The Prime Directive

The Prime Directive:  The Simulation is Always Correct.

For some reasons, many software developers seem to be major Star Trek and/or Star Wars fans. I remember listening to multiple discussions in the lunchroom on which Star Trek series was the best. The conversation then turned to how the Prime Directive has changed over the years. I provide a link so you non-Trekies can catch up.

Applying this to Engineered Software, every time we came out with a new version, the support group was on pins and needles. They were apprehensive that a major bug somehow made it through our testing process (Refer to my previous blog Testing 1.2.3…). After a couple of weeks with no major program bugs discovered, everything returned to normal.  Just to ease everyone’s mind, I came up with our own Prime Directive: “The PIPE-FLO simulation is always correct.” 

Back to the current situation, I have just returned home from a series of customer visits. While conversing with PIPE-FLO customers at operating plants, a common question is, “How can I used PIPE-FLO to troubleshoot a piping system?” 

My answer is always the same. Build an accurate model by:

1. Drawing an accurate system configuration using a current P&ID or flow diagram.
2. Getting actual pump performance data and enter it into the piping system model.  This should be either a test curve provided by the manufacturer, or a manufacturer’s catalog curve.
3. Getting actual manufacturers supplied control valve data to enter into the model.
4. Entering the manufacturers supplied pressure drop vs. flow data for each process element in the system.
5. Entering pipeline details of fluid property, pipe diameter, major valves, and pipe length.
6. Specifying system-operating parameters such as tank levels & pressures, operating equipment, set points for controls.
7. The final step is to compare the simulated results with actual plant operating data to gain an accurate correlation.

That said the next question is, “What if the results of the simulation don’t match the results appearing on the plant’s instrumentation."

I then mention the Prime Directive, “The PIPE-FLO simulation is always correct.”

If the piping system design and operating data is correct then the simulation will closely reflect the operation of the actual system being simulated. Some of our customers with accurate models of their system state the calculated results closely match data displayed on plant instrumentation within 1 – 2%. 

Now with that said, the most difficult step is getting the simulated results to compare with actual plant data. The reason for this is that over time the actual system changes due to wear and tear on the equipment or even undocumented changes.

For example, if the internal clearances in a pump are excessive the pump will not be operating on its published pump curve. If the pump impeller was replaced and its impeller diameter was not trimmed to the original pump, there will be a difference.  If the control valve seat/plug assembly, the valve position will not be where it should be. If a heat exchanger has excessive fouling, that effects the correlation between the actual system and the model. Finally, if there is cavitation in either the pump or control valves the simulated results will not match the actual system. 

This is the value of the PIPE-FLO simulation; it accurately represents the system in operation.  If for any reason the model doesn’t reflect the operation of the actual system then you have a starting point for knowing how the system should be operating and then use the result to troubleshoot problems within the actual operating system. 

Remember the Prime Directive:

“The PIPE-FLO simulation is always correct.”

Now I don’t expect you will take my word for it but many of our customers use the PIPE-FLO simulation to help them balance their systems, help in the troubleshooting system problems, and evaluate changes to their processes. 

One final point to remember, our support people are always available to help you work through your PIPE-FLO simulations.  If you have any questions on how to improve the value of your PIPE-FLO simulation please give us a call. We will not rest until you too feel comfortable with the PIPE-FLO’s prime directive “The PIPE-FLO simulation is always correct.”

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Designing HVAC Expansions

Headed to the AHR Expo 2014

As I write this month’s blog, I am getting ready to attend the AHR Expo (Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigerating) Jan 21-23 at the Javits Center in New York City. I don’t know why I look forward to this show so much each year, I guess because it’s our first trade show of the New Year and it is always well attended. 

At every trade show, we get to meet many of our existing customers and have an opportunity to talk to people who are interested in finding out how PIPE-FLO can help them do their job more efficiently.

The most often asked question at the AHR show is “I’m adding on to an existing chilled water system with a new (wing, building, etc.), can I get by just modeling the new addition, or do I have to model both the existing system and the new portion?" 

They often know the answer, but they ask anyway.

No matter how often I am asked that question, I always put my hand on my chin and count to five before giving a response. You never want to give an immediate answer, if you do it sounds as if you haven’t given their question any thought. 

After my thought-provoking pause, I respond with “It depends.” 

They immediately respond with “What does it depend on?” 

I then answer with “Do you want to do it right and get more business from this client, or do you want to do it fast and find another client to work with?”  

Now that you know my answer, I’ll explain further.

 

The Life of a Large Commercial Space

Large commercial building, campus, and business parks are always in a state of change. New tenants move in and out with different heating & cooling needs, new equipment is added to the system, and new wings or building are built. Often these new loads are added to an existing system, and as we say in our Piping Systems Fundamentals course, any change made to any item in a piping system effects the every item in the system. 

For example if you want to tie into an existing system the client may provide you with the pressures at the supply and return header where the proposed tie in will occur. They figure the designer can use this as boundary pressures when modeling the new expansion. The problem is when the new expansion is tied in (both supply and return header) fluid will be going to the new building resulting in a reduction of pressure where the tie in occurs. Not only does this affect the new expansion, but it affects the existing system as well.   

Future expansions are often taken into account when designing new system, the mechanical room is sized to accommodate additional chillers and pumps that may be needed for future system expansion. However, when a new building is added to an existing system the existing system must be factored into the new design. Once the addition is completed, the commissioning crew must balance the entire system (both the existing loads and the new loads). If only the loads in the addition are balanced, the loads in the existing system will have less flow than needed. Often these problems don’t show up until multiple additions have been accomplished, and the heat load on the building is in the worst cast conditions. 

During system modification, the flow rates in pipelines may increase to the point where a small change in flow can have a major increase in head loss. This results in a bottleneck and if they are not considered additional pump are purchased and added to the system in an attempt to get the flow to what is required.  Someone often comes up with the idea of adding a booster pump to the building to “fix a low flow problem”, this often causes more problems than if fixes.  That is how bad things can happen to HVAC systems by just looking at the additions.  

 

Giving the Customer What They Really Want

A building owner wants to rent out space in their building and have happy tenants that pay their rent on time. If a new tenant needs to change the space, they pay for tenant improvements, things like new lighting, walls, etc. If they are adding new heating loads, computers, new medical equipment, etc. they may need to pay for modifications to the chilled water system in their office space as well.  However, as we saw earlier when any change is made to the system (even if it is just in their space) it affects the entire system, impacting the spaces of the existing tenants. 

As time goes on, changes are made to the original building to meet the changing tenants' needs. The market is good so it’s time to consider adding that second wing to the building. If you don’t do it right (simply look at the new wing without considering the impact on the existing building), then the temperature in your customers spaces will move to the unhappy range.  

The best way to keep the tenants happy is to evaluate the entire system each time new loads are added or removed from the building HVAC system. 

Now an engineering firm is in business to obtain customers, get the job done on time and under budget, and leave the job with a happy building owner. The engineering firm should realize that any building that has been in service for any length of time more than likely has problems due to previous system modifications. That fact will make it more difficult to tie in the new expansion to the existing system. 

Since the engineering firm sell hours, and you know the clients wants to have happy tenants, why not share with them system expansion horror stories. Then suggest the client may want to include the modeling of the existing system to the contract. This will let you identify and correct existing problems, evaluate the entire system (both existing & expansion). While you are at it, you may suggest that they want to look at what can be done to minimize the power consumption. Who knows, maybe the local utility will pick up some of the cost?! All these things and more can be done when there simulating the operation of the entire system.

Then when the commissioning of the new system goes off without a hitch and all the tenants are happy your client will thank you for doing such a great job and have you back when they add that third wing.

If you would like to see how PIPE-FLO is used in the HVAC market to commission and balance loads, troubleshoot existing systems, or design system expansions stop by our booth at AHR and we can talk and share some stories.  If you aren’t going to be at AHR give us a call and sign up for a Webinar so you can see how PIPE-FLO simulations are being used on HVAC piping systems.

Read the Instructions!

A local news station that I watch has a question of the day and this one I found particularly interesting.

92% of these are thrown away without ever being used. What are they?

Answer: Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS!! Yeah, I know, I am guilty of this myself on occasion, but 92% of all the instructions I receive? That seems pretty high. Especially when you consider the drawer in my office where I "file" all of the important users manuals I keep from various electronics and equipment.

I keep them because I never know when something might go wrong with any of these devices and the manufacture went to all that trouble to print out the booklet for me...

Anyway, when I see a number like that I have to think how much wasted paper we have been sending out for years with our products. Engineered Software no longer sends printed users manuals, but includes them INSIDE our programs now in very informative Help Files. Moreover, when we don't have the right answers in the Help files, we have this cool place on our website called the Knowledge Base where we regularly write articles that cover both technical support topics, product usage support topics, and just plain old informative. Most of the time we direct users to articles we have written in the "KB" and when that doesn't have the solution, we have some of the best support professionals in the software industry.

The biggest thing I notice today is that people seem to be too rushed to read anything, including manuals but like I always say, "If you don't have time to do something right the first time (or read the directions), how could you have time to do it twice?"

There are some seriously legitimate reasons user instructions are included with the products we buy, and although they don't all apply to the software we sell at Engineered Software, this epidemic of not reading directions is important enough to list. Many times companies include instructions with their products having consumer safety in mind or to protect the integrity of the product. Not following instructions can have devastating consequences. An individual may also lose valid information especially if dealing with complex products such as electronics or software.

Product Safety & Saving Lives

In the worst case scenario - you could be harmed or even die! Ask any pharmacist, doctor or nurse, not following the directions on a bottle of medication can lead to poisoning, overdosing, or clashes with other medicines, which end in the very worst ways! And if you ask any safety manager for an industrial job, not following instructions on caustic chemicals or aerosols could cause accidents, injuries or death as well. Plus, you want to ensure the longevity of your investment. What I mean is, typically when you buy a product, you want it to work or last as long as possible. Not knowing the limitations of that product and how NOT to use it, will inevitably result in the product malfunctioning.

Efficiency and Saving Time or Money

ANY paperwork we fill out for the most important things like insurances or taxes, require we do things right the first time or our services may be delayed, penalties included, or worse, we could be audited! Plus the bonus of paperwork being processed more quickly. Reading installation instruction or license management documents for software could save hours of backtracking or customer service calls. No one likes those! Plus, you might learn a more efficient way to use your new gadget, or identify special features you didn't know about.

Education and Generally Looking Smart

As students we learn how to follow instructions in order to perform skills efficiently. As adults, we look to instructions only when we can't figure things out intuitively the first time, but users manuals frequently contain the documentation for all the things we don't think we'll need, until we do. Set-up and installation info, warranty details, and any maintenance or troubleshooting advice are all things we WANT to know about our stuff, but just can't seem to make the time to educate ourselves about them. Knowing these things before something goes wrong will help us not be surprised or disappointed later when we have to go buy another because the warranty ran out.

I feel like a company's user documentation is reflection on the company itself, which is why we put so much effort into our Installation documentation, the Help program in our software, and why we have such a robust Knowledge Base for our customers. Engineered Software sells highly technical products, albeit easy to use, and our documentation is thorough. If you have time, and you want to learn some deep dark secrets (Hints & Tips) about our products, you might just start by reading our user manual in the Help file. In today’s frenzied and competitive world, where people need to digest information as efficiently as possible, the lack of quality documentation can be nothing short of ruinous for a manufacturer.

One last factoid, according to one article I read, 95% of all returned gadgets actually work but were returned because customers thought they were too confusing to user or they just weren't meeting their expectations.

3D Printers and PIPE-FLO

Estimated Reading Time: 1 minutes 2 seconds. Read Later (Video is 10 minutes)

So there has been a great deal of press about mass-market 3D printers, and their increasing affordability to the Average-Joe, (who just happened to have $1500 lying around). The technology isn’t new of course, but it’s practicality hasn’t been sufficient for in-home use.

So when I happened on the article about the 3D printer that could build a house, or rather print one, I was fascinated by the prospect. The concept of building something so large with a printer and more importantly software was compelling.

I began to envision a piping system, designed efficiently using PIPE-FLO and then printed out using a 3D printer to connect all the pipes, and automate the installation of the major components adding to the efficiency of operation. The speed of completion alone is something to be excited about, particularly in the home building industry. Imagine after a natural disaster like hurricanes, getting people into homes in less than a week? Amazing! But I digress…

I will be interested to see what will become of the large scale printers and how it will be used in the future. Maybe piping systems are not the best use for a printer like this, but maybe it would be. And maybe PIPE-FLO should be the supporting software used in the design of these printed piping systems. The we will have to wait and see what the future holds but I’m excited.

If you had one of the personal 3D printers, what would you print? If you haven’t seen what I am talking about yet, check this TED Talk video out.



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It Flies Just Like the Simulator

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The Pacific Northwest is home to The Boeing Company and as such, the first flight of any new aircraft is big news.

When the 787 Dreamliner made its first flight, the two test pilots stated, “The airplane flies beautifully, it did exactly as we expected. No surprises and no major issues with the airplane.” 

Prior to conducting the first actual flight, the test pilots “learned to fly the aircraft” using a flight simulator and will do this before any inaugural flight. These simulators have all the flight characteristics of the 787 Dreamliner in the program, which is how the test pilots knew what to expect on the first flight. Flight simulators range from multi-million dollar three axis flight simulator to flight simulator programs for use on PC’s.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flight Simulator - image
courtesy The Boeing Company boeing.com

One of the things I like best about my job is the ability to visit customers to see how they are using PIPE-FLO. The majority of our customers use PIPE-FLO to perform the preliminary design of their piping systems, specifically to obtain the design data needed for equipment selection. More recently though, I’ve been learning that more of our customers are entering increasingly detailed design data for their completed systems into their PIPE-FLO models. This provides them a better understanding of how the finished design will operate once it is placed in service. 

For example, one of our long time PIPE-FLO customers needed to add cooling loads to a large cooling water system in their chemical process plant in Houston, Texas. The system was previously modeled using PIPE-FLO to determine if a new pump was needed for the proposed expansion. Once the system was modeled in PIPE-FLO, they determined that the existing pumps could meet the projected needs.

As the design became finalized, the PIPE-FLO model was updated with the design changes of the expanded cooling water system. After conducting a simulation, they were able to determine the valve positions of all the throttle valves. This was accomplished by entering the Cv characteristics of each throttle valve in the system into their PIPE-FLO model. Once this was done, PIPE-FLO calculated the valve position and identified that cavitation would occur in two of the control valves. Once the problem was identified in the simulation, the valve supplier was called in to see what could be done to correct the problem. The valve supplier suggested changing out the cavitating control valves with a different design. The model was updated with the new valve characteristics and the problem was solved. All this was done well before commissioning the expanded system.

When it came time to start up the expanded cooling water system, all the control valves were set to their calculated balanced valve position and the system was brought online. The client stated that normally it took an outside contractor two to three days to balance the cooling water system by manually adjusting things after taking readings. Using the valve positions calculated in the PIPE-FLO simulation, it only took half a day to validate that the system was balanced. Additionally, it was confirmed that no cavitation occurs in any of the control valves.

Many of our customers said it was difficult to get valve operating data for their control valves, so in PIPE-FLO 12 we made it easier by creating the Control Valve Estimator. Using default data found in the ISA 75.01.01 and IEC 60532 Industrial Process Control Valves standards, you are able to answer a few questions about control valve construction as well as the fully open Cv, and the program will create an accurate representation of control valve operation.

One of PIPE-FLO’s unique features is the used of manufacturers’ electronic pump catalogs. Using the same electronic pump catalogs the manufacturers use to pick a pump for customers, you are able to insert the pump into the piping system model to gain an accurate simulation. Once again the PIPE-FLO uses the methodology outlined in a variety of Hydraulic Institute standards for pump operation.

Finally, flow elements such as orifices, nozzles and venturi types are accurately modeled based on the applicable ASME and ISA standards. 

During the simulation, all the information is factored into the total calculations. For example if during the simulation the user changes the temperature of the process fluid the program:

• Looks up the fluid properties of density, viscosity, and vapor pressure and use this information in all calculations. 
• Calculates the head loss in all the pipelines affecting the pressures throughout the system.
• The change if the fluids vapor pressure and head loss in the suction pipeline affect the NPSH available at the pump suction.
• The vapor pressure also affects the cavitation calculations for control valves, flow meters, and pressure calculations throughout the system.

As you can see any change in the operating piping system affects the operation of every item in the system. 

I would be hard pressed to say that a PIPE-FLO simulation has as much entertainment value as a flight simulator program, knowing how much I love flying aircraft, but it can show you a clear picture of how your piping system operates. And that type of solid reassurance and validation is exactly what you need before you take a multi-million dollar system online for the first time. Leaving you to say on your inaugural start-up, “The system runs beautifully, it did exactly as we expected. No surprises and no major issues with this piping system!”

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A Dynamic Welcome

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I’m not sure if you’ve heard yet, but we have just recently released a little program and we’re pretty excited about all the new changes that were made in this release. I am talking of course, about the PIPE-FLO software that our company was founded on, and has recently undergone a three-year major rewrite.

The new PIPE-FLO 12 release has a whole new look and one of the first things you notice is the new Start Menu or Welcome Screen.

 

The whole purpose of the Start Menu aims at giving you quick access to a number of the common tasks and allows you to get familiar with some of the major features very easily.

The new Start Menu is part of the fast and fluid PIPE-FLO 12 experience. We really wanted to make this opening screen a hub for users of the program, does come in handy when you first open the program at the beginning of the day to do some work.

We have made the Tutorial, New and Recent Systems, Contacting Support and the Knowledge Base all accessible from the first screen. Doing this shortens the amount of clicks a user needs to start their project and get down to business!

The Start Menu will only display when no PIPE-FLO project is open.

Also, and arguably most important, the Reactivation Date is shown in the upper right corner. This Reactivation Date includes a link to more information about how to keep the software license operating.

This new design concept includes new Dynamic Content that works like a bulletin board for Engineered Software to share program updates and new feature information directly with users!

For instance, we have the Yellow Box in the Dynamic Content alerting users to whether their version of PIPE-FLO is the most Up-to-date and including links to more current downloads when appropriate.

This is also a great way for updated program announcements to be communicated and maintenance releases to be distributed immediately – which is why it is a good idea to make sure the IT department has allowed the dynamic content to run.

Dynamic content requires an internet connection, and there is a check box to show/hide this information. If there is no internet connection or the internet is disabled, the Dynamic portion of the Start Menu should show as blank. If the Dynamic content is enabled, and appears not to be displaying correctly, then your IT department may have other network settings affecting the display.

So the next time you start up PIPE-FLO 12 take a closer look at the Dynamic Content on the Start Menu. You might find that there is some interesting Video or Program Announcement there for you!



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PIPE-FLO v12 Features Poll

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We are so pleased to have the newest release of PIPE-FLO available. Not only do our customers have new features and functionality, but the Engineering Support team for ESI also reaps the benefits. A poll from our team of engineers reveals four standout improvements that are worth mentioning.

#4 the Property Grid

Starting the top four features list is the newly conceived Property Grid. One third of our Engineers thought this was the feature they appreciated the most.

Take a closer look at the Property Grid:

The Property Grid brings all the system design and calculated information to the forefront making editing devices effortless. This new feature allows many more calculated results to be shown and the flexibility to customize the display of these results on the FLO-Sheet. The Property Grid has an added Property Tips area with helpful hints and links to the Help file.

#3 Messages Window

There is a tie for the #2 and #3 spots on the list. The brand new Messages Window received 50% of the Engineering Teams’ votes. This may be because our Engineering team deals mostly in the support of our users. That doesn’t lessen the value of this feature, because users will also see the benefits right away.

Take a closer look at the Messages Window:

The new Messages Window shows all calculation and design warnings for the piping system. This is particularly useful since PIPE-FLO v12 now allows users to draw an entire system without entering in design data. In earlier versions of the program, PIPE-FLO only reported the most severe warnings. Having the message window allows us to now report ALL the applicable messages for the system and allows us to provide some guidance as to the severity of the warning. In addition, linking it to the system colors and the Help File all provide the user greater visibility to both the applicable warnings and assists in troubleshooting the system.

#2 Sizing Device Improvements (Control Valve Calculation & Selection)

50% of our Engineering Team listed the improved device sizing functionality in PIPE-FLO v12 as one of their top picks. PIPE-FLO v12 has improved the workflow of selecting pumps, and allowed for more comprehensive control valve calculations. Our engineers appreciate having more results available upon calculation of systems, because they know it will improve a user’s understanding of the interrelatedness of components.

Take a closer look at Sizing Devices:

Having dedicated devices for performing sizing calculations make it clear to the user what the objective of the system modeling is. Through years of support, our Engineering Support team has noticed some of our users with existing, operational systems that have pumps or control valves still defined in a state for sizing (ie: pumps operating in the “size pumps for” lineup setting). Modeling an existing system with a running centrifugal pump in the “size pump for” lineup will not reflect the actual operation of that pump or your system.

Creating specific devices for sizing pumps and control valves allow for two things: The ability to readily see which items are acting as designed, and to focus the calculated data on what parameters are specifically needed for sizing.

#1 Group Select/ Group Edit

With over 80% of our engineering team voting, hands down the fan favorite new feature in PIPE-FLO v12 is the Group Edit and Group Select. With the time saved in initial design and editing systems, there’s little wonder why this features gets a resounding hallelujah from the team.

Take a closer look at Group Edit and Group Select:

Groups Select allows you to perform the Group Edit function. There are multiple ways to select items, (and for that matter, deselect) multiple items in your piping system project. Using the Control (Ctrl) Key, plus the selection tool, users can add or remove items from their selection on the FLO-Sheet. They can Select All using the menu or Ctrl + A as a shortcut. The List View window also allow users to select multiple similar devices such as pipes, and change all or some of the defining characteristics. This leads us nicely into the Group Edit feature. Groups of similar items can be redefined. For instance, maybe you want to change fluid zones for a group of pipes with a certain specification. Bam! You can! Change the surface pressure for all your tanks at a certain elevation? Yup! That too! All you need is to use the List View to sort your devices by any of the columns and then Ctrl + Click and you are creating your list to Group Edit.

Honorable mention include:

•    Draw a System Before Adding Design Data
•    Customizable Printed Report
•    More Shortcut Keys
•    New More Useful Help File
•    DataLink ODBC

For more information about these features and more, checkout the Engineered Software Knowledge Base at http://kb.eng-software.com/questions/467/PIPE-FLO+Professional+12+Release+Notes.

Let us know what you think of the new features in PIPE-FLO v12. Leave us a comment and check out the free PIPE-FLO v12 Demo Download here.

PIPE-FLO Looking Forward

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Looking at the Past & Preparing for the Future

At Engineered Software for the last 30 years we have continually upgrading our products to take advantage of improvements in computer hardware, programming language, and operating systems, but the major focus of our updates has always been to better meet our customer’s needs. Over the years PIPE-FLO has been upgraded ever 12 to 18 months. Every 7 to 10 years we have a Milestone upgrade in which major program changes take place to take advantage of new technology. We are currently in the final stages of developing our latest Milestone upgrade, which has been three years in the making.

In the early years of computer programming, maybe the mid to late-1980s, software businesses never released version 1 because they believed customers would be hesitant to be the first adopters. Quite often, version 1 was a beta, and this was way before the public would be willing to use beta software. So, in 1982 we released PIPE-FLO version 2.

The major objective of PIPE-FLO 2 was to develop quality, shrink-wrapped software for designing fluid piping system that could be used on computers using the CP/M operating system, along with the recently released IBM® PC. The program was written in C-Basic and used Access Manager so we could take advantage of all ASCII terminals (all text no graphics).

We developed a variety of companion programs (NET-FLO, ORI-FLO, PUMP-FLO, and CON-FLO) using this technology; each capable of reading PIPE-FLO’s pipeline database. Another major first for PIPE-FLO was our use of a graphical interface. Using our NET-FLO/CAD interface and AutoCAD® by Autodesk; our customers were able to insert piping system information into an AutoCAD drawing. PIPE-FLO then read the information from the drawing, set up the piping system model, calculate the results and updated the AutoCAD drawings showing the calculated results. It was well received, but the major drawback was our customer had to own AutoCAD.

 

Windows the First Milestone Upgrade 

 

In 1985 Microsoft released Windows as a graphical interface. After completing PUMP-FLO™ for Windows in 1986, we started thinking of incorporating the Windows graphical interface into PIPE-FLO. To accomplish this, PIPE-FLO had to be completely re-written using the C programing language. During this rewrite we incorporated the functionally from both our existing PIPE-FLO and NET-FLO programs, in to a single Windows application which we called PIPE-FLO version 4. 

PIPE-FLO 4 utilized a commercial database, allowing our customers to build piping systems of any size while employing automatic backup protection. Version 5 and 6 were based on this technology and during this time we integrated the drawing of the piping system directly into PIPE-FLO. We also released our utility programs for pump selection, control valve selection and flow meter sizing programs as Windows applications with the capability of reading the PIPE-FLO’s Pipeline Database. 

Our customers really liked the integrated flow sheet drawing along with the ease of use offered by Windows. In talking with our customers, they wanted us to make it easier for PIPE-FLO to select equipment such as pumps, control valves, and flow meters. In addition, they wanted to share their project with others in their company as well as customers and vendors they work with.

 

Security, Integration, and Ease of Operations 

 

In 1998 we decided to embark on next Milestone upgrade, PIPE-FLO version 7, with a final release in 2000. During this major rewrite we decided to stop using the commercial database employed in PIPE-FLO versions 4 through 6 and developed a proprietary data structure for the Piping Project. Thus introducing the .pipe file extension type into the lexicon. This allowed us to speed up disk operations, create smaller project files, and allow for easier sharing of the piping system model. We also tightly integrated the three stand-alone utilities for pumps, control valves, and flow meters into PIPE-FLO.

Another major goal was to achieve consistency of operation with other Windows applications. For example we modified PIPE-FLO’s drawing tools to reflect the operation of common CAD programs such as AutoCAD®, Visio®, and Pro/ENGINEER, this way our customers already knew how our drawing tools operated. In addition, we made our list view to look and feel more like a spreadsheet providing the opportunity to sort the list, choose items to work on, and even giving them the ability to edit on the list. The PIPE-FLO Viewer program was also introduced allowing customers to share interactive piping system models created by PIPE-FLO Professional without the other individual needing the full PIPE-FLO program. Finally the X-Link feature allowed for two-way communications between PIPE-FLO and Microsoft® Excel®. 

Our customers continually provide suggestions on ways to improve PIPE-FLO. Recently we have noticed that many of their suggestions deal with workflow within their organization. For example, engineering firms wanted to develop their own customized reports and share information with other departments (both engineering and purchasing). Our customers at industrial plants were looking for easier ways to build a PIPE-FLO model using data from other programs. 

 

Third Milestone Upgrade

 

In 2009 we started working on our third Milestone upgrade. Our product development team had grown to five engineers, six application developers, and two test developers. To accommodate this larger team we needed to streamline our internal development process so we employed the Agile development process and integrated our program testing into every stage of product development.

Regarding PIPE-FLO, we determined the upgraded program must have the same functionality as earlier versions of PIPE-FLO, but we wanted to make it easier for our customers to integrate the software in their workflow processes. 

To accomplish this, our engineers started categorizing every customer support ticket and feature request looking for ways to streamline and clarify program operations, improve consistency, and provide the added features that our customers had requested. Next they started evaluating other commercially available software including engineering, business, and software development applications.

After reviewing the programs they developed a list of guiding principles for the Milestone upgrade:
   •    Minimize the use of dialog boxes whenever possible
   •    Increase consistency of operation within the PIPE-FLO program as well as other software tools used by our customers. (CAD, Microsoft Office®, engineering analysis tools, etc.)
   •    Make it easy for PIPE-FLO to incorporate new program features in the future

With this list of goals, our engineering team started developing “stories” for all existing PIPE-FLO features. These stories document how the feature worked, how the customer used the feature, the required data input, formula used to calculate the results, along with how the results would be used.

Once each story was defined they were reviewed by the developers to help them determine how the final program would work. With the big picture provided by the various stories, the software developers created “objects” that compartmentalized the task that can be re-used for the various program elements. This is mostly behind the scenes but manifests in the ability to add new features much quicker later on. The PIPE-FLO calculation engine was also compartmentalized allowing the developers to supply the piping system data to the engine, and then utilize the calculated results.

This required major revisions to ever stage of program development. Approximately half of the development effort involved building the internal program infrastructure to provide flexibility of the engineering units, develop the various program objects, and passing of information to the various objects. Once the infrastructure was developed the various piping system elements (pumps, controls, components, tanks, pipelines, etc.) were incorporated into PIPE-FLO using the pre-defined objects.  Using this approach the engineering team was able to work with the actual PIPE-FLO program through the majority of the development cycle with new program elements being continually added.  Using this approach and the Agile development process we were able to fine tune the user interface as new components were added.

The final step in the development process was implementing the user interface items. This included multiple object selection, the addition of the printed reports and graphs, along with the ability to extract and work with input data and calculated results.

Multiple object selection is one of the major new program features. In the most previous version of PIPE-FLO, you could only select similar items in a rectangular selection window and once selected the objects could be copied, deleted, or moved. In this upcoming milestone update, you can select a group of object in a rectangle/s, select individual items from the flow sheet, select individual or multiple items from the list view, as well as de-select items. In other words, our group select tool is identical in operation to group selection tools in CAD programs and Microsoft’s Excel. Once a group of items are selected you can copy and move the objects, edit the design data, change the text font, or insert a note in a single step. This feature even applies across object types. For example, in the new PIPE-FLO, both tanks and pipelines have fluid zones, using the multiple select tool you are able to change the fluid zone in the selected pipelines and tanks in a single step. 

Multiple object selection is just one of the many new and time saving features in the next release of PIPE-FLO.  In the coming weeks we will be releasing more information about the next release of PIPE-FLO, but the biggest secret is the name for the next release, for that you must wait.

Here's a sneak peek at the upcoming version of PIPE-FLO. Make sure to send me your comments and thoughts on the new look and feel. CLICK the image to view larger.

Piping Systems as Simple as 1-2-3

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes 33 seconds. Read Later

I find it much easier to break down a complex process into its various parts, that way I find it much easier to understand. Take a piping system, it doesn’t matter how many tanks, pumps, components, control valves, or pipelines a pumped system can be broken down into three basic components. By working together these three basic components make it so the system can meet its design objective. 

The three basic components of a piping system are the 1) Pump, 2) Process equipment and 3) Control equipment. I will use the drawing to help categorize the items in the system.

Item 1 is the pump, which is the easiest element in the system because they are usually grouped together. In this case, we have a single centrifugal pump; it provides the energy needed to overcome the resistance to flow. What makes the pump simple to understand is that it can only operate on its pump curve.

Item 2, is the process equipment. It’s easy to identify the process equipment because this is why the system is built. The purpose of this system is to supply 1,200 gpm of treated water to the product tank to meet the plant’s needs.  Here’s how the various items are used

• The raw water tank provides transient storage to allow for fluctuations in raw water flow. 
• The pipeline provides a conduit to deliver the raw water from the tank to the water treatment plant. 
• The water treatment plant treats the water to its meet the systems water quality requirements. 
• The pipeline delivers the treated water from the water treatment plant to the product tank.
• The product tank provides a transient storage to allow for fluctuations in the treated water flow. 
• The various valves and fittings are added to redirect the flow in the pipelines as well as isolate system equipment for maintenance

Each of the items in the process group consumes the energy supplied by the pump. 

Item 3 is the energy needed to control the system. For a given flow rate the pump produces a given head value, and at that same flow rate the system requires a given head valve. The difference between what the pump produces and what the system requires, is consumed by the control valve. Once again the energy drop across the control valve is supplied by the pump.

Some people call the energy drop across the control valve as wasted energy. I find this totally incorrect; I like to refer to it as the price that must be paid to control the system. During normal system operation the levels and the pressure in the tanks vary, changing the amount of energy that the system needs for a flow rate. To meet the changes the control valve needs to open and close to control the product tank level. As the treated water flow rates vary to meet the plant’s requirements, changes both the head the pump produces and the losses in the pipelines and components, once again the control valve opens or closes to control the flow rate to the required value. 

We can put this into the following formula:

Pump Head = Component Losses + Control Valve Losses

See it as simple as 1, 2, 3. 

For simple systems like the one displayed above the pumps curve can be overlaid with the systems curve to create a pump / system curve. The difference between what the pump produces and what the system requires for a given flow rate equals to the pressure drop across the control valve.

If you would like to see how to develop pump / system curve, and see how to evaluate more complex systems please refer to a three part article on the Engineered Software Knowledge Base entitled: Value of a System Resistance Curve.

Remember it as simple as 1, 2, 3.

Leave your questions or comments below or send an email to blogger@eng-software dot com. We really do read every one!

From ESCAPE to Premium

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes 42 seconds. Read Later

In my last post, I discussed the creation of PUMP-FLO and its transition from a DOS application to a Windows application, developed and first released as E.S.C.A.P.E. by the Aurora Pump Company. With the completion of E.S.C.A.P.E., it was time for us to release PUMP-FLO as our MS Windows pump selection program.

The major difference between PUMP-FLO and Aurora's E.S.C.A.P.E. at that time was that PUMP-FLO could select pumps from ANY supporting pump manufacturer’s catalog. E.S.C.A.P.E. could only select pumps from the Aurora product lines. In other words, PUMP-FLO could select any centrifugal pump provided the manufacturer had an electronic pump catalog for use with our program.

After a couple of months of development, we released PUMP-FLO for Windows version 1. Upon the release, we had one pump manufacturer onboard, Aurora (the Aurora catalog ran with both PUMP-FLO and ESCAPE.) Now it was time to get some more manufacturers onboard.

Once again I got out my list of pump manufacturers and sent them all a letter describing how they can use PUMP-FLO as their pump selection program simply by creating and adding an electronic pump catalog. Once again, we were overwhelmed with silence. Crickets.

Since we had firsthand experience with the Aurora sales group, we knew the value PUMP-FLO held for a pump sales team and we would not be stopped. So I decided to start calling the pump manufacturers on my list to tell them the story first hand.

After a couple of months I had over 90 pump manufacturers identified in North America, complete with their company address, markets served, along with their sales manager. I discovered that many of the manufacturers had multiple brands they sold their products under (Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEMs).

Once I got the pump market sorted out I decided it was time to go visit them and sell them on the idea of creating their company’s electronic pump catalog for use with PUMP-FLO. What was really disappointing is that we were offering to create the manufacturers’ pump catalogs for free, and we still didn't have any takers. All a manufacturer had to do was to supply us with their pump curves in paper form, we would create their catalog, and send it for their review and approval.

As an engineer I never had a business class, nor did I know how to sell, but now I was on a mission. I took my 10-pound laptop on the road with me and demonstrated the program to manufactures, pump distributors, to pump buyers at trade shows, in airport waiting rooms and even on a cross-country flight. Based on the positive response I knew that we had a winner, but we still had the problem of getting the manufacturers on board with their electronic pump catalogs.

After 18 months, PUMP-FLO still only had the Aurora catalog available for selection. Getting the manufacturers to commit was much harder than I originally thought. I then had a great idea, we would create mini-catalogs (25 pump curves of our customers choosing) for our PUMP-FLO customers for free. The PUMP-FLO customer would send us a copy of the manufacturer’s paper catalog pages they wanted, we would enter the data, and send them a disk back in the mail that could be used with PUMP-FLO. To make it even more valuable we would merge previous curves from the same manufacturer into the catalog so over time we would have a bigger catalog for the manufacturer.

We did this for about six months and in no time we had a collection of manufacturer’s catalogs. We then started sending out press releases announcing the availability of the each manufacturer’s catalogs. One of the manufacturers found out that we were distributing an electronic pump catalog for their products and had their New York lawyer send us a letter wanting to know how much money we were making so they would know how much to sue us for.

Needless to say we got our lawyer on the case and after spending a week in study he gave us a lawyer opinion. He said there was precedence in favor of what we were doing, and precedence favoring the manufacturer (just what you would expect from a lawyer). I then asked him what he would recommend and after 30 minutes of disclosure, precedence, and hemming and hawing he suggested we write a letter to the manufacturer "Asking for forgiveness and promising to sin no more." I spent the weekend writing a very contrite letter; it must have worked because they said they would drop the suit if we never sent out their pump data ever again.

Finally our luck changed and after two years of trying we finally got our second manufacturer to sign. I wish I could say that it was because of my excellent salesmanship. It turns out I was out of the office when Don Smiley of Weinman Pump called.

Since I was out, Carolyn Popp, (our President & Chief Technical Officer) answered the phone and had a nice talk with him. He said they were really interested in getting added to PUMP-FLO, but they didn't want their pumps listed next to their competitors. She said that was not how the program worked.

She explained that our mutual customers would buy PUMP-FLO from us, and get the Weinman electronic catalog from them. Don then asked how the customer got the electronic catalog. Carolyn explained that we would create their electronic catalog for them from their paper pump curves. Once we create the catalog they would review it, and once approved they would get a master catalog disk that they could freely copy and send out to their customers with PUMP-FLO. She went on to explain that since they sent out their catalog they would know everyone who had their electronic catalog.

The next day Don flew up from Conway, Arkansas and signed the agreement in person. Finally we had our second manufacturer committed. From then on I made sure that the pump manufacturer understood they were in the loop and their electronic pump catalog was their property to give to any PUMP-FLO customer they wished.

A couple of weeks later we got a call from Brian Tims of Paco Pump (then located in Oakland, California). Brian was calling from one of their pump distributor’s office and said he saw one of their pumps selected using PUMP-FLO. He wanted to know what we were doing.

Paco was one of the manufacturers that we had created the “free” customer requested catalogs and had many of their pumps already created. Fearing another unpleasant letter from their lawyer, I let them know we were not doing that anymore. Sensing the fear in my voice, he asked how the program worked. I gave him the discussion about how we worked with them to create their electronic catalog, and once reviewed and approved it was their property for them to distribute. He then asked how long it would take to get their catalog created and I confessed that we had previously created their entire pump catalog because of the initial response from our PUMP-FLO customers. Once again, swearing that we no longer send it out.

He then asked how he could get a copy of PUMP-FLO to all his pump distributors, so I told him it was available for purchase. To sweeten the deal, I mentioned if he bought enough copies of PUMP-FLO we would give him the Paco Electronic Pump Catalog that we created for no additional charge. He asked how many they would need to purchase (I assumed that 100 would be the maximum number we could ever possibly sell to pump company), so I said 50 (may as well go big, right?). He said, "OK, I'll send you a check for 50 and once we get the catalog reviewed and approved we'll send in a bigger order." I was elated!

After that we knew without a doubt, that PUMP-FLO was a winner. Re-doubling my sales efforts, I started visiting every pump manufacturer I could. With all the long plane flights, I decided to read some sales books. Every book suggested listening to your customers to find out how their sales and selection process worked, and ask about their current challenges. So I started listening, and began to learn how pump sales groups wanted to use our program in order to do their job better. This allowed me to focus on their needs and show them the existing PUMP-FLO features that best meet their requirements. This in turn, allowed me to determine what new features we should add in the future. Once I started listening and helping them streamline their internal workflow we started signing up pump manufacturers left and right.

In the mid-1990s, the Internet gained in popularity and wide use. Before you knew it, all anyone was talking about was the paradigm shift (remember that buzz word?) and how the Internet would “CHANGE THE WORLD FOREVER.” Before you knew it everyone I talked to, wanted to know when PUMP-FLO would work on the Internet. We then started examining what it would take to create a Web-based version of PUMP-FLO and based on the requests from the pump manufacturers we decided we needed to make the shift.

This time we partnered with Big Machines, an Internet startup based out of Silicon Valley. We started working together so PUMP-FLO could select the pump, and the Big Machines configuration program could help the pump sales person price the pump. After going to a short training course on developing Internet application we were once again on the bleeding edge of technology. After a few months we had PUMP-FLO running on the Web and started shifting pump manufacturers pump selectors to their own Websites. This allowed the manufacturer to send their customers to their company website and have online pump selection that looked like their own brand.

In early 2002, shortly after the dot com bust, we still had pump manufacturers and end users using the program to help them select and specify pumps for their needs. We had survived the bubble and even began to thrive in the next generation of the Internet, Web 2.0. We continued to develop the programs features both on the Windows and Web versions, and now we have more than 115 pump manufacturers using PUMP-FLO to select pumps for their customers. They are even using PUMP-FLO on their mobile devices now. Here are some interesting statistics about the success of the Web version of PUMP-FLO.

Since we started the PUMP-FLO.com website, we have over 243,700 registered users with an average of 2,000 new registered users per month. Every day, over 1,000 people use PUMP-FLO.com to select a pump for a pumping application.

I don't know if this is a paradigm shift, if pump manufacturers have frictionless commerce, or if we have changed forever the way people buy pumps. I don't think so, but I do know that PUMP-FLO is able to bring pump buyers and sellers together. Using PUMP-FLO, pump buyers are better able to understand how a particular pump will operate in their system. The pump sellers can now explain to the pump buyers why the choice they made was the best one for their application. After all isn't that what business is all about, listening to your customer, and giving them what they need to make their life easier?

Do you have any questions for me? I would love it if you left a comment or even sent me an email to blogger @ eng-software.com. In addition, we are currently welcoming guest bloggers. If you are interested, just send me a message about becoming a guest blogger, and what you would like to write about. Thanks for reading!