Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/117,789 filed Feb. 18, 2015 hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This application relates to a flow conditioner used to increase the symmetry of a flow profile inside a pipe to improve the accuracy of any meter that infers an average velocity from a single location. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Flow conditioners are typically used to reduce swirl and increase the symmetry of a flow profile inside a pipe to improve the accuracy of any meter that infers an average velocity from a single location. Flow conditioners are used typically in round pipes with a variety of flow meters such and a silt density index (SDI) meter, an ultrasonic meter, etc. 
     However, typical flow conditioners typically have suboptimal performance under certain conditioners. One such condition occurs when a flow is directed around a pipe elbow. The elbow introduces swirl into the flow that reduces the consistency of the flow across a cross-section of the pipe for a length of the pipe. An elbow further increases the velocity of the flow at the outside of the elbow while simultaneously decreasing the velocity at the inside of the elbow. Flow conditioners typically require a length of straight pipe to have a uniform flow prior to flow being conditioned by a flow conditioner. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need for a flow conditioner that is configured to condition a flow having an asymmetric flow profile. There further remains a need for such a flow conditioner conditioning the flow by distributing the asymmetry to have an asymmetry that is uniform across the diameter of the flow profile. 
     Other features of the flow conditioner, besides those discussed above, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the preferred embodiments which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate examples of the invention. Such examples are illustrative, but for the scope of the invention, reference is made to the claims which follow the description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner, according to an exemplary embodiment: 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner of  FIG. 1A , rotated 90 degrees, according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 1C  is a perspective view of a conical flow conditioner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1D  is an end view of a conical flow conditioner of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner, according to an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner of  FIG. 2A , rotated 90 degrees, according to an exemplary embodiment; and 
         FIG. 2C  is an end view of a conical flow conditioner of  FIG. 2A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A , a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner  100  is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The conical flow conditioner  100  is configured to provide a reduced flow diameter using a conical formation to introduce a uniform swirl to the flow profile to facilitate flow measurement. This conical formation increases the amount of swirl in the flow profile to mix the pattern of flow velocity and distribute the flow including the asymmetries uniformly across the flow profile. The conical flow conditioner  100  is shown rotated 90 degrees from the view in  FIG. 1B , according to the same exemplary embodiment.  FIG. 1C  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1D , flow conditioner  100  features a conical configuration having a top flange  102  and a base  104  with a cone wall  106  extending from the top flange  102  to the base  104 . The diameter of the cone wall  106  decreases from the point at which the cone wall  106  adjoins the top flange  102  to the point at which the cone wall  106  adjoins the base  104 . The cone wall  106  further defines a pre-conditioner flow space  108 . The conical shape of the pre-conditioner flow space  108  funned by the reducing diameter of the cone wall  106  introduces additional asymmetries to the flow entering the pre-conditioner flow space  108  based on interaction of the fluid with the cone wall  106 .  FIG. 1D  is an end view of the exemplary embodiment locking from the base  104  towards the top flange  102 . 
     The cone wall  106  includes a plurality of cone wall apertures  110  that al low fluid to flow from the pre-conditioner flow space  108  thru the conical flow conditioner  100 . The cone wall  106  is angled such that the reduction in cross section increases pressure drop to promote flow to exit more evenly through the cone wall apertures  110 , rather than being biased towards the base  104 . 
     Cone wall apertures  110  are configured to decrease in diameter along the length of the cone wall  106 . Accordingly, cone wall aperture  110  include a first row  112  of apertures having a diameter of 1.38 inches, a second row  114  of apertures having a diameter of 1.25 inches, a third row  116  of apertures having a diameter of 1.25 inches, a fourth row  118  of apertures having a diameter of 1.13 inches, a fifth row  120  of apertures having a diameter of 1.00 inches, and a sixth row  122  of apertures having a diameter of 0.88 inches. The apertures  110  have a reducing diameter to maintain aperture  110  spacing its the circumference of the cone wall  106  is reduced along the length of the cone wall  106 . Further, the reducing diameter of apertures  110  may be based on the reduced flow velocity of a fluid as the fluid travels though the pre-conditioner flow space  108  from the top flange  102  to the base  104 . Although a specific configuration and diameter of aperture  110  is shown and described, one of ordinary skill in the art would easily understand that the configuration and diameters of apertures  110  may vary considerably dependent on the size of the pipe, the type of fluid, etc. and still achieve the advantages described herein. 
     Flow conditioner  100  further includes a plurality of straightening vanes  130  to remove the swirl introduce by interaction of the fluid with the cone wall  106  in the pre-conditioner flow space  108 . One of the vanes  130  is configured to include a locking nut  140  configured to facilitate mounting of the flow conditioner  100  to a pipe wall (not shown). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , a cross section view of a conical flow conditioner  200  is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The conical flow conditioner  200  is shown rotated 90 degrees from the view in  FIG. 2B , according to the same exemplary embodiment. Flow conditioner  200  similarly is configured to have a conical formation that increases the amount of swirl in the flow profile to mix the pattern of flow velocity and distribute the flow including the asymmetries uniformly across the flow profile. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2C , flow conditioner  200  similarly features a conical configuration having a top flange  202  and a flow aperture  204  with a cone wall  206  extending from the top flange  202  to the flow aperture  204 . The diameter of the cone wall  206  similarly decreases from the point at which the cone wall  206  adjoins the lop flange  102  to the point at which the cone wall  206  defines the flow aperture  204 . The cone wall  206  further defines a pre-conditioner flow space  208 . The conical shape of the pre-conditioner flow space  208  formed by the reducing diameter of the cone wall  206  also introduces additional asymmetries to the flow entering the pre-conditioner flow space  208  based on interaction of the fluid with the cone wall  206 .  FIG. 2C  is an end view of the exemplary embodiment locking from the flow aperture  204  towards the top flange  202 . 
     Cone wall  206  is configured to be shape to include a defined radial curve to reduce the occurrence of vena contracta at the flow aperture  204 . Vena contracta is the point in a fluid stream where the diameter of the fluid flow is the least, and fluid velocity is at its maximum. The maximum contraction of the fluid flow would typically take place at a section slightly downstream of the flow aperture  204  if the cone wall  206  were straight. However, introducing the defined radial curve to the cone wall  206  reduces the occurrence of vena contracta at the flow aperture  204  such that the maximum contraction of the fluid flow takes place more proximate to the flow aperture  204 . 
     Flow conditioner  200  further includes a plurality of straightening vanes  210  to remove the swirl introduce by interaction of the fluid with the cone wall  206  in the pre-conditioner flow space  208 . One of the vanes  210  is configured to include a locking nut  220  configured to facilitate mounting of the flow conditioner  200  to a pipe wall. 
     Flow conditioners as described herein in the above described embodiments reduce the straight pipe length that is required to achieve accurate measurement. Further, the flow conditioners described herein provide this advantage by reducing the amount of restriction to the flow to avoid significantly reducing flow velocity and introducing a pressure drop. This reduction saves materials, space and cost. 
     This has been a description of exemplary embodiments, but it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art dial variations may be made in the details of these specific embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by this description.

Technology Category: 2