Fox Model FC20 Flow Conditioner for Gas Applications Flow conditioners installed upstream of flow meters reduce the need for long, straight pipe runs. Flow meter accuracy is often dependent on achieving a uniform flow profile near the centre of the pipe. Distortion and swirl are disturbances in flow that can be remedied either by extending the length of space between the cause of the disturbance and the sensing element (increasing straight pipe runs) or by adding a flow conditioner to correct the disturbance.