Abstract: In a casing, a cooler valve element is placed in a cooler flow passage, while a bypass valve element is placed in a bypass flow passage. The cooler valve element is adjacent and fixed to a first shaft end portion of a valve shaft. The bypass valve element is adjacent and fixed to a second shaft end portion of the valve shaft. A first bearing is provided between the casing and the first shaft end portion and a second bearing is provided between the casing and the second shaft end portion. A first seal member is placed, adjacent to the first bearing, and a second seal member is placed adjacent to a second bearing. A driven gear is fixed to a leading end of the first shaft end portion. The first bearing consists of a rolling bearing and the second bearing is formed of a slid bearing.

Abstract: An eccentric valve has a drive mechanism, a drive force receiving part, a bearing for supporting a rotary shaft, and a return spring for generating a return spring force. During non-operation of the drive mechanism, the eccentric valve generates a separating-direction urging force to cause the rotary shaft to incline about the bearing serving as a fulcrum and urge the valve element in a direction away from the valve seal, the separating-direction urging force being a force caused by the return spring force. Either the valve element or the valve seat is provided with a sealing member to seal between the valve element and the valve seat during non-operation of the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A valve housing that has a flow passage. Arranged in the flow passage are a valve seat that includes a valve hole, valve body that can be seated on the valve seat, and a section of a rotary shaft with the valve body fixed to the tip thereof. A ring-shaped seat surface is formed in the valve hole of the valve seat. A ring-shaped sealing surface corresponding to the seat surface is formed on the perimeter of the disc-shaped valve body. By rotating the rotary shaft, the valve body rotates open from a closed state in which the valve body is seated on the valve seat and the sealing surface is in contact with the seat surface. A tapered upstream-side flow regulating part is provided in the valve hole of the valve seat, so as to widen from the seat surface toward the upstream side of the EGR gas flow.

Abstract: An EGR valve includes a valve seat in a flow passage of a housing, a valve element seatable on the valve seat, a rotary shaft to open or close the valve element, a motor and a speed reducing mechanism, a return spring urging the valve element in a valve closing direction, and an opening-degree sensor to detect an opening degree of the valve element. An electronic control unit (ECU) diagnoses abnormality due to lodging of foreign matter between the valve seat and the valve element during full close. When driving the motor to urge the valve element in the valve closing direction during full close of the valve element, the ECU determines the EGR valve to be abnormal because of lodging of foreign matter if a difference between a value detected by the opening-degree sensor and a predetermined reference value is larger than a first determination value.

Abstract: An eccentric valve has a drive mechanism, a drive force receiving part, a bearing for supporting a rotary shaft, and a return spring for generating a return spring force. During non-operation of the drive mechanism, the eccentric valve generates a separating-direction urging force to cause the rotary shaft to incline about the bearing serving as a fulcrum and urge the valve element in a direction away from the valve seat, the separating-direction urging force being a force caused by the return spring force. Either the valve element or the valve seat is provided with a sealing member to seal between the valve element and the valve seat during non-operation of the drive mechanism.

Abstract: In an EGR valve including a double eccentric valve, a passage is divided into upstream and downstream passages with the valve seat as the boundary and the valve element is disposed in the upstream passage. The valve element includes a first side part and a second side part that have as a boundary a virtual surface extending from the axis of the rotary shaft parallel to the direction in which the axis of the valve element extends. When the valve element rotates in the valve-opening direction from the fully closed state, the first side part rotates into the downstream passage and the second side part rotates into the upstream passage. A valve closing stopper is provided to be engageable with the first side part. A return spring for rotationally biasing the valve element in the fully closed state in the direction of valve-closing is also provided.

Abstract: An EGR gas distributor for distributing EGR gas to each of a plurality of branch pipes of an intake manifold includes a gas chamber, a chamber case extending in a direction traversing the branch pipes, a gas inflow pipe provided in the chamber case and configured to introduce EGR gas to the gas chamber, a plurality of gas distribution pipes branched from the chamber case and arranged at intervals in a longitudinal direction of the chamber case to distribute EGR gas from the gas chamber to each of the branch pipes, and a condensed-water flow restraining unit for restraining condensed water generated in the gas chamber from flowing in the gas distribution pipes.

Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes an EGR passage to allow part of exhaust gas discharged from an engine to an exhaust passage to flow as EGR gas into an intake passage; an EGR valve to regulate an EGR flow rate in the EGR passage; various sensors for detecting an engine running state; and an ECU to control the EGR valve based on the detected running state to diagnose abnormality in the EGR valve. The ECU calculates a reference intake pressure according the detected engine rotation speed and load by reference to a reference intake pressure map showing a relationship of the reference intake pressure to engine rotation speed, and engine load, and determine whether or not the EGR valve has abnormality in opening/closing by comparing the reference intake pressure with the detected intake pressure.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell for generating electricity with the supply of hydrogen gas and air, a hydrogen supply unit for supplying the hydrogen gas to the fuel cell, an air supply unit for supplying the air to the fuel cell, and a produced water atomizing apparatus for atomizing the produced water produced in association with electricity generation in the fuel cell and emitting the atomized water to the atmosphere. The air supply unit includes an air pump for pressure-feeding the air to the fuel cell, and the produced water atomizing apparatus includes an aspirator to atomize the produced water by use of the air emitted from the air pump as operation air. The air emitted from the air pump is cooled by an intercooler. The air utilized in the aspirator as the operation air is supplied to the aspirator on an upstream side of the intercooler.

Abstract: An intake apparatus includes an intake manifold, an EGR gas distributor, and an EGR cooler. The intake manifold includes a surge tank and branch pipes. The EGR gas distributor includes a gas inlet, a gas chamber, and gas distribution pipes connected to the branch pipes. The branch pipes are each formed with a connecting hole for the gas distribution pipes. The EGR cooler is provided adjacent to the gas chamber to warm the inside wall of the gas chamber and includes a hot water passage and a gas passage. The gas chamber and the hot water passage are arranged to traverse the branch pipes. The gas distribution pipes are connected to the corresponding connecting holes. The EGR gas distributor and the EGR cooler in an integrated form are attached to the intake manifold.

Abstract: An eccentric valve has a drive mechanism, a drive force receiving part, a bearing for supporting a rotary shaft, and a return spring for generating a return spring force. During non-operation of the drive mechanism, the eccentric valve generates a separating-direction urging force to cause the rotary shaft to incline about the bearing serving as a fulcrum and urge the valve element in a direction away from the valve seat, the separating-direction urging force being a force caused by the return spring force. Either the valve element or the valve seat is provided with a sealing member to seal between the valve element and the valve seat during non-operation of the drive mechanism.

Abstract: An intake manifold made of resin includes a surge tank, a plurality of branch pipes branching off from the surge tank, an EGR gas distribution part for distributing EGR gas to each of the branch pipes, and an EGR cooler for cooling EGR gas introduced into the EGR gas distribution part. The EGR cooler and the EGR gas distribution part are made of resin and provided adjacently and integrally. The EGR cooler includes a gas passage through which EGR gas flows and a water passage through which engine cooling water flows to cool the gas passage to allow the EGR gas to pass through the EGR cooler and then flow in the EGR gas distribution part.

Abstract: In a casing, a cooler valve element is placed in a cooler flow passage, while a bypass valve element is placed in a bypass flow passage. The cooler valve element is adjacent and fixed to a first shaft end portion of a valve shaft. The bypass valve element is adjacent and fixed to a second shaft end portion of the valve shaft. A first bearing is provided between the casing and the first shaft end portion and a second bearing is provided between the casing and the second shaft end portion. A first seal member is placed, adjacent to the first bearing, and a second seal member is placed adjacent to a second bearing. A driven gear is fixed to a leading end of the first shaft end portion. The first bearing consists of a rolling bearing and the second bearing is formed of a slid bearing.

Abstract: A flow control valve comprising a valve seat provided with a valve hole and a seat surface, a valve element formed with a sealing surface corresponding to the seat surface, and a rotary shaft to which the valve element is integrally provided, the central axis of the rotary shaft being arranged eccentrically toward the radial direction of the valve hole from the central axis of the valve hole, and the sealing surface being arranged eccentrically toward the direction in which the central axis of the valve element extends from the central axis of the rotary shaft. The flow control valve has a valve element movement direction restriction member for stopping rotation of the valve element, and thereafter moving the valve element toward the valve seat while also relatively rotating the valve element about the eccentric axis eccentric from the central axis of the rotary shaft, relative to the rotary shaft.

Abstract: An EGR cooling apparatus includes a first EGR cooling-water passage (passage parts) to cause cooling water flowing out of an engine to an engine cooling water passage to return to the engine cooling water passage via an EGR cooler; a second EGR cooling-water passage (passage parts) to cause cooling water flowing out of a radiator to the engine cooling water passage to return to the second EGR cooling-water passage via the EGR cooler; a three-way valve for switching a flow of cooling water for the EGR cooler between a first EGR cooling-water passage and a second EGR cooling-water passage; and an electronic control unit (ECU) to control the three-way valve to switch a flow of cooling water to the EGR cooler between the first EGR cooling-water passage during warm-up of the engine and a second EGR cooling-water passage after warm-up.

Abstract: In an apparatus for heating an intake system for an engine of a vehicle by hot water, the vehicle having an engine compartment placed in a front part, in which a radiator is placed on a front side, and the engine and the intake system are placed behind the radiator. The intake system includes an intake passage and a throttle device. A hot water passage is provided to circulate hot water around the throttle device to heat the throttle device, the hot water having been warmed by cooling the engine. In the hot water passage, a hot water control valve is provided. In the hot water control valve, an expanding-contracting member made of shape-memory alloy is provided to control opening and closing of the hot water control valve in response to the internal temperature of the engine compartment.

Abstract: In an apparatus for heating an intake system for an engine of a vehicle by hot water, the vehicle having an engine compartment placed in a front part, in which a radiator is placed on a front side, and the engine and the intake system are placed behind the radiator. The intake system includes an intake passage and a throttle device. A hot water passage is provided to circulate hot water around the throttle device to heat the throttle device, the hot water having been warmed by cooling the engine. In the hot water passage, a hot water control valve is provided. In the hot water control valve, an expanding-contracting member made of shape-memory alloy is provided to control opening and closing of the hot water control valve in response to the internal temperature of the engine compartment.

Abstract: An intake manifold made of resin includes a surge tank, a plurality of branch pipes branching off from the surge tank, an EGR gas distribution part for distributing EGR gas to each of the branch pipes, and an EGR cooler for cooling EGR gas introduced into the EGR gas distribution part. The EGR cooler and the EGR gas distribution part are made of resin and provided adjacently and integrally. The EGR cooler includes a gas passage through which EGR gas flows and a water passage through which engine cooling water flows to cool the gas passage to allow the EGR gas to pass through the EGR cooler and then flow in the EGR gas distribution part.

Abstract: An EGR valve includes a valve seat in a flow passage of a housing, a valve element seatable on the valve seat, a rotary shaft to open or close the valve element, a motor and a speed reducing mechanism, a return spring urging the valve element in a valve closing direction, and an opening-degree sensor to detect an opening degree of the valve element. An electronic control unit (ECU) diagnoses abnormality due to lodging of foreign matter between the valve seat and the valve element during full close. When driving the motor to urge the valve element in the valve closing direction during full close of the valve element, the ECU determines the EGR valve to be abnormal because of lodging of foreign matter if a difference between a value detected by the opening-degree sensor and a predetermined reference value is larger than a first determination value.

Abstract: A low-pressure-loop EGR apparatus of an engine includes an EGR passage to allow part of exhaust gas discharged from a combustion chamber to return as EGR gas to the combustion chamber, and an EGR valve to regulate a flow of EGR gas in the EGR passage. This passage has an inlet connected to an exhaust passage downstream of a turbine and an outlet connected to an intake passage upstream of a compressor. In the intake passage, an intake bypass passage is provided to connect an upstream portion and a downstream part from the compressor. An ABV is provided in the passage. To remove EGR gas remaining in the ABV, one end of a residual gas removal passage is connected to the intake passage downstream of a throttle valve and the other end of the same passage is connected to the ABV.