Diffuser With Staged Conical Sections For Sonic Choking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current diffusers fail to adequately reduce the velocity of gaseous substances entering pressurized tanks, leading to undesirable interactions with liquids, such as increased thermal and mechanical mixing, which can result in pressure losses and mechanical issues.
Innovation Solution
A diffuser design featuring a channel with a first conical section for expansion and a second conical section for compression, coupled with annular sections and orifices that sonically choke the gas flow, reducing velocity and promoting uniform distribution of the gaseous substance within the pressurized tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple diffuser design is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the velocity reduction effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser is segmented into multiple functional sections: a first conical section for initial expansion, a second conical section for further expansion, and multiple annular sections with progressively smaller cross-sectional areas. This segmentation allows each section to contribute to velocity reduction in a staged manner, achieving effective deceleration without requiring an overly complex single-stage design
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser utilizes systematic changes in geometric parameters, specifically the cross-sectional area of each section. The cross-sectional area decreases progressively from the first conical section through the second conical section to the subsequent annular sections. This parameter gradient enables controlled velocity reduction while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
2Productivity
If high velocity gas flow is used to replace liquid, then the productivity is maintained, but the thermal and mechanical mixing with liquid increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser performs preliminary velocity reduction and flow conditioning before the gas enters the liquid contact zone. By the time the gas reaches the tank, its velocity has already been reduced through the staged expansion sections, preventing excessive thermal and mechanical mixing while maintaining the required gas delivery rate for productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser structure acts as an intermediary device between the gas source and the liquid-containing tank. It mediates the gas flow by reducing velocity and conditioning the flow pattern before gas-liquid interaction occurs, thereby eliminating the harmful effects of high-velocity direct injection while preserving the necessary mass transfer rate
3Productivity
If high velocity gas enters the tank, then the pressure replacement efficiency is maintained, but the pressure stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser performs preliminary velocity reduction and flow conditioning before the gas enters the liquid contact zone. By the time the gas reaches the tank, its velocity has already been reduced through the staged expansion sections, preventing excessive thermal and mechanical mixing while maintaining the required gas delivery rate for productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser structure acts as an intermediary device between the gas source and the liquid-containing tank. It mediates the gas flow by reducing velocity and conditioning the flow pattern before gas-liquid interaction occurs, thereby eliminating the harmful effects of high-velocity direct injection while preserving the necessary mass transfer rate
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The diffuser effectively slows the gaseous substance from sonic to subsonic speeds, reducing negative interactions with liquids and maintaining pressure stability within the tank, thereby minimizing the need for additional gas delivery and reducing system complexity and cost.
Implementation Method 1
The inner portion includes a first conical section that has an increasing cross-sectional area, taken along a plane perpendicular to a central axis, in a first direction
Implementation Method 2
The inner portion includes a second conical section that has a decreasing cross-sectional area, taken along a plane perpendicular to the central axis, in the first direction
Implementation Method 3
The diffuser includes a plurality of orifices that communicatively couple the second conical section with the first annular section
Data Source
AI summary
A diffuser is disclosed and includes a channel with an inner portion having an inlet and an outlet through which a gaseous substance enters and exits the diffuser, respectively. The inner portion includes a first conical section that has an increasing cross-sectional area, taken along a plane perpendicular to a central axis, in a first direction. The inner portion also includes a second conical section that has a decreasing cross-sectional area, taken along a plane perpendicular to the central axis, in the first direction. The second conical section is communicatively coupled with the first conical section. The outer portion includes a first annular section that has an increasing cross-sectional area, taken along a plane perpendicular to the central axis, in a second direction opposite the first direction. The diffuser further includes a plurality of orifices that communicatively couple the second conical section with the first annular section.