Abstract: A stepping motor unit includes a stepping motor of the type wherein the interior of the stepping motor is filled with an oil, a detector for detecting the temperature of the oil in the stepping motor, a device for varying an upper limiting value of the rotational speed of the stepping motor and an upper limiting value of the rotational acceleration of the stepping motor in view of a current viscous condition of the oil based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector, and a driver for driving the stepping motor at a rotational speed and a rotational acceleration which fall in ranges, respectively, not exceeding the upper limiting values. The stepping motor unit thus constructed has rapid and accurate response characteristics and is capable of operating reliably without falling out of step even when the environmental temperature varies in a very wide range. A rotary control valve incorporating such stepping motor unit is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric actuator driving apparatus in which a piezoelectric element used to operate as an electro-mechanical transducer is suitably charged and discharged so that the piezoelectric element can make a predetermined amount of mechanical displacement. In the apparatus, the energy of electric charge causing expansion of the piezoelectric element is controlled by a plurality of pulse signals. Each of these pulse signals acts to store electric charge having a predetermined amount of energy in a capacitor, so that the amount of electric charge stored in the capacitor increases with the increase in the number of the pulse signals. After the total amount of the energy of the electric charge stored in the capacitor attains a predetermined value sufficient to cause expansion of the piezoelectric element, the electric charge stored in the capacitor is supplied to the piezoelectric element.