Patent ID: 7393695

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a stator including an inner wall, the inner wall defining a plurality of collider chambers; a rotor disposed for rotation relative to the stator, about an axis, an outer wall of the rotor being proximal to the inner wall of the stator, rotation of the rotor in a first direction relative to the stator causing a fluid in each of the collider chambers to rotate within the collider chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a first seal disposed at a first location on the rotor; a second seal disposed at a second location on the rotor; a fluid inlet for delivering fluid to a first volume near the first seal, the first seal being disposed between the first volume and the collider chambers, the first seal permitting at least some of the fluid in the first volume to flow through the first seal and into at least one of the collider chambers; and a fluid outlet for removing fluid from a second volume near the second seal, the second seal being disposed between the second volume and the collider chambers, the second seal permitting at least some of the fluid in the at least one collider chamber to flow through the second seal and into the second volume.