Duct with spiral groove
AssigneeThe University of Nottingham
InventorsTrevor Jones, Jeyakumar Ganeshalingham, Benjamin Raylor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A duct (10) for transporting a two phase mixture has a length portion of circular cross-section (12) leading, via a transition zone (14) in which the duct cross-section changes from circular to lobed, to a zone in which its cross-section exhibits at lcast one lobe (16) extending helically around and along the duct. The duct has across-sectional area which is substantially constant, or which progressively increases, over the transition zone. The transition from circular to lobed cross-section is alternatively smooth and continuous, and the transition zone occupies a duct length in which the or each lobe becomes relocated by at least one position.
Claims78
1-47. (canceled)
A duct having at least one length portion of circular cross-section, characterised in that said duct further includes a zone in which its cross-section exhibits at least one lobe, the or each said lobe extending helically around and along the duct, and wherein the transition from circular to lobed cross-section is smooth and continuous and takes place over a transition zone occupying a duct length in which the or each lobe becomes relocated by at least one position.
A processing plant in which a two phase mixture is fed from a duct substantially tangentially into a processing apparatus, wherein said duct terminates at said apparatus in a zone in which the duct cross-section includes at least one lobe extending helically along the duct wherein the duct includes a said lobe which has risen from the bottom of the duct to substantially the mid-level of the duct at its termination.
A method of reducing localised wear in a duct that is arranged to transport a two phase mixture comprising the steps of:
- varying the cross-sectional shape of a flowpath through the duct by introducing at least one hollow lobe extending helically around and along the duct;
- and
- inducing a velocity component in the mixture that is substantially perpendicular to the flowpath by the presence of said lobe.
A duct having at least one length portion of circular cross-section, characterised in that the duct further includes a zone in which its cross-section exhibits at least one lobe, the or each said lobe extending helically around and along the duct, and the duct having a substantially constant cross-sectional area over a transition zone in which the duct cross-section changes from circular to lobed.
A method of reducing the power required to place a first phase of a two phase mixture in suspension in a second phase of that mixture during transportation of the mixture along a duct comprising the steps of:
- varying the cross-sectional shape of a flowpath through the duct by introducing at least one hollow lobe extending helically around and along the duct;
- and
- inducing a velocity component in the mixture that is substantially perpendicular to the flowpath by the presence of said lobe such that a denser phase of the mixture is, at least partially, placed in suspension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.