InstruCalc8-QuickStart-Guide

1INSTRUCALCVERSION8QUICKSTARTGUIDEMarch20131.0STARTMENUInstruCalc8allowsarangequiteinvolvedcalculationsbasedontheapplicablecodesandstandards.Itrequiresthatdatabeenteredinapreciseandorderlymanner.Thelearningcurvecanbequitesteep,butoncefamiliarityisachieved,thenthesoftwareisparticularlyusefulprovidingcalculationsindependentofsuppliers'andmanufacturers'ownsoftware.ThisQuickStartGuidecoversonlyafractionofthesoftware'scapabilities;ahardcopymanualofmorethan300pagesissuppliedwiththesoftwareplusacomprehensiveHelpfile.OnopeningInstruCalcVersion8youwillbepresentedwiththefollowingMainMenugivingyouaccesstothefourmodulesoftheprogram:Clicking[More]displaysthevarioussub-modules.Selectingtheindividualmodulesbyclickingtheheaderbuttonshowsthefollowingstart-uppanesforeach.2CONTROLVALVESIZINGPROGRAMSFLOWELEMENTSIZINGPROGRAMSEachmodulehasaNewCalculationoptionatthetopofeachpane.Aselectionheremaytakeyouimmediatelytoadataentrydialog(egControlValves)ortoanothermenufromwhereyouselectthedesiredroutine(egFlowElementSizing).Afterthisselectionroutineyouwillbeintheappropriatedataentrydialogwherefirstyoumustmakeyourselectionofunitsandotheroptions.Forinstancetry:ControlValveSizingLiquid[Newcalc]Toreturntothemodulemenuuse:File|ProgrammenuToreturntotheMainMenuuse:File|ExitNowtry:FlowElements[Gasflow]ISOOrificePlatesConcentric–FlangeTaps[OK]RELIEFVALVESIZINGPROGRAMSPROCESSDATACALCULATIONS32.0UNITSANDCALCULATIONOPTIONSSELECTIONOnceanyofthefourmodulesisactivated,youneedtopresetyourunitsandotherdatausingthe[Changesetup]buttonwhichappearsbottomrightonallmodules-asshownbytheredarrowintheimagebelow.Itisrecommendednottousethebuttonsonthecalculationscreenitself(seebelow)tosetyourinitialunitsofchoice.Thesebuttonsareforfinetuningeachlineafterinitialunitsselectionismadeonthe[Changesetup]screen.The‘CalculationOptions’dialogincludes:Operatingpressures,liquiddensityoptions,availablecalculations,liquidorgasunitoptions,localorbaseconditions,pressuretaplocation,drainhole,etc.Optionsvarydependingonthecalculationscreenyouareworkingfrom.Note:youcansaveyourunitsselectionasyourdefault,butyouwillstillhavetoaccessthisdialogtosetotherconditionsfortheindividualcalculations.Onceyouhaveselectedyourdesiredunitsforcalculationonthisscreen,youmayfinetunetheindividualinputunitsonthecalculationscreenusingthelineitembuttonsasshownbelow.4UsethesebuttonsontheCalculationscreenforfinetuningafteryouhavemadeyourbaseunitselectionfromtheChangesetupoptionsscreen.53.0CONTROLVALVESTheControlValvemoduleoperatesviaaninteractionbetweenthetwodialogsshownbelow,theValveSizingdialogandtheSystemPressureDropdialog.LimiteddataisfirstenteredintotheValveSizingdialog(Normaldatacolumn),withthevalvepressuredropbeingestimatedifnotknown.InstruCalcallowsforNormal,MinimumandMaximumflowsituationstobeanalysed,basedonaproportionofthenominalflow.ItalwaysstartswithNormalflowwhichdefaultsto50%ofnominalflow.TheobjectiveofthecalculationistofirstselectandapproximatelyavalveforNormalflow–usuallyconsideredtobe50%ofa‘nominalflow’.Thesoftwarethenallowsfortherangeabilityoftheselectedvalvetobetested,ieitseffectiveperformancewithflowratesgreaterorlessthantheNormalflow.ThisrequirestheSystemPressureDropdialogtobeutilisedsincetheinletpressuretothevalvewillvarywithdifferentflowrates.VALVESIZINGDIALOGOUTLINEOncethefirstestimateofNormalflowconditionsismadeintheValveSizingdialog,thefluidandtypeofvalveselected,andthe[Normal]conditionscalculated,thisdataistransferredtotheSystemPressureDropdialogwherethepressuredropalongtheupstreamanddownstreamconnectingpipesisdeterminedtakingintoaccountanyadditionalfittings.Pipestart/endupstreamanddownstreampressuresaredefined.ThisdataisthentransferredbacktotheValveSizingNormaldialogwheretheinletpressuretothevalvemaybemodifiedtotakeintoaccountupstreampipeflowconditions.Thelinkisviathemenuoption[Otheroptions]ontheValveSizingdialog...Afterthisstagethe[Maxim]and[Minimum]flowconditionscanbeanalysed.6SYSTEMPRESSUREDROPDIALOGDataenteredintothisdialogdeterminesupstreamanddownstreampipeconditionsandmayamendthevalveinletpressureaccordingly.Calculationisviathe[Normal]buttonatthetopofthedatacolumn.CalculateddataisreturnedtotheValveSizingdialogviathebuttonsshownbelow.andreturnstotheValveSizingdialogwherethe[Normal]calculationneedstoberepeated.Herethevalveinletpressurewillbeamendeddependentonthedefinedconnectingpipeflowconditions.7OncetheNormalconditionshavebeenre-calculated,thescrollbarsbecomeactive.MovethemupordowntocalculatevariouspercentagesofNormal.TheSystemPressureDropdialogisnowautomaticallylinked,sothatvariationsinflowrateandsystempropertiesforboththevalveandtheadjoiningpipeworkaresimultaneouslycalculated–providingaguidetherangeabilityoftheselectedvalve.Note–alwaysmovetheMinimumscrollbarfirst,theMaximumscrollbarsecond.SUMMARYTheobjectiveofthecalculationistofirstsizeorselectavalveforNormalflow–usuallyconsideredtobe50%ofa‘nominalflow’.Thesoftwarethenallowsfortherangeabilityoftheselectedvalvetobetested,ieitseffectiveperformancewithflowratesgreaterorlessthantheNormalflow.Thisrequiressystempressured