Geometric strategies for attainment of identical outflows through all of the exit ports of a distribution manifold in a manifold system

The focus of this investigation is to identify strategies whose application is capable of perfecting manifold design to achieve the same rate of mass outflow through each of the exit ports of a distribution manifold. A quantitative systematic study based on numerical simulation is performed in which each of eight proposed strategies is evaluated with regard to its capability for producing the same per-exit-port mass outflow. Each of the strategies is geometric in nature and is characterized by geometrical parameters which can be varied systematically in order to attain outflow uniformity. A quantitative metric. the standard deviation from uniformity of the individual outflows through the exits of the distribution manifold, was used to identify the degree of mass outflow uniformity that was achieved by the use of the various parameter values which characterize each strategy. The end result of the study is the identification of the certain strategies that are most effective for the attainment of the goal of outflow uniformity. These are: (a) enlargement of the cross-sectional area of the distribution manifold (Section 4.1), (b) variation of the cross-sectional areas of the outflow channels (Section 4.5), (c) linear tapering of the cross-sectional area of the distribution manifold, and (d) non-linear tapering of the cross-sectional area of the manifold by means of quarter-elliptical contouring of the manifold wall (Section 4.3). (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.