Magnetic fluid heating and impelling apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for heating and impelling a fluid may comprise a housing, and an air heating impeller assembly positioned in the housing and configured to impel and heat the fluid moving through the housing. The air heating impeller assembly may comprise a support shaft, and a plurality of disks on the support shaft and spaced from each other to form fluid flow gaps therebetween. A disk may comprise a hub portion, an annular portion located radially outward from the hub portion, and a plurality of spoke portions connecting the annular and hub portions. The hub, annular and spoke portions of a disk may be formed of an integral part. A magnetic assembly may be configured to apply a magnetic field of adjustable intensity to the disks.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for heating and impelling a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing having an interior and at least one inlet and at least one air outlet;   an air heating impeller assembly positioned in the housing and configured to impel fluid through the housing and heat the fluid moving through the housing, the impeller assembly being rotatable with respect to the housing about an axis of rotation, the air heating impeller assembly comprising:
 a support shaft extending along the axis of rotation; 
 a plurality of disks positioned on the support shaft and spaced from each other in an axial direction to form fluid flow gaps therebetween, at least one of the disks comprising:
 a hub portion located at an radially-inward location on the disk and adjacent to the support shaft; 
 an annular portion located radially outward from the hub portion, the annular portion being spaced from the hub portion, an opening being formed between the hub portion and the annular portion; 
 a plurality of spoke portions extending radially outward from the hub portion across the opening to connect the annular portion to the hub portion; 
 wherein the hub, annular and spoke portions of a disk are formed of an integral part; and 
 
   a magnetic assembly configured to apply a magnetic field of adjustable intensity to the disks.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the hub, annular and spoke portions of a said disk are machined from a single piece of material. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the magnetic assembly comprises a plurality of magnetic elements positioned adjacent to the disks and a support structure configured to move the plurality of magnetic elements between a maximum exposure position in the gaps between the disks and a minimum exposure position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the disks have a spacing rib extending from a side of the disk to abut against an adjacent disk to space at least the annular portions of adjacent disks from each other to create the fluid flow gap. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein spacing ribs of adjacent said disks abut against each other to form the fluid flow gap. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the spacing rib of a said disk extends radially on the disk and is formed on the spoke portion and the annular portion of the disk. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein at least one hole is formed through the rib to receive a fastener fastening the disks together. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the air inlet comprises a pair of air inlets positioned on opposed locations on the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the impeller assembly simultaneously impels and heats the fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of spoke portions divide the opening of a said disk into sub-openings, the sub-openings of adjacent disks being substantially aligned to form a passage through the plurality of disks. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one fin extends outwardly from at least one of the said sides of the disk on the annular portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein contouring of a first side of a said disk is substantially identical to contouring on a second side of the disk.