Rotational vessel heating

Abstract

Aqueous fluids are heated or boiled in a tank or vessel by causing cavitation in the fluid within the tank or vessel. A rotor having cavities on its cylindrical surface is rotated within a closely dimensioned housing submerged in the fluid, deliberately causing cavitation which heats the aqueous fluid without the use of flame or heat exchange surface. An electric motor which powers the rotor may itself be submerged in the tank or boiler vessel. The rotor includes radial channels for imparting centrifugal impetus to the fluid as it flows toward the cavitation zone.

1 . Apparatus for heating a liquid comprising a reservoir, a flux stress device within said reservoir capable of heating liquid in said reservoir by flux stress when said flux stress device is immersed in said liquid, an inlet for admitting makeup liquid to said reservoir, and at least one outlet from said reservoir for removing liquid heated by said flux stress device, said liquid being removed as heated liquid, vapor or steam. 
     
     
         2 . Apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flux stress device includes a rotor which generates flux stress in a liquid when it is immersed in said liquid and rotated. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus of  claim 2  including a motor or engine for rotating said rotor, said motor or engine being located within said reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus of  claim 2  including a motor or engine for rotating said rotor, said motor or engine being located outside said reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus of  claim 1  including a conduit for makeup liquid leading to said inlet. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus of  claim 5  including a filter in said conduit. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said reservoir is a boiler vessel capable of containing up to 250 pounds per square inch pressure. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said boiler vessel is capable of containing at least 500 pounds per square inch pressure. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flux stress device is a water brake dynamometer. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flux stress device is a cavitation device. 
     
     
         11 . A liquid reservoir including a cavitation device within said liquid reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 11  wherein said cavitation device comprises a rotor having cavities for inducing cavitation in a flowing liquid, and a housing defining a path for said flowing liquid, said path passing by said cavities. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 12  including an aqueous fluid in said reservoir in an amount sufficient to submerge said cavitation device. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid reservoir of  claim 13  including means for substantially continuously introducing makeup liquid to said liquid reservoir and substantially continuously removing at least one of heated liquid, steam, or vapor from said reservoir. 
     
     
         15 . A boiler vessel including a cavitation device within said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  wherein said cavitation device comprises a rotor having cavities for inducing cavitation in a flowing liquid, and a housing defining a path for said flowing liquid, said path passing by said cavities. 
     
     
         17 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  including an aqueous fluid in amount sufficient to submerge said cavitation device. 
     
     
         18 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  including an outlet for steam and vapor. 
     
     
         19 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  including an outlet for blowdown. 
     
     
         20 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  including a conduit for introducing incoming aqueous fluid to said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         21 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  including means for inducing subatmospheric pressure within said vessel. 
     
     
         22 . The boiler vessel of  claim 20  including a filter on said conduit for introducing incoming aqueous fluid. 
     
     
         23 . The boiler vessel of  claim 20  wherein said conduit for introducing incoming aqueous fluid to said boiler vessel introduces said aqueous fluid through said cavitation device. 
     
     
         24 . The boiler vessel of  claim 23  including a filter on said conduit for introducing incoming aqueous fluid. 
     
     
         25 . The boiler vessel of  claim 16  wherein said rotor is mounted on a substantially horizontal axis. 
     
     
         26 . The boiler vessel of  claim 16  wherein said rotor is mounted on a substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
         27 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  wherein said boiler comprises a substantially cylindrical vessel and said cavitation device comprises a substantially cylindrical rotor having cavities on its surface, said cavities being disposed in proximity to the interior wall of said substantially cylindrical vessel. 
     
     
         28 . The boiler vessel of  claim 15  wherein said cavitation device includes a submersible motor for powering said cavitation device, which motor is also within said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         29 . A cavitation device rotor for immersion in liquid, said rotor comprising a body having a substantially cylindrical surface and two faces, said body having a central opening on at least one face for receiving a rotatable shaft for rotating said rotor and a plurality of channels opening on at least one face for admitting liquid when said rotor is immersed in said liquid and transporting it to said substantially cylindrical surface, and a plurality of cavities on said substantially cylindrical surface. 
     
     
         30 . The cavitation device rotor of  claim 29  wherein said cavities are wider at their outlets than in their portions closer to the axis of said rotor. 
     
     
         31 . The cavitation device rotor of  claim 29  wherein said channels are substantially radial channels. 
     
     
         32 . A cavitation device for immersion in a boiler vessel comprising the rotor of  claim 29  and a housing substantially surrounding and in proximity to said substantially cylindrical surface of said rotor. 
     
     
         33 . The cavitation device of  claim 32  including a submersible electric motor for turning said rotor. 
     
     
         34 . Boiler apparatus comprising a vessel, a cavitation device rotor of  claim 29  in said vessel, and a housing substantially surrounding and in proximity to the substantially cylindrical surface of said rotor. 
     
     
         35 . Boiler apparatus comprising a vessel having a substantially cylindrical interior surface in at least a portion of said vessel, and a substantially cylindrical cavitation rotor within said vessel, said substantially cylindrical rotor also having a substantially cylindrical surface, said cylindrical rotor surface having a diameter slightly smaller than at least a portion of the interior surface of said vessel, said rotor surface and said portion of said interior surface being substantially concentric. 
     
     
         36 . Boiler apparatus of  claim 35  wherein said cavitation rotor has a plurality of cavities on said substantially cylindrical surface and a plurality of interior channels for transporting liquid from near the center of said rotor to said substantially cylindrical surface thereof. 
     
     
         37 . Boiler apparatus of  claim 35  including a submersible motor within said vessel for powering said cavitation rotor. 
     
     
         38 . Method of heating an aqueous fluid comprising placing said aqueous fluid in a boiler vessel and causing cavitation within said aqueous fluid in said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         39 . Method of  claim 38  including continuously or intermittently feeding said aqueous fluid to said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         40 . Method of  claim 38  including continuously or intermittently removing steam or vapor from said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         41 . Method of  claim 38  including continuously or intermittently removing blowdown or hot aqueous fluid from said boiler vessel. 
     
     
         42 . Method of  claim 38  wherein said cavitation is accomplished by a cavitation device. 
     
     
         43 . Method of providing hot aqueous liquid or steam comprising substantially continuously passing aqueous liquid into a reservoir, inducing flux stress in said liquid while it is in said reservoir, thereby elevating the temperature of said liquid, and substantially continuously removing said liquid from said reservoir in a liquid or gaseous state. 
     
     
         44 . Method of  claim 43  wherein said flux stress is induced primarily by shear. 
     
     
         45 . Method of  claim 43  wherein said flux stress is induced primarily by turbulence. 
     
     
         46 . Method of  claim 43  wherein said flux stress is induced primarily by cavitation. 
     
     
         47 . Method of heating an oilfield fracturing fluid in a tank comprising immersing a cavitation device in said tank and operating said cavitation device to induce cavitation in said fracturing fluid, thereby elevating its temperature. 
     
     
         48 . Method of  claim 47  wherein said cavitation device includes a submersible motor. 
     
     
         49 . Method of removing water from a dilute oilfield fluid comprising heating said dilute oilfield fluid in a boiler vessel of  claim 15  and removing steam or vapor therefrom. 
     
     
         50 . Method of  claim 49  including drawing a vacuum on said boiler vessel.