Abstract: A valve including a case 3, a tube 1 disposed in the case 3, a hinge fulcrum 4 disposed in the case 3, a contact member 5 connected to the hinge fulcrum 4 and capable of coming into contact with the tube 1, and a driving device 10 configured to apply a non-contact force to the contact member 5 from outside of the case 3 and change a contact force that is applied to the tube 1 by the contact member 5 to change an inner diameter of the tube 1.

Abstract: A pump is provided that includes a tube 1, tube rotors 21A, 21B, and 21C in contact with the tube 1, a case 3 containing the tube 1 and tube rotors 21A, 21B, and 21C, and a drive apparatus 10 that rotates the tube rotors 21A, 21B, and 21C from outside the case 3 without contacting the tube rotors 21A, 21B, and 21C.

Abstract: The controller 70 of the brine supply device 10 performs the PID calculation of the manipulated variable MV of the valve 14, calculates the compensated manipulated variable MV′ by compensating the manipulated value MV, and controls the operation of the valve 14 based on the compensated manipulated variable MV′. The variation &Dgr;MV of the manipulated variable MV becomes proportional to the variation &Dgr;PV of the brine supply temperature Pt1 as the operation of the valve 14 is controlled with the compensated manipulated variable MV′. This makes it possible to control temperature with a high accuracy using only one set of PID constants.

Abstract: The controller 70 of the brine supply device 10 performs the PID calculation of the manipulated variable MV of the valve 14, calculates the compensated manipulated variable MV′ by compensating the manipulated value MV, and controls the operation of the valve 14 based on the compensated manipulated variable MV′. The variation &Dgr;MV of the manipulated variable MV becomes proportional to the variation &Dgr;PV of the brine supply temperature Pt1 as the operation of the valve 14 is controlled with the compensated manipulated variable MV′. This makes it possible to control temperature with a high accuracy using only one set of PID constants.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved vertical swinging-blade water wheel for converting a kinetic energy of a substantially horizontal stream into mechanical energy in which a pair or pairs of blade wheels are disposed symmetrically with respect to an output shaft, thereby forming a composite water wheel and the water wheel itself as a whole is prevented from rotating. Further, a plurality of blade wheels vertically arranged with the phases of the blades deviated through a predetermined angle may prevent interference of streams between the blades and equalize the fluctuations of the driving torques, thereby improving the efficiency and securing a relatively large power output by using a small-sized blade wheel with a small number of blades. Since the water wheel itself will not rotate as a whole, it may be used as a power source for light buoy generators floating in the water and underwater pumps.