AFT Blog

Any time a rapid transient occurs in a piping system, there is a chance for unexpected surge to impact the system. Though system shutdowns account for many surge events, pump startups can cause water hammer as well. For this blog I am going to cover the basics of setting up pump and valve transients for the startup case in AFT Impulse 7 , as well a...

Many users enjoyed my previous blog, " Know Your Pump & System Curves – Part 1 " and greatly anticipated the release of Part 2.  I'm going to split Part 2 into two separate blogs: Part 2A Brief discussion on why system curves matter Pump & System Curves for multi-branched piping systems §How you can have different system curves fo...

When working on a new piping system, there are many factors that must be taken into account: meeting customer demands, following industry standards, and maintaining effective system operation to name just a few. As a busy engineer, it is important to address all of these concerns in the short time frame available to you. AFT's new Automated Network...

In any complex piping system, one of the most serious scenarios considered during a safety or HAZOP study is over-pressurization. If the pressure in the system reaches a high enough pressure, rupture can occur, leading to expensive repairs, significant system downtime, and even loss of life. In most cases, proper use of relief valves can mitigate o...

  I have received questions from clients using AFT Impulse where they ask something like "I closed this valve. Why is the maximum pressure spike way over there and not at the valve?" This comes from years of developing a "common sense" adapted to steady-state flow. With steady flow, a change between states of equilibrium has a local effect tha...

With the recent release of the Automated Network Sizing (ANS) module for AFT Fathom and the upcoming release for AFT Arrow , network sizing has never been easier. The ANS module utilizes Intelliflow , a technology previously featured in AFT Mercury and Titan, to evaluate slight design deviations to automatically size pipes, valves, and pumps for a ...