Abstract A method and apparatus for transferring heat from a fluid stream at a lower temperature to a fluid stream at a higher temperature. A gaseous fluid is sealed within a rotating rotor and circulated therein, compressing said gaseous fluid by centrifugal action on said fluid by said rotor, with heat being added to said gaseous fluid from said lower temperature fluid stream during first part of said compression, and then removing heat from said gaseous fluid during latter part of compression and after compression; said gaseous fluid having gained in temperature during said compression. Various fluids may be used for said lower temperature and higher temperature fluids, such as water, and said gaseous fluid may be carbon dioxide, or some other gas.
A heat exchanger comprising a rotor, means for mounting said rotor for rotation, said rotor having first and second closed passages extending outwardly from the axis of rotation of the rotor, a first passage means for connecting the outer ends and a second passage means for connecting the inner ends of said first and second closed outwardly extending pasages to allow a fluid to flow outwardly in said first passage and inwardly toward the axis of rotation in said second passage, a compressible first fluid in said passages, a first heat exchanger carried by said rotor and a second heat exchanger carried by said rotor and located inwardly from the outermost part of said first heat exchanger, means for passing a second fluid through said first heat exchanger to remove heat from the first fluid, and means for passing a third fluid through said second heat exchanger to add heat to said first fluid, and means for rotating said rotor to cause said first fluid to flow outwardly in said first passage and be heated by compression due to centrifugal force and to flow inwardly in said second passage toward the axis of rotation of the rotor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
A heat exchanger comprising a rotor, means for mounting said rotor for rotation, said rotor having first and second closed passages extending outwardly from the axis of rotation of the rotor, a first passage means for connecting the outer ends and a second passage means for connecting the inner ends of said first and second closed outwardly extending pasages to allow a fluid to flow outwardly in said first passage and inwardly toward the axis of rotation in said second passage, a compressible first fluid in said passages, a first heat exchanger carried by said rotor and a second heat exchanger carried by said rotor and located inwardly from the outermost part of said first heat exchanger, means for passing a second fluid through said first heat exchanger to remove heat from the first fluid, and means for passing a third fluid through said second heat exchanger to add heat to said first fluid, and means for rotating said rotor to cause said first fluid to flow outwardly in said first passage and be heated by compression due to centrifugal force and to flow inwardly in said second passage toward the axis of rotation of the rotor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 in which the passage means connecting the outer ends of the passages comprises a set of nozzles for passing said first fluid from the first passage to the second passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The heat exchanger of claim 2 in which the nozzles direct the fluid flowing therethrough in a direction away from the direction of rotation of the rotor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The heat exchanger of claim 2 in which the first heat exchanger is located upstream of the nozzles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The heat exchanger of claim 4 in which the second heat exchanger is located in the same passage as the first heat exchanger.