The poor flow of stainless steel seamless elbows is mainly related to residual blockage of the medium, scaling of the pipeline, installation problems, and structural defects.
Firstly, if the conveyed medium contains impurities (such as particles, dust, and flocs), impurities are prone to accumulate on the inside of the elbow after long-term use, especially in areas with smaller curvature radii. When the fluid flows through, the flow velocity changes greatly, and impurities are more likely to remain, gradually reducing the flow cross-section and leading to a decrease in flow rate.
Secondly, if the medium contains minerals (such as hard water) or components that are prone to crystallization and adhesion (such as certain chemical fluids), scale or crystals will form on the inner wall of the elbow in high or low temperature environments, firmly adhering to the pipe wall and directly hindering fluid flow.
Furthermore, if there are problems during the installation process, such as misalignment between the elbow and the pipeline, uncleaned weld beads at the interface, or accidentally dropping foreign objects (such as welding slag and fragments of sealing tape) into the pipeline during installation, it will cause local blockage and affect the flow rate.
In addition, if the elbow itself has manufacturing defects, such as uneven inner walls, dents, or deformations (such as local compression caused by collisions during transportation and installation), it will increase fluid flow resistance, leading to poor flow.
There is also a situation where the overall pressure of the system is insufficient, or the upstream pipeline has become blocked. Although it is not a problem with the elbow itself, it will manifest as a significant flow obstruction when passing through the elbow.