Disclosed herein is a dual density disc comprising a dense outer tube comprising a metal oxide having a purity of greater than 92%; and a porous core comprising a metal oxide of a lower density than a density of the dense outer tube; wherein the porous core has a metal oxide purity of greater than 99%; where the dense outer tube has an inner tapered surface.

Flow conditioner device (40), for use in a heat exchanger system (10). The flow conditioner device includes a honeycomb structure (42) and a mesh (44). The honeycomb structure is configured for rectifying an incoming gas flow (26), and is formed by walls that border channels extending in a flow direction (X) from inlet apertures at a leading surface, to respective outlet apertures at a trailing surface of the honeycomb structure. The mesh is formed by a plurality of wires that extend along further directions (Y, Z) transverse to the flow direction, and which are mutually spaced to define openings. The mesh is attached directly to the honeycomb structure and abuts the second surface, and cross-sectional areas of the openings defined along the further directions vary as a function of position along at least one of the further directions.

Various embodiments include systems and apparatuses for reducing contamination levels within optical chambers of particle-detection instruments. In one embodiment, an apparatus to reduce contamination within an optical chamber of a particle-detection instrument is described. The apparatus includes a plenum chamber to at least partially surround an aerosol-focusing nozzle of the particle-detection instrument and accept a filtered gas flow. A curtain-flow concentrating nozzle is coupled to the plenum chamber to produce a curtain flow into the optical chamber to substantially surround an aerosol flow. Other methods and systems are disclosed.

Material flow modifiers as disclosed herein overcome drawbacks associated with known adverse flow conditions (e.g., surface erosion, head losses, particulate drop-out, and the like) that arise from flow of certain types of materials (e.g., fluids, slurries, particulates, flowable aggregate, and the like) through a material flow conduit. Such material flow modifiers provide for flow of flowable material within a flow passage of a material flow conduit (e.g., a portion of a pipeline, tubing or the like) to have a rotational flow profile. Advantageously, the rotational flow profile centralizes flow toward the central portion of the flow passage, thereby reducing magnitude of laminar flow to overcome the aforementioned adverse flow conditions.

Material flow modifiers as disclosed herein overcome drawbacks associated with known adverse flow conditions (e.g., surface erosion, head losses, particulate drop-out, and the like) that arise from flow of certain types of materials (e.g., fluids, slurries, particulates, flowable aggregate, and the like) through a material flow conduit. Such material flow modifiers provide for flow of flowable material within a flow passage of a material flow conduit (e.g., a portion of a pipeline, tubing or the like) to have a rotational flow profile. Advantageously, the rotational flow profile centralizes flow toward the central portion of the flow passage, thereby reducing magnitude of laminar flow to overcome the aforementioned adverse flow conditions.

A water accelerator with a body and a channel extending along an axis X through the body from a water inlet to a water outlet. The channel includes an inlet section having a first substantially constant diameter D1. The inlet section connects directly to an acceleration section. The acceleration section has diameter D2 decreasing in the flow direction. The acceleration section connects directly or via a constant diameter section to an action section. The action section has a diameter D4 increasing in the flow direction. The increase of the diameter D4 of the action section starts gradually. An air admission channel extends through the body from the exterior of the body to the action section and/or to a section of the channel subsequent to the action section in the flow direction.

A fluid manifold includes an inlet comprising an opening into an interior of the fluid manifold, an outlet end that is positioned opposite the inlet and that is in fluid communication with the inlet, a shroud extending between the inlet and the outlet end and surrounding a flow path of the fluid manifold, and a first flow distributor positioned within the interior of the fluid manifold. The first flow distributor includes a hollow body including a first surface at a downstream side of the first flow distributor and a second surface at an upstream side of the first flow distributor, a central cavity defined by the second surface of the hollow body, and openings extending from the first surface to the second surface such that a fluid can pass from the central cavity through the openings. The first flow distributor and the fluid manifold are integrally formed.

A flow conditioner for use in a conduit includes a ring having a plurality of stepped elements disposed on an inner surface of the ring. A method for conditioning fluid using a flow conditioner includes coupling a flow conditioner to an interior surface of a conduit, flowing fluid through the conduit, contacting a surface of the flow conditioner with the flowing fluid, positioning a flow meter downstream of the flow conditioner, and measuring the flow profile of the fluid with the flow meter. Contacting the flow conditioner reduces one or more disturbances in a flow profile of the fluid. A flow conditioner includes a ring having at least one of a stepped element formed on an inner surface of the ring or a fin assembly coupled to the ring.

An air supply plenum for an engine, the plenum being disposed upstream of an air intake of the engine, the air intake being provided in a casing of the engine. The air supply plenum includes a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall which together form a conduit in which an air flow flows as the engine functions. Each lateral wall includes a step which forms a transverse recess relative to the direction of the air flow in the air supply plenum, such that an aerodynamic separation occurs in the step when the engine is operating.

An air supply plenum for an engine, the plenum being disposed upstream of an air intake of the engine, the air intake being provided in a casing of the engine. The air supply plenum includes a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall which together form a conduit in which an air flow flows as the engine functions. Each lateral wall includes a step which forms a transverse recess relative to the direction of the air flow in the air supply plenum, such that an aerodynamic separation occurs in the step when the engine is operating.