Flow conditioning feature for suction diffuser

A suction diffuser or arrangement comprising:

• a main suction diffuser body configured with an inlet to receive an incoming fluid, an interior cavity to receive the incoming fluid from the inlet, and an outlet to receive the incoming fluid from the interior cavity and provide an outgoing fluid, the main suction diffuser body having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a flow conditioning arrangement configured in relation to the inlet and comprising
• a contoured cover plate configured to couple to the main suction diffuser body and having at least one inwardly contoured surface, configured to extend into the interior cavity, diffuse the incoming fluid passing from the inlet into the interior cavity, and provide a flow conditioning that produces a uniform flow of the outgoing fluid by directing the incoming fluid towards the outlet, based at least partly on a contoured design corresponding to the at least one inwardly contoured surface, the contoured cover plate having a peripheral portion and a central or vertex portion, the at least one inwardly contoured surface having slots formed therein configured between the peripheral portion and the central or vertex portion, and
• a baffle configured in the interior cavity to restrain or regulate the flow of the fluid from the inlet to the outlet, the baffle having deflector plates with end portions, the deflector plates configured in a shape with a central longitudinal axis and arranged equidistant in relation to one another, the central longitudinal axis of the baffle being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main suction diffuser body when the baffle is arranged in the interior cavity, the baffle having a center axial portion extending along the central longitudinal axis, the deflector plates extending radially from the center axial portion, each end portion configured with a corresponding shape that substantially corresponds to the slots of the at least one inwardly contoured surface so as to mate or fit together with the same.