Rotary device for inputting thermal energy into fluids

A rotary apparatus for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium, comprising:

• a casing with at least one inlet and at least one outlet,
• a rotor comprising a plurality of rows of rotor blades configured as impulse impeller blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft,
• a plurality of rows of stationary nozzle guide vanes, each row of stationary nozzle guide vanes arranged upstream of one of the rows of rotor blades, wherein the plurality of rows of stationary nozzle guide vanes comprises at least a first row, a second row, and a third row of stationary nozzle guide vanes, respectively, and
• a plurality of rows of stationary diffuser vanes, each row of stationary diffuser vanes arranged downstream of one of the rows of rotor blades, wherein the plurality of rows of stationary diffuser vanes comprises at least a first row, a second row, and a third row of diffuser vanes, respectively,
• wherein the apparatus is configured to impart an amount of thermal energy to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the outlet by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through the blade/vane rows formed by the nozzle guide vanes, the rotor blades and the diffuser vanes, respectively, and
• wherein, in said apparatus, a first space formed between an exit from the first row of stationary diffuser vanes and an entrance to the second row of nozzle guide vanes in a direction of the flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the outlet has a length, size, and/or shape that is varied from a length, size, and/or shape of a second space formed between an exit from the second row of diffuser vanes and an entrance to the third row of nozzle guide vanes to regulate the amount of thermal energy input to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the apparatus.