Applicatio

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Solution

Summary
SIM4ME Portal with PRO/II
This example illustrates Automating Design Functions
customizing the SIM4ME - Line Sizing
Portal with Visual Basic
to size a line, and shows
the unlimited possibilities THE APPLICATION
when extending this A fundamental part of the
methodolgy. design process is the sizing of
the equipment. This time
intensive step utilizes
simulation data to calculate
Business Value the dimensions of vessels,
equipment, and process
Reduce costly plant piping. Often a design firm
design errors by tries to use a standard set
automating repetitive of sizing equations, whether
they are publicly accepted or
calculations.
proprietary. This process can
- Reduce the man-hours be quite tedious and prone to
required to manually errors if performed manually.
size and design the
process. Therefore, these calculations
Extend custom are typically performed in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This helps ensure
consistency as long as the equations are not altered and the data is copied corectly
calculations into Excel
from the simulation. SIM4ME Portal allows for the process data in PRO/II to be
using linked simulation directly linked to the Excel spreadsheet, eliminating these possible transfer errors.
data. In this way, the data can be continuously run through the simulation and used in
- Standardized calculations instantly without the bother and risk of manually entering the new data
calculations to ensure every time the process is changed.
consistency.
Reduce rework time and THE SOLUTION
the potential for errors
SIM4ME Portal reduces the engineering time required to complete a design project
by allowing users to automate the calculation process. The drag-and-drop features of
since simulation data is
SIM4ME Portal, along with the calculation capabilities of Excel, allow users to quickly
updated automatically. and easily automate the trial-and-error approach of line sizing.

The piping is first simulated in PRO/II at the desired flow conditions and the PRO/II
simulation is then linked to SIM4ME Portal. This particular application relies on some
simple Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming to create a trial-and-error
loop. Different pipe diameters are then used in the PRO/II simulation to calculate the
pressure drop. The VBA programming allows users to calculate the pipe diameter
in one of two ways: Solve for the diameter over a set diameter increment, or enter a
list of standard pipe sizes. In this case, the Portal application runs through a standard
set of diameters. Clicking the Run Pipe Sizing button executes the VBA program,
 causing the PRO/II model to automatically run with slightly larger pipe sizes each time until the
pressure drop threshold is met. The pressure drop result is sent from PRO/II to SIM4ME Portal at the
end of each simulation run, and the results are compared to the pressure drop threshold to determine
if pipe diameter needs to be increased. The program stops when the pressure drop is below the
specified threshold and the final pipe diameter is displayed.

This rudimentary example illustrates SIM4ME Portals power to automate standard calculations. This
solution saves time and money, increases consistency, and reduces the possibility for errors due to
manual data transfer. Working together with PRO/II and Excel, SIM4ME Portal empowers engineers to
become more efficient.

ABOUT SIM4ME PORTAL

SIM4ME Portal is an integration application
that facilitates the powerful combination
of Invensys' various process simulation
products with Microsoft Excel. SIM4ME
Portal creates an Excel spreadsheet that is
linked to a chosen simulator, allowing the
bidirectional transfer of applicable variables.
Broaden the use of simulation to reach a
new user base which historically has not had
access to simulations, such as novice process
operators, maintenance staff, engineers, and
management.

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