Patent ID: 6748349
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: G05B,G06F

Abstract:
A process for analyzing steady state and transient flow in a complex fluid network to provide modeling of phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics, and external body forces, which process comprises the following cooperative combination of procedural steps and major structural elements implemented on a computer:(a) a main program readable on the computer for driving all subroutines, which are set forth hereinafter; (b) a first subroutine for interactively generating input specifications including numbering and classifying nodes and connecting branches for defining a flow model, as well as initial and boundary conditions; (c) a second subroutine in cooperation with the first subroutine for writing the input specifications into a text file; (d) a third subroutine for reading the input specifications from the text file; (e) a fourth subroutine for generating a trial solution by interacting with the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth subroutine as set forth herein below; (f) a fifth subroutine for supplying time dependent boundary conditions; (g) a sixth subroutine for printing header information, the initial and boundary conditions, and all variables at nodes and branches; (h) a seventh subroutine for conducting a Newton-Raphson solution of mass conservation, flow rate, and energy conservation equations by interacting with each of the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh subroutines as set forth hereinafter; (i) an eighth subroutine for interacting with the seventh subroutine and generating the mass conservation, flow rate, and energy conservation equations; (j) a ninth subroutine for interacting with the seventh subroutine and calculating coefficients of correction equations; (k) a tenth subroutine for interacting with the seventh subroutine and solving the correction equations by Gaussian elimination method; (l) an eleventh subroutine for interacting with the seventh subroutine and updating each variable after corrections have been applied; (m) a twelfth subroutine for obtaining a solution of enthalpy by a successive substitution method; (n) a thirteenth subroutine for obtaining a solution of concentrations by a successive substitution method; (o) a fourteenth subroutine for calculating fluid density at each node; (p) a fifteenth subroutine for calculating resistance for each branch, following the calculation of fluid density at each node; (q) a sixteenth subroutine for calculating thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, helium, nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, argon, neon, and fluorine; (r) a seventeenth subroutine for calculating thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of water; (s) an eighteenth subroutine for reading thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of kerosene from the property tables; and (t) a nineteenth subroutine for printing all variables at nodes and branches to file.