Strainer

A pipe line strainer comprising:

• an elongate strainer body having an inner body wall surface and defining a cylindrical flow passageway, and further defining a strainer inlet in communication with said cylindrical flow passageway, said inlet being about two inches in diameter smaller than said cylindrical flow passageway, and a strainer outlet perpendicular to said cylindrical flow passageway, said strainer outlet being spaced from said strainer inlet along said cylindrical flow passageway in a direction for fluid flow generally from said strainer inlet toward said strainer outlet, said cylindrical flow passageway extending generally between said strainer inlet and said strainer outlet, and
• a strainer basket disposed within said cylindrical flow passageway between said strainer inlet and said strainer outlet, said strainer basket comprising a strainer basket wall defining a plurality of through apertures of predetermined cross dimension for flow of fluid from said strainer inlet toward said strainer outlet, said strainer basket wall dividing said cylindrical flow passageway into a first region of flow upstream of said strainer basket wall and a second region of flow downstream of said strainer basket wall,
• said second region of flow having a transitional region of flow coincident to said perpendicular outlet and bounded between opposed surfaces of said strainer basket and said inner body wall, said transitional region of flow having a flow cross-sectional area equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional area of said strainer inlet and equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional area of said strainer outlet, and
• said transitional region of flow having at least one of:
• an unequal distribution of flow velocity or an unequal distribution of total volumetric flow across incremental cross-sections of said transitional region of flow and having a change in incremental flow cross sectional area in said direction for fluid flow, said change in flow cross-sectional area increasing in a direction of increasing flow velocity or increasing in a direction of increasing total volumetric flow in said transitional region of flow.