Applied Flow Technology releases new surge analysis software

Quickly approaching its 25th anniversary, Applied Flow Technology (AFT) has significantly advanced the powerful interface of AFT Impulse 7. While dedicated users still have access to the features which have made AFT Impulse an industry leading software, AFT has invested a great deal into making AFT Impulse 7 a stronger and more advanced tool; a tool mechanical engineers around the world use to design safe and dependable piping systems.

“Our new version 7 of AFT Impulse clearly demonstrates AFT’s commitment to the global waterhammer engineering community and improving safety in design and operation of piping systems,” said Walters. “We listened to engineers and looked at industry trends. We have made many user interface enhancements to better support both new and experienced users, as well as added several new file import and export formats to make it easier than ever to get existing data into and out of AFT Impulse.”

In total, there are almost 50 new and enhanced features in AFT Impulse 7.

The top 7 features include:

1. Model efficiently with layout import from file formats supported by CAESAR II^®, SmartPlant^®, CADWorx^® and AutoCAD Plant 3D, and import/export EPANET.
2. Create models using an isometric grid.
3. Utilise colour animation to visualise parameter changes over time.
4. Improved user interface for defining centrifugal and positive displacement pump data in the Pump Property window using automatic periodic PD pump flow calculation.
5. Extensive new Excel capabilities including the ability to export output using the new Excel Export Manager and even complete your exports while running batch scenarios.
6. Calculate buried pipe wave speed.
7. Ability to model pumps as turbines (PAT).

Import piping layouts

Throughout 2018, AFT has released new versions of all of their primary products including AFT Fathom 10, AFT Arrow 7, and now AFT Impulse 7. These releases have each incorporated advanced features with a primary focus of integrated import/export partnerships between software files. All AFT applications allow users to import piping layouts from CAESAR II Neutral files. The CII Neutral file is a de facto standard in many sectors of industry. You can also import Piping Component Files (*.pcf). This format is supported by SmartPlant, CADWorx and AutoCAD Plant 3D, among others. All of this is in addition to the previous capability to import GIS shape files.

In the water industry, a common file format is EPANET. AFT applications will import and export EPANET files.

Software extension tools

AFT users will tell you the software is great on its own; but when they add-on a module, the software becomes a tool that surpasses their expectation of what AFT software can do. AFT Impulse has two add-on module options: settling slurry module and the pulsation frequency analysis module.

Settling slurry (SSL) module is the only commercial software solution that can model both non-settling and settling slurry waterhammer effects. With this tool, engineers can predict slurry wave speed and keep a wide range of slurry data in a sharable database. Users can specify if it is a basic water slurry which uses water as the carrier fluid and treats all pipes as isothermal; or an advanced slurry that uses any fluid as the carrier fluid, allows slurry properties to vary among pipes, and allows heat transfer and system energy balance calculation. Engineers even have their choice of calculation methods: minimal, simplified, or detailed.

AFT entered into the pulsation realm with the pulsation frequency analysis (PFA) module. Why? Because pulsation issues are difficult to diagnose and can cause significant operational problems. Mitigation of pulsation issues can lead to a large amount of wasted productivity in terms of both employee time and lower product delivery. AFT developed the PFA module so engineers can keep pulsation identification and mitigation in-house and quickly evaluate possible solutions better than ever before. All of this while ensuring compliance with API 674.

AFT Impulse product quick facts:

• AFT Impulse is a powerful dynamic simulation and analysis tool used to calculate pressure surge transients in liquid piping systems caused by waterhammer.
• •Easily model a wide range of system components and surge devices
• •Understand the transient response of your system, knowing how valves, pumps and other components will dynamically interact with each other.
• •Evaluate the effect of pressure surges due to vapour cavity collapse by modelling vapour cavitation and liquid column separation.
• •Validate the design of safety features to produce safer, more economical pipe systems.

About Applied Flow Technology

About to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Applied Flow Technology is a leader in the pipe flow modelling software market. With a primary focus on developing high quality fluid flow analysis software, AFT has a comprehensive line of products for the analysis and design of piping and ducting systems.

With channel partners around the world and customers in more than 80 countries, AFT software has helped companies in many industries design safer, more efficient systems and solve operational problems. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, AFT’s professional staff consists of engineers with extensive experience in both the design and construction of piping systems and the development of analytical modelling methods.