Patent ID: 8550208

Claim:
A muffling device, comprising: an inner flow conditioner shaped as a generally conical frustum comprising an upstream base and a downstream base, a diameter of the upstream base being larger than a diameter of the downstream base, the inner flow conditioner comprising an inlet approximate the upstream base, a generally circular inner flow conditioner downstream end wall having an inner flow conditioner downstream end wall area, the inner flow conditioner downstream end wall being generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the conical frustum and comprising a plurality of generally longitudinally oriented inner flow conditioner downstream end wall holes, and an inner flow conditioner sidewall shaped generally as a truncated cone, the inner flow conditioner sidewall tapering inwardly from approximate the upstream base to approximate the inner flow conditioner downstream wall, the inner flow conditioner sidewall comprising a plurality of generally laterally oriented inner flow conditioner sidewall holes; and an exhaust can disposed substantially around the inner flow conditioner and shaped as a generally circular cylinder, the exhaust can comprising a generally annular upstream end wall disposed approximate the upstream base of the inner flow conditioner and substantially circumscribing the upstream base of the inner flow conditioner, a generally circular exhaust screen comprising a plurality of exhaust screen holes, and a generally circular exhaust can sidewall extending from approximate the upstream end wall to approximate the exhaust screen; wherein the inner flow conditioner and the exhaust can are configured to conduct a fluid inward through the inlet into the inner flow conditioner, through the inner flow conditioner downstream end wall discharge openings and the inner flow conditioner sidewall discharge openings into the exhaust can, and outward through the exhaust screen discharge openings; wherein the exhaust can and the inner flow conditioner downstream end wall at least partially define a downstream end annular area therebetween; and wherein a ratio of the inner flow conditioner downstream end wall area to the downstream end annular area is about 0.12 to about 0.97.