A suction strainer for a turbomachine

Abstract

A suction strainer (1, U, 1", 1"') for removing solids from a fluid flowing into a turbomachine (M), said suction strainer (1, 1 ', 1", 1 "') comprising a body comprising: a plurality of coaxial sections (Sl-Sn) with respect of a central axis (C) of the body, comprising an inner section (SI) and one or more outer sections (S2-Sn) each of which surrounds said inner section (SI); and a plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) comprising an inner wall (El) and one or more outer walls (L2-Ln), wherein the inner wall (El) is arranged within the inner section (S 1) so as to surround at least a portion of said central axis (C) of the body and wherein each of said one or more outer walls (L2-Ln) are arranged within each of said one or more outer sections (S2-Sn) so as to surround at least another portion of said central axis (C) of the body, each of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) being connected with at least one neighbouring wall of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) through at least one connecting means (12, 13 ) of said body so that said body can be integrally formed as a single unit, wherein each of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) comprises a plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings (11) such that during operation the fluid is drawn through the openings into an inlet of said turbomachine (M).

Description

A SUCTION STRAINER FOR A TURBOMACHINEDescriptionTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure concerns a suction strainer for removing solids from a fluid, such as a liquid or a gas, flowing into a turbomachine, which has a greater effective filtering area to volume ratio and an increased structural integrity as compared with conventional suction strainers.

[0002] The subject matter disclosed herein also refers to a turbomachine, such as a turbine, a compressor for compressing gas in a transportation pipeline, a pump or any other rotary equipment which is provided with a suction strainer.

[0003] The subject matter disclosed herein also refers to a process of forming the suction strainer through an additive manufacturing process.BACKGROUND ART

[0004] Currently, there are available in the market suction strainers of turbomachines, such as rotary machines or the like, which allows filtration of a fluid flowing along a pipe or other conduit. The fluid may a gas or a liquid. For example, the fluid may be a fuel in which case the solid particulate material should be removed prior to the combustion process or may be air flowing into the turbomachine.

[0005] Suction strainers have typically a frustoconical shape, or a conical shape, and are made of a perforated sheet of metal, such as stainless steel, with a superposed mesh of various sizes. The mesh defines a plurality of pores for filtering the fluid. Filtration is typically carried out as the fluid passes along a pipe or other conduit. Accordingly, the suction strainer can be installed at the inlet of the turbomachine with the cone facing upstream or downstream for removing solids from the fluid that is drawn from the pipe or other conduit through the pores into the inlet of the turbomachine.

[0006] However, since the current design is made of a welded sheet of metal it is not suitable for centrifugal compressor prolonged life. Therefore, suction strainers inturbomachines are conventionally considered as temporary objects, which need to be removed after the initial start-up of the turbomachine to collect any solids, such as dust, debris, foreign objects or other contaminants in the form of particulate matter, and needs periodic maintenance to effectively clean the processed fluid in the closed loops.

[0007] For example, conventional suction strainers can be removed and cleaned when there is a pressure drop across the suction strainer that exceeds a predetermined alarm threshold value. If the suction strainers are not cleaned or replaced when the pressure drop exceeds this threshold value, this may result in a risk of filter damage and filter parts or dust / debris / foreign object ingestion and / or in a risk of malfunction of the turbomachine.

[0008] During use suction strainers gradually become blocked by the captured solid matter, which results in an increase of the pressure drop across the suction strainer. The speed of this process is particularly fast for conventional suction strainers and depends on the effective area of the suction strainers through which the fluid can pass, i.e. the number of pores and size of the pores within the suction strainer.

[0009] Moreover, during use the suction strainers of conventional type may suffer damages, such as a fracture or a deformation, which may result in a loss of the structural integrity. For example, the shape of a suction strainer may change when its struck by objects travelling in the pipes. This may occur because conventional suction strainers have a frustoconical or conical shape made of a single perforated sheet of metal and / or because of the presence of one or more weak points introduced during the welding process which result in a discontinuity in the metal around the weld that makes the weld more likely to crack under additional load.

[0010] For example, when the tip of the suction strainer is placed downstream, debris collects inside of the strainer near the tip and the suction strainer may rip apart due to heavy strain on the tip, whereas when the tip of the suction strainer is placed upstream, debris collects to the side of the strainer and the tip its likely to be struck by objects travelling into the pipes.

[0011] In light of the above considerations, it is desirable to increase the effective filtering area through which the fluid can pass as well as to increase the structuralintegrity of the suction strainer.SUMMARY

[0012] Certain aspects commensurate in scope with the originally claimed disclosure are summarized below. These aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed disclosure, but rather these aspects are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the disclosure. Indeed, the full disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the aspects set forth below.

[0013] In one aspect, the subject matter disclosed herein is directed to a suction strainer for removing solids from a fluid flowing into a turbomachine, said suction strainer comprising a body comprising: a plurality of coaxial sections with respect of a central axis of the body, said plurality of coaxial sections comprising an inner section and one or more outer sections each of which surrounds said inner section; and a plurality of walls comprising an inner wall and one or more outer walls, wherein the inner wall is arranged within the inner section so as to surround at least a portion of said central axis of the body and wherein each of said one or more outer walls are arranged within each of said one or more outer sections so as to surround at least another portion of said central axis of the body, each of said plurality of walls being connected with at least one neighbouring wall of said plurality of walls through at least one connecting means of said body so that said body can be integrally formed as a single unit, wherein each of said plurality of walls comprises a plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings such that during operation the fluid is drawn through the openings into an inlet of said turbomachine.

[0014] In another aspect, the subject matter disclosed herein is directed to a turbomachine comprising an inlet and a suction strainer as described above, wherein the suction strainer in installed in the inlet of the turbomachine.

[0015] In a further aspect, the subject matter disclosed herein is directed to a process of forming the suction strainer as described above through an additive manufacturing process.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] A more complete appreciation of the disclosed embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic view in the ZX plane of a suction strainer comprising a plurality of coaxial sections, a plurality of walls comprising spaced fluid inlet openings and a plurality of connecting means, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a suction strainer wherein the body is formed as a single pleated plate comprising a plurality of walls having spaced fluid inlet openings and a plurality of connecting walls, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.Fig. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view in the ZX plane of the suction strainer shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 4 illustrates a detailed view of the suction strainer shown in Fig. 2, in which are shown details of the spaced fluid inlet openings.Fig. 5 illustrates an enlarged view of the suction strainer shown in Fig. 2, in which are shown details of the mesh within the fluid inlet openings.Fig. 6 illustrates a further enlarged view of the suction strainer shown in Fig. 2, in which are shown details of the mesh within of the fluid inlet openings.Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a suction strainer wherein the body comprises a plurality of walls having spaced fluid inlet openings and a plurality of connecting ribs, according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.Fig. 8 illustrates a sectional view along a cutting plane passing through the central axis of the body of the suction strainer shown in Fig. 7.Fig. 9 illustrates a sectional view of a suction strainer having a dome shaped body, wherein the body comprises a plurality of walls having spaced fluid inletopenings and a plurality of connecting ribs, according to fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.Fig. 10 illustrates a schematic view of an inlet portion of a turbomachine in which it is installed a suction strainer shown in Fig. 2.It is intended that the accompanying drawings show non-limiting examples of the disclosed subject matter. Other embodiments are therefore possible.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Suction strainers such as conical strainer are the only barrier that a turbomachine has before its inlet. However, suction strainers are conventionally considered as temporary objects, which need to be removed after the initial start-up of the turbomachine to collect any solids, such as dust, debris, foreign objects or any other contaminants including contaminant in the form of particulate matter or other types of contaminants, and need periodic maintenance to clean the processed fluid in the closed loops. Moreover, suction strainers of conventional type may suffer damages, such as a fracture or a deformation, which may result in a loss of its structural integrity. Accordingly, a new suction strainer which has a greater effective filtering area and greater structural integrity is described herein.

[0018] Reference is now made to Fig. 1 which illustrates a schematic view in the ZX plane of a suction strainer 1 that allows to remove solids from a fluid, such as a liquid or a gas, flowing into a turbomachine M, such as gas turbine, a compressor, or a pump, or more generically a rotary equipment, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] The suction strainer 1 comprises a body with a plurality of coaxial sections Sl- Sn, a plurality of walls LI -Ln comprising spaced fluid inlet openings 11 and a plurality of connecting means 12, 13 or connectors.

[0020] The body of the suction strainer 1 can be entirely formed through an additive manufacturing process, such as a conventional additive manufacturing process. For example, the additive manufacturing can be carried on using a 3D printer which builds the suction strainer 1 layer by layer from a digital design. The process typically involves creating a 3D model using computer-aided design (CAD) software,converting it into instructions for the printer, and then using various methods to deposit material and bond it together to form the suction strainer 1.

[0021] The body can be made entirely of metal, plastic or any other material that can be used for the additive manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the body can be formed as a single pleated plate, comprising a number of pleats as for example shown in Fig. 2, or as a plurality of connected plates, as for example shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

[0022] With reference to Fig. 1, the body comprises a plurality of coaxial sections Sl- Sn with respect of a central axis C of the body. The plurality of coaxial sections comprises an inner section SI and one or more outer sections S2-Sn, such as S1-S3, each of which surrounds the inner section SI. However, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific number of coaxial sections herein described, in fact the body can include any arbitrary number of coaxial sections Sl- Sn.

[0023] The body further comprises a plurality of walls LI -Ln which may be disposed so as to comprise at least a portion which forms an angle with the central axis C. The walls Ll-Ln may have any shape, for example a cylindrical shape, or a frustoconical shape, or a polygonal shape, or an irregular shape.

[0024] The plurality of walls Ll-Ln comprises an inner wall LI and one or more outer walls L2-Ln, such as L1-L3. The inner wall LI is arranged within the inner section SI so as to surround at least a portion of the central axis C of the body and each of the one or more outer walls L2-Ln are arranged within each respective one or more outer sections S2-Sn so as to surround at least another portion of the central axis C of the body. The at least one portion of the central axis C and the at least another portion of the central axis C can be the same or different portions.

[0025] For example, in Fig. 1 the inner wall LI is arranged in the inner section SI and surrounds a first portion of the central axis C, the outer wall L2 is arranged in the outer section S2 and the outer wall L3 is arranged in the outer section S3. In this example, the outer walls L2-Ln surround the entire central axis C of the body, including the first portion of the central axis C. However, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific number of walls Ll-Ln herein described, as well as to thespecific number of pleats shown in Fig. 1, in fact the body can include any arbitrary number of walls Ll-Ln.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, each of the plurality of walls Ll-Ln may be connected with at least one neighbouring wall of the plurality of walls Ll-Ln through at least one connecting means 12, 13 of the body so that the body can be integrally formed as a single unit, for example using a conventional additive manufacturing process. In this way, the suction strainer 1 is formed by means of a single manufacturing step, it is more robust and has a higher structural reliably when compared to conventional conical strainers because does not have weak points, such as welds.

[0027] In some embodiments, the connecting means may comprise a connecting wall 12 that is placed at the first end or the second end of a wall Ll-Ln. For example, in Fig. 1, the second wall L2 is coupled to the third wall L3 by means of a connecting wall 12 which connects the first end of the second wall L2 with the first end of the third wall L3.

[0028] In some other embodiments, the connecting means may comprise the first end of a wall Ll-Ln or the second end of a wall Ll-Ln. For example, in Fig. 1, the first wall LI is coupled to the second wall L2 at its bottom end.

[0029] In some embodiments, the connecting means may comprise a connecting rib 13. The connecting rib 13 may be a structural element that extends from a wall so as to join the wall with a neighbouring wall. The connecting rib 13 may comprise, for example, a radially extending rib, that is a rib that extends from a wall to a neighbouring wall in a radial direction with respect to the central axis C of the body. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the first wall LI is coupled to the second wall L2 by means of a connecting rib 13 that extends from a portion of the first wall LI to connect another neighbouring portion of the second wall L2.

[0030] With continuous reference to Fig. 1, each of the plurality of walls Ll-Ln comprises a plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings 11 such that during operation the fluid is drawn through the openings into an inlet 20 of a turbomachine M. Each of the plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings 11 may comprises a mesh defining a plurality of pores. The size of the pores determines what can pass through the suction strainer 1. Objects exceeding the size of the pores become trapped on the mesh surface, whilethe desired fluid permeates freely.

[0031] The mesh located inside an inlet opening 11 can have a different thickness compared to the thickness of the respective wall on which the inlet opening 11 is located. Since a smaller thickness of the mesh reduces the fluid pressure drop of the fluid passing through the mesh but reduces the structural strength of the mesh itself, the thickness of the mesh may be calculated / determined considering a trade-off between inlet pressure requirements and the structural strength requirements of the mesh.

[0032] With continuous reference to Fig. 1, Figs. 2-6 illustrate a suction strainer 1’ wherein the body has a frustoconical shape and is formed as a single pleated plate comprising a plurality of walls Ll-Ln having spaced fluid inlet openings 11 and a plurality of connecting walls 12, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] The same reference numbers designate the same or corresponding parts, elements or components already illustrated in Fig. 1 and described above, which will not be described again.

[0034] In the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2-6 the plurality of walls Ll-Ln may have different thickness. For example, since the one or more outer walls L2-Ln may be more subject to head (or load), which represents the total energy per unit weight of the fluid flowing into the turbomachine, these outer walls, or a subset thereof, may be designed to be thicker compared to the remaining walls Ll-Ln. For example, in Figs. 3-6 the outermost wall L7 is thicker than the remaining walls to withstand the load, this contributes to increase the structural integrity as compared with conventional suction strainers and minimize material required for forming a strainer 1’. This structural optimization technique reduces the weight of the strainer 1’ without compromising its strength.

[0035] The embodiment shown in Figs. 2-6 differs from the embodiments of Fig. 1 in that it comprises seven walls L1-L7 and does not comprise connecting ribs 13 but a plurality of connecting walls 12. The inner wall LI is arranged in the inner section SI and surrounds a first portion of the central axis C, the outer wall L2 is arranged in the outer section S2, the outer wall L3 is arranged in the outer section S3, the outer wallL4 is arranged in the outer section S4, the outer wall L5 is arranged in the outer section S5, the outer wall L6 is arranged in the outer section S6 and the outer wall L7 is arranged in the outer section S7. In this example, the outer walls L2-L7 surround the entire central axis of the body, including the first portion of the central axis C.

[0036] In the example shown in Figs. 2-6, the plurality of walls LI -L7 comprise a first set of walls LI, L3, L5, L7 arranged to form a first angle with respect to the central axis C and a second set of walls L2, L4, L6 arranged to form a second, different, angle with respect to the central axis C. The first and second angles formed by the respective set of walls are supplementary angles, in particular the first set of walls LI, L3, L5, L7 is arranged to form a first angle of 10° and the second set of walls L2, L4, L6 is arranged to form a second angle of 170°. However, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific angles herein described.

[0037] As better shown in Figs. 5 and 6, at least one of the fluid inlet openings 11 extends through a respective inner axis IC, which runs along the longitudinal direction of the inlet opening 11. The inner axis IC of the opening 11 can be inclined with respect to the normal axis N of the respective wall to reduce the resistance of the fluid in passing through the inlet opening 11 and consequently the fluid pressure drop. The angle of inclination X may be chosen accordingly to the pressure constraints, as well as the number of inlet openings 11 of the suction strainer 1’, such as to maintain the drop of pressure within a predefined limit. For example, in these figures the angle of inclination X is 45°. However, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific angle of inclination X shown in Figs. 5 and 6 herein described. Indeed, the angle of inclination X may be equal or greater than 0°. The angle of inclination X may be specific for each opening, such as to be the same or different from the remaining openings 11, or a subset thereof.

[0038] Figs. 5 and 6, show an alternative configuration of the mesh. In particular in Fig. 5 the mesh is thinner as compared to the mesh shown in Fig. 6. In the latter, the mesh has the same thickness as of the respective wall on which the inlet opening is located, to maximise the structural strength of the mesh.

[0039] With continuous reference to Fig. 1 and Figs. 2-6, Figs. 7 and 8 illustrates a perspective view of a suction strainer 1”. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view along a cuttingplane passing through the central axis C of the body of the suction strainer 1” shown in Fig. 7. The body of the suction strainer 1” has a frustoconical shape and comprises a plurality of walls LI -Ln having spaced fluid inlet openings 11 and a plurality of connecting ribs 13, according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The same reference numbers designate the same or corresponding parts, elements or components already illustrated in Figs. 1-6 and described above, which will not be described again.

[0040] The embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8 differs from the embodiments of Fig. 1 and Figs. 2-6 in that it comprises two walls LI -L2 and does not comprise connecting walls 12 but a plurality of connecting ribs 13 that interconnect the first wall LI and the second wall L2 so that the body can be integrally formed as a single unit. Accordingly, the plurality of connecting ribs 13 are sandwiched between the inner wall LI, which is arranged in the inner section and surrounds the entire central axis C of the body, and the outer wall L2, which is disposed in an outer section and surrounds the entire central axis C of the body. The connecting ribs 13 may comprise, for example, radially extending ribs, that is ribs that extend from the first wall LI to the second wall L2 in a radial direction with respect to the central axis C of the body. More in general, the connecting ribs 13 may comprise a plurality of structural elements that join the first wall LI with the second, neighbouring, wall L2.

[0041] With continuous reference to Figs 1-8, Fig. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a suction strainer 1”’. The body of the suction strainer 1”’ comprises a plurality of walls LI -Ln having spaced fluid inlet openings 11 and a plurality of connecting ribs 13, according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The same reference numbers designate the same or corresponding parts, elements or components already illustrated in Figs. 1-8 and described above, which will not be described again.

[0042] The embodiment shown in Fig. 9 differs from the embodiments of Figs. 7 and 8 in that the body is dome shaped. The body comprises two walls L1-L2, wherein the inner wall is arranged in the inner section and surrounds the entire central axis C of the body and the outer wall L2 is disposed in an outer section and surrounds the entire central axis C of the body. The plurality of connecting ribs 13 interconnect the first wall LI and the second wall L2 so that the body can be integrally formed as a single unit.

[0043] With reference to Fig. 10 it is shown a schematic view of an inlet portion 20 of a turbomachine M in which it is installed a suction strainer 1’. The suction strainer 1’ can have different size (diameter, height) and / or shape according to the size and shape of the inlet portion 20 so as to fit within the inlet portion 20 of a turbomachine M. Generally, the suction strainer 1’ may have a height that is greater compared to the base width, therefore the its aspect ratio between the width and the height may be less than 1. For example, in Fig. 10 the suction strainer 1’ has frustoconical shape so as to fit within the inlet portion 20 of the turbomachine M, which in this case has a complementary shape. However, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific shape of the suction strainer 1 ’ shown in Fig. 10 herein described.

[0044] As filtration is typically carried out as the fluid passes along a pipe or other conduit along the direction of the flow, the suction strainer 1’ can be installed at the inlet portion 20 of the turbomachine M with the face having the smaller diameter facing upstream as shown in Fig. 10 for removing solids from the fluid that is drawn from the pipe or other conduit through the pores of the mesh into the inlet portion 20 of the turbomachine M. In other embodiments, the suction strainer 1’ can be installed at the inlet portion 20 of the turbomachine M with the face having smaller diameter facing downstream.

[0045] Although the inlet openings are shown as comprising a circular shape, it is evident that the present invention should not be limited to the specific shape shown in the figures. For example, the inlet openings 11 may not need to be circular and may have any arbitrary shape. Moreover, the inlet openings 11 may be arranged in a regular manner or in a non-regular manner, that is they may be disposed randomly on the walls. For example, the inlet openings 11 may be arranged on the wall to form complex geometry, such as to mimic biological shapes, such as the honeycomb structure or the spiral of shells, optimizing functionality and filtering efficiency.

[0046] Generally, as show in the figures, the inlet openings 11 may be disposed on the walls Ll-Ln and thus not at the connecting means 12, 13, such as at the peak of the suction strainer 1, 1’, 1”, 1”’, to avoid that the inner axis IC faces the direction of the fluid, and the inlet opening 11 being more subject to head.

[0047] An advantage of the technical solutions of the present embodiments is to provide a suction strainer has a greater filtering area to volume ratio, which is about 3 to 4 times greater than common conical strainers having same height thanks to the presence of a plurality of walls formed as a single pleated plate or as a plurality of connected plates. This allows to reduce clogging risks as well as cleaning operations.

[0048] Another advantage of the present technical solutions is that the suction strainer can be integrally formed as a single unit, for example using a conventional additive manufacturing process, with the result that the suction strainer herein described is more robust and has a higher structural reliably when compared to conventional conical strainers because does not have weak points, such as welds.

[0049] Reference has been made in detail to the embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the disclosure, not limitation of the disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Reference throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or “some embodiments” means that the particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" or "in some embodiments" in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment s). Further, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0050] When elements of various embodiments are introduced, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) for removing solids from a fluid flowing into a turbomachine (M), said suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1 ”’) being entirely formed through an additive manufacturing process and comprising: a body comprising: a plurality of coaxial sections (Sl-Sn) with respect of a central axis (C) of the body, said plurality of coaxial sections (Sl-Sn) comprising an inner section (SI) and one or more outer sections (S2-Sn) each of which surrounds said inner section (SI); and a plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) comprising an inner wall (LI) and one or more outer walls (L2-Ln), wherein the inner wall (LI) is arranged within the inner section (SI) so as to surround at least a portion of said central axis (C) of the body and wherein each of said one or more outer walls (L2-Ln) are arranged within each of said one or more outer sections (S2-Sn) so as to surround at least another portion of said central axis (C) of the body, each of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) being connected with at least one neighbouring wall of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) through at least one connecting means (12, 13) of said body so that said body can be integrally formed as a single unit, wherein each of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) comprises a plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings (11) such that during operation the fluid is drawn through the openings into an inlet of said turbomachine (M).

2. The suction strainer (1, 1’) of claim 1, wherein the wall (Ll-Ln) comprises a first end and a second opposite end, and wherein said at least one connecting means comprises a connecting wall (12) at the first end or the second end of said wall (Ll- Ln), or the first end of said wall (Ll-Ln) or the second end of said wall (Ll-Ln).

3. The suction strainer (1, 1”, 1”’) of claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one connecting means comprises a connecting rib (13).

4. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) has a cylindrical shape, or a frustoconical shape, or a polygonal shape, or an irregular shape.

5. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said plurality of walls (Ll-Ln) comprises at least a portion which forms an angle with the said central axis (C).

6. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outermost wall said one or more outer walls (L2-Ln) is thicker than the remaining walls.

6. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said body is made entirely of metal, plastic or other material.

7. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body has a frustoconical shape or is dome shaped.

8. The suction strainer (1, 1’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is formed as a single pleated plate.

9. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of spaced fluid inlet openings (11) comprises a mesh defining a plurality of pores.

10. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of claim 9, wherein the mesh is located inside an inlet opening (11), said mesh having a different thickness compared to the thickness of the respective wall (Ll-Ln) on which said inlet opening (11) is located.

11. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1 ”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the fluid inlet openings (11) extends through a respective inner axis (IC), said inner axis (IC) of the opening (11) being inclined with respect to the normal axis (N) of the respective wall on which said inlet opening (11) is located.

12. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1 ”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet openings (11) are arranged on the respective wall (Ll-Ln) to form a complex geometry, preferably wherein the geometry is that of a biological shape.

13. The suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one portion of said central axis (C) and said at least another portion of said central axis (C) are the same or different portions.

14. A turbomachine (M) comprising an inlet and a suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) as provided in any one of claims 1-13, wherein the suction strainer (1, 1’, 1”, 1”’) in installed in the inlet (20) of the turbomachine (M).

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