Thermal energy exchanging device

In combination:

• (a) a stationary, hollow, elongated cylindrical member which has a vertically disposed outer cylindrical wall and which is sealingly divided longitudinally and transversely into at least four compartments, a first pair of generally longitudinally aligned compartments, relative to the longitudinal axis of the stationary member, being designed to communicate with each other, and a second pair of generally longitudinally aligned compartments designed to be in communication with each other, the compartments each having at least one opening in the outer cylindrical wall of the member, the first and second pairs of compartments each having an inlet port and an outlet port through which fluid enters and exits the compartments;
• (b) a hollow, closed torus-shaped member mounted for rotation about the stationary member, the rotary member having, a vertically disposed outer cylindrical wall concentrically spaced exteriorly of an inner cylindrical wall which is concentrically spaced, exteriorly of the outer cylindrical wall of the stationary member, the inner and outer cylindrical walls of the rotary member defining therebetween an annular enclosure which is sealingly divided longitudinally into a plurality of vertically extending generally pie-shaped sections, each of which sections is transversely divided into two parts by material through which fluid passes between the two parts of each section, the sections each having a pair of vertically spaced openings in the inner cylindrical wall on opposite sides of the material, the openings in the inner cylindrical wall corresponding to the openings in the outer cylindrical wall of the stationary member;
• (c) means carried by the rotary member for supporting the material in the sections generally midway between opposing, longitudinally spaced annular endwalls of the rotary member;
• (d) means mounting the rotary member for rotation in a horizontal plane which is normal to the longitudinal axis of the stationary member;
• (e) at least three annular ring seals coacting between the rotary and stationary members to vertically divide the annular space between the inner and outer cylindrical walls thereof into a pair of annular spaces which are spaced longitudinally of the stationary member in circumferential side-by-side relation;
• (f) a plurality of flap seals secured longitudinally of the stationary member between the ring seals to sealingly engage the rotary member, the flap and ring seals dividing the space between the inner and outer cylindrical walls of the rotary and stationary members into four segments which are sealed from each other and generally in radial alignment with the four compartments of the stationary members;
• (g) means for rotating the rotary member around the stationary member;
• and
• (h) means for simultaneously circulating fluid through the first and second pairs of compartments and the sections in communication therewith for contact with the material in the sections.