Rotary device for inputting thermal energy into fluids and related systems

A method for inputting thermal energy into a fluidic medium, comprising:

• (a) providing a fluidic medium having flow conditions, the flow conditions comprising a speed, a pressure, and/or a level of mixing within the fluidic medium;
• (b) selecting a rotary apparatus comprising:
• a casing with at least one inlet for accepting a fluidic medium and at least one outlet for discharging the fluidic medium, the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet defining a flow path inside the casing,
• a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades configured as impulse impeller blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft,
• at least one row of stationary nozzle guide vanes, each row of stationary nozzle guide vanes arranged upstream of one of the rows of rotor blades, and
• at least one row of stationary diffuser vanes, each row of stationary diffuser vanes arranged downstream of one of the rows of rotor blades and having an axial width of Cx,DIF,
• (c) adjusting a rotation speed of the rotor to a predetermined speed or to a predetermined range of speeds so that the fluidic medium reaches a flow rate that satisfies predetermined process requirements;
• (d) adjusting a preheating level of the fluidic medium;
• and
• (e) directing a stream of fluidic medium along the flow path such that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of the fluidic medium by virtue of series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through blade/vane rows formed by the nozzle guide vanes, the rotor blades, and the diffuser vanes, respectively,
• wherein, in said method, the amount of thermal energy imparted to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus is regulated by varying a distance between an exit from a first row of stationary diffuser vanes and an entrance to an adjacent row of nozzle guide vanes in a direction of the flow path, and
• wherein selecting the rotary apparatus is based at least in part on the distance, and at least in part on the flow conditions of the fluidic medium.