Better Design
The necessity and uses of steady state flow calculations are known by most engineers in the industry but Pipeline Simulation models offer a far more comprehensive analytical capability than traditional design methods. This can mean more economical pipelines, better equipment selection, safer systems and reduced commissioning time.
A good waterhammer (or surge) study is now considered essential to ensure safe and efficient operation. The adverse consequences of surge pressures are widely known and include ruptured pipes, leakage and damaged equipment.
Systems that haven't had good waterhammer analysis can have very chequered lives, suffering from low availability and excessive post-commissioning costs. One user of simulation tools concludes they 'allow numerical experimentation to be undertaken prior to the commissioning of any capital structure'.
Commissioning and pre-commissioning can be accelerated by using Pipeline Simulation services. In any pipeline system only a few variables are measured (such as pressure and flow at the pumps) whilst items like NRV position and the amount of air in the pipeline are never available.
Simulation can predict some of these variables that are not measured. It can also offer a very powerful 'what-if' tool that is particularly useful with malfunctioning pipelines; it allows experienced engineers the opportunity to see whether the suspected causes can in fact lead to the symptoms that are being experienced.
