Fluid Charged Rotary Heating System

Abstract

A fluid-charged heating device comprising a cylindrical housing in fluid communication with a housing extension; a cylindrical rotor disposed centrally and mounted for rotation in said cylindrical housing in spaced relation to provide an annular passage for heat transfer fluid to recirculate between the cylindrical housing and the housing extension. The rotor has a surface with a continuous helical groove along the longitudinal axis of the rotor and rotation of the helically grooved rotor causes fluid shearing, heat-generating cavitation, and recirculation of the heat transfer fluid between the housing and the housing extension.

1 . A fluid-charged heating device comprising a cylindrical housing in fluid communication with a housing extension via connecting means; a cylindrical rotor disposed centrally and mounted for rotation in said cylindrical housing in spaced relation to provide an annular passage for heat transfer fluid to recirculate between said cylindrical housing and said housing extension; said rotor having a surface with a continuous helical groove along the longitudinal axis of the rotor, wherein rotation of said helically grooved rotor causes fluid shearing, heat-generating cavitation, and further causes recirculation of the heat transfer fluid between the cylindrical housing and the housing extension. 
     
     
         2 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 1 , wherein said housing and housing extension further comprise heat transfer elements adjacent thereto to transfer heat from the heat transfer fluid to surrounding mass. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 2 , wherein the heat transfer elements comprise plates or fins welded on the housing and/or housing extension. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 1 , wherein said housing extension further comprises a heat dissipation means in fluid communication with the cylindrical housing via a tubular inlet port receiving high temperature fluid from the housing, and a tubular outlet port directing low temperature fluid to the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 4 , wherein the heat dissipating means comprises a plurality of flow tubes or tubular plates in fluid communication with the connecting means. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 4 , wherein the heat dissipating means comprises a plate fin heat exchangers wherein the fins define passages for flow of fluids to be put into heat exchange relationship with the ambient mass, wherein said fin passages are in fluid communication with the connecting means. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 4 , wherein the heat dissipating means comprise a plurality of plates and a plurality of spacers extend between each adjacent pair of plates to separate the plates wherein the plates define passages in fluid communication with the connecting means, for the flow of re-circulating fluid to be put into heat exchange relationship with ambient mass. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is at least one selected from the group consisting of petroleum oils, alkylated aromatics, phenylene oxides, diphenylene oxides, terphenyls, phenoxybiphenyls, phenoxyterphenyls, polyalkylene ether glycol type copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and polydimethylsiloxane based silicone fluids. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer fluid further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, thermal stabilizers, viscosity modifiers and anti-foaming agents. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is blended with components selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyalkylene glycol copolymers of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, biphenyl ethers, polyphenyl ethers, vegetable oils, mineral oil, and silicone fluids. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid-charged heating device of  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer fluid comprises (a) from about 50 wt. % to 99 wt. %  30 , 000  CST polydimethylsiloxane based silicone fluid and (b) from about 1 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of 60,000 CST polydimethylsiloxane silicone fluid as blending component. 
     
     
         12 . A fluid-charged heating device comprising a plurality of cylindrical housings in fluid communication with a common housing extension via connecting means; a plurality of cylindrical rotors disposed centrally and mounted for rotation in their respective cylindrical housing in spaced relation to provide an annular passage for heat transfer fluid to recirculate between said plurality of cylindrical housing and said common housing extension via said connecting means; each of said plurality of rotors having a surface with a continuous helical groove along the longitudinal axis of the rotor, wherein rotation of said helically grooved rotors causes fluid shearing, heat-generating cavitation, and further causes recirculation of the heat transfer fluid in said cylindrical housings between the housings and the housing extension. 
     
     
         13 . A method of heat generation comprising the steps of causing a cylindrical rotor having a surface provided with a continuous helical groove to rotate in a cylindrical rotor housing in close conformity to the diameter of the rotor and causing recirculation of a heat transfer fluid between the rotor housing and a housing extension wherein said fluid in said rotor housing is heated by fluid shearing and heat-generating cavitation and said fluid continuously re-circulated between the rotor housing and the housing extension; said housing extension optionally comprising a heat dissipation means.