Piping flow analysis software
Piping flow analysis software
(OP)
What would be the recommended software to use to analyze a piping network in determining pressure drop and could able to recommend pump size. I understand that there are certain software like AFT Fathom, Pipe FLO, Fluid Flow, etc. But what would the best based on your experiences. Thanks!





RE: Piping flow analysis software
RE: Piping flow analysis software
Independent events are seldomly independent.
RE: Piping flow analysis software
The input and output is easy to transform into calculations of record.
It cannot perform waterhammer/transient analysis, but rarely is this needed. and at $4000 it offers good value.
http://www.aft.com/products/fathom
RE: Piping flow analysis software
For low pressures I use MNET from the now defunct SSI. I probably have the last functioning security device in the world for that software. It is so old that it won't run on a 64 bit operating system so I keep a 16 bit machine around for models. I've tested 40 current-generation programs at low pressures and have not found one that can handle my test cases (i.e., I calibrate the model to match a set of measured parameters in a pipe network, then input another set of measured parameters that happened to reverse the flow in one of the trunks, none of them will reverse the flow in that line and consequently the average wellhead pressure is more than 25% from the actual volume-weighted average). Stoner is the current state of the art, but it won't reverse the flow in that line at 25 psig off-system delivery pressure either.
The two big names I run into at a lot of my clients are PipeFlow and Gap (usually linked with the wellbore simulator "Prosper" and the reservoir simulator "MBAL"). I've found PipeFlow to crash in very unpleasant ways with complex networks (e.g., much above 200 nodes and it can crash in a way the corrupts your input file and you either have to fall back to a backup or start over, I create a new backup before every time I hit "calculate"). Gap is pretty expensive and I've had a really hard time calibrating models in it. It seems that small changes make a big difference, but big changes make no difference. It can be frustrating.
If the lowest pressure you anticipate is above probably 100 psig, then I've had pretty good results from Schlumberger's PIPESIM. It is pretty intuitive and most of the obvious things that limit other programs are not problems with it. If it has a major bust, I haven't found it yet. For pressures less than that I'm still looking for something that will replace my MNET.
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"
RE: Piping flow analysis software
I'm made a list of all the software programs I found... Some are from Internet Search, other are from from other Forums on Eng-Tips.com. Here is the list:
Pipe Flow Expert
AFT Fathom + AFT Arrow
FluidFlow3
- Liquid Calculations
- Gas Calculations
PIPE-FLO, by EngineeredSoftware, Inc
FlowMaster V7
AutoPlant 3D (lowest reputation)
PDS or PDMS
CADWorkx (COADE?)
Ceaser II
Plant4D by CEA
EPLANT by RELSOFT
ACPlant
AutoPIPE
3Dpipemate (AutoCAD app)
CAE Pipe
ROHR2
Pipeline Studio
Stoner Pipeline Simulator
> It's hard to go through all of them and narrow them down to the best ones for you. I am going through them myself.
What I would like to ask (other Engineers reading this post) is out of these 18 programs, which can I "weed out"? OR out of these 18 programs, which are the top 5 programs? I appreciate all feedback.
NOTE: @ David Simpson (zdas04) : I did not find any software program called "GAP" on the internet. (did a quick search).
ALSO: I'm assuming when you say PipeFlow that you mean "Pipe Flow Expert"... correct?
RE: Piping flow analysis software
PipeFlo (sorry about the misspelling) comes from Engineered Products
CadWorx is a really cool program to DRAW piping (used to be from COADE, now it is part of Intergraf), not so much to model the flow (I think AutoPipe is the same). Caesar II is a stress program.
There are probably 50-60 viable programs your internet search failed to find. Some are pretty good. Some are mostly crap.
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"
RE: Piping flow analysis software
I think the same counts for CAEPipe and RoHR2.
amata's list is Google-work, i.e. not verified.
RE: Piping flow analysis software
My motto: Learn something new every day
Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way
RE: Piping flow analysis software
RE: Piping flow analysis software
RE: Piping flow analysis software
Independent events are seldomly independent.
RE: Piping flow analysis software
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"
RE: Piping flow analysis software
You didn't say what capabilities you need. If you need heat transfer, composition, two-phase flow, liquid-vapor phase prediction, stuff like that then you need one of the big guns like Pipephase or GAP. If you are only dealing with cold water or similar then PIPEFLO or PIPESIM or AFT are good.