AFT Arrow is a specialized fluid dynamic simulation tool designed to accurately calculate pressure drop and flow distribution within gas piping and ducting systems. It enables engineers to simulate individual components and their complex interactions, including the effects of heat transfer, real gases, and choked flow conditions. The software tightly integrates equipment characteristics, analysis, and output with the system's schematic representation, providing a comprehensive view. Users can compare the performance of new designs, ensuring all requirements are met, and identify and correct operational problems in existing installed systems. By leveraging AFT Arrow, organizations can significantly improve the quality of their systems engineering, leading to the production of less costly, more efficient, and more reliable piping systems. The powerful solution engine simultaneously solves five fundamental equations—mass, momentum, energy, state, and Mach number—using a modified Newton-Raphson matrix iteration method and proprietary techniques to achieve rigorous compressible flow solutions. It supports modeling for various fluids like steam, compressed air, gases, and dust collection, and allows for experimentation with diverse operating conditions and scenarios, including rotating piping systems and varying system lineups. Typical applications include pipe and duct sizing, relief valve sizing, compressor and fan sizing, control valve sizing, simulating system operation, choked flow calculations, evaluating pipe insulation, and troubleshooting existing systems.

Features & Benefits

• Advanced Fluid Dynamic Simulation
  • Accurately calculates pressure drop and flow distribution in gas piping and ducting systems, simulating individual components and their interactions, including heat transfer, real gases, and choked flow conditions. Applies advanced marching methods for highly accurate results and evaluates choking conditions.
• Comprehensive System Modeling
  • Offers flexible modeling capabilities for ideal or real gases, high velocities, and various heat transfer conditions. It can assemble non-reacting mixtures, analyze dynamic mixing, and model effects of elevation changes in complex structures.
  • Models fans, compressors, control valves, and heat exchangers with precise detail.
  • Specifies relief valve behavior with opening and closing profiles for safety.
• Design & Operational Optimization
  • Enables users to compare new designs, assure requirements, identify and correct operational problems, and significantly improve system quality for more efficient and reliable piping systems. Includes Scenario Manager to track design variants and operating conditions.
  • Easily change system input data (valve positions, control set points, pressures, temperatures).
  • Model and analyze rotating piping systems (e.g., steam/gas turbines).
  • Vary system lineup (open/close pipes/valves, turn compressors/fans on/off).
  • Calculate capital costs of pipes/components and operating energy expenses.
• Data Integration & Standards Compliance
  • Facilitates seamless data exchange with external tools and adherence to industry standards.
  • Imports piping layouts from CAESAR II® Neutral files, PCF Files (AutoCAD Plant 3D®, SmartPlant®, CADWorx®), and GIS shapefiles.
  • Integrates with Excel for model data import and output data export.
  • Exports data for Flow Induced Vibration (FIV), High Frequency Acoustic Excitation (AIV), and Flow Induced Excitation (FIP) according to Energy Institute Standards.
  • Evaluates codes and industry standards like API 526 and ANSI/ISA-75.01.01.
• Extensive Libraries & Resources
  • Provides built-in libraries of fluids (including NIST REFPROP and ASME Steam Tables) and fittings, which are extensible and customizable. An optional Chempak™ database offers thermophysical data for nearly 600 gases.