Simcenter FloMaster
Built for piping networks: hundreds of branches, valves, pumps and heat exchangers solved simultaneously, which single-device simulation cannot achieve.
Typical problems
Flow balancing
Which branch gets enough flow and which is starved — the classic problem of water, steam and compressed air distribution in a plant.
Water hammer
A sudden valve closure or a pump power loss creates a pressure surge large enough to break the pipe. FloMaster computes the surge amplitude and where the danger is.
Pipe and pump sizing
Diameters and pump ratings selected from a whole-system calculation.
Applications
- Plant water and steam systems — distribution, return, branch balancing
- Fuel and compressed air systems — pressure loss, compressor selection
- Transients — pump start-up, valve opening and closing, power failure
- Heat exchanger networks — temperature along the route and pipe heat losses
Coupled tools
Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Loss coefficients for complex components taken from 3D simulation into the network.
View details →Simcenter Amesim
For systems that also include controls and mechatronics beyond the fluid side.
View details →Applications at CFDWAYS
- Checking a piping network design before construction
- Identifying why a branch is starved of flow in an operating plant
- Assessing water hammer risk when the operating regime changes
Licensing & support
FloMaster is licensed by platform plus component libraries. For an organization that only needs one specific system checked, CFDWAYS can provide the analysis as a service instead of selling a license.
Indicative system requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
|---|---|
| CPU / RAM | A mid-range office PC is sufficient |
| Data required | P&ID diagrams, pump curves, fitting loss coefficients |
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from calculating losses in a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet handles a simple route. Once the network has closed loops, many parallel branches or transients, the whole network must be solved simultaneously in FloMaster.
What data is needed to start?
P&ID diagrams, pipe lengths and diameters, pump and valve characteristics. Without the component characteristics the results only show trends.
Is one branch of your piping network starved of flow?
Send the P&ID and operating parameters — CFDWAYS will make a preliminary assessment of the cause.