U.S. patent number 3,835,921 [Application Number 05/328,686] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-17 for rotatable heat exchanger.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Donbar Development Corporation. Invention is credited to Nicholas Howard Des Champs, George N. Faris.
United States Patent |
3,835,921 |
Faris , et al. |
September 17, 1974 |
ROTATABLE HEAT EXCHANGER
Abstract
A rotary heat exchanger including a plurality of hollow blades
fixed to the periphery of a rotatably mounted member oriented to
serve as means for providing forced circulation of ambient air in a
radial direction upon rotation. Passages are formed in the
rotatable member which receive the preheated or precooled thermal
fluid from external equipment and distribute such fluid to the
hollow blades within which the fluid circulates causing heat
transfer to ambient fluid. The thermal fluid is then directed to
collection passages in the rotatable member from which the fluid
exits and returns to the external equipment. In one embodiment, the
distribution and collection passages are formed to obtain a reduced
pressure drop and a compact device. In another embodiment, a stator
is provided enabling the heat exchanger to function as a pump for
circulating the thermal fluid.
Inventors: |
Faris; George N. (New York,
NY), Des Champs; Nicholas Howard (Whippany, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Donbar Development Corporation
(New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23281992 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/328,686 |
Filed: |
February 1, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/86;
165/DIG.151; 62/426; 62/499 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D
11/02 (20130101); F28F 5/04 (20130101); F28D
11/04 (20130101); Y10S 165/151 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F28D
11/04 (20060101); F28F 5/00 (20060101); F28F
5/04 (20060101); F28D 11/00 (20060101); F28D
11/02 (20060101); F28d 011/00 (); F28g
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;165/86,87,122,499
;415/54,56,52,53,89,120 ;62/325,499 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Antonakas; Manuel A.
Assistant Examiner: Streule, Jr.; Theophil W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Darby & Darby
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for effecting heat exchange between an ambient fluid
and a thermal fluid comprising:
a rotatably mounted rotor assembly including,
a substantially circular manifold plate having fluid distribution
passages formed therein defining a single plane, the two ends of
each of said distribution passages terminating in the central area
and the peripheral area of said plate respectively, and fluid
collection passages located in the same single plane as said
distribution passages, the two ends of each of said collection
passages terminating in the central area and the peripheral area of
said plate, respectively, and
a plurality of hollow thermal transfer blades extending
substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor
assembly, each having one end fixed to the peripheral area of said
manifold plate, the interior of at least one of said thermal
transfer blades communicating with the peripheral end of one of
said fluid distribution passages and the interior of at least one
of said thermal transfer blades communicating with the peripheral
end of one of said fluid collection passages; and
a hub assembly contiguous to said manifold plate including
a fluid inlet passage communicating with the central end of each of
said fluid distribution passages and a fluid outlet passage
communicating with the central end of each of said fluid collection
passages.
2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said fluid
distribution passages has an arcuate shape, said arcuate shapes all
lying within said single plane.
3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said fluid
collection passages has an arcuate shape, said arcuate shapes all
lying within said single plane.
4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said collection passages
are alternately interposed between said distributor passages and
wherein each of said blades is divided into at least two separate
chambers and mounted on said manifold plate with one of said
chambers in communication with the peripheral end of a fluid
distribution passage and the other of said chambers in
communication with the peripheral end of the adjacent fluid
collection passage.
5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein the peripheral ends of
each of said collection and distribution passages are enlarged so
that the peripheral ends of pairs of adjacent collection and
distribution passages overlap along blade mounting loci.
6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the interior of each of
said thermal transfer blades is provided with partitions defining a
series of parallel cells extending longitudinally within said blade
and wherein the ends of each partition remote from the manifold
plate are recessed, the extent of such recess in each partition
increasing incrementally in those partitions in closer proximity to
the center of said blade.
7. Rotary apparatus for effecting heat exchange between an ambient
fluid and a thermal fluid comprising:
a rotor assembly including,
a rotatably mounted fluid distribution chamber having a central
fluid inlet for receiving thermal fluid from external equipment and
a peripheral fluid outlet for directing thermal fluid into the
interior of hollow thermal transfer blades and a plurality of
impeller blades fixed within said distribution chamber for rotation
therewith;
a fluid collection chamber having a central fluid outlet and a
peripheral fluid inlet for receiving thermal fluid from the
interior of hollow thermal transfer blades, said fluid collection
chamber having a plurality of stationary stator elements located
therein,
a plurality of hollow thermal transfer blades, the interior of at
least one of said blades communicating with the peripheral fluid
outlet of said fluid distribution chamber and the interior of at
least one of said blades communicating with the peripheral fluid
inlet of said fluid collection chamber,
a hub assembly contiguous with said rotor assembly including
a fluid inlet passage communicating with the central fluid inlet of
said distribution chamber and a fluid outlet passage communicating
with the central fluid outlet of said collection chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to heat exchangers and, more particularly,
to heat exchangers of the rotary type.
Rotary heat exchangers have advantages due to their relatively high
heat transfer efficiency and relatively compact design, in addition
to the substantial decrease in the noise output of these devices
relative to the conventional stationary heat exchangers equipped
with air circulating fans. Further, the power requirements to
operate such rotary heat exchangers are substantially smaller than
the power required to run conventional heat exchangers.
By way of example, the use of the conventional rotating
fan-stationary radiator combination in automobiles has been
handicapped by a variety of factors, e.g., noise becomes
intolerable at air velocities needed for high efficiency operation;
efficiency is reduced due to the requirement of clearance space for
the fans resulting in the impracticality of optimum air flow over
the entire heat exchanger surface; power in amounts needed to drive
the fan often detracts from performance; and the necessity of
placement of the radiators in the airstream imposes a severe design
limitation under the automobile hood. The low noise, high
efficiency and compact design characteristics of rotary heat
exchangers provide a feasible solution to these problems.
A variety of designs of rotary heat exchangers have been proposed.
Essentially, most rotary heat exchangers include a rotor formed by
a plurality of hollow blades annularly mounted on side plates. As
the rotor rotates, ambient air is caused to pass over the outer
surface of the blades while thermal fluid (refrigerant or heated
fluid) is directed to and passes through the blade interiors
thereby effecting heat transfer between the thermal and ambient
fluids.
Although rotary heat exchangers provide the advantages set forth
hereinabove, in the past several problems have decreased their
effectiveness. For example, relatively substantial energy losses
occur during the flow of the thermal fluid through the exchanger
passages. These flow losses not only result in increased pressure
drop within the apparatus but also increase the power requirements
to circulate the fluid through the system. Secondly, in prior heat
exchangers, the designs of both the interiors and exteriors of the
thermal transfer blades have not optimized their heat transfer
properties. Thirdly, the relatively complex fluid circulation
systems of rotary heat exchangers often have required the use of
bulky fluid transport apparatus which have naturally reduced the
exchangers' compactness. Additionally, a rotary heat exchanger
incorporating improvements of the nature described above is not
available wherein the exchanger has the capacity to pump the
thermal fluid through the circulation system, thus dispensing with
the need for an external pump.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new and
improved rotary heat exchanger.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and
improved fluid distribution and collection element for use in
rotary heat exchangers which will reduce pressure drop and energy
requirements.
A further object is to provide more efficient thermal transfer
blades for use in rotary heat exchangers.
A still further object is to provide a new and improved compact
rotary heat exchanger.
Yet another object is to provide a heat exchanger satisfying all of
the above objects which also provides pumping action for the
thermal fluid circulating therein.
Briefly, in accordance with the preferred embodiments of this
invention, these and other objects are attained by providing an end
plate in a rotary heat exchanger having passages which transmit the
thermal fluid from external equipment to the blade interiors having
a compact configuration wherein the energy necessary to move the
fluid from the entrance of the exchanger to the blades is minimal
relative to prior art apparatus. The configuration of the passages
results in the force due to the rotation of the end plate having a
minimum effect on the flow of the thermal fluid. Additionally, in
order to improve the thermal transfer characteristics of the heat
exchanger, the thermal transfer blades are formed with a plurality
of parallel fluid circulation passages extending longitudinally
within each blade and with a maximum number of integral heat
transfer fins. To obtain pumping action, an embodiment is disclosed
wherein a stator is provided in the fluid collection area.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the
attendant advantages thereof will be readily appreciated by
reference to the following detailed description when considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings, in which --
FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of the rotary heat
exchanger of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the rotary heat exchanger partially
broken away; and
FIG. 3 is a side view in cross section of another embodiment of a
rotary heat exchanger.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings where like reference characters
designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several
views, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the rotary heat exchanger,
generally denoted as 10, includes a rotor assembly 12 having a
fluid inlet passage 14 and a plurality of outlet openings 16 for
transporting thermal fluid to and from the rotor assembly
respectively from and to external equipment. By way of example, the
fluid inlet may be coupled to the water line of an automobile
engine to receive the coolant in its heated state while the outlets
16 return the coolant subsequent to the dissipation of its heat to
the automobile engine. The heat exchanger is rotatably mounted on a
suitable fixed support 18 by a bearing 19. Completing the heat
exchanger assembly, a hub assembly 20 is rigidly connected to the
rotor and includes a fixed tubular passage 22 which communicates
with the central fluid inlet 14 and an annular passage 24 which
fluidly communicates with outlets 16 as will be described in
greater detail hereinbelow.
For the sake of convenience, the system will be described as a
thermal transfer unit for cooling the thermal fluid rather than as
one which heats the fluid. However, it is understood that the heat
exchanger may be used equally as well to transfer heat to a
precooled thermal fluid which circulates through the exchanger.
The rotor assembly 12 includes a manifold plate 26 having an end of
each of a series of thermal transfer blades 30 fixed thereto, such
as by welding, soldering, brazing or any other suitable technique,
in an annular configuration. An end plate 28 is provided at the
other end of each of the blades having a central opening 62 which
serves to direct ambient air drawn into the rotor. In some
circumstances, such an end plate is not necessary, e.g., when the
blades are relatively short and the rotor is operated at low r.p.m.
In such cases, the blades may be cantilevered from the manifold
plate.
The manifold plate 26 as best seen in FIG. 2 preferably comprises a
channel plate 26' having a central circular chamber 29 formed
therethrough which comprises the central fluid inlet 14. Emanating
from the central fluid inlet 14 are a plurality of distributor
channels 32 which extend outwardly towards the periphery of the
manifold plate assembly. As seen in FIG. 2, the distributor
channels 32 are arcuate in shape, being curved rearwardly relative
to the direction of rotation of the rotor indicated by arrow 33. In
the preferred embodiment, the channels form segments of a circle.
However, it is understood that arcs of other geometric
configuration may be utilized within the scope of the invention.
Circular segment arcs have been found particularly suitable due to
the ease of machining the channels in their circular form. The
distributor channels extend outwardly from the central fluid inlet
14 forming a curved spoke or "pinwheel" type pattern. The outer
ends of the distributor channels terminate in enlarged pockets 34
having approximate trapezoidal shapes defined by two substantially
concentric curved ends 36 having their centers at the channel plate
center and opposed sides 38 having arcuate shapes which are
oriented towards each other as they progress away from the
periphery of the plate.
A plurality of collector channels 40 are formed in channel plate
26' alternately spaced between adjacent pairs of distributor
channels 32. Collector channels 40 assume a rearwardly curved shape
similar to that of distributor channels 32. The inner ends of the
collector channels 40 terminate in respective bores 42 opening onto
the right side of channel plate 26' as seen in FIG. 1. These
openings are spaced around an inner annular zone of the channel
plate 26', each opening defining a thermal fluid outlet 16 through
which the thermal fluid exits from the rotor assembly 12 into
outlet passage 24 in the hub assembly 20. The outer ends of
collector channels 40 are formed into enlarged pockets 44 having
trapezoidal configurations similar in shape and size to distributor
channel end pockets 34. As seen in FIG. 2, pockets 44 are formed
inwardly of pockets 34 and include inwardly directed sides 46 and
concentric parallel sides 48. Pockets 44, as will be seen, act as
outlets from the thermal transfer blades and direct the thermal
fluid from the blades to the outlets 16.
The manifold plate assembly 26 is completed by positioning a
template plate 26" over the channel plate 26' and fastening it
thereto by conventional means such as by bolts 42. The template
plate 26" has a plurality of openings 58 formed therethrough, each
opening having a shape of a blade cross section so that a blade end
may be received therein. These openings 58 are formed so that each
aligns with an associated pair of end pockets 34, 44 in a manner
described in detail below. The inner surface 51 of template plate
26" overlies all the distributor and collector passages (except
where openings 58 are present) so that the channels are closed
defining enclosed passages in the manifold plate assembly 26. A
substantially circular gasket 60 is provided between the channel
and template plates to prevent leakage of thermal fluid from the
passages during operation. A series of openings are formed in the
gasket which align over the distributor and collector passages to
prevent leakage therefrom in a conventional manner.
The structure of the thermal transfer blades 30 and their
cooperation with the distributor and collector passages will now be
explained in greater detail. Blades 30 preferably have a curved
cross section as best seen in FIG. 2 and have a generally hollow
interior within which the thermal fluid is received from the
manifold plate assembly. As shown in the preferred embodiment, the
interior of each blade 30 is formed having a plurality of
partitioning walls 50 which extend longitudinally along the length
of each blade defining a plurality of circulation passages 52 which
conduct the thermal fluid through the blade in a manner to be
described. The end of each wall 50 at the blade end remote from the
manifold plate assembly 26 is recessed within the blade, the extent
of each recess increasing incrementally towards the center of the
blade as seen in FIG. 1. In this manner, the thermal fluid may exit
from the left-hand end of those circulation passages communicating
with distributor passages 32 and enter the left-hand ends of those
circulation passages communicating with collector passages 40 as
shown by arrows 86. The plurality of reduced size circulation
passages provides a double advantage over conventional blades which
usually have two adjacent passages. Firstly, the plurality of
passages increases the heat transfer surface area by providing
additional surfaces (those of walls 50) which conduct heat to the
blade surfaces and, secondly, increases the structural integrity of
the blade which is advantageous due to the relatively high pressure
of the thermal fluid which circulates through the blade. Of course,
any number of partitions and cells may be used so long as at least
one passage is provided for the fluid to move away from the
manifold plate and one is provided for return.
A plurality of heat transfer fins 54 are provided on each blade 30
in order to further improve the heat transfer characteristics of
the system. In construction, the blades are preferably extruded
with the walls 50. Subsequently, the outer surfaces of the blades
are preferably skived to form a variable number of fins per unit
length. The skiving technique has been found to produce finned
blades having extremely good heat transfer characteristics because
of the fins being an integral part of the tubes thus eliminating
contact resistance as well as promoting greater turbulence within
the airstream. Finally, the ends of walls 50 are trimmed as shown
in FIG. 1 to allow for the thermal fluid flow described above.
Referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that the inwardly directed sides 38
of distributor passage terminal pockets 34 overlap the
corresponding sides 46 of the collector passage terminal pockets 44
in the direction defined by the side edges 38, 46 respectively of
the pockets. More specifically, referring to the direction of
rotation of the manifold plate indicated by arrow 33 in FIG. 2, the
leading edge 38 of each distributor passage terminal pocket
overlies the trailing edge 46 of the associated collector passage
terminal pocket in front of it whereas the trailing edge 38 of the
same distributor passage terminal pocket overlies the leading edge
46 of another collector passage terminal pocket to its rear. Each
pair of sides 38, 46 define the locus of a curved path, such for
example as path 56 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The curved
configuration of the blade cross section is adapted to identically
match with the curved configuration of the above-described locus of
points. Hence, the configuration of blade 30 as seen in FIG. 2 is
identical with the dotted path 56. In a similar manner, the
openings 58 formed in the template plate 26" have an identical
configuration as that defined by dotted path 56. Each opening
cooperates with a respective pair of pockets by overlying the
curved path as shown.
By inserting the end of each blade 30 into a template plate opening
58 where it is subsequently bonded into place, such as by welding,
a number of the circulation passages are positioned to communicate
with a distributor passage pocket while others communicate with the
collector passage pocket. Thus, the template plate serves to both
position the ends of the blades over the respective distributor and
collector passage terminal pockets and also support the blade ends
for rotation with the manifold plate assembly 26.
The other ends of the thermal transfer blades 30 are supported by a
cover plate 28 having a circular opening 62 formed centrally
therethrough. The blade ends are received within recessed grooves
64 and are held in place by any conventional means, such as by
welding or brazing. A cone 66 may be provided having its base
attached to the template plate so that its tapered end extends to
the vicinity of the plane of the opening 62. The cone serves to
improve the flow of ambient air through the device as is explained
in the description of the operation of the device.
The hub assembly 20 serves to transmit the thermal fluid to and
from the rotor assembly from and to external equipment
respectively. In the present embodiment, the hub assembly includes
a pulley member 68 rigidly attached, as by welding, to the outer
surface of the manifold plate assembly 26. Pulley member 68 is
formed with a partially threaded stepped bore 70 formed centrally
therethrough. A plurality of angularly oriented passages 72 (only
one of which is shown in FIG. 1) are formed extending from that end
of pulley member 68 which abuts the manifold plate assembly into
bore 70. These passages 72 are adapted to align with the thermal
fluid outlets 16 formed in the channel plate 26'. A collar 74 is
also attached to the manifold plate assembly disposed within bore
70 and aligned with the central fluid inlet 14. A lubricated seal
76, made of a suitable material such as carbon-filled Teflon, lines
the inner surface of collar 74 and forms a sleeve which receives
fluid inlet tube 22 which is adapted to remain stationary. The seal
76 therefore acts as both a dynamic fluid seal and as a
bearing.
A tubular fluid return pipe 78 having an externally threaded end is
fastened to the interiorly threaded pulley 68 and defines, in
cooperation with the outer surface of passage 22, annular fluid
return passage 24. The pipe 78 is rotatably mounted in a
conventional sealed fluid rotational connection, such as Model No.
755 "All-Purpose Union" manufactured by the Deublin Co. A pair of
belts 80 are provided within grooves 82 formed on pulley member 68
for driving the hub assembly and attached rotor assembly. It should
also be noted that the rotor assembly may be used for driving other
equipment, such as an automobile generator, either through a belt
drive or by direct coupling.
In operation, the rotor assembly is rotated by belts 80 from
conventional driving means, such as an automobile engine. The
blades 30 act as centrifugal fan blades thereby drawing ambient air
through opening 62 and over the blade surfaces as depicted by
arrows 83. Cone 66 insures that the air drawn into the center of
the rotor assembly is substantially evenly distributed over the
length of the blades by deflecting the air flow in a radial
direction along the axis of the rotor. As the rotor assembly
rotates, the thermal fluid enters the manifold plate assembly
through passage 22 under pressure supplied by external equipment,
such as an automobile water pump. In the present illustration, the
thermal fluid is described as being preheated by the external
equipment (such as an automobile engine). However, as mentioned
above, the invention is equally applicable to cases where the
thermal fluid has been precooled by external equipment. As the
thermal fluid enters central fluid inlet 14, it is moved
substantially radially towards the periphery of the manifold plate
assembly in a relatively orderly manner through the distributor
passages 32 partially under the action of centrifugal force. Such
fluid flow is denoted by arrows 82 in FIG. 1. Upon reaching the
terminal pockets 34 of distributor passages 32, the fluid is at a
considerably higher pressure than at the inlet due to the rotation
of the device. For example, for a one-foot diameter rotor having an
angular velocity of 2,000 r.p.m., the fluid will be at a pressure
of approximately 70 p.s.i. more at the blade entrance than at the
inlet of the manifold plate assembly.
As best seen in FIG. 1, the thermal fluid enters the circulation
passages 52 of the thermal tubes 30 which cooperate with pockets 34
as illustrated by arrows 84. The reduced cross sections of the tube
circulation passages 52 minimize the effect of the higher pressure
and increase the heat transfer to the blade surfaces as described
above. The fluid circulates the length of each of the tubes 30
through the inlet passages 52 and is deflected by the inner surface
of the cover plate 28 closing the blade end which causes the fluid
to enter the return circulation passages 52 of the fins as
indicated by arrows 86. The fluid completes the circuit exiting
through the collector passage terminal pockets 44 as indicated by
arrows 88. The thermal fluid exits from rotor assembly 12 via the
thermal fluid outlets 16 which communicate with the tubular fluid
return passage 24.
The curved spoke design for the inlet and return passages of the
manifold plate assembly serves to reduce the power requirements
necessary to circulate the thermal fluid through the rotor since
the flow losses due to turbulence and other effects are reduced as
is the rate of pressure increase of the fluid as it travels
outwardly. Since the thermal fluid outlets 16 are annularly spaced
around the central fluid inlet 14, the thermal fluid exiting from
the rotor assembly is subject to an increased pressure head
relative to that entering, thereby facilitating circulation. The
design of the blade circulation passages optimizes both structural
integrity and heat transfer.
In the present embodiment, the design of the manifold plate
assembly wherein the inlet and outlet passages are in substantially
the same plane serves to increase the compact character of the heat
exchanger. In the past, the fluid inlet and outlet passages have
been in different planes which not only made the fluid transfer
apparatus more complicated and cumbersome, but also increased the
bulkiness of the exchanger. The present invention maximizes the
compact character of the device while minimizing the structural
complexity of the design. Of course, the manifold plate structure
may be different from that specifically described. For example, the
manifold plate may be made in a unitary manner rather than having a
multiple plate configuration. Still another advantage derived from
the manifold plate construction is the large choice of fabrication
techniques available. For example, the manifold plate may be formed
by casting, machining (such as by milling), chemical etching,
etc.
With respect to the orientation of the blades of the rotor, as seen
in FIG. 2, the blades are mounted in a rearward direction, i.e.
sloping downwardly and inwardly in the direction of rotation of the
rotor assembly. Such orientation provides a relatively high
velocity of air over the surface of the blades relative to the
surface of the blades while maintaining the power requirements at a
relatively low value due to the decreased absolute velocity of the
air relative to the stationary surroundings. Of course, the blades
may be oriented otherwise (e.g. radially) to take advantage of
other resulting characteristics, i.e. strength, air velocity,
etc.
There are circumstances where a cover plate such as plate 28 is not
required for efficient operation of the heat exchanger. For
example, where the length of the heat transfer blades is reduced
and where the speed of rotation of the rotor assembly is low, the
blades may be cantilevered on the manifold plate without the need
for a supporting cover plate. In such cases, of course, each blade
must have an end cover to direct the flow of the thermal fluid from
the inlet circulation passage to the outlet circulation
passage.
The embodiment of the heat exchanger described above, although
having a design wherein the pressure drop is reduced relative to
prior art devices, does not act as a pump. By definition, pumping
action results in an increase in pressure from the fluid inlet to
outlet thereby allowing the fluid to circulate without an external
pump which is usually necessary in heating and cooling systems of
this type. Generally, by providing an annular chamber having
stationary vanes for the thermal fluid to enter as it exits from
the blade interiors, the high velocity and direction of the fluid
is transformed with minimum shock, with little loss of momentum.
The flow velocity will decrease with consequent increase in
pressure thereby resulting in pumping action. This action is
similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,234 to N. Laing,
granted Jan. 28, 1969.
Referring to FIG. 3, a typical structural arrangement according to
the present invention is illustrated, wherein the identical blade
structure to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is employed. An inlet tube
100 serves to direct incoming thermal fluids to a distribution
chamber 102 defined between a pair of opposed dish-shaped wall
members 104, 106 rotatably mounted over tube 100. The inner wall
member 104 is formed with a central opening 108 which receives the
end of tube 100 and is in continual cooperation with a dynamic seal
107. The central portion of the outer wall member 106 is closed and
may be appropriately formed to function as a cone 110 for directing
air drawn into the rotor assembly by the blades. The outer
periphery of inner wall 104 is turned inwardly to form a lip 112
which abuts the end of each blade 30' so as to divide the blade
substantially in half. In a similar manner, the outer periphery of
the outer wall 106 is inwardly turned to form a lip 114 which
cooperates with the blade end edge. The distribution chamber 102
thereby serves to direct the incoming thermal fluid to the lower
half portion of the blade as seen in FIG. 3. Preferably, the blade
is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending cells as was
the case in the embodiment described previously. In this case, the
distribution chamber 102 communicates with the lowermost cells as
seen in FIG. 3, and these cells will function as thermal fluid
inlet circulation passages. Integrally provided within distribution
chamber 102 are a plurality of evenly spaced impeller blades 116
which rotate with the distribution chamber as will be described to
direct the incoming thermal fluid outwardly towards the rotating
blades 30'.
An annular thermal fluid collection chamber 120 is formed by an end
member 117 having a lip 118 formed on its outer periphery in
cooperation with the other edge of the blade end and the outer
surface of inner wall member 104. The end member 117 is rotatably
mounted on a stationary tubular pipe 122 by means of bearings 121
positioned thereover in cooperation with a collar 124 centrally
formed on end member 117. A plurality of stator blades 126 have
their ends 128 rigidly attached to the fluid inlet passage 100 so
that they are stationary within the fluid collection chamber 120.
The inner surface of the stationary tubular pipe 122 cooperates
with the outer surface of the inlet tube 100 to form an annular
fluid passage 130 which serves to transmit the fluid back to the
external equipment. An O-ring assembly 131 is provided to prevent
escape of the thermal fluid from the fluid outlet passage 130.
In operation, the blades are rotated via rotation of a pulley 132
formed on collar 124 which rotates end member 117 thereby causing
the rotor blades 30' to revolve. This in turn revolves the inner
and outer opposed walls 104, 106 defining the fluid distribution
chamber and integral impeller blades which are rigidly connected to
the blades. The incoming thermal fluid is directed to the periphery
of the distribution chamber and enters the inlet circulation
passages in the blades. Upon circulating through the blades, the
fluid enters the fluid collection chamber 120. At this point, the
circular motion of the fluid is interrupted by the stator blades
126 which convert the high circumferential velocity of the fluid to
radial movement with little or no loss in momentum thereby causing
a pressure increase of the fluid within the collection chamber 120.
The fluid is directed outwardly through the fluid transfer passage
130 at a higher pressure than when it entered through inlet passage
100. Thus, the rotary heat exchanger functions as a pump. This
enables external fluid pumps in the circulation system to be
dispensed with.
* * * * *