US 2004/0103855 A1 · APPARATUS FOR HEATING FLUIDS

Abstract

The apparatus has a housing with a main chamber in which a rotor is situated. A drive shaft drives the rotor about a longitudinal axis of rotation. The housing has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet communicating with an inlet region and a fluid outlet communicating with an exit region. The outer surface of the rotor forms one boundary for the fluid heat generating region and is confronted by the inner surface of the main chamber which is the other boundary. At least one of these surfaces is angularly inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and rotor. By bodily shifting the rotor in a direction along the longitudinal axis, an increase or decrease in the distance between the outer and inner surfaces is possible in order to adjust for wear or to change the degree of shear experienced by the passing fluid.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A fluid heating apparatus comprising a housing having a main chamber;

a central member within said main chamber and movable relative to said housing about an axis of rotation;
said central member comprising an outer surface confronting an inner surface of said main chamber and defining an annular fluid volume therebetween;
a fluid inlet communicating with said annular fluid volume and situated nearer one end of said main chamber and a fluid outlet communicating with said annular fluid volume and situated nearer an opposite end of said main chamber, wherein at least one of said inner and outer surfaces is angularly inclined relative to said axis of rotation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for heating fluids

Life of this patent

Apparatus for heating fluids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42