Devices for ohmically heating a fluid
AssigneeHeatworks Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJeremiah M. Callahan, Eric J. Doesburg, Gregory S. Lyon, Michael J. Wieckowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ohmic heater for heating a conductive fluid has a plurality of electrodes mounted to a structure with spaces between the electrodes. The electrodes (14) are selectively connect to poles (38, 40) of a power supply, so that some electrodes are connected to the poles and others remain isolated from the poles. Shunting switches are provided for connecting two or more of the isolated electrodes to one another. The shunting switches allow formation of a large number of different connection schemes having a variety of different electrical conduction paths through fluid in the spaces and a variety of resistances between the poles with relatively few electrodes and spaces.
Claims18
A heater for heating an electrically conductive fluid comprising:
- (a) a structure;
- (b) a plurality of electrodes mounted to the structure with spaces between neighboring ones of the electrodes, the structure being adapted to maintain the electrodes in contact with the fluid with fluid in the spaces, so that fluid in the spaces contacts the electrodes and electrically connects neighboring electrodes to one another;
- (c) an electrical power supply having at least two poles, the power supply connection being operable to supply different electrical potentials to different ones of the poles;
- (d) power switches electrically connected between at least some of the electrodes and the poles, the power switches being operable to selectively connect the electrodes to the poles and to selectively disconnect electrodes from the poles, the power switches being operable to connect and disconnect electrodes so that the electrodes include at least first and second connected electrodes connected to different poles of the power supply and first and second isolated electrodes disconnected from the poles;
- and
- (e) shunting switches electrically connected to at least some of the electrodes, the shunting switches being operable to selectively form a shunt connection between the first and second isolated electrodes.
A method of heating an electrically conductive fluid comprising:
- (a) contacting the fluid with a plurality of electrodes having spaces between neighboring ones of the electrodes so that the fluid in the spaces contacts the electrodes and electrically connects neighboring electrodes to one another;
- (b) selectively connecting and disconnecting the electrodes and poles of a power supply so that different electrical potentials are applied to at least some of the electrodes and current flows between at least some of the electrodes through the fluid, the step of selectively connecting and disconnecting the electrode with the poles being performed so that the electrodes include at least first and second connected electrodes connected to different poles of the power supply and first and second isolated electrodes disconnected from the poles;
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- (c) electrically connecting the first and second isolated electrodes to one another without connecting the first and second isolated electrodes to the poles of the power supply.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.