Programmable pressure reducing apparatus for throttling fluids under high pressure

A multi-stage programmable pressure reducing assembly for high energy fluids comprising

• a cylindrical support sleeve having plurality of axially space apart tiers of circumferentially spaced apart radial passages for fluid flow,
• a plurality of pressure dropping, staging rings adapted to be carried concentrically by the sleeve stacked in tiers of nested, staging rings of progressively differing diameters to establish a plurality of pressure dropping stages, each ring having annular walls extending radially and axially to define at least a portion of an annular fluid flow channel,
• the axially extending wall of the ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radial fluid passages communicating with its annular fluid flow channel,
• said staging rings proximate to the sleeve being axially movable to bring their respective annular fluid flow channels into variably adjustable register with one corresponding array of circumferentially spaced apart radial passages in the sleeve,
• the nested rings being relatively axially movable to bring their respective annular channels into variably adjustable register to establish pressure dropping stages of selectable size, and
• programming spacer means to establish the degree of axial registration of the respective annular flow paths of the rings with the proximate radial fluid flowpassages, and
• means to secure the staging rings in fixed operating relationship,
• whereby the fluid flow from the high pressure side to the low pressure side will cause the flow to split and contract at the radial passages, to recombine in the annular flow paths with associated impingement and frictional losses and to change directions both circumferentially and axially, and whereby the pressure profiles at all stages of pressure reduction can be programmed by said spacer means.