Nozzle assembly for distributing fluid

Claim 1

A nozzle for distributing fluid from a higher pressure zone to a lower pressure zone at a relatively low velocity comprising: a first wall member having a plurality of fluid metering orifices, each metering orifice having an entrance for the ingress of fluid from the higher pressure zone; a second wall member having a plurality of fluid distributing orifices, each distributing orifice having an exit for the discharge of fluid to the lower pressure zone; and an intermediate means defining a plurality of apertures between the first and second wall members, said intermediate means and wall members being fixed relative to each other with contiguous regions of the wall members substantially parallel to each other and so arranged that each aperture of the intermediate means provides communication between one metering orifice and a single distributing orifice, each metering orifice being laterally offset relative to the distributing orifices with which it communicates, whereby, fluid passing from the higher pressure zone through the nozzle to the lower pressure zone will impinge on the second wall member and interact with the fluid in the apertures of the intermediate means to dissipate energy from the fluid.