a horizontal direction, and the mover and the armatures are placed to face each other in the horizontal direction.

A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.

A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.