
with Duncan McElrue, Senior Support Engineering CADWorx® & Analysis
Insider Blog had a chat with Duncan McElrue, Senior Support Engineer for Analysis Solutions to discuss the upcoming HxGN LOCAL CAUx EMIA and get some sneak peeks about the PV Elite track.
You will be presenting on PV ELITE at the upcoming HxGN LOCAL CAUx EMIA – could you tell us a little bit about what you are going to present + why visitors should definitely attend the PV Elite track?
DM: I’m going to present two sessions in the PV Elite track; an opening session on the use of safe stresses in pressure vessel design, then a session on the design of a fixed heat exchanger. Sometimes, even an experienced mechanical engineer may have put it to the back of his or her mind the basis on which pressure vessel design is done. The engineer’s primary concern is safety and taking all the precautions necessary to prevent failure. We will explore appropriate margins of safety that are built into Vessel Design Codes and, why, for instance, ASME Section VIII, Division 1, is so safe. We will review stress basics and their application to pressure vessel design. For the heat exchanger session, we will demonstrate building this type of pressure vessel, involving heat exchange, or transfer, between two fluids that are separated by a solid, and take delegates through the input choices available during a build. PV Elite only requires a limited number of components of the main pressure vessel, or pressure envelope, to be modeled so that the Tube, or Channel, and the Shell sides can be specified. We don’t actually have to model all the main vessel elements or components in order to get the analysis of the heat exchanger parts that we might be most interested in.
As Senior Support Engineer with years of experience working with PV Elite, what are your favorite features of the software? What makes PV Elite so unique?
DM: Naturally, application designers want their software to stand out from the crowd. PV Elite does this by offering a minimum input type interface backed up by good help and documentation. PV Elite has consistent, concise, well laid out tabbed input windows or dialogs to allow users to enter relevant data for components so that appropriate analysis can be undertaken. The 3D and 2D graphics show a clear model of the vessel as it is built. An individual component analysis is also available separately. Once users have used it once or twice, they quickly get used to it and often remark on how quick it is to get an initial analysis done, for example, to determine the component wall thickness required for particular operating conditions.
Are there any upcoming updates to PV Elite? Any interesting news in the near future?
DM: There are always Vessel Design Code updates with ASME Division 1 on a 2-year cycle. ASME has removed Appendix 1-9 and 1-10 from Division 1 (we must keep them for users that will need them for re-rating in the future). Division 2 will introduce Class 1 vessels. A new database with allowables based on a 3:1 tensile factor will be introduced. Class 2 vessels are traditional Division 2 vessels. ASME ‘UHX’ and Division 2 Calculations for Fixed type heat exchangers that have Eccentric or Concentric cones on the shell side will be introduced. On-demand tooltips will be available on components in the 3D graphics. New style Input grids will be available in the List Dialog…just to name a few.
What are your favorite memories/experiences from previous CAUx?
DM: I’ve delivered both PV Elite and CAESAR II sessions in past CAUs and am always pleased with the relevant questions that delegates raise and also the wide range of knowledge that they have and how willing they are to contribute in these sessions and give their opinions. It is good to see such enthusiasm in these sessions. Naturally, it is also nice to have a pleasant venue which I have been fortunate with in the past.
What are you personally looking forward to during CAUx Express EMIA 2017?
DM: Even though I can’t attend all product presentations/sessions myself, it is nice to be able to access the material afterward to improve my product knowledge and it can be very helpful in future support work. It’s always nice to return to the Netherlands and Leiden, and visit some of the surrounding areas between work engagements. I’m also looking forward to visiting Madrid and, hopefully, getting a taste of some of the local seafood.
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