GB2532443A

GB2532443A - Heat generator

Info

Publication number: GB2532443A
Application number: GB1420507.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Tulloch Andrew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-11-19
Filing date: 2014-11-19
Publication date: 2016-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2034-11-19
Also published as: GB2532443B; GB201420507D0

Abstract

A heat generator 10 is immersed in a water tank for heating or desalination purposes and comprises a case 14, an electrically conducting disc 16 and a plate 26 on which a plurality of magnets 28 are mounted with their north-south axis aligned parallel to the plane of the plate 28 and radially of a central axis 13, wherein one or other of the disc 16 and plate 26 rotates about the central axis 13 with respect to the other. The disc 16 may comprise a rotating member capable of rotation about the central axis 13 while the magnet-mounted plate 26 is fixed or vice-versa. The rotating member may comprise an impeller and may be fixed to a shaft 12 about the central axis 13, the shaft 12 being driven directly by a flexible drive connected to a power source. The heat generator 10 may be supplied by high pressure fluid 22 delivered by a pump driven from a power source. The power source may be a prop shaft or underwater propeller.

Description

HEAT GENERATOR

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heat generator particularly, but not limited, for use in a desalination system.

Background Art

[0002] WO 2011/158030 A (CARBON ZERO LIMITED) 15/06/2011 describes a heat generator comprising a magnetic field that is both rotatable about a shaft and intersects a heat exchanger that characterised in that the heat exchanger comprises a flat first disc that is both electrically conducting and is disposed around the shaft, but not attached thereto, said first disc having a fluid path in the plane of the disc wherein heat generated in the first disc by induction as a result of rotating the magnetic field is transferred to any fluid in the fluid path. The heat generator is usually driven by a wind turbine of the kind used to dive wind driven electricity generating systems turbine systems. Although it can by driven from a shaft connected to a water turbines or other power source.

[0003] In practice it has been found that heat generators as described in W02011/158030 are heavy, requiring large diameter wind turbines to be effective and are unsuitable for smaller domestic heat generation systems. Furthermore there is a need for small hand operated heat generation systems for use in remote places or in emergency, where transport of a mast or availability of mast on which to mount a wind turbine to drive the heat generator is not practicable. Heat generators can also be used as emergency desalination plants, and it is a further issue that existing desalination plants are mainly used as large fixed installations, and the present invention will also provide an emergency desalination system.

Disclosure of Invention

[0004] According to the present invention a heat generator comprising a case, and mounted within the case an electrically conducting disc and a plurality of magnets mounted on a plate with their N-S axis aligned parallel to the plane of the disc and radially of a central axis, one or other of the conducting disc and the magnets arranged to rotate about the central axis with respect to the other and in which the case is immersed in a tank to contain water for heating or desalination purposes.

[0005] In another aspect of the invention a hot water system tank comprises a tank having mounted therein a case having within it an electrically conducting disc and a plurality of magnets mounted on a plate with their NS axis aligned parallel to the plane of the disc and radially of a central axis, one or other of the conducting disc and the magnets arranged to rotate about the central axis with respect to the other.

[0006] In a further aspect of the invention a desalination system comprises a tank having mounted therein a case having within it an electrically conducting disc and a plurality of magnets mounted on a plate with their N-S axis aligned parallel to the plane of the disc and radially of a central axis, one or other of the conducting disc and the magnets arranged to rotate about the central axis with respect to the other.

[0007] In one embodiment the electrically conducting disc is a rotating member and is mounted on a shaft about the axis and the magnets are mounted on an adjacent fixed plate. In another embodiment of the invention, the magnets are mounted on a plate which is a rotation member mounted on a shaft about the axis and the conducting disc is fixed.

[0008] In these embodiments the rotating member may be driven by a positive displacement hydraulic motor, mounted back to back on the rotating member, the positive displacement motor having its high pressure input connected to the high pressure output of a hydraulic pump and its low pressure output connected to the low pressure input of a hydraulic pump.

[0009] As one alternative, the rotating member may have formed in its surface and impeller its high pressure input connected to the high pressure output of a hydraulic pump and its low pressure output connected to the low pressure input of a hydraulic pump.

[0010] In the above alternatives, the hydraulic pump may be driven by a wind turbine, water turbine, a rotating propeller arrangement, or some other source of power.

[0011] As a further alternative the shaft may be driven directly by a flexible drive connected to a prop shaft of say a vehicle or underwater propeller. These arrangements are particularly applicable for emergency desalination applications, say, at sea or in hostile land environments when safe drinking water supplies are not available.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0012] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0013] Figure 1 is section though a heat generator as used in a hot water heating or desalination system; and [0014] Figure 2 shows a schematic drawing a closed hydraulic fluid circuit to supply high pressure fluid to the heat generator of figure 1.

Detailed description of examples of the Invention

[0015] In figure 1 a heat generator 10 comprises a shaft 12 on a central axis 13 mounted within a case 14. An electrically conducting disc 16 is rigidly mounted on shaft 12. On one side 17 of disc 16, a hydraulic drive 20 is formed or mounted.

[0016] The hydraulic drive 20 may comprise a positive displacement hydraulic motor on which the disc 16 is mounted, with a high pressure input 22 and a low pressure output 24. Alternatively an impeller of the hydraulic motor may be formed on the side 17 of the disc 16, the impeller being driven by high pressure fluid from the input 22 and expelling low pressure fluid via the output 24. In either case the hydraulic drive will rotate the disc 16 about axis 13. In this arrangement it is immaterial whether the disc 16 is rigidly attached to shaft 12, or free to rotate about it: the latter is probably more efficient. The detail of the design of this arrangement is not shown as it would be apparent to one of normal skill.

[0017] Adjacent the other side 18 of the disc 16, is a fixed mounting plate or disc 26. In this embodiment the mounting plate 26 is fixed to the case 14, so that the disc 16 rotates on shaft 12 with respect to the mounting plate 26. On the face of plate 26 facing the side 18 of disc 16 are mounted permanent magnets 28 with their N-S poles arranged radially of the shaft 12. The magnets 28 may be inset into the surface of plate 26 or mounted on the surface of plate 26, it is immaterial: the only criterion is that discs 16 rotated in close proximity to the magnets 28.

[0018] As alternative to the arrangements described in the previous paragraphs, the plate 26 and disc 16 may be interchanged so that the hydraulic drive 20 rotates plate 26 and magnets 28, with respect to what is now fixed conducting disc 16. In either arrangement the conducting disc 16 should be electrically isolated.

[0019] The case 14 is metal with good conductivity, ideally it has external cooling fins (not shown) but again easily realised in normal design.

[0020] Pumping by the hydraulic pump will drive the hydraulic drive 20 rotating in relation to the magnets 28, the conducting disc 16 heats by induction, in turn heating the case 14 and water in the tank 30 (seen in figure 2).

[0021] Moving onto figure 2 showing one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the hydraulic drive 20 is powered by a hydraulic fluid pumped from a pump 36 driven though a shaft 38connected to a power source 40, such as a wind or water turbine, or an underwater propeller. The high pressure input 22 of the hydraulic drive 20 is connected though a high pressure line 32 to the high pressure output 33 of the hydraulic pump 36. The low pressure output 24 of the hydraulic drive 20 is connected though a low pressure line 34 to the low pressure output 35 of the hydraulic pump 36. The hydraulic drive 20, low pressure line 34, pump 36 and high pressure line 32 form a closed hydraulic circuit which may be filled with water or other suitable hydraulic fluid.

[0022] By controlling the rate of rotation of the disc 16, it is possible to control the rate of increase of the temperature of fluid in the tank. By increasing the rotation of the disc sufficiently, it is possible to vaporise the fluid in the tank 30 so allowing the device to act as a desalination unit.

[0023] In contrast to earlier rotary heat generators, is not necessary either to lag the case 14 or to it water tight greatly reducing the cost of the generator system.

[0024] If the hydraulic drive 20 was a positive displacement device, it would also provide over-speed braking for any wind turbine system used to drive the system.

[0025] Although described with the conducting disc 16 capable of rotating and the hydraulic drive coupled back to back with it, the mounting plate 26 and magnets 28 can be arranged to rotate with the hydraulic drive coupled 20 back to back with, or with an impeller cast into the plate 26. In this arrangement the conducting disc 16 is fixed.

[0026] In a still further arrangement, the shaft 12 is connected to a flexible dive directly from an extemal rotary power source. In this case one of the conducting disc 16 or plate 26 is fixed to the shaft 12 and rotated by it about the other of the conducting disc or plate.

Claims

Claims 1. A heat generator comprising a case, and mounted within the case an electrically conducting disc and a plurality of magnets mounted on a plate with their N-S axis aligned parallel to the plane of the disc and radially of a central axis, one or other of the conducting disc and the magnets arranged to rotate about the central axis with respect to the other and in which the case is immersed in a tank to contain water for heating or desalination purposes.
2. A heat generator according to claim1 comprising part of a hot water system.
3. A heat generator according to claiml comprising part of a desalination system.
4. A heat generator according any one of the preceding claims in which the electrically conducting disc comprises a rotating member capable of rotation about the axis and the magnets are fixed.
5. A heat generator according any one of the claims 1 to 3 in which the magnets are mounted a plate which comprises a rotating member capable of rotation rotate about the axis and the electrically conducing disc is fixed.
6. A heat generator according to claim 4 or 5 in which the rotating member is driven by a positive displacement hydraulic motor, mounted back to back on the rotating member.
7. A heat generator according any to claim 4 or 5 in which the rotating member comprises an impeller.
8. A heat generator according to claim 6 or 7supplied by high pressure fluid generated by a pump driven from a power source.
9. A heat generator according to claim 4 or 5 in which the rotating member is fixed to a shaft about the central axis, the shaft being driven directly by a flexible drive connected to a power source.
10. A heat generator according to claim 10 in which the power source is a prop shaft or underwater propeller.
11. A heat generating system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.