SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Kalsi Engineering designed prototype flow straighteners/conditioners (patent pending) using three distinct design approaches. The designs can be generally classified as standard pipe turns (e.g. elbows) with integral (internal) conditioner, non-standard cross-section elbow with integral conditioner, and downstream conditioner. The principle of design for the non-standard elbow with integral conditioner is that in addition to the guide vanes and tubes, the cross-section of the elbow is modified to reduce secondary flow. The modified cross-section in addition to the use of guide vanes and tubes results in well-conditioned flow at the elbow discharge. The principle of design for the downstream flow conditioner is like that of common flow straightening and conditioning devices but differs in that it uses guide vanes and concentric ring stages designed to reduce the pressure drag while achieving a high degrees of flow conditioning.Performance assessment of the prototype flow straighteners/conditioners shows the use of the integral conditioners greatly diminishes the swirl and velocity skew emerging from a pipe bend. One prototype design has been manufactured. The prototype designs can be further enhanced to minimize pressure loss and vibration by optimizing the location and shape of guide features and engineer better pressure balancing within the devices.
