New Analysis Tool Can Help Solve Gas and Steam Transient Problems in Pipelines
Special to P&GJ
Uncertainty in steam and gas transients can cause oversizing equipment and downtime during issues, potentially costing money and time. Applied Flow Technology (AFT) says its new AFT xStream analysis software tool can help engineers rigorously evaluate and solve gas and steam transient engineering problems they have only been able to guess at in the past.
“AFT xStream™ will help engineers definitively solve these challenging problems by addressing the root cause to enhance system safety and improve reliability,” a news release said. “It is a powerful fluid dynamic simulation tool for high-speed, acoustic transients that occur in gas and steam piping systems.”
AFT xStream can determine the system’s parameters (pressure, temperature, density) to model the resulting transient response and forces on the system, the company said. These transient responses, and especially steamhammer forces, can be modeled with finer precision to reveal surprising results.
“Since I founded AFT 27 years ago, we have continually pioneered new technologies. Now with AFT xStream we are extremely proud (pun intended) to be pushing the envelope once again.” said Trey Walters, AFT’s Founder and President. “Further, with the PFA pulsation add-on module, engineers will now have an easy-to-use interface for solving gas system pulsation problems.”
Steam and gas transients are time-dependent deviations from steady-state operating point. For example, a relief system reacting to an over-pressure event would cause a transient event.
The ability to be proactive in the transient analysis of steam and gas systems is important for any piping system. It is important to the reliability, sustainability, and overall safety of a system.
AFT xStream has immediate applications for engineers who work with steady-state gas piping systems, those familiar with liquid transient analysis, or those looking to explore acoustic transients.
Engineers specialized in compressor discharge, turbine supply, or any piping in between will be interested in testing changes to their system to minimize shut-down conditions or avoid pulsation. AFT xStream can uniquely provide more precise data and insight than engineers have been able to previously model.
AFT xStream is designed for compressible fluid systems containing steam, natural gas, compressed air, hydrogen, chemical & petrochemical process gases, and more. While gases and steam are often treated with unique approaches and considerations, AFT xStream is a single tool able to analyze both types of system.
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