Nozzle apparatus and methods for providing a stream for ultrasonic testing

A nozzle for providing a flow, comprising:

• a hollow body with a first length defining an axial direction including a component parallel to the first length and a radial direction including a component orthogonal to the first length, with an entrance and an exit orifice, and defining a flow direction from the entrance towards the exit orifice;
• a flow conditioner within the body defining at least a first plenum chamber in fluid communication with the entrance, a second plenum chamber and a third plenum chamber, the first plenum chamber and the second plenum chamber separated by a first baffle arranged to permit fluid communication between the first plenum chamber and the second plenum chamber, and the second plenum chamber and the third plenum chamber separated by a first passageway, the first passageway arranged to permit fluid communication between the second plenum chamber and the third plenum chamber, the first passageway having a first width and a second length;
• a diffuser within the body defining a fourth plenum chamber, the fourth plenum chamber arranged to fluidly communicate with the third plenum chamber, and the fourth plenum chamber defining a widening area, the widening area having an increasing width in the flow direction;
• and
• a collector within the body defining a fifth plenum chamber, the fifth plenum chamber arranged to fluidly communicate with the fourth plenum chamber and with the exit orifice, and the fifth plenum chamber defining a narrowing area, the narrowing area having a decreasing width in the flow direction.

A flow conditioner for a flow nozzle, comprising a body having:

• an inner bore;
• a first baffle section formed by a first plenum notch in an outer portion of the body, the first baffle section having a plurality of first orifices extending between the first notch and the inner bore;
• and
• a second baffle section formed by a second plenum notch in the outer portion of the body, the second plenum notch downstream of the first notch, the second baffle section having a plurality of second orifices extending between the second notch and the inner bore;
• wherein the first plenum notch and the first orifices provide a first fluid passageway that extends radially inward from an inlet to the inner bore, the inner bore provides a second fluid passageway that extends along a longitudinal axis in a first direction, the second orifices provide third fluid passageway that extends radially outward from the inner bore to the second plenum notch, and the second plenum notch provides fourth fluid passageway that extends along the longitudinal axis in the first direction toward an outlet.