SYSTEMS SIMULATION SOFTWARE

PROCESS FLOW & HEAT TRANSFER

Simulation has revolutionized ow and heat transfer dependent systems over the
past decades by minimizing costly physical testing and accelerating time to operation
around the world. But for many companies, such simulation has largely focused on

components and proved to be very time consuming. The technology advancements

delivered by Flownex SE now oer a fast, reliable and accurate total system and
subsystem approach to simulation.

Flownex Simulation Environment

delivers technology that enables
you to study how systems will
behave in the real world, where
uid is the driving factor.

Flownex system simulation relays

the overall eect of changing specic properties on components,
allowing clients to extensively
examine all possible variations
in the design and optimization
of systems.

Flownex is developed in an ISO

9001:2008 and NQA1 quality
assurance system environment.
Flownex is the only software of
its kind to hold a nuclear accreditation, a testament to the quality,
reliability and accuracy of our
simulation software.

On a global scale leading organizations apply our software and

service oerings to achieve maximum potential of their systems
both in design and operational states. Our promise of fast reliable
and accurate system and subsystem-level simulation has
immensely beneted our clients. The use of our technology has
set our clients apart from their competitors allowing them to
pursue frontiers of engineering simulation. The global demand for
Flownex has shown exponential growth over the last few years,
and as more organizations adopt our technology, we are continuously striving to push the boundaries in system simulation.

INDUSTRIES

POWER GENERATION
SYSTEMS

MINING
SYSTEMS

WATER
RETICULATION

Renewable energy systems,

Fossil fuel systems, Nuclear
systems, Simulators.

Chilled water reticulation, Ventilation, Compressed air, Slurry

distribution.

Water distribution, Pumping

stations, Treatment plants,
Network maintenance.

OIL & GAS

SYSTEMS

HVAC-R
SYSTEMS

MILITARY, SHIPPING
& AEROSPACE

Exploration, Production,
Rening, Transportation

Refrigeration, Heating systems,

Ventilation systems, Air-conditioning.

Hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel and

environmental control systems.

AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

PROCESS SYSTEMS

Air-conditioning, Engine cooling, Exhaust systems, Fuel systems

Innovative engineering, Proof

of concept, Layout and integration, Control philosophy design.

Process design, Process control, Process operations

HEAT TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER PHENOMENA TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT
Joule-Thomson Eect (Enthalpy Pressure dependence).
Buoyancy Driven Flow & Natural Convection.
Thermal Inertia and Heat Capacitance
of liquid and vapour phases as well as
solid structures.
HEAT TRANSFER TYPES
Conduction.
Convection.
Radiation.
Condensation.
Boiling Regimes.

INSULATION LAYER 2
INSULATION LAYER 1
PIPE WALL

RADIATION

CONVECTION

CONDUCTION

TWO PHASE FLOW

Flownex s two phase capabilities can

Two phase ow encountered in systems

and processes are complex and often lends
itself to improvement and optimization.
Flownex s two phase abilities provide the
user with the capability to simulate, design
and analyze two phase systems which cannot
be simulated using simple single phase compressible or incompressible uids and methods.

Pure two phase uids: two phase

uid in its pure form.

be divided into the following categories:

Two phase ow with an incondensable

gas: low incondensable gas mass
fraction, typically systems with
unwanted air ingress. (Condensors)
Psychrometry: low two phase mass
fraction. (Air conditioning systems)

TRANSIENTS & OPTIMIZATION

The Flownex designer capability can be used to determine tank-, pump-, valve- and pipe
sizes to deliver the required ow and pressure at the consumption points. The Transient
simulation capability can be used to simulate accident scenarios in order to optimize the
system for peak performance. Fluid hammer eects due to sudden valve open/closure can
be determined, and the risk of component failure due to pressure pulses mitigated by assisting
with accumulator selection or design.

FEATURES

Transient/Dynamic simulation.

Forces on pipes & bends.

Combustion.

Fluid momentum.

Evaporation & condensation.

Thermal capacitance.

Pressure surge.

Mechanical inertia.

Water hammer & cavitation.

Exergy.

Heat transfer analysis.

LIBRARIES

TOOLBOX
Thermal uid systems.
Mechanical systems.
Control systems.
Electrical systems.
Visualization components.
Customizable components.
User dened alarms.
Comprehensive uid
libraries.
Component characteristic
libraries.

Automatic reporting.

System design tools.

MS Excel integration.

Optimization.

Batch studies.

Sensitivity analysis.

SECONDARY
FLOW

TURBINE BLADE CHANNELS

& ROTATING NOZZLES
FORCED VORTEX

ROTOR-STATOR CAVITY

Rotor -rotor cavity.

LABYRINTH SEAL

Free vortex.

ROTATING ANNULAR
GAP FLOW

Swirl boundary.
Heat transfer.
Angular momentum.
Pressure-ow prediction.
Ribbed walls & pedestal channels.
Radial & axial labyrinth seals.

Flownex enabled the prediction of the 2-D transient temperature gradients

which were so crucial to this project. I am not aware of any other tool with which
I could have obtained the required results in such a short time span. Part of the
success must undoubtedly be attributed to the prompt and high level support
provided by Flownex International almost daily in answering all my questions
and oering suggestions throughout this very
Hannes van der Walt
technically challenging simulation. The support
Senior Thermal & Process Engineer
Gasco
fee has been paid for with this one project!

Heat transfer.
Fluid momentum,
thermal capacitance
and mechanical inertia.
Combustion.
Exergy.
Water hammer.
Transient simulation.
Forces.
Trace elements.

OUR STRENGTHS:

FLOWNEX TAKES
INTO ACCOUNT:

The Flownex Simulation Environment is engineering simulation software that oers a wide
range of thermal hydraulic system capabilities in a
single engineering software package. Combination
of the various Flownex modules allows users to
simultaneously model and integrate any system
with the following uid characteristics:
Complete homogeneous two-phase uids.
Non-Newtonian uids.
Slurry.
Liquids.
Gasses.
Gas mixtures.
Incondensable mixtures

CAPABILITIES

SIMPLE/COMPLEX
SYSTEMS SIMULATION

SYSTEM
OPTIMIZATION

COMMISSIONING
ASSISTANCE

Single-phase / Two-phase,
Liquids, Gasses, Oils, Slurries.

System modication /
Process modication.

Temperature and pressure

set points, Process parameters
for new / existing plant.

INVESTIGATIVE SIMULATIONS

CONCEPT DESIGN

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

Problematic systems/components. Poor design / Poor

operating.

Plant architecture,
System specications.

System / Component failure.

COMPONENT
PERFORMANCE
ASSESSMENT

TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY
STUDIES

THERMAL-HYDRAULIC
DESIGNS

Assessment of
design/operation.

Plant / System modications.

Heat exchangers, Flow measuring devices, Piping systems,

Pump systems, Insulation.

REAL-WORLD
APPLICATIONS:

CASE STUDY

Challenge: Perform critical analysis of failure cases during

dynamic mid-air refuelling of a Mirage F1 Fighter.
Flownex allowed engineers to simulate ow rates and the
refuelling sequences of the system, track fuel distribution and
investigate valve failure cases. The simulations ensured that, for
any single failure case, the system would remain safe and maintain the centre of gravity (cg) position of the aircraft.
Aerosud conrmed results predicted by Flownex with ground
test results. The simulation provided Aerosud with the condence
of delivering a nal system design that is
safe, reliable and conforms to customer requirements.

Flownex helped us to
optimize the compressed
air ring and to analyze the
operating eciency of
the complete eet. The
simulations proved to be
extremely valuable in understanding the operating
capacity and in addition
allowed us to implement
a new ecient control
philosophy.
Jean Greyling
Pr. Eng
Energy manager
AngloGold Ashanti

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
OF FAILURE CASES

Today, mining engineers are at the forefront of applying

system-level simulation
to an industry that has
predominantly relied
on spreadsheets and hand calculations. The
success achieved by our clients is abundantly
clear in the case of AngloGold Ashanti, where
one of their Simulation Engineers, Jean Greyling,
won an ETA (Energy Eciency) Award using
Flownex. Jean s compressor and pipe optimization project used Flownex to do the rst ever
complete air-compressor system and network
analysis of the mine. Flownex allowed AngloGold to identify operational problems and
opportunities to improve in operational eciency. Implementation of the Flownex solution
led to signicant energy and cost savings. The
savings are estimated to be more than 2.5 MW
with more savings expected as the system is
further optimized with support from Flownex.
The cost of implementation of the project was
minimal, thus giving AngloGold Ashanti an
excellent return on investment.

MAXIMIZING
OPERATIONAL
EFFICIENCY

PRELIMINARY DESIGN
OPTIMIZATION
Challenge: Determine ow distribution
in gas turbine combustion chambers at the
preliminary design phase, allowing for all
accounts of heat transfer.

CASE STUDY

By utilizing Flownex s swift

execution ability, engineers
could quickly and easily perform design modications
and parametric studies on the
combustion chamber. Convection- conduction- and radiation
heat transfer was taken into account as well
as the eect of fuel ratio on the combustion
temperature. Studies performed in Flownex
allowed engineers to determine optimum
boundary conditions for further detailed 3D
CFD simulations.

ROOT CAUSE
ANALYSIS
dynamically hazardous movements in
the distillate lines to a plant deaerator.

Flownex simulation optimization

tool was used to determine the
preferred two phase ow regime.
By using Flownex to identify the
cause it was possible to mitigate a
commercial impact on the project,
maintain the planned commissioning

schedule and improve the existing

plant design thereby also removing
the safety risk of unwanted dynamic

line movements.

CASE STUDY

The main challenge explored in this

case study is root cause analysis of

Flownex enabled engineers

to analyze the complete fuel
system and its components in
an ecient and accurate way,
providing them with peace
of mind that the nal system
design is safe, reliable and
conforms to customer
requirements.

QUOTES
Flownex gave new
meaning to complex systems uid
ow analyses in our
company
Chris Coetzee
MBA, PrEng
Managing Director
Resonant RSA

Roelf Laurens
Simulation Design Engineer
M-Tech Industrial

Flownex stands out amongst its peers as a software suite

that enables you to utilize it as a hydraulic uids analysis tool
appropriate for the application and engineering level you
are designing and assessing. What has the potential to be
rather overwhelming and complex becomes graphically
clear, practically identiable and consequently appreciated.
As a pumping and piping engineer in the mining industry who wants to improve the eciency, simplify complex
operation, increase safety and communicate the results
eectively - Flownex is a tool I have
Alistair Baty
used to develop reliable designs
Pr. Eng
and improve pumping systems to
Engineering Manager
accommodate the ever changing
Paterson & Cooke
nature of mining operations.
USA

The capabilities and speed of result generation impressed several involved parties, but more importantly,
the investigations gave a much better understanding
of the plant s behavior that would only have been
previously obtainable through years of documented
plant measurements.

Engineering productivity for the design and analysis of

complex thermal-uid systems such as those found in
large coal red power plants is vastly improved by modelling in Flownex. In addition, the system knowledge and
understanding gained by the modeller is invaluable in
subsequent activities.
Gary de Klerk
Pr. Eng
Chief Engineer
Eskom

1986
1990

Initial development.

1992
1997
1999
2000
2001
2004
2005
2006
2007
2009
2010
2011
2013

Aircraft engine combustion systems for Rolls-Royce.

2014

Gas turbine secondary ow modelling, steam turbine

modelling, GIS importing and coordinate system
drawing, supersonic ow, simplied scripting,
visualization & graphing, 3D drawing & importing.

Development of the Implicit Pressure Correction

Method (IPCM) algorithm.
Transient/Dynamic simulations.
HTGR simulation.
Gas mixtures & conduction.
Object oriented.
Rotating components.
Two phase.
Combustion.
Equation element, API.
Control & electric, MS Excel.
Simulation Environment, in-condensables.
Slurry, expanded combustion.
Expanded two-phase, expanded heat transfer,
trace elements, RELAP coupling.

Flownex Simulation Environment enables

engineers to predict, design and optimise for ow
rates, pressures, temperature and heat transfer
rates in uid systems. Such systems include
anything from ventilation systems and water and
gas distribution systems up to boiler designs and
complete power generation cycles.

Flownex is sold around the globe

(visit our site for resellers in your
area). www.ownex.com

The ability to simulate systems with

any combination of liquid, gas, two
phase, slurry and mixture ows in
both steady state and dynamic cases
makes Flownex the most powerful
simulation tool of its kind.

We employ masters- and PhD-level qualied engineers

to develop and support Flownex guiding you on
how to more eectively use our software tools and
maximize your return on investment.

Speed Accuracy Reliability Design Simulate Optimize