Abstract:
An inline heating device for fluid has rotary members frictionally engaging a fixed heat exchanger chamber defining a central fluid transfer conduit. The rotary members are rotated by a drive shaft having a multiple vein turbine assembly adjacent the heat exchanger chamber fluid transfer conduit being driven by the fluid flow therethrough. The rotary members have enhanced friction engagement surface portions which are spring urged against a portion of the heat exchanger chamber generating heat therein for thermal transfer to the fluid flow therewithin.

Description:
This is a CIP patent application of Ser. No. 10/441,326, filed May 20, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,822. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to heating devices that utilize friction coefficients to generate heat and more particularly to fluid heating devices for domestic hot water use. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art within this field has been directed to a variety of heat generating devices utilizing friction to heat fluid, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,312,322, 4,387,701, 4,554,906, 4,596,209 and 5,392,737. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,322 a disk friction heater is disclosed wherein a plurality of disks are driven by a motor. The disks are spaced within a housing and surrounded by oil which heats as the disks rotate. 
     A fluid friction furnace is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,701 having a plurality of rotating disks and stationery plates within an enclosure filled with heat transfer fluid. An external motor drives the disk producing heat between the disks and the plates. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,906 discloses a tankless friction boiler system having rotary members slidably engaged in a housing. An electric motor drives the members producing heat within a fluid transfer environment. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,209 a wind turbine heat generating device is disclosed wherein a wind driven turbine drives a positive displacement pump with adjustable outlets causing fluid to be heated as it passes through the restricted outlets. 
     Finally, a friction heater is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,737 in which a motor rotates a stator that generates heat transfer through a fluid filled housing in communication therewith. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An economical point of use hot water heating device that requires no outboard energy input utilizing the fluid flow dynamics to generate heat that is in turn transferred to the fluid flow. A pair of turbine assemblies are placed within a restricted fluid flow path rotating outboard friction heating elements generating heat with a thermal heat sink within the fluid&#39;s path. The friction engagement elements are configured to maximize thermal generation and transfer to the fluid. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial exploded perspective view of the tankless hot water heater of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged end plan view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines  4 — 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines  5 — 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged front elevational view of a friction disk and spider spring assembly of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged right side elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged rear elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of an alternate form of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines  10 — 10  of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged top plan view thereof with portions broken away of the heat exchange chamber of the invention; 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged end plan view of the alternate form of the invention; 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged top plan view of a friction disk of the invention; and 
         FIG. 14  is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the friction disk assembly of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a friction fluid heating device  10  of the invention can be seen having a main cylindrical body member  11  with oppositely disposed open ends at  12  and  13 . The cylindrical body member  11  has pairs of longitudinally spaced transversely aligned openings at  14  and  15  therein. Each of the opening pairs  14  and  15  define annular outlets  14 A and  14 B,  15 A and  15 B for receiving identical thermal generating assemblies  16 A and  16 B,  17 A and  17 B, best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawings. 
     A cylinder insert  18  best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings has an elongated body member  19  with a tapered end portion  20  and a pair of longitudinally spaced arcuate recesses at  21  and  22  therein. The recesses  21  and  22  are aligned between the respective annular outlets  14 A and  14 B,  15 A and  15 B as will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. 
     Each of the thermal generating assemblies comprises a thermal engagement transfer housing  23  with a cylindrical side wall  24  and integral end cap portion  25  thereon. The side wall  24  is cut along its perimeter free edge in a contoured pattern at  26  to conform with respective curved surfaces  27  of the main cylindrical body member  11  around the perimeter of the respective annular outlet openings  14 A and  14 B,  15 A and  15 B over which the housing  23  will enclose as best seen in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
     A friction disk assembly  28  is engageable against the outer surface  29  of the end cap portion  25 . The friction disk assembly  28  has a centrally apertured grinding wheel  30  with an engagement surface  31 , best seen in  FIGS. 6 and 8  of the drawings. The engagement surfaces  31  registerably engage respective end cap portions  25  each of which has an annular wear band  32  embedded within that provides for enhanced frictional engagement therewith. Oppositely disposed surface  33  of the disk assembly  28  have a plurality of annularly spaced mounting sockets  34  therein for registerably receiving a spider spring  35  as seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 ,  8  and  9  of the drawings. 
     The spider spring  35  has a dual centered apertured hubs  36  and  37  with multiple aligned openings therein for holding individual spring conductor wire and elements  38 . The spider spring  35  acts as a resilient chuck maintaining the grinding wheel  30  in frictional contact while diminishing initial rotational torque upon starting up as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The friction disk assemblies  28  are secured to respective drive shafts  39  that extend through aligned apertures  40  in the housings  23  from turbine blade assemblies  41  within the cylindrical body member  11 . 
     The turbine blade assemblies  41  each have a plurality of half arcuate blades  42  mounted radially on respective drive shafts  39 . The turbine blade assemblies  41  are positioned within the respective cylinder insert recesses  21  and  22 , best seen in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. 
     The cylindrical insert  18  as thus described acts as a fluid flow diverter to channel the fluid flow across one-half of the respective turbine blade assemblies  41  indicated by directional arrows A and FF. The frictional disk assemblies  28  are enclosed in a secondary fluid tight cylinder housing  43  that is registerably positioned over the hereinbefore described first housing  18  and against the respective curved surfaces  27  of the cylinder  11 . 
     Apertured integral end closures caps  44  have pressure relief valves  45  on each respectively which provide a safety relief for cylinder housing  43 . The relief valves  45  have graduated pressure setting dependent on their position with the system, best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawings. 
     In use, the direct fluid flow FF spins the blades  42  and attached drive shafts  39  rotating the respective friction disk assemblies  28  against the outer end caps  25  surfaces  29  of the housing  23 . The kinetic energy inherent therein is converted to thermal output in the form of heat within the transfer housing  23 . As a portion of the fluid flow FF passes through the transfer housing  23 , the heat generated is given up to heat the fluid F as it passes. 
     In the preferred embodiment the two respective turbine blade assemblies  41  and multiple interconnected thermal generating assemblies  16 A and  16 B,  17 A and  17 B assemblies act in an inline manner providing hot fluid HF from the exit end  13  of the heating device  10  of the invention. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9–14  of the drawings, an alternate form of the invention can be seen at  45  having elongated fluid tight heat exchange chamber  46 , best seen in  FIGS. 9 and 11  of the drawings. The heat exchange chamber  46  has a fluid inlet  47  and oppositely disposed fluid outlet  48  interconnected by multiple tubular pathways  49 ,  50 ,  51  and  52  in communication with each other therein. 
     A thermal drive assembly  53  extends from the chamber  46  having a drive turbine  54  with multiple spiral oriented curved blades  55  mounted and extending from a central friction drive shaft  56 . A tubular fluid inlet  57 A and fluid outlet  57 B provide fluid flow therethrough driving the turbine blades  55  and rotating the friction drive shaft  56  which extends through the hereinbefore described heat exchanger chamber  46 . 
     A heat transfer disk assembly  58  is positioned for frictional contact with an outer surface  59  of the heat exchanger chamber  46  and is driven by the drive shaft  56 . The heat transfer disk assembly  58  has a centrally apertured friction pad  60  with an engagement surface  60 A and is formed of a traditional brake pad material which is wear resistant providing for kinetic energy to heat transfer as is well known and understood within the art. An oppositely disposed surface of the heat transfer disk assembly  58  has a pressure support backing disk  62  having a central (keyed) opening at  63  therein which extends through the corresponding abutting engagement surface pad  60 . The “keyed” opening at  63  provides drive registration on the drive shaft  56  which is of corresponding keyed shape at  56 A so that direct drive of the respective heat transfer disk assembly  58  is enabled upon rotation of the shaft  56  as hereinbefore described. 
     An adjustable locking collar  64  is removably secured to the free end of the drive shaft  56  by a pair of threaded fasteners  65 . A tension spring  66  is positioned on the drive shaft  56  caged between the backing disk  62  and the collar  64  providing constant pressure on the backing disk  62  and the associated frictional pad  60  against the portion of the outer surface  59  of the heat exchange chamber  46 , best seen in  FIGS. 9 and 14  of the drawings. 
     In use, fluid flow F 2  enters the drive turbine assembly  53  via the fluid inlet  57 A spinning the turbine  54  and then exiting via the fluid outlet  57 B continuing on into the heat exchanger chamber  46  as indicated by the broken directional flow path line FPL which can be any interconnecting conduit or corridor configuration as understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The drive turbine  54  spins the heat transfer disk assembly  58  which generates a thermal transfer of heat thereby into the heat exchange chamber  46  which is preferably made of material with a high heat conductivity. 
     It will be seen as the fluid flow F passes through the heat exchanger chamber  46 , thermal energy in the form of heat is transferred thereto heating the fluid F which then exits the heat exchange chamber  46  through the fluid outlet port  48  as seen in  FIG. 11  of the drawings. 
     It will be evident that more than one thermal drive assembly  53  can be used in aligned longitudinal spaced relation to one another on the heat exchanger chamber  45  so that fluid F passing therethrough can be consecutively heated more efficiently and to a higher temperature. 
     It will thus be seen that the rotating disk assemblies  28  with their configured engagement surfaces define frictional heating that is given up to the constant fluid flow within and across the heat transfer housing  23  as hereinbefore described. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.