Setting up a system of pipes to deliver gases or liquids requires accurate engineering, which involves more than just creating a layout on paper. You need to know how the gases or liquids will flow through the system and if any problems might pop up along the way. This software lets you simulate not just the path but the conditions that the gases or liquids will face.

Fluid Pressure and Pipe Stability

Any system that carries liquids and gases that travel at higher speeds has to deal with pressure. Sometimes this pressure is created through compression at some point in the line, while other times it's simply the speed with which the fluid is pumped from one end of the system to another. Either way, this pressure can create structural instability if it hits pipes at corners too hard. In other words, when something like water speeds down a pipe toward a corner, it initially hits the wall of the pipe that is at a different angle to the pipe the water was traveling in. Then the water effectively bounces off the wall and into the new section of pipe. If it hits the wall of the pipe too hard, it can cause connections and joints to crack. It can also lead to water hammer, creating excess noise that sounds alarming.

Temperature Changes

This software not only simulates the effect of the fluid on the pipes, but the effect of the pipes on the fluid. For example, if you have to pipe hot water to different locations, the temperature of the water is going to naturally drop as it travels farther and farther. You need to know if there is a point where the distance that the water has to travel is so great that the temperature drops below the level that you need it to be at. This allows you to see if you need to heat the water more at its origin point, or if you need to shorten and reroute pipes.

Construction Cost Overruns

Process engineering software also offers you the option of planning out the pipe system onscreen first so you can find the most efficient layouts. Once you know what other trouble spots may exist in the layout you were originally going to use, you can see if perhaps there's another way to design the pipes so that it doesn't take as long for the fluid to reach its destination. That helps conserve pipe material and avoid potential cost overruns due to needing more and more supplies.

You can find process engineering software that covers general layouts and effects as well as software that focuses on specific issues like excessive pressure. Don't hesitate to get this software as it can save your company a lot of time and money.