US 11,085,470 B2 · Flow conditioning assembly

Abstract

A flow conditioning assembly comprising an integral elbow flow conditioner and a downstream flow conditioner. The elbow flow conditioner includes a pipe elbow with one or more flow conditioning elements. Each flow conditioning element includes one or more turning guides. Each turning guide is generally circular and radially spaced from one another and an inner surface of the elbow. Spaced vanes maintain the radial spacing of the turning guides. The vanes divide the radial space between the turning guides and pipe elbow into a plurality of flow channels that turn in generally the same direction as the inner surface of the pipe elbow. The downstream flow conditioner comprises a flow conditioning structure within a pipe element. The flow conditioning structure includes one or more flow guides of generally circular form radially spaced from one another and the pipe element. Spaced support vanes maintain the radial spacing of the flow guides.

A flow conditioning assembly (1), comprising:

an integral elbow flow conditioner (2) comprising:
a) a pipe elbow (22) for conducting and turning the flow of a fluid, said pipe elbow (22) being an annular conduit having a first opening (26A) and a second opening (26B) and defining a radially inwardly-facing inner surface (38) in intermediate location to said first opening (26A) and said second opening (26B), said radially inwardly-facing inner surface (38) turning in at least one direction and forming at least a portion of a curved fluid passageway extending through said pipe elbow (22);
b) at least a first flow conditioning element (24A) comprising:
1) a first turning guide (44A) of generally circular form when viewed in transverse cross-section and located at least partially within said pipe elbow (22) and radially spaced from said pipe elbow (22) by a radial space, said first turning guide (44A) having a guide leading edge (76) and a guide trailing edge (78), said guide leading edge (76) being closer than said guide trailing edge (78) to said first opening (26A), said first turning guide (44A) turning in generally the same at least one direction as said inner surface (38) of said pipe elbow (22);
2) a second turning guide (44B) of generally circular form when viewed in transverse cross-section and located at least partially within said first turning guide (44A), said second turning guide (44B) radially spaced from said first turning guide (44A) by a radial space, said second turning guide (44B) turning in generally the same at least one direction as said inner surface (38);
and
3) a plurality of vanes (48) comprising a first plurality of vanes and a second plurality of vanes, wherein:
i) said first plurality of vanes (48) situated at least partially within said radial space between said pipe elbow (22) and said first turning guide (44A) and locating said first turning guide (44A) relative to said pipe elbow (22), said first plurality of vanes (48) having a vane leading edge (80) and a vane trailing edge (82), said vane leading edge (80) being closer than said vane trailing edge (82) to said first opening (26A) and said vane trailing edge (82) being closer than said vane leading edge (80) to said second opening (26B), said first plurality of vanes (48) circumferentially spaced from each other and circumferentially distributed around said first turning guide (44A), said first plurality of vanes (48) dividing said radial space between said pipe elbow (22) and said first turning guide (44A) into a plurality of flow channels (58) that turn in generally the same at least one direction as said inner surface (38);
and
ii) said second plurality of vanes (48) situated at least partially within said radial space between said first turning guide (44A) and said second turning guide (44B) and locating said second turning guide (44B), said second plurality of vanes (48) circumferentially spaced from each other and circumferentially distributed around said second turning guide (44B), said second plurality of vanes (48) dividing said radial space between said first turning guide (44A) and said second turning guide (44B) into a plurality of flow channels (58) that turn in generally the same at least one direction as said inner surface (38);
and
at least one downstream flow conditioner (4), comprising:
a) a pipe element (102) for conducting the flow of the fluid, being an annular conduit having a first axial end (106A) and a second axial end (106B) and defining a radially inwardly-facing inner peripheral surface (112) forming at least a portion of an axially-oriented fluid passageway extending generally axially through said pipe element (102) from a first end opening (110A) to a second end opening (110B), said first axial end (106A) facing generally toward said second opening (26B) of said pipe elbow (22) and said second axial end (106B) facing away from said second opening (26B) of said pipe elbow (22) and facing away from said first axial end (106A);
b) a first flow guide (118A) of generally circular form when viewed in transverse cross-section and located at least partially within said pipe element (102) and radially spaced from said pipe element (102) by a radial space,
c) a second flow guide (118B) of generally circular form when viewed in transverse cross-section and located at least partially within said first flow guide (118A), said second flow guide (118B) radially spaced from said first flow guide (118A) by a radial space, wherein
each of said first and second flow guides (118A, 118B) having an upstream guide end (132) and a downstream guide end (134), said upstream guide end (132) being closer than said downstream guide end (134) to said first axial end (106A) and said downstream guide end (134) being closer than said upstream guide end (132) to said second axial end (106B), said first and second flow guides (118A, 118B) having generally the same axial orientation as said inner peripheral surface (112) of said pipe element (102);
d) a plurality of support vanes (120) comprising a first plurality of support vanes and a second plurality of support vanes, wherein
i) said first plurality of support vanes (120) situated at least partially within said radial space between said pipe element (102) and said first flow guide (118A) and locating said first flow guide (118A) relative to said pipe element (102), said first plurality of support vanes (120) circumferentially spaced from each other and circumferentially distributed around said first flow guide (118A), said first plurality of support vanes (120) having a vane upstream end (140) and a vane downstream end (142), said vane upstream end (140) being closer than said vane downstream end (142) to said first axial end (106A) and said vane downstream end (142) being closer than said vane upstream end (140) to said second axial end (106B);
and
ii) said second plurality of support vanes (120) situated at least partially within said radial space between said first flow guide (118A) and said second flow guide (118B) and locating said second flow guide (118B), said second plurality of support vanes (120) circumferentially spaced from each other and circumferentially distributed around said second flow guide (118B).

17 more elements

Flow conditioning assembly

Life of this patent

Flow conditioning assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims106