Abstract: A method of reducing high cycle fatigue of a turbocharger fitted to an internal combustion engine in which fuel supply to the engine is controlled by an electronic engine management unit (ECU) in accordance with a fuel map of fuel values required to meet different engine operating conditions. The method comprises varying the fuel value F associated with a particular engine operating condition to thereby prevent the turbocharger running at the same constant speed each time said particular engine operating condition arises.

Abstract: The controller (41) selects premixed combustion or diffusive combustion of the diesel engine (1) based on the running state detected by a sensor (33, 34) (S4, S5). The controller (41) calculates the target oxygen concentration and the target oxygen amount of the intake gas for the selected combustion type. When premixed combustion is selected, the controller (41) preferentially controls the oxygen concentration of the intake gas to the target value. When diffusive combustion is selected, the controller (41) preferentially controls the oxygen amount of the intake gas to the target value. By immediately shifting the target values according to the combustion type without setting transitional target values, increase of noxious substances in the exhaust gas due to the shift of combustion type can be prevented.

Abstract: A one-shot, electro-pneumatic actuator apparatus for quickly supplying a pressurized fluid to an external device upon the actuation of an external control signal. The actuator includes a housing having a first portion for containing a quantity of pressurized fluid, a second portion having a reduced, cross-sectional area, and a third portion. The second portion includes a sealing element disposed therein for containing the pressurized fluid held in the first housing portion. A coil is wound around the second housing portion and receives a signal from an external control subsystem which causes the coil to heat the second housing portion, and thus the sealing element, to damage the sealing element. This enables the pressurized gas to escape through the second portion into the third portion of the housing and subsequently to the external device being controlled.

Abstract: A heat transfer head (10) for a stirling engine is disclosed. The heat transfer head (10) comprises a plurality of external circumferential fins (30) projecting out from the heat transfer head (10). At least two of the adjacent fins (30) are arranged to be substantially parallel and such that some of the radiant heat received by one of the fins is reflected onto the other fin. A second set of fins (40) is provided above the circumferential fins. The second set of fins are arranged to enable combustion gases from a burner to pass upwards therebetween to enable heat to be absorbed from the passing combustion gases.

Abstract: A free-piston type Stirling engine used for producing cold heat with the vibration center position of a piston accurately kept. A first space is formed on one side of a piston, and a second space is formed on the opposite side to spread up to a portion adjacent to a cylinder's side wall. A piston is provided with a vibration-direction first groove extending up to the first space and a circumferential-direction second groove, and a cylinder is provided with a hole penetrating the side wall thereof. The second groove of the piston, when coupled with the cylinder's hole during a piston vibration process, allows the first space to communicate with the second space. Accordingly, a short-time communication between the first and second spaces will balance pressures in the two spaces against each other to keep the vibration center position of the piston accurately.

Abstract: A coating material dispensing device includes a first component providing a connection to a source of coating material to be dispensed and a filter for filtering coating material to be dispensed. The first component includes a housing for housing the filter and a closure for selectively closing the housing to permit removal and replacement of the filter. The coating material dispensing device further includes a second component providing a nozzle through which the coating material is dispensed. The first and second components include first and second passageways, respectively. The first and second passageways communicate when the first and second components are assembled together to provide a flow of filtered coating material from the filter to the nozzle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for manipulating acoustic energy are presented. In some embodiments, a combustion zone provides heat to a regenerator using a mean flow of compressible fluid. In other embodiments, a thermoacoustic driver is concentrically disposed within a shell to permit radial heat transfer from the thermoacoustic driver to compressible fluid within the shell, thereby preheating the compressible fluid within the shell. In other embodiments, burning of a combustible mixture within the combustion zone is pulsed in phase with the acoustic pressure oscillations to increase acoustic power output.

Abstract: Rinsing equipment, especially for mixing containers, including a socket housing with an interior pressure rinsing valve and an upright valve tube, wherein a spraying plate is seated on this valve tube. The spraying plate may have a trough-shaped depression or run out into star-shaped guiding cross members. The spraying equipment may include several upwardly or horizontally directed nozzles. The spraying plate may also include a water distribution chamber.

Abstract: A shape memory alloy actuator comprising a body (1) connected through an arm (5) with an activating member (15), the body (1) being arranged for rotation around a pivot (2) and connected to a first wire (9) and a second wire (10) of a shape memory alloy such as nitinol and to a biasing means such as a tension spring (6) such that heating and therefore shortening of the wire (10) rotates the body (1) counter-clockwise such that the tension spring (6) is in its cocked position while heating (shortening) of the wire (9) and cooling (lengthening) of the wire (10) to the position shown in 10a rotates the body (1) clockwise past a balance point for the tension spring (16) whereafter the body (1) rotates further clockwise under the influence of the tension spring (6), thereby exerting a relatively powerful actuation of the activating member (15), the whole cyclus being repeated by heating wire (10) causing it to shorten and rotate the body (1) counter-clockwise until the spring (6) is cocked again.

Abstract: A high-pressure liquid spray nozzle having an elongate nozzle body having a longitudinally extending liquid flow passage, which in the illustrated embodiment, is defined in part by a plastic liquid throttling and stabilizing insert. The insert has a liquid flow passage which includes an upstream entry section, a smaller diameter downstream approach section, and an inwardly converging throat section between the upstream and downstream sections. The upstream passageway section has a scalloped cross-sectional configuration which define a plurality of longitudinally extending flutes effective for stabilizing and minimizing turbulence in the high pressure liquid flow stream directed through the nozzle such that a more concentrated, solid liquid flow stream is discharged from the nozzle with increased velocity and surface impact force for enhanced cleaning.

Abstract: A gas transfer system and method for dissolving at least one gas into a liquid. The system includes a gas transfer vessel also known as a reactor. A liquid inlet feed is connected to the reactor for transferring the liquid into the reactor. A gas inlet is connected to the reactor for feeding the gas into the reactor. An outlet is connected to the reactor for transferring the liquid with at least some of the gas therein away from the reactor. The system also includes a feed pump connected to the inlet feed to pressurize the contents of the inlet feed and the reactor, and a regenerative turbine connected to the feed pump and to the outlet. The various embodiments of the gas transfer system use pressurization in the gas transfer vessel to enhance gas transfer therein, minimize the net energy consumption, and retain highly supersaturated dissolved gas in solution. Some embodiments further help to reduce effervescence loss.

Abstract: The invention provides an internal combustion engine which can be run optionally on various fuels of different energy density, in particular for a motor vehicle drive, characterised in that the engine is equipped with a supercharging compressor which can be connected up when using a low-energy-density fuel at least when power requirements are elevated, so that the engine works as a supercharged engine, whereas the supercharging compressor is shut off when using a high-energy-density fuel and the engine works as a naturally aspirating engine.

Abstract: An electric assisted turbocharger has an electric motor with a stator and a rotor that is coupled to a turbocharger shaft carried by a bearing assembly. The stator has a left-hand winding and a right hand-winding each projecting axially outwardly therefrom. The winds each extend a different distance radially along the motor (and are thus asymmetrical with respect to one another), thereby forming a radial gap along an axial end of the stator. The so-formed stator is disposed within a motor housing and together, the stator and motor housing, facilitate placement center housing axial end therein to minimize turbocharger axial length. The rotor is configured to prevent migration of oil into the motor housing, to improve dynamic balance, and comprises an integral thrust washer for placement against the bearing assembly.

Abstract: In a Rankine cycle system for an internal combustion engine, including an evaporator (3) for generating a vapor, an expander (4) for converting a heat energy of the vapor into a mechanical energy, a condenser (5) for cooling the vapor discharged from the expander (4) to restore it into water, a tank (6) for storage of the water from the condenser (5), and supply pumps (7, 8) for supplying the water in said tank (6) to the evaporator (3) in a pressurizing manner, the water in the tank (6) is supplied via a water jacket (105) of the internal combustion engine (1) to a dispensing valve (106) by the lower-pressure pump (7). A portion of the water dispensed by the dispensing valve (106) is further pressurized and supplied to the evaporator (3) by the higher-pressure pump (8), and another portion of the water dispensed by the dispensing valve (106) is discharged to the tank (6) after dissipating its heat in an auxiliary (110) such as a heater for heating a vehicle compartment and the like.

Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas turbocharger (1) having a housing and having a shaft (2) which is arranged so as to be capable of rotating about its longitudinal axis in the housing and on which a turbine wheel (4) and a compressor wheel (3) are seated and which is guided in radial bearings (5, 6) and in at least one axial bearing (9), the radial bearings (5, 6) being embodied as passive, permanent-magnetic bearings which each have a bearing plate (12, 16) which is seated on the shaft (2) as a rotor, and at least one stator (19, 20, 21, 22) which is disposed axially opposite to said rotor. In order to achieve a radial oscillation damping of the shaft (2) in a simple manner, it is proposed according to the invention that a resilient element (60, 61) is disposed between the stator (19, 20, 21, 22) and a part (37, 38) which is fixed to the housing.

Abstract: A Stirling engine comprising a casing, a displacer arranged in the casing so as to slide, an expansion chamber and an operation chamber into which, and from which, an operation gas flows with the operation of the displacer, and a power piston that is operated in response to a change in the pressure of the operation gas in the operation chamber, wherein the Stirling engine further comprises a displacer operation means having a moving yoke disposed in the displacer and a pair of electromagnetic solenoids disposed to surround the moving yoke and juxtaposed to each other in the axial direction in the casing; a power piston position detection means for detecting the operation position of the power piston; and a control means for controlling to switch over the excitation of the pair of electromagnetic solenoids of the displacer operation means based on a detection signal from the power piston position detection means.

Abstract: In a turbine for an exhaust gas turbocharger including a turbine wheel with a number of turbine wheel blades supported in a housing, which defines a first radial inlet flow channel and which includes in the radial inlet flow channel a variable guide vane structure for guiding exhaust gas radially onto the turbine wheel, and a second, semi-axial, flow channel for guiding exhaust gas semi-axially to the turbine wheel, the turbine wheel blades are arranged and sized so as to define between circumferentially adjacent blades, a flow passage with a flow cross-section which has a minimum at its inlet end.

Abstract: A compressor includes first-stage and second-stage impellers arranged back-to-back such that fluid is discharged from the first-stage impeller into a generally annular interstage duct that conducts the fluid into the second-stage impeller and the fluid discharged from the second-stage impeller enters into a volute that is arranged generally concentrically within the interstage duct. A discharge duct from the volute passes through the interstage duct at one circumferential location. An array of non-axisymmetric deswirl vanes is arranged upstream of the second-stage impeller. One of the vanes is thick and envelops the discharge duct. The remaining vanes are thinner and are differently configured about the circumference of the vane array to account for the flowfield effects of the thick vane.

Abstract: A new thermodynamic cycle is disclosed for converting energy from a low temperature stream from an external source into useable energy using a working fluid comprising of a mixture of a low boiling component and a high boiling component. The cycle is designed to improve the efficiency of the energy extraction process by mixing into an intermediate liquid stream an enriched liquid stream from which the energy from the external source stream is extracted in a vaporization step and converted to energy in an expansion step. The new thermodynamic process and the system for accomplishing it are especially well-suited for streams from low-temperature geothermal sources.

Abstract: The invention is a method for retrofitting a power plant that reduces the consumption of fossil fuel using compressed heated air by retrofitting the power plant by adding at least three heat exchangers, a vessel, a pump, and control system to the power plant, wherein the first heat exchanger receives compressed heated air from a power source and produces heated heat exchange fluid, a second heat exchanger heats a hydrocarbon flow that drives a turbine coupled to a generator, wherein the generator produces power and exhaust gases, wherein the method entails pumping a heat exchange fluid through a first heat exchanger; exchanging heat with compressed heated air; splitting heated fluid flow into a second and third heat exchanger; flowing the heated fluid through a second heat exchanger exchanging heat with a hydrocarbon flow; flowing the heated fluid from the first to third heat exchanger; and using the vessel to accommodate fluid thermal expansion.