Flow conditioner
AssigneeFMC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMitchell P. Reckner, Philip A. Martone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow conditioner for use in a conduit includes a ring having a plurality of stepped elements disposed on an inner surface of the ring. A method for conditioning fluid using a flow conditioner includes coupling a flow conditioner to an interior surface of a conduit, flowing fluid through the conduit, contacting a surface of the flow conditioner with the flowing fluid, positioning a flow meter downstream of the flow conditioner, and measuring the flow profile of the fluid with the flow meter. Contacting the flow conditioner reduces one or more disturbances in a flow profile of the fluid. A flow conditioner includes a ring having at least one of a stepped element formed on an inner surface of the ring or a fin assembly coupled to the ring.
Claims20
A flow conditioner for use in a conduit, the flow conditioner comprising:
- a ring comprising:
- an outer surface;
- an inner surface opposite the outer surface and defining a hollow center of the ring, the inner surface having a plurality of stepped elements extending toward the hollow center,
- wherein each stepped element is adjacent to another stepped element in an axial direction of the ring such that an inner profile of the ring is a step profile in the axial direction, and
- wherein each stepped element defines an inner diameter of the ring smaller than a diameter of the ring between stepped elements.
A method for conditioning fluid using a flow conditioner, the method comprising:
- coupling a flow conditioner to an interior surface of a conduit;
- flowing fluid through the conduit;
- flowing the fluid through the flow conditioner and contacting a surface of the flow conditioner with the flowing fluid, wherein the flow conditioner comprises a ring having an outer surface, an inner surface opposite the outer surface and defining a hollow center of the ring, and at least one stepped element extending from the inner surface of the ring towards the hollow center of the ring that provides a change in dimension of the inner surface along a length of the ring in an axial direction such that an inner diameter of the ring is smallest at the least one stepped element, the contacting the flow conditioner reducing one or more disturbances existing in a flow profile of the fluid;
- positioning a flow meter downstream of the flow conditioner;
- and
- measuring the flow profile of the fluid with the flow meter.
A system for using a flow conditioner in a conduit, the system comprising:
- a conduit;
- a flow meter coupled to the conduit;
- and
- a flow conditioner disposed in the conduit upstream of a location of the flow meter,
- the flow conditioner comprising a ring having an outer surface, an inner surface opposite the outer surface and defining a hollow center of the ring, a stepped element formed on the inner surface of the ring, the stepped element comprising a protrusion formed along an entire inner circumference of the inner surface of the rings such that an inner diameter of the ring is smallest at the protrusion;
- and a fin assembly coupled to the ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.