Revision 28 posted to Structural Analysis and Design Wiki by Mike Dattilio on 8/22/2013 3:58:52 PM

AutoPIPE New User Guide [TN]

Soil Identifiers are Templates from Model to Model

Like Pipe Identifiers, Soil Identifiers can be a template and used over and over again in the model without having to re-define the properties. Use the new Soil and Soil ID grid to check and make changes to global soil properties quickly.

Distance Calculator as a Productive Tool

Use the graphical distance calculator to check distances and clearances between pipe to pipe or pipe to structure.

1. Select Tools > Distance or click the distance icon on the View toolbar.
2. Point and Click the TO and the From point. You don't have to enter the point name.
3. The DX, DY, and DZ offsets as well as the straigh-line distance are displayed in the status bar:

HINT: The DX, DY, or DZ offsets can be read or copy/pasted to Excel or text file

Reference Point to Evaluate Equipment Loads

Use the Insert > Xtra data > Reference Node feature to define reference points to evaluate loads at vessels or rotating equipment.

Works in either Global or local coordinate systems. So anytime the nozzle is at a skewed angle to the vessel and the allowable loads at the nozzle are given relative to the nozzle axis then use the local coordinate axis system.

You can define multiple "Reference Points" at any point.

HINT: Useful for evaluating in-line pump nozzles and manufacturer stated limits on vessels or equipment.

Productive Graphic Features

Colors

 If you are experiencing difficulty viewing color plots, you can change contrasting legends on-the-fly. Simply double-click an legent color to dynamically change it.

Scale

If you wish to change the scale of supports or other components for preffered viewing, you can do so from the View Settings dialog.

Rendered Support Graphics

Show Realistic Support Arrangements to Clients, Contractors or CAD Designers.

Tee Types

Quickly check Tee Types on the plot using the Show Tee button.

Viewports

Switch between Single / Double or Quad viewports to easily work in a view which is convenient then switch back to single view. Viewports are available for editing the model AND viewing results e.g. code stresses in plan, iso and elevation views as below:

Viewports are saved even when a model is closed and then re-opened.

Graphical Point Editing

Caesar users are used to looking at the model, then reading and entering the point name. In AutoPIPE like CAD use point and click, point names are automatically taken care of.

Productivity Example - Add a Support

AutoPIPE	Caesar
Click on the Support Point Select Support Type (Friction & Gaps)	Look at the Graphic Plot & Read Point Name Go to the data sheet Click on the Restraint Option Enter the Point Name Select Support Type (Friction & Gaps)
2 way gaps permitted all supports Guide - Both Horiz. + Vertical	Only 1 gap permitted 2 supports required for Guide + Y

Pipe Stress Work involves lots of Iterations

99 levels of Undo / Redo are available at all times in AutoPIPE such that different support configurations can be tried and if stresses or equipment loads are worse then can easily revert back to some previous state. But in Caesar undo/redo is always lost when exit the INPUT module.

Alphanumeric node numbering by segments - easy to identify which nodes relate to which parts / line numbers of the model.

 

CompareSpeadsheetswithCaesar

Caear:

• NotlikeMicrosoftExcel-NomultipleCopy/Paste,nocolumnsort
• Onlymodifyonecellatatime
• 'RippleEffect'cancausealotofcheckingandrework

 

AutoPIPE

• Bi-directionallysynchronizedwiththeplot
• Makeglobalchangesacrossmultiplecellsoflikedata
• Sortanycolumnintologicaldatagroups
• Selectmultiplerangesofcomponentswithgraphicalhighlight
• Realtimegraphicalplotupdatewithmulti-levelundo&redo
• Customizedprinting
• BehaveslikeMicrosoftExcelunlikeCaesarListspreadsheet

 

 

Comprehensive Automatic Code Combinations

VCR buttons allow fast navigation to sorted multiple maximum stresses across multiple stress categories including maximum sustained stress, thermal range and all occasionalstress combinations which Caesar does not calculate automatically.

Code Combination Comparison

AutoPIPE Stress Plot	Caesar Stress Plot
Thermal case 1 to 4	What stress case is Row 18-21?
AutoPIPE Benefits: Clear Stress Plots Automatically Sorted Max Stress for all combinations Click & Point for all Results Automatic Thermal ranging & occasional stress combinations

 

AutoPIPE Result Grids provide powerful filtering and sorting of displacements, forces, support loads and stresses.

Clear Component Symbols

Jacketed Piping - Use Transparent Setting for Pipe

Easily create the Jacket by using the graphical Select and copy / paste functions. Select the range of carrier pipe including valves, flanges, reducers etc and pasting then connecting back onto itself... covered in advanced training.

Common Caesar modeling techniques and equivalent in AutoPIPE

Make Global Changes e.g. changing coefficient of frictions for pipe supports, global changes to pressures, temperatures, materials, etc

Change Temperature in Model 

Caesar

Use List spreadsheet

 

Change RED value e.g. 482 to 555. This change ‘Ripples‘ down to next RED value. Difficult to identify which part(s) of the model has changed. Need to keep switching on the color temperature plot. Maybe other parts of model to change to 555 also, need to find them.

This change cannot be seen in legend nor on the color temperature plot unless the plot is reset.

AutoPIPE

Make Global changes to pressure, temperature. Option A is best for performing global changes across the whole model. Option C allows best method to check all values being changed point by point.

Option A -

1. Select Operating Load by Value from the Modify menu.
   
2. Select the existing temperature and enter the replacement value. This will replace all temperatures in the whole model (482 with 555, in this example).
   

Option B -

1. Select the range in the model to change temperature
2. Select Pressure & Temperature from the Modify menu.
3. Enter new temperature (555 for this example). The new temperature is shown in blue to indicate which values have changed.
   
4. Click OK. The color plot and legend are updated immediately with the new value.
   

Option C - Use Input Grids

1. Select View > Show > Temperature to see color temperature plot.
2. Double click Case 1 Temp column to sort it.
3. Select the cells with this temperature.

4. Enter new value (e.g. - 555) and press CTRL + Enter.

   HINT: Drag down or copy down commands using right click menu, are also available for making global changes like Excel.

5. The selected cells immediately highlight RED on the plot to see which parts of the model are to be changed.

Change Support Friction

Caesar

You mush change friction values one by one:

AutoPIPE

1. In the Support Grid, double click column to sort data.

2. Select multiple cells you wish to change.

   or

   Select the complete column and then select one cell while holding down the CTRL key.

3. Enter new value in first cell and then press CTRL + Enter.

   NOTE: One CTRL + Z step will undo the complete change.

 

Update Material Libraries

WARNING: Recommend do not use the Tools > Library function to update libraries

Material libraries are organised into 2 tables, table 1 with generic materials e.g. CS, HC etc which only have physical properties (no allowable stress). Table 2 has Code Specification materials e.g. A106-B, A312-TP316 which have temperature vs. allowable stress data

NOTE: Version 9.0 more exotic alloy steels like duplex stainless, Haynes 556, incoloy 825, copper C12200-B88 and Hastelloy C22 for B31.3 library.

Option A

Provide source data to Bentley including temperature vs. expansion & modulus, density, poissons ratio, plus temperature vs. allowable stress (sometimes also yield stress - required by some codes like B31.3). Bentley will create a custom library but not nuclear QA tested.

Option B

Request the library source for the piping code year and instructions from Bentley, enter own data and recompile the library.

FRP /GRP /Plastic materials - refer to Modeling FRP and Plastic Piping in AutoPIPE

Following FRP library is available for use typically with B31.3

Pipe Properties or Pipe Identifiers - templates for complete project

Materials are selected for each pipe identifier defined in the model.

Pipe Identifiers can be defined at the beginning of the project or job and used as templates for each model i.e. the pipe properties including materials do not have to be re-defined over and over again. Pick and choose which pipe identifiers to be applied over any selected range of pipes.

Setting the Global Coordinates for Start of the Model

Option A

1. In the point grid, go to first entry.
2. Enter the offsets or global coordinates of the first point in the model.

Option B

1. Select Modify > Point at the first point in the model.
2. Enter starting offsets from the Origin (0,0,0).

Similarly for disconnected or independent piping systems (segments) set the starting coordinates. Note: A new segment can inserted (Insert >Segment) and enter the Offset point e.g. B10 (not O for origin) and corresponding offsets. So the new segment will be inserted offset from a known point instead of the origin (O).