FR2496850A1 | 1982-06-25 | |||
FR2561316A1 | 1985-09-20 | |||
DE716554C | 1942-01-23 | |||
US2625929A | 1953-01-20 | |||
US2226423A | 1940-12-24 | |||
US5392737A | 1995-02-28 | |||
US4424796A | 1984-01-10 |
CLAIMS
1 . An apparatus for heating a fluid by friction comprises a housing having a plurality of bores, a plurality of bodies movably mounted within the bores, at least a portion of the external surfaces of the bodies being in contact with at least a portion of the internal surfaces of the bores, motion generating means for generating relative movement between the bodies and the bores, the housing being in communication with a reservoir of fluid so that when the motion generating means is creating relative movement between the bodies and the bores, heat is generated via friction between the portion of the external surfaces of the bodies in contact with the portion of the internal surfaces of the bores of the housing for heating the fluid.
2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the motion generating means comprises drive engaging means being coupled to at least one of the bodies and drive means being operably coupled to the drive engaging means by a power transmission means.
3. An apparatus as claimed in Claims 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus for heating a fluid by friction is coupled to a central heating system.
4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the central heating system has a domestic hot water tank.
5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the central heating system has a pump and a plurality of heat exchangers coupled together by pipes.
6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the fluid is water.
7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the reservoir has a fluid inlet means and a fluid outlet means. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the reservoir has a plurality of baffles to create an extended pathway for the fluid to flow from inlet to outlet
An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the drive engaging means is mounted on a portion of each body which protrudes from the housing
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the drive engaging means on the portion of each body which protrudes from the housing is in alignment
An apparatus as claimed in Claims 9 or 10, wherein the drive engaging means is a sprocket wheel mounted on each body
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 , wherein the power transmission means is a chain / belt
An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 12, wherein the drive means is selected from a group containing an electric motor, a wind turbine drive unit and a water wheel drive unit
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the bodies are cylinders
An apparatus as claimed in Claims 12, 13 or 14, wherein the drive means transmits rotational motion to the cylinders via the chain and sprocket wheels
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bodies are connected together to form an integral multi-body unit
17. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bodies move in and out of the bores in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bores.
18. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 16 or 17, wherein a single drive engaging means is connected to the multi-body unit.
19. An apparatus for heating a fluid by friction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. |
AN APPARATUS FOR HEATING A FLUID BY FRICTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for heating a fluid by friction and in particular to an apparatus for providing hot water to a central heating system Global warming is a well known and publicised phenomenon and the emission of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and halocarboπs (the replacements for CFCs) into the atmosphere is generally accepted as a major contributor to this effect The carbon dioxide emissions are primarily caused by the use of fossil fuels as an energy source Carbon dioxide emissions are a major source of pollution and according to a large proportion of the world's leading experts, ca rbon dioxide emissions result in damage to the ozone layer which contributes to global warming In addition to the environmental damage as a result of the burning of fossil fuels of one form or another producing carbon dioxide, there is the increasingly significant problem of rapidly depleting fossil fuel resources on the planet earth As a result of the combined driving forces of environmental damage as a result of excessive carbon dioxide emissions in conjunction with an imminent depletion of fossil fuels, there is an ongoing drive towards green energy generation with reduced carbon dioxide emissions
As a result of these factors and in view of the fact that a large number of residential and commercial buildings burn coal, oil and/or gas as the means of generating hot water for central heating systems, an alternative means of generating hot water for a central heating system would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the demand on the worlds natural reserves of coal, oil and/or gas
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems associated with consumption of natural fuel reserves as a result of central heating systems in buildings
Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for heating a fluid by friction comprising a housing having a plurality of bores a plurality of bodies movably mounted within the bores, at least a portion of the external surfaces of the bodies being in contact with at least a portion of the internal surfaces of the bores, motion generating means for generating relative movement between the bodies and the bores, the housing being in co mmunication with a reservoir of fluid so that when the motion generating means is creating relative movement
between the bodies and the bores, heat is generated via friction between the portion of the external surfaces of the bodies in contact with the portion of the internal surfaces of the bores of the housing for heating the fluid. Preferably, the motion generating means comprises drive engaging means being coupled to at least one of the bodies and drive means being opera bly coupled to the drive engaging means by a power transmission means.
Ideally, the apparatus for heating a fluid by friction is coupled to a central heating system. Preferably, the central heating system has a domestic hot water tank.
Ideally, the central heating system has a pump and a plurality of heat exchangers coupled together by pipes.
Advantageously, the apparatus does not require the on site burning of fossil fuels in order to heat the fluid being pumped through the central heating system. Preferably, the fluid is water.
Ideally, the reservoir has a fluid inlet means and a fluid outlet means. Preferably, the reservoir has a plurality of baffles to create an extended pathway for the fluid to flow from inlet to outlet. Advantageously, these baffles cause fluid to flow across a greater surface area of bores to facilitate efficient absorption of heat from the bores. Ideally, the drive engaging means is mounted on a portion of each body which protrudes from the housing .
Preferably, the drive engaging means on the portion of each body which protrudes from the housing is in alignment.
Ideally, the drive engaging means is a sprocket wheel mounted on each body. Preferably, the power transmission means is a chain / belt.
Ideally, the drive means is selected from a group containing an electric motor, a wind turbine drive unit and a water wheel drive unit.
In a first embodiment, the bodies are cylinders.
Preferably, the drive means transmits rotational motion to the cylinders via the chain and sprocket wheels
In a second embodiment, the bodies are connected together to form an integral rπulti- body unit
In the second embodiment, the bodies move in and out of the bores in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bores
In the second embodiment, a single drive engaging means is connected to the multi- body unit The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only one embodiment of apparatus for heating fluid by friction in accordance with the invention In the drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of an apparatus for heating a fluid by friction, Figure 2 is a perspective detail view of a housing
Figure 3 is a perspective detail view of a cylinder partially inserted into a bore in the housing, and
Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of a central heating system incorporating the apparatus of Figure 1 Referring to the drawings there is shown an apparatus for heating a fluid by friction indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 comprising a housing 2 having twelve bores 3 see Figure 1 and ten bores 3, see Figure 2 The same number of bodies in the form of cylinders 5 as bores 3 are movably mounted within the bores 3 although only one cylinder 5 and one bore 3 are shown in Figure 3 A portion of the external surfaces 6 of the cylinders 5 are in contact with a portion of the internal surfaces 8 of the bores 3 Drive engaging means in the form of members 9 are coupled to the cylinders 5 and a drive means in the form of a member indicated generally by the reference numeral 11 , see Figure 4 is operably coupled to the drive engaging members 9 by a power transmission means in the form of member 14 see Figure 1
The housing 2 has a reservoir 15 of fluid so that when the drive member 1 1 is powered up and is transmitting motion to the cylinders 5 heat is generated via friction between the portion of the external surfaces 6 of the cylinders 5 in contact with the portion of the internal surfaces 8 of the bores 3 of the housing 2 and the fluid in the reservoir 15 is heated by the conduction of the heat of the cylinders 5 and the bores 3 into the fluid to run a connected central heating system indicated generally by the reference numeral 41 , see Figure 4
Advantageously, the apparatus 1 does not require on site burning of fossil fuels in order to heat the fluid, in the present embodiment water, being pumped through the central heating system 41
The reservoir 15 has a fluid inlet pipe 48 and a fluid outlet pipe 44 and a plurality of baffles 62 to create an extended pathway for the ffuid to flow from inlet pipe 48 to outlet pipe 44 Advantageously, these baffles 62 cause fluid to flow across a greater surface area of bores 3 to facilitate efficient absorption of heat from the bores 3 The drive engaging members 9 are mounted on a portion of each cylinder 5 which protrudes from the housing 2 The drive engaging members 9 on the portion of each cylinder 5 which protrudes from the housing 2 are in alignment and are provided with sprocket wheels 19 mounted on each cylinder 5 The power transmission member 14 is a chain 24
The drive member 11 is selected from a group containing an electric motor 31 , a wind turbine drive unit 32 and a water wheel drive unit 33
Referring now especially to Figure 4, the apparatus 1 of Figure 1 is incorporated into the central heating system indicated generally by the reference numeral 41 An electric motor 31 , a wind turbine drive unit 32 and a water wheel drive unit 33 are alternately couplable to the apparatus 1 which has a pump 42 for circulating water through the central heating system 41 The water outlet pipe 44 of the reservoir 15 is coupled to a domestic hot water tank 45 for supplying domestic hot water for the building in which the central heating system 41 is installed The hot water from the apparatus 1 is pumped through the domestic hot water tank 45 and on through heat exchanging radiators 47 and back to the water inlet pipe 48 of the reservoir 15 of the housing 2 for reheating
In use, the central heating system 41 is directly under the control of an electronic control unit or an electronic control unit in combination with thermostats (not shown) When the timer clock of the electronic control unit reaches a time when the central heating system 41 is programmed to come on or when a temperature below the preset switching temperature of the thermostat is measured, an electrical signal is sent from the electronic control unit to the electric motor 31 and the motor 31 starts up and drives the chain 24 which in turn rotates the sprocket wheels 19 which are fixed onto the protruding portion of the cylinders 5 The cylinders 5 spin in the bores 3 of the housing 2 and heat is generated as a result of friction between the portions of the cylinders 5 and bores 3 which are in contact
A predetermined period of time after the motor 31 starts up, the electronic control unit sends a signal to the pump 42 which starts to pump water through the reservoir 15 via the extended pathway defined by the baffles 62 As the water flows across the bores 3, the heat contained within the material of the bore walls is transmitted by conduction into the water flowing thereover The temperature of the water rises and the water leaves the outlet pipe 44 of the reservoir 15 and into a pipe 51 carrying the hot water to a domestic hot water tank 45 The water in the tank 45 is heated and stored for shower, bath or tap water The pipe 51 then carries the water into a system of radiators 47 and the reduced temperature water from the radiators 47 is pumped back to the apparatus 1 for reheating It will of course be appreciated that a wind powered drive unit 32 or a water wheel drive unit 33 can replace the electric motor 31 if sufficient wind and water facilities are available The drive means 1 1 transmits rotational motion to the cylinders 5 yja the chain 24 and sprocket wheels 19
In a second embodiment not shown in the drawings, the bodies are connected together and move in and out of the bores in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bores In this second embodiment, a single drive engaging means is connected to the interconnected bodies
Variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended clai ms
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