Abstract: A heat exchanger, including: a columnar honeycomb structure having cells partitioned by partition walls composed of ceramics, each cell penetrating from a first end to a second end to form a flow path for a first fluid; an inner tubular member fitted to an outer peripheral surface of the honeycomb structure to circumferentially cover that surface; a spacer directly and circumferentially covering an outer peripheral surface of the inner tubular member as well as indirectly and circumferentially covering the outer peripheral surface of the honeycomb structure; and an outer tubular member directly and circumferentially covering the spacer; wherein the spacer has a three-dimensional structure that allows flow of a second fluid therein and suppresses movement of bubbles in the second fluid; and wherein at least one opening part between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member forms a gate of the spacer for the second fluid.

Abstract: A heat exchange component including: a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure; and a casing arranged so as to cover an outer circumferential face of the honeycomb structure. The casing includes an inner cylinder arranged so as to be fitted to the outer circumferential face of the honeycomb structure, a middle cylinder arranged so as to cover the inner cylinder, and an outer cylinder arranged so as to cover the middle cylinder such that a circumferential flow path serving as a flow path of a second fluid is formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. The circumferential flow path includes an inner circumferential flow path and an outer circumferential flow path. At least one communication hole that communicates the inner circumferential flow path and the outer circumferential flow path is formed in a portion of the middle cylinder that covers the honeycomb structure.

Abstract: A heat/acoustic wave conversion unit includes a heat/acoustic wave conversion component and two heat exchangers. Hydraulic diameter HD of the cells in the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is 0.4 mm or less, and a ratio HD/L of HD to the length L of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is from 0.005 to 0.02. One of the heat exchangers includes a heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and an annular tube that surrounds a circumferential face of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure. The annular tube includes a structure body that is disposed in the channel to increase a contact area with the heated fluid, an inflow port into which the heated fluid flows, and an outflow port through which the heated fluid flows out. At least one of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and the structure body is made of a ceramic material that contains SiC as a main component.

Abstract: A heat conduction member includes: a cylindrical ceramic body, a metal pipe on the outer periphery side of the cylindrical ceramic body, and an intermediate member held between the cylindrical ceramic body and the metal pipe. The cylindrical ceramic body has passages passing through from one end face to the other end face and allowing the first fluid to flow therethrough. The intermediate member is made of material having at least a part having a Young's modulus of 150 Gpa or less. The first fluid is allowed to flow through the inside of the cylindrical ceramic body while the second fluid having lower temperature than that of the first fluid is allowed to flow on the outer peripheral face side of the metal pipe to perform heat exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid.

Abstract: There is provided a heat exchanger realizing downsizing, weight saving, and cost reduction in comparison with a conventional heat exchange element or heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is provided with a first fluid flow portion formed of a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells partitioned by ceramic partition walls and extending from one end face to another end face in an axial direction to allow a heating medium as a first fluid to flow therein, and a second fluid flow portion formed of a casing containing the honeycomb structure therein, the casing having an inlet and an outlet for a second fluid, and the second fluid flowing on an outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure to receive heat from the first fluid.

Abstract: A heat exchange component includes a honeycomb structure having partition walls extending through the honeycomb structure from a first end face to a second end face to define a plurality of cells forming a through channel of a first fluid, and including a ceramic material as a main component, a covering member made of a metal and fitted into a circumference of the honeycomb structure, a tubular passing portion disposed to come in contact with a circumference of the covering member and forming a through channel of a second fluid, and a circumferential passing portion disposed in a circumference of the tubular passing portion, containing the tubular passing portion, and constituting a through channel through which a third fluid is passed to come in contact with the tubular passing portion and the covering member.

Abstract: A heat/acoustic wave conversion unit includes a heat/acoustic wave conversion component and two heat exchangers. Hydraulic diameter HD of the cells in the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is 0.4 mm or less, and a ratio HD/L of HD to the length L of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is from 0.005 to 0.02. One of the heat exchangers includes a heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and an annular tube that surrounds a circumferential face of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure. The annular tube includes a structure body that is disposed in the channel to increase a contact area with the heated fluid, an inflow port into which the heated fluid flows, and an outflow port through which the heated fluid flows out. At least one of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and the structure body is made of a ceramic material that contains SiC as a main component.

Abstract: To provide a heat exchanger that can control temperatures of fluids to be heat-exchanged. A heat exchanger 30 includes a honeycomb structure 1, a second fluid flow through portion 26 located at an outer periphery side of the honeycomb structure 1 serving as a flow passage for a second fluid, and a third fluid flow through portion 27 located at an outer periphery side of the second fluid flow through portion 26 serving as a flow passage for a third fluid. Cells 3 of the honeycomb structure 1 serve as a first fluid flow through portion 25 through which the first fluid passes. With the heat exchanger 30, the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid can be heat-exchanged without being mixed with one another. Constituting the fluid flow passage with three flow passages allows controlling temperatures of two fluids to be heat-exchanged by the residual fluid.

Abstract: There is provided a heat exchange member which does not easily suffer from breakage due to thermal stress by relaxing the thermal stress. The heat exchange member is provided with a honeycomb structure (1) and a covering member. The outer peripheral wall (7) of the honeycomb structure (1) has at least one slit (15). The covering member covers the honeycomb structure (1) so that the heat exchange can be carried out between a first fluid and a second fluid. The heat exchange member (10) performs heat exchange by means of the outer peripheral wall (7) of the honeycomb structure (1) and the covering member in the state where the first fluid passing through the cells (3) and the second fluid passing through the outside of the covering member are not mixed with each other.

Abstract: A heat exchanger element includes at least two honeycomb structures arranged serially and each including a cell structural portion having cells separated and formed by partition walls containing SiC and functioning as passages which extend from one end face to the other end face and which a first fluid passes through, and an outer peripheral wall disposed on the outer periphery of the cell structural portion. The first fluid passes through the cells of the honeycomb structures without leaking out of the cells or mixing. The cell structural portions of at least a pair of the honeycomb structures adjacent to each other among the honeycomb structures arranged serially are disposed with a gap, and the first fluid passing through the cells mixes together between end faces forming the gap.

Abstract: There is provided a heat exchanger element and a heat exchanger which are smaller, lighter in weight, and lower in cost than conventional heat exchange bodies, heat exchangers and the like. In the honeycomb structure, t?0.2, ?>100, 20?t×??250, and 10,000??×? are satisfied when thermal conductivity of a material for the partition walls is taken as ? [W/K˜m], and, regarding a cell structure of the honeycomb structure, a wall thickness of the partition walls is taken as t [mm], and a cell density is taken as ? [cells/sq.in.].

Abstract: A heat conduction member includes: a cylindrical ceramic body, a metal pipe on the outer periphery side of the cylindrical ceramic body, and an intermediate member held between the cylindrical ceramic body and the metal pipe. The cylindrical ceramic body has passages passing through from one end face to the other end face and allowing the first fluid to flow therethrough. The intermediate member is made of material having at least a part having a Young's modulus of 150 Gpa or less. The first fluid is allowed to flow through the inside of the cylindrical ceramic body while the second fluid having lower temperature than that of the first fluid is allowed to flow on the outer peripheral face side of the metal pipe to perform heat exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid.

Abstract: There is provided a heat exchanger realizing downsizing, weight saving, and cost reduction in comparison with a conventional heat exchange element, heat exchanger, etc. The heat exchanger 30 is provided with a first fluid flow portion 5 formed of a honeycomb structure 1 having a plurality of cells 3 partitioned by ceramic partition walls 4 and extending from one end face 2 to the other end face 2 in an axial direction to allow a heating medium as a first fluid to flow therein, and a second fluid flow portion 6 formed of a casing 21 containing the honeycomb structure 1 therein, the casing 21 having an inlet and an outlet for a second fluid, and the second fluid flowing on an outer peripheral face of the honeycomb structure 1 to receive heat from the first fluid.

Abstract: A microswitch is provided with a movable electrode contact component including a bending displacement component having a cantilever shape, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element having a piezoelectric/electrostrictor and a voltage application electrode layers, and a substrate joined to a support portion of the movable electrode contact component and having a fixed electrode disposed on the surface thereof, wherein the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is driven to displace the movable electrode, so that the movable electrode and the fixed electrode can be brought into a state of being electrically connected to each other or disconnected from each other. At least a thin plate of the bending displacement component is made of a ceramic material, and the thin plate, the piezoelectric/electrostrictor, and the voltage application electrode layers are integrated by firing.

Abstract: A laminated piezoelectric element is applicable as a driving source of opening and closing mechanism of an injection nozzle in a fuel injecting device. A laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has: a columnar laminate 10 constituted by alternately laminating a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers 14 and inner electrode layers 18, 19; and outer electrodes connected to the inner electrode layers 18, 19 every other layer. This laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has stepped portions A formed periodically at every laminating cycle T in a side surface of the columnar laminate 10 of the element, the side surface being parallel to an axial direction (S-direction) of the columnar laminate 10. Due to the constitution mentioned above, the electrode is not easily worn even during an expanding and contracting operation during practical use, and the element can sufficiently circulate and cool a lubricant through the casing even during practical use.

Abstract: There is disclosed a one-dimensional piezoelectric actuator array 1 houses a piezoelectric device 35 including a plate or pillar-shaped piezoelectric member 4 and electrodes 18, 19, and having a planar form; the device 35 being driven by a piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric member 4. The piezoelectric device 35 is formed as a whole in a planar comb shape wherein comb teeth 26 are connected to one another in one end, and portions of the comb teeth 26 work as a plurality of driving portions 31. The guide substrate 2 and piezoelectric device substrate 3 are integrally unified in such a manner that the resultant is readily usable for the formation of a multiply stuck structural body. In case of need, the array may be further provided with a guide substrate 2 having a concave portion 9 for housing at least a part of the piezoelectric device substrate 3.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device has a substrate composed of a nonlinear optical material and a periodically domain-inverted structure having the same composition as the nonlinear optical material, where the domain-inverted structure has a refractive index distribution relying on the domain-inverted structure.

Abstract: A method of making a matrix type piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having a plurality of pillar shaped piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements, each having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance and at least a pair of electrodes being formed on the sides of the substance, are vertically provided on a thick ceramic substrate, such that the device is driven by displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance. In this device, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are integrally bonded to the ceramic substrate and independently arranged in two dimensions. The percentage of transgranularly fractured crystal grains on at least the sides of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance on which the electrodes are formed is 10% or less. The unit forms a curved surface near a joined section between the substance and the substrate.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes a waveguide layer that converts a wavelength of incident light and emits converted light. In the waveguide layer, a ridge waveguide and slab waveguides are provided, the slab waveguides being formed on both sides of the ridge waveguide with recess portions intervening therebetween. The waveguide layer satisfies a multi-mode condition for the incident light, and light propagating through the ridge waveguide is in a single mode.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device being less-particle-generative and capable of continuously realizing a stable displacement operation over a long period of time or being large in displacement amount and high in generative force and the like. This less-dust-generative piezoelectric/electrostrictive device 1 comprises a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements 31 including a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive members 4 and at least one pair of electrodes formed on the side surface of each piezoelectric/electrostrictive member 4, and the members are set up on a thick ceramic substrate 2. In this less-dust-generative matrix-type piezoelectric/electrostrictive device 1, a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements 31 substantially having pillar shapes are set up in a matrix form. The ceramic substrate 2 is formed integrally with the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements 31.