Multi-stage restriction orifice assemblies are a traditional approach to high pressure drop in liquid piping systems. The total pressure reduction is divided across multiple restriction stages to help manage cavitation, noise, vibration, and downstream piping damage.
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The video below shows how pressure reduction and recovery affect where cavitation forms and where damaging vapor collapse occurs.
A multi-stage assembly can require additional pipe length, flange sets, and installation space. The Anti-Cavitate Orifice Plate™ is designed to manage high pressure drop within a single device installed between standard flanges.
A multi-stage restriction orifice assembly divides the required pressure drop across multiple restriction plates separated by pipe spool sections. Each stage handles a portion of the total pressure reduction, with spacing between stages allowing pressure recovery before the next restriction.
This is a well-established approach for severe pressure-reduction service. When properly sized and spaced for the operating conditions, multi-stage assemblies can reduce cavitation severity compared with taking the full pressure drop across a single standard restriction orifice plate.
The engineering challenge is often not whether staged assemblies work. The challenge is whether the available piping system can physically support them.
For some systems, the required straight-pipe real estate becomes the primary design constraint.
Restrict Flow's Anti-Cavitate Orifice Plate™ is designed to manage high differential pressure liquid service within a single device installed between existing flanges.
A conventional flat restriction orifice creates its pressure reduction at a single bore, with pressure recovery occurring downstream in the piping. If local pressure falls below vapor pressure, cavitation can form and damaging vapor collapse may occur as pressure recovers.
Restrict Flow’s Anti-Cavitate Orifice Plate™ uses a single-stage engineered flow path to manage pressure drop and cavitation within the device, helping reduce damaging vapor collapse in downstream piping.
This approach allows Restrict Flow to evaluate whether the same pressure reduction objective can be achieved without requiring a long staged assembly.
For applications where a compact single-device approach is preferred, the Anti-Cavitate Orifice Plate™ manages high pressure drop within a single stage installed between standard flanges.
The Anti-Cavitate Orifice Plate™ is designed to install between standard flanges without requiring major piping reconfiguration. Depending on the service conditions, this can reduce axial footprint, piping complexity, flange count, inspection points, maintenance exposure, and installation difficulty.
Cavitation is often identified in the field long before it is formally diagnosed.
In many systems, what initially appears to be a vibration or piping issue is ultimately tied to how pressure reduction is occurring through the flow path. For a broader explanation of how cavitation develops in liquid piping systems, see our cavitation in piping systems overview.
Restrict Flow supports severe-service liquid applications where pressure drop, cavitation risk, space constraints, or maintenance complexity are key design concerns.
If your system is experiencing any of the following, Restrict Flow can review the application and evaluate the operating conditions:
