AFT Blog

This past week I and Jeff Olsen, AFT’s V.P. of Technology, attended the annual conference of the Hydraulic Institute. The Hydraulic Institute (HI) was founded in 1917 and is America’s premiere pump organization. At this year’s meeting HI held a centennial celebration.

Last month my wife and I visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. While there we saw an inspiring IMAX movie on the American National Parks. I have visited many of these parks and, living in the beautiful American state of Colorado, I have a great appreciation for the importance of preserving natural beauty and the environment. This month the American National Park Service celebrates it's 100th anniversary.

Safety is a primary consideration in engineering design. Safety for people is always paramount. Safety for the environment is an ever-growing focus of engineers. Any engineer worth the name would feel devastated if their engineering effort failed for some reason to protect people and the environment. One of the things engineers rely on to make system designs and operations safer are analytical tools like those developed by Applied Flow Technology (AFT). How does AFT software make the world a safer place?

The question of whether waterhammer analysis on new pipe systems is optional or required does not have a definite answer. In some cases it is clear - such as when the pipe system is being designed in compliance with ASME code (see How AFT Impulse Can Help Engineers Comply With ASME Codes). But in many cases it is up to experience and judgment whether or not to perform waterhammer analysis.