Fluid processing apparatus and method

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR CREATING A CHEMICAL REACTION AND TRANSFERRING HEAT GENERATED BY SAID REACTION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A FUEL TO A REACTION ZONE DEFINED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL CYLINDRICAL WALL THAT IS COMPOSED OF MATERIAL WHICH IS NORMALLY ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY HEAT, (B) BURNING SAID FUEL WITHIN A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID ZONE THAT IS SPACED FROM THE WALL DEFINING THE REACTION ZONE AND IS ALSO SPACED FROM THE END OF THE REACTION ZONE TO WHICH SAID FUEL IS ADMITTED, (C) SIMULTANEOUSLY INTRODUCING A LIQUID HAVING HEATTRANSFER PROPERTIES TO THE REACTION ZONE IN WHICH SAID FUEL IS BURNED AT A LOCATION SUCH THAT SAID FUEL IS BURNED DOWNSTREAM FROM THE LOCATION AT WHICH THE LIQUID IS INTRODUCED, (D) CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL AROUND SAID BURNING FUEL AT AN ANGULAR VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE SAID HEAT-TRANSFER LIQUID TO BE RETAINED ON SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL AS A CYLINDRICAL FORMATION OF HEAT TRANSFER LIQUID WHICH IS SPACED FROM SAID BURNING FUEL, (E) AND REMOVING SAID LIQUID FROM THE REACTION ZONE DOWNSTREAM FROM THE LOCATION AT WHICH SAID LIQUID WAS INTRODUCED AT A RATE THAT IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE LIQUID TO MAINTAIN THE WALL DEFINING THE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW WHICH THE WALL WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.