A control valve includes a casing, a valve body, seal tube members, a fuel passage, and a thermostat. The casing has an inflow port and a plurality of outflow ports. The valve body is rotatably disposed inside the casing, and valve holes are formed in a circumferential wall portion. The seal tube members communicate with the outflow ports, abut an outer circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion, and are opened and closed by corresponding valve holes. Thermostat opens and closes the fuel passage in response to a detected temperature. A communication groove is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the casing. The communication groove causes the inflow port and an upstream portion of the fuel passage to communicate with each other by partially expanding a gap between the circumferential wall portion and the casing.

Described herein is a motor comprising a first rotatable member and an anchor, spaced apart from the first rotatable member. The motor also comprises a belt, in tension about the first rotatable member and the anchor. The belt is co-rotatably engaged with the first rotatable member. Further, the belt is made from a shape-memory alloy. Additionally, the motor comprises a thermal regulation device, positioned between spaced-apart first and second portions of the belt. The thermal regulation device is also configured to concurrently cool the first portion of the belt to contract the first portion of the belt and heat the second portion of the belt to expand the second portion of the belt. Concurrent contraction and expansion of the first and second portions of the belt cause rotation of the belt.

A control valve includes a casing, a valve body, seal tube members, a fuel passage, and a thermostat. The casing has an inflow port and a plurality of outflow ports. The valve body is rotatably disposed inside the casing, and valve holes are formed in a circumferential wall portion. The seal tube members communicate with the outflow ports, abut an outer circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion, and are opened and closed by corresponding valve holes. Thermostat opens and closes the fuel passage in response to a detected temperature. A communication groove is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the casing. The communication groove causes the inflow port and an upstream portion of the fuel passage to communicate with each other by partially expanding a gap between the circumferential wall portion and the casing.

A two-stage piston in a thermostat's thermal actuator is configured for degassing entrained air from a coolant system. The first-stage part has a cylindrical shape and is terminated at one end with a rounded-conical shape and having a cylindrical cavity at an opposite end. A second-stage part has a cylindrical shape with a diameter sufficient to fit within the cylindrical cavity. A sacrificial plug is formed of a wax-like substance with a melting temperature such that the entrained air escapes from the coolant system through the thermostat. The diameter of the sacrificial plug allows placement of the sacrificial plug in a bottom of the cylindrical cavity and a length of the two-stage piston with the sacrificial plug in place forces the valve to remain open. After the sacrificial plug has melted, the length of the two-stage piston will open and close the valve with a change in coolant temperature.

Examples of a fiber optic temperature control system is provided. The fiber optic temperature control system comprises two or more independent temperature measuring system combined into single fiber optic probe. The fiber optic temperature control system comprises at least one temperature control measuring system and an overtemperature measuring protection system. The least one temperature control measuring system comprises a first temperature controller, a first opto-electronic converter with a first light source, a first detector and a first processor, and a first fiber optic bundle with a plurality of optical fibers to provide temperature measurement from at least one point. The over temperature measuring protection system comprises a second controller, a second opto-electronic convertor with a second detector and second processor, and a second fiber optic bundle with a plurality of optical fibers. A splitter coupled to the first and the second fiber optic bundles to physically separate the first and the second fiber optic bundles into a first and a second independent optical guiding channels enclosed by the single probe. A thermographic phosphor is provided at a distal end of the probe so that at least two independent temperature measurements are provided using a single fiber optic temperature sensing probe.

Thermal management systems incorporating shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and related methods. A thermal management system includes a heat transfer region, a process fluid conduit, a thermal management fluid conduit, and an SMA actuator assembly. The SMA actuator assembly includes an SMA element coupled to an actuation element, which is configured to assume a position among a plurality of positions defined between a restrictive position and an open position. The position of the actuation element is based, at least in part, on a conformation of the SMA element. A method of passively regulating a temperature of a process fluid includes conveying a process fluid stream in heat exchange relation with an SMA element, transitioning the SMA element to assume a conformation, flowing each of the process fluid stream and a thermal management fluid stream through a heat transfer region, and modulating a flow rate of the thermal management fluid stream.

Thermal management systems incorporating shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and related methods. A thermal management system includes a heat transfer region, a process fluid conduit, a thermal management fluid conduit, and an SMA actuator assembly. The SMA actuator assembly includes an SMA element coupled to an actuation element, which is configured to assume a position among a plurality of positions defined between a restrictive position and an open position. The position of the actuation element is based, at least in part, on a conformation of the SMA element. A method of passively regulating a temperature of a process fluid includes conveying a process fluid stream in heat exchange relation with an SMA element, transitioning the SMA element to assume a conformation, flowing each of the process fluid stream and a thermal management fluid stream through a heat transfer region, and modulating a flow rate of the thermal management fluid stream.

Described herein is a motor comprising a first rotatable member and an anchor, spaced apart from the first rotatable member. The motor also comprises a belt, in tension about the first rotatable member and the anchor. The belt is co-rotatably engaged with the first rotatable member. Further, the belt is made from a shape-memory alloy. Additionally, the motor comprises a thermal regulation device, positioned between spaced-apart first and second portions of the belt. The thermal regulation device is also configured to concurrently cool the first portion of the belt to contract the first portion of the belt and heat the second portion of the belt to expand the second portion of the belt. Concurrent contraction and expansion of the first and second portions of the belt cause rotation of the belt.

Examples of a fiber optic temperature control system is provided. The fiber optic temperature control system comprises two or more independent temperature measuring system combined into single fiber optic probe. The fiber optic temperature control system comprises at least one temperature control measuring system and an overtemperature measuring protection system. The least one temperature control measuring system comprises a first temperature controller, a first opto-electronic converter with a first light source, a first detector and a first processor, and a first fiber optic bundle with a plurality of optical fibers to provide temperature measurement from at least one point. The over temperature measuring protection system comprises a second controller, a second opto-electronic convertor with a second detector and second processor, and a second fiber optic bundle with a plurality of optical fibers. A splitter coupled to the first and the second fiber optic bundles to physically separate the first and the second fiber optic bundles into a first and a second independent optical guiding channels enclosed by the single probe. A thermographic phosphor is provided at a distal end of the probe so that at least two independent temperature measurements are provided using a single fiber optic temperature sensing probe.

Examples of a system and method for temperature measurements and identifying a location of temperature measurement system failure are disclosed. The system comprises a light source and a detector mounted to a single substrate. When the system is in a temperature measuring mode, a driving circuit is providing a drive current pulse to the light source and the receiving circuit is receiving an emitted light from the sensor. If an amplitude of the emitted light is within a predetermined threshold, a failure in the sensor or an optical path is identified. When the system is in a monitoring mode, a continues drive current is provided to the light source so that the receiving circuit receives the return light and if the amplitude of the return light subtracted by the amplitude of the emitted light is within a predetermined threshold, a failure of the light source is identified.