Viscous fluid type heat generator with heat-generation performance changing ability

A variable heat generating performance, viscous fluid type heat generator comprising:

• a housing assembly defining therein a fluid-tight heat generating chamber in which heat is generated, and a heat receiving chamber arranged adjacent to said fluid-tight heat generating chamber to permit a heat exchanging fluid to circulate therethrough to thereby receive heat from said fluid-tight heat generating chamber, said fluid-tight heat generating chamber having inner wall surfaces thereof;
• a drive shaft supported by said housing assembly to be rotatable about an axis of rotation thereof, said drive shaft being operatively connected to an external rotation-drive source;
• a rotor element mounted to be rotationally driven by said drive shaft for rotation together therewith within said fluid-tight heat generating chamber, said rotor element having outer faces confronting said inner wall surfaces of said fluid-tight heat generating chamber via a predetermined gap;
• a viscous fluid, filling said gap between said inner wall surfaces of said fluid-tight heat generating chamber of said housing assembly and said outer faces of said rotor element, for heat generation during the rotation of said rotor element,
• wherein said housing assembly further comprises:
• a heat generation control chamber formed therein to have a given amount of volume for containing said viscous fluid therein;
• a fluid withdrawing passage for passing the viscous fluid from said heat generating chamber toward said heat generation control chamber to thereby permit at least a part of the viscous fluid in said heat generating chamber to be withdrawn into said heat generation control chamber, said fluid withdrawing passage having opposite open ends thereof;
• a fluid supplying passage for passing the viscous fluid from said heat generation control chamber toward said heat generating chamber to thereby permit at least a part of the viscous fluid in said heat generation control chamber to be supplied into said heat generating chamber, said fluid supplying passage having opposite open ends;
• a subsidiary fluid supplying passageway for providing a predetermined constant fluid communication between said heat generation control chamber and said heat generating chamber, said subsidiary fluid supplying passageway constantly supplying a given amount of viscous fluid from said heat generation control chamber to said heat generating chamber;
• a fluid withdrawal control valve for openably closing at least one of the opposite open ends of said fluid withdrawing passage, said fluid withdrawal control valve opening at least one of the opposite open ends of said fluid withdrawing passage when the viscous fluid should be withdrawn from said heat generating chamber to reduce a heat generating performance of said heat generator;
• and,
• a fluid supply control valve for openably closing at least one of the opposite ends of said fluid supplying passage, said fluid supply control valve opening at least one of the opposite ends of said fluid supplying passage when the viscous fluid should be supplied from said heat generation control chamber into said heat generating chamber to increase the heat generating performance of said heat generator.