In this research, a novel hybrid energy-saving system with hydraulic transformer (TRF) is proposed and its efficiency is discussed. Combining normal accumulator as an energy storage device, this system compose a pure-hydraulic hybrid system. Two types of energy-saving controls are examined in numerical simulations. It is confirmed that the proposed system achieves the energy saving performance up to about 80% compared with conventional system. This corresponds to 98% of the energy that was used for cylinder ascent. Introducing the TRF, it was confirmed that more energy can be recovered. This energy can be used when the cylinder ascents. This improves an energy saving performance due to the reduction of the supplied energy from the main pump.

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Recently, an energy-saving drive system which combines a small displacement pump with an AC servo motor or inverter motor can be frequently seen. Therefore, our company has developed small axial piston pump/motor series with a spherical valve plate using our original design and the precision processing technology. Furthermore, we have developed a compact HST as well in order to contribute to the low birthrate and longevity issue. In this report, I briefly explain the efficiency and application example of the micro pump and HST with a spherical valve plate.

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We propose a novel droplet transporting method for Micro Total Analysis System (μTAS), which we call an active flow channel matrix, using an electro-conjugate fluid (ECF). The ECF is a kind of dielectric and functional fluid, which generates a powerful flow (ECF flow) when subjected to high DC voltage. We introduced the ECF in this study to a droplet transporting system on a chip, that is, we developed a 2×2 channel matrix, which is filled with the ECE, and put tiny electrode pairs in each channel in order to induce channel flow. With the proposed active flow channel matrix, a water droplet put into the channel may move in any direction according to the channel flow generated by the ECF flow. According to this concept, we developed a prototype of the active flow channel matrix, and confirmed our concept by experiments. A 0.5 ml blue-colored water droplet could move along the channel by the ECF flow in either direction with velocity of up to 6.30 mm/s. Namely we may possibly transport the water droplet to any positions along the channels.

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The purpose of this study is to develop a novel and compact pneumatic pressure pulsation generator that can generate arbitrary pressure pulsations in a pipe system in order to evaluate the characteristics of flow meters and flow sensors. Gas flow meters and sensors (used in industrial processes and in homes) are exposed to unsteady pressure pulsations generated by the operation of other equipment and piping. In this paper, in order to establish a compact (laboratory-size) testing device to characterize gas flow meters and sensors (particularly around their zero point) at various pressure pulsations, a compact arbitrary pressure pulsation generator is developed and tested. First, using ordinary 15 m length piping and a T-tube, pressure pulsations are generated and supplied to two flow meters (a laminar flow sensor and an ultrasonic flow meter). Then, the pulsations are duplicated using the newly developed compact pressure pulsation generator and supplied to the flow meters. The experimental results indicate that the developed pulsation generator can accurately duplicate the pulsations generated by the ordinary piping. These results indicate that our system can potentially be used to reduce the cost of flow meter evaluation.

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