Patent ID: 6976486

Claim:
A fluid heating device comprising a housing having an internal chamber and a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said internal chamber, said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet each opening exteriorly of said housing; a rotor comprising at least one rotary disc disposed in said internal chamber and mounted for rotation within said internal chamber about an axis of rotation, said rotor having a maximum radial extent greater than its maximum axial extent, said rotor having first and second end faces facing more axially than radially and a peripheral outer surface; a drive shaft for imparting mechanical power to said rotor, and said rotor drivingly connected to said drive shaft; at least two bearings disposed in said housing and said drive shaft rotatably supported in said housing by said at least two bearings where one respective bearing is disposed nearer the first end face and another respective bearing is disposed nearer the second end face; a plurality of openings opening on at least one of said first and second end faces and disposed radially outwardly from said axis of rotation and radially inwardly of said peripheral outer surface, said openings confronting fluid entering said chamber, wherein rotation of said rotary disc causes said plurality of openings to impart heat-generating cavitation to a fluid entering said chamber.