Amplitude attenuation of time-variant properties of fluid streams

An apparatus for attenuating the amplitude of a time-variant property of a fluid stream which comprises an enclosed volume, wherein the enclosed volume includes

• (a) a mixing zone having an inlet and three or more outlets;
• (b) piping means for introducing an inlet fluid stream into the inlet of the mixing zone;
• and
• (c) piping means for withdrawing from the mixing zone three or more individual fluid portions through the three or more outlets and combining the three or more individual fluid portions into an outlet fluid stream;
• wherein the distance between at least one pair of adjacent outlets is different than the distance between another pair of adjacent outlets, wherein the mixing zone comprises a cylindrical volume which is characterized by an axis, and wherein the axial distance Dn from the inlet to any outlet is defined by D n = ( d / N ) ⁢ ∑ i = 0 n - 1 ⁢ ( N - i )
• where n is an integer with a value of 1 through N, integers 1 through N denote sequential outlets, N is the total number of outlets from the mixing zone, the outlet denoted by n=1 is the outlet nearest the inlet, the outlet denoted by n=N is the outlet farthest from the inlet, and d is the axial distance between the inlet and the outlet nearest the inlet.

An apparatus for attenuating the amplitude of a time-variant property of a fluid which comprises an enclosed volume, wherein the enclosed volume includes

• (a) a mixing zone having one or more inlets and one or more outlets, with the provisos that (1) the number of inlets and the number of outlets cannot both equal one, and (2) the number of inlets is at least three, or the number of outlets is at least three, or the number of inlets is at least three and the number of outlets is at least three;
• (b) piping means for conducting the fluid to the one or more inlets of the mixing zone;
• (c) piping means for withdrawing fluid from the mixing zone through the one or more outlets and providing an outlet fluid stream;
• wherein the distance between adjacent outlets decreases as the distance of each outlet from a given inlet increases and wherein (1) the distance between at least one pair of adjacent inlets is different than the distance between another pair of adjacent inlets, or (2) the distance between at least one pair of adjacent outlets is different than the distance between another pair of adjacent outlets, or (3) the distance between at least one pair of adjacent inlets is different than the distance between another pair of adjacent inlets and the distance between at least one pair of adjacent outlets is different than the distance between another pair of adjacent outlets.