Flow Conditioner Housing With Removable Plate Carrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mounting flow conditioners in pipelines, such as using set screws or flanges, often result in leakage and difficulty in repositioning or servicing due to complex connections and potential dislodgment under fluid pressure.
Innovation Solution
A housing design featuring a circular plate with a flow conditioner carrying portion and a sealing portion, including set screw receiving apertures or a friction fit mechanism, which allows secure positioning and easy adjustment of the flow conditioner within a pipeline, minimizing leakage and facilitating maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If set screws are used to mount the flow conditioner, then the flow conditioner can be secured in the pipeline, but leakage occurs and repositioning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a body and a removable plate carrier that can be independently accessed. The plate carrier contains the flow conditioner and can be removed from the body without disconnecting the entire housing from the pipeline, enabling easy repositioning while maintaining sealing when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
A plate carrier acts as an intermediary component between the housing body and the flow conditioner. It provides a removable interface that allows the flow conditioner to be secured with set screws on one side while enabling access from the opposite side for repositioning, resolving the contradiction between secure mounting and ease of repositioning.
2Reliability
If flanges are used to hold the flow conditioner, then secure mounting is achieved, but the connection becomes complex and dislodgment can occur under fluid pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The plate carrier merges multiple functions into a single component: it holds the flow conditioner, provides sealing against the housing body, and enables secure mounting through set screws. This integration simplifies the overall connection system compared to traditional flange arrangements while maintaining security against fluid pressure.
3Reliability
If the flow conditioner is tightly secured to prevent dislodgment, then mounting security improves, but access for servicing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into a fixed body and a removable plate carrier. The plate carrier can be removed from the body to provide direct access to the flow conditioner for servicing, while the set screws on the plate carrier ensure the flow conditioner remains securely mounted during operation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between secure mounting and service accessibility.
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 housing design provides a secure, leak-resistant, and easily maintainable solution for flow conditioner installation, ensuring consistent positioning and reducing the risk of dislodgment, while allowing for easy access and repositioning during servicing.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing portion has a sealing surface for sealing the opening corresponding to the carrier receiving cavity
Implementation Method 2
the inner surface being sized to friction fit the flow conditioner
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a housing for a flow conditioner. The housing comprises a body having first and second pipe connections, a flow passage between the pipe connections, a carrier receiving cavity within the flow passage, and an opening corresponding to the carrier receiving cavity. A plate carrier has a sealing portion and a flow conditioner carrying portion. The sealing portion has a sealing surface for sealing the opening corresponding to the carrier receiving cavity, and the flow conditioner carrying portion depends from the sealing portion. The flow conditioner carrying portion is sized to be inserted through the opening and into the carrier receiving cavity, and has a plurality of set screw receiving apertures or a retaining lip for securing the flow conditioner. There is a connector for securing the plate carrier within the body such that the sealing surface seals against the body.