초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for analyzing steady state and transient flow in a complex fluid network, modeling phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics, external body forces such as gravity and centrifugal force and conjugate heat transfer. In some embodiments, a graphical user interface pr

A method and apparatus for analyzing steady state and transient flow in a complex fluid network, modeling phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics, external body forces such as gravity and centrifugal force and conjugate heat transfer. In some embodiments, a graphical user interface provides for the interactive development of a fluid network simulation having nodes and branches. In some embodiments, mass, energy, and specific conservation equations are solved at the nodes, and momentum conservation equations are solved in the branches. In some embodiments, contained herein are data objects for computing thermodynamic and thermophysical properties for fluids. In some embodiments, the systems of equations describing the fluid network are solved by a hybrid numerical method that is a combination of the Newton-Raphson and successive substitution methods.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A computer method for simulating a fluid network via a graphical user interface, the method comprising: receiving one or more data objects representing the fluid network from a user through the graphical user interface, wherein the one or more data objects represent nodes, branches, and

I claim: 1. A computer method for simulating a fluid network via a graphical user interface, the method comprising: receiving one or more data objects representing the fluid network from a user through the graphical user interface, wherein the one or more data objects represent nodes, branches, and components of the fluid network; displaying a diagram panel within a user interface, the diagram panel including respective graphical representation of the data objects that describe the fluid network, selectively displaying a data object attribute panel within the user interface, the data object attribute panel being distinct from the diagram panel; selectively displaying a resistance data object attribute panel within the user interface, wherein the resistance data object represent flow resistance in the fluid network; receiving respective values for one or more data objects, the respective values input by a user through the data object attribute panel; performing a simulation based on the one or more data objects and respective values received through the data object attribute panel and the resistance data object attribute panel; and causing an output panel to display results of the performed simulation. 2. The computer method of claim 1, the method further comprising: associating the data objects with one or more data object type; wherein the data object type is one or more boundary node, internal node, branch node, fluid heat transfer, component, or user defined. 3. The computer method of claim 2, wherein the values for one or more data objects is one or more thermofluid properties, geometric properties, relational properties, quantitative properties, boundary condition, initial condition, discretization, or momentum data. 4. The computer method of claim 3, wherein thermofluid properties can be selected from one or more pressure, temperature, density, concentration, enthalpy, entropy, gas constant, specific heat ratio, conductivity, viscosity, or pressure. 5. The computer method of claim 4, wherein the values for one or more data objects can be one or more measured signal, derived signal from measured parameters, or user supplied signal. 6. The computer method of claim 5, wherein the simulation analyzes steady state and transient flow in a complex fluid network to produce results that model one or more phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics, external body forces, fluid transient, waterhammer conditions, prediction of unsteady pressure, flowrate distribution, or conjugate heat transfer. 7. A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions for simulating a fluid network, the executable instructions capable of directing a processor to perform: receiving one or more data objects representing the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface, wherein the one or more data objects represent nodes, branches, and components of the fluid network; displaying a diagram panel within a user interface, the diagram panel including respective graphical representation of the data objects that describe the fluid network, selectively displaying a data object attribute panel within the user interface, the data object attribute panel being distinct from the diagram panel; selectively displaying a resistance data object attribute panel within the user interface, wherein the resistance data object represent flow resistance in the fluid network; receiving respective values for one or more data objects, the respective values being inputted by a user through the data object attribute panel; performing a simulation based on the one or more data objects and the respective values received through the data object attribute panel and the resistance data object attribute panel; and causing an output panel to display results of the performed simulation. 8. The computer-accessible medium of claim 7, the medium further comprising executable instructions capable of directing a processor to perform: associating the data objects with one or more data object type; wherein the data object type is one or more boundary node, internal node, branch node, fluid heat transfer, or component. 9. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein the values for one or more data objects is one or more thermofluid properties, geometric properties, relational properties, quantitative properties, boundary condition, initial condition, discretization, or momentum data; wherein thermofluid properties can be selected from one or more of temperature, density, concentration, enthalpy, entropy, gas constant, specific heat ratio, conductivity, viscosity, or pressure; wherein the values for one or more data objects can be one or more measured signal, derived signal from measured parameters, or user supplied signal. 10. A computer system for simulating a fluid network comprising: a processor; a storage device coupled to the processor; and software means operative on the processor for: (i) receiving one or more data objects representing the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface, wherein the one or more data objects represent nodes, branches, and components of the fluid network; (ii) causing a diagram panel to display a graphical representation of the data objects that describe the fluid network, (iii) selectively displaying a data object attribute panel within the user interface, the data object attribute panel being distinct from the diagram panel; (iv) selectively displaying a resistance data object attribute panel within the user interface, wherein the resistance data object represent flow resistance in the fluid network; (v) receiving respective values for one or more data objects, the respective values being inputted by a user through the data object attribute panel; (vi) performing a simulation based on the one or more data objects and the respective values received through the data object attribute panel and the resistance data object attribute panel; and (vii) causing an output panel to display results of the performed simulation. 11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the software means further associates the data objects with a select one or more data object type; wherein the data object type is one or more boundary node, internal node, branch node, fluid heat transfer, or component. 12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the values for one or more data objects is one or more thermofluid properties, geometric properties, relational properties, quantitative properties, boundary condition, initial condition, discretization, or momentum data. 13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein thermofluid properties can be selected from one or more pressure, temperature, density, concentration, enthalpy, entropy, gas constant, specific heat ratio, conductivity, viscosity, or pressure. 14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the values for one or more data objects can be one or more measured signal, derived signal from measured parameters, or user supplied signal. 15. A computer method for simulating a fluid network via a graphical user interface, the method comprising: receiving boundary node objects that represent one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface; receiving internal node objects that represents one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface; receiving branch node objects that represent one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface; receiving fluid heat transfer objects that represent one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface; receiving component objects that represent one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface; causing a diagram panel to display a graphical representation of the received data objects that represent the one or more elements of the fluid network, receiving values for one or more of the received data objects from a user through a data object attribute panel, the attribute panel being distinct from the diagram panel; performing a simulation based on the one or more of the received data objects and the values received through the data object attribute panel; and causing an output panel to display results of the performed simulation. 16. A computer method for simulating a fluid network, the method comprising: receiving a model of the fluid network from a user through a graphical user interface, wherein the model is one or more data objects that represent nodes, branches, and components of the fluid network; receiving fluid heat transfer objects that represent one or more elements of the fluid network from a user through a user interface; selectively displaying a resistance data object attribute panel within the graphical user interface, wherein the resistance data object represent flow resistance in the fluid network; processing the received model, received heat transfer objects, and any selected resistance data object to determine a simultaneous solution to one or more representation of fluid, solid, or nodes; processing the simultaneous solution to determine successive substitution of the one or more representation of fluid, solid, or nodes; processing the simultaneous solution and successive substitution to determine the property of the one or more representation of fluid, solid, or nodes; repeating the processing to determine a simultaneous solution, processing to determine successive substitution, and processing to determine the property of the one or more representation of fluid, solid, or nodes until a predetermined convergence criterion is satisfied; and controlling the computer to display in an output panel the determined property that satisfied convergence criterion. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined simultaneous solution is one or more mass conservation, momentum conservation, or equation of state. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mass conservation is defined by the pressure of one or more solid, or fluid; wherein the momentum conservation is defined by the flowrate of the fluid; wherein the equation of state is defined by the resident mass of one or more fluid, or solid. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the successive substitution is one or more energy conservation of fluid, or energy conservation of solid. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the energy conservation of fluid is defined by the enthalpy and thermodynamic properties of one or more fluid, or solid. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the energy conservation of solid is defined by the temperature of solid, fluid, or ambient node. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the convergence criterion is where the difference between correction of a current iteration and a prior iteration is less than and arbitrary value set by the user. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein controlling the computer is automatically selecting one or more output display panel, printer, or charting package.