Overview

• Pipe Flow Expert Software allows user to design, model, and solve pipe systems, calculating the flow rates and pipe pressure drops at each point.

Table of Contents

• Interface• Configuration Options• Fluid• Tanks• Nodes • Pipes• Fittings and valves (regular and control)• Components• Pump• Text Items• Calculation and Results

Node Data

Pipe Data

Unit Tool Button Drawing Tool Button

Fluid Data

Drawing Pane

Select, copy, past , mirror

2-D drawing

Isometric Drawing

Isometric Drawing

Before starting any design

• Select the default pipe values such as pipe materials(Roughness), length, diameter

Materials Selection

Unit Selection

• Set the units you are using (SI,US or combination ) from unit menu or from the configuration Options.

Working Fluid

• Next select the working fluid from fluid menu if the fluid doesn’t exist you can add the working fluid.

Adding Gas Data to the Fluid Database

Fluid Zone

Pipe

Group of pipes

Node Types

• Joint point

• Tank

• End Pressure

Tank Node

End Pressure Node

Joint Node

Flow Demands

Group of Node

To add Fittings and Valves

K-Value

Control Valve

Flow Control Valve(FCV)

• Flow Control Valves allow the user to set a flow rate in a particular pipe.

From nodeTo node

Pressure Reducing Valve(PRV)

• Pressure Reducing Valves allow the user to set a pressure at the node downstream of the valve (i.e.at the end of the pipe).

• Three mode of operation :– Regulating– Fully Closed– Fully Open

Reg

ulating

•The valve maintains the downstream pressure to the set value•throttling the flow rate through the PRV.

Fully Clo

sed

•If the valve’s set pressure is less than the pressure downstream of the valve.•The flow through the PRV reverses and the PRV acts as a check valve, closing the pipe.

Fully Open

•The valve’s set pressure is greater than the pressure upstream of the valve.•The PRV maintains a fully open position and it has no effect on the flow condition.

AVOIDING PRV OPERATION PROBLEMS:

• PRV operation problems can be avoided by finding the valve's pressure regulating range and specifying the valve’s set pressure to a value within this range, such that the mode of operation is ‘Regulating’.

Back Pressure Valve(BPV)

• Back Pressure Valves allow the user to set a pressure at a node upstream of the valve (i.e. at the start of the pipe).

• Three mode of operation :– Regulating– Fully Closed– Fully Open

Reg

ulating

•The valve maintains the upstream pressure to the set value.

Fully Clo

sed

•The valve’s set pressure is greater than the pressure upstream of the valve•Flow through the BPV reverses and the BPV acts as a check valve, closing the pipe.

Fully Open

•The valve’s set pressure is less than the pressure downstream of the valve .•The BPV maintains a fully open position and it has no effect on the flow conditions.

How to model any Mechanical equipment into the system ?

Component Pressure Loss

Component Pressure Loss Cv Kv

Pump

Mode of Operation• Fixed Flow Rate

• Fixed Head

• Fixed Speed (with a flow versus head performance curve)

Fixed Flow Rate

Fixed Head

Fixed Speed (with a flow versus head performance curve)

Variable Speed and Change to Impeller Size

Search Pump Database

Add Text

Closing a Pipe in the System

Labelling

Calculation

View resulting Drawing

View Results Sheet

References

• Pipe Flow Expert User Guide.• Pipe Flow Examples.• http://www.pipeflow.co.uk/public/control.php?

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• http://www.pipeflow.co.uk/public/control.php?_path=/497/738/804