Patent ID: 6910448

Claim:
A fluid heating device comprising a housing having an internal chamber; a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet disposed in said housing and in fluid communication with said internal chamber and each opening exteriorly of said housing; a rotor mounted for rotation within said internal chamber about an axis of rotation; said housing having an intermediate portion positioned radially outwardly of said rotor and end portions positioned axially outwardly of opposite faces of said rotor; a drive shaft rotatably supported in said housing by a pair of bearings and having an inner end disposed in said housing and an outer end disposed outwardly of said housing for receiving power input, said drive shaft imparting mechanical energy to said rotor, and where each of said pair of bearings is disposed in a respective one of said end portions; a fluid seal disposed in said housing and surrounding said drive shaft, said seal residing in the end portion opposite said fluid inlet, and where said inner end of said drive shaft is exposed to said fluid inlet; and said rotor comprising an outer surface confronting an inner surface of said intermediate portion and defining an annular fluid volume, said fluid inlet communicating with said annular fluid volume and situated nearer a distal end of said rotor and said fluid cutlet communicating with said annular fluid volume and situated nearer the proximate end of said rotor, said outer surface having a plurality of openings disposed on said outer surface, wherein rotation of said rotor causes said plurality of openings to impart heat-generating cavitation to a fluid entering said internal chamber.