PROTO-FLO^TM calculates steady-state incompressible flows, pressures and temperatures through complex piping systems. The user defines the system parameters in an interactive easy-to-learn, easy-to-use environment with the flexibility to model simple or complex piping and flow schemes.

Effectively Model Thermal-Hydraulic Systems

Utility engineers often must evaluate the performance of power plant systems to assess the impact of plant changes, to demonstrate conformance with plant licensing basis, and to minimize costs for maintenance and operations. These evaluations include changes in operating procedures as well as equipment replacement to optimize utilization of each plant system. Computer modeling of thermal-hydraulic systems provides a consistent, reproducible, verifiable, and cost effective method to evaluate system procedural and/or equipment changes and resultant changes in system performance. Computer modeling can also be used to establish preventative maintenance programs by identifying points of high temperature, low velocity (silting concerns), and high velocity (erosion concerns).

Proto-Power has developed PROTO-FLO Windows-based computer software for modeling and analyzing the thermal-hydraulic performance of safety and non-safety related power plant systems. PROTO-FLO has been developed and validated in accordance with Proto-Power’s Nuclear Software Quality Assurance Program, which has been audited and accepted by major utilities.

Features:

Multiple Types of Control Valves

(1) Flow Control Valves
(2) Pressure Control Valves (Upstream or Downstream)
(3) Temperature Control Valves (Service or System)
(4) DP Control Valves

• User defined valve throttling characteristics
• Ability to override control setpoint with fixed position
• Cavitation constant and choked flow calculation

User Defined Pump Curves

• Input multiple pump curves for each pump (Design, Actual, Degraded, etc.)
• Generate pump curves based on actual field test data (5 to 20 points)
• Transform curves by:
• Polynomial Curvefit Smoothing
• Degrade curve by flow and/or head
• Flow through non-operating pumps can be modeled as user defined resistance

User Defined Fluid Properties

• User Defined Equations
• Fit Data With Polynomial Curvefit
• Output flags if temperatures are outside user defined range
• Properties Defined are:
• Density (required)
• Dynamic Viscosity (required)
• Vapor Pressure (cavitation flagging)
• Specific Heat (thermal calculations)
• Thermal Conductivity (thermal calculations)

Formatted Output

• Choose from 18 formatted reports
• Print only what you need
• Support for Windows Printer Drivers
• View Reports before printing
• Export data to various applications

Thermal Balancing

Heat exchangers are modeled with one of three methods:

(1) Specified heat load in BTU/hr
(2) Specified heat transfer coefficient U, heat exchanger area, service flow and temperature
(3) Calculated heat transfer coefficient for shell and tube heat exchangers

• Users may define fluid properties
• Boundary condition temperatures and heat exchanger outlets are balanced through an open or closed system.

BalanceFlows to Determine:

(1) Valve Positions
(2) Orifice Diameters
(3) Component Differential Pressure
(4) Misc. Resistance (K & L/D)

• Balance Multiple Pipe Sections
• Cavitation Constant and Choked Flow Calculation

Additional Features Include:

PROTO-FLO’s Library of Standard Data

• Pipe Schedules
• Material Roughness and Lining Thickness
• Valve Characteristic Curves
• Fluid Properties
• User can Supplement Library Data

User Defined Operating Alignments

• Pump Status
• Valve Positions and Control Parameters
• Heat Exchanger Heat Loads or Service Conditions
• Boundary Conditions
• Alignments are Saved as Cases and Recalled with a click of the mouse

Relief Valves Modeled Using ASME Capacity Certification Data

Check Valves Can Be Modeled

• Partially Open Check Valves
• Reverse Flow Through Check Valves

Initial Guesses Can Be Updated to Reduce Run-Time for Subsequent Analyses

Convergence Criteria Can Be Set to Meet the User’s Requirements

Pipe Breaks Can Be Modeled at Any Free Node

On-Line Context Sensitive Help

• Full User Documentation On-Line in Windows Help File Format

Technical Support provided by a combination of Power Plant System Engineers and Computer Specialists who are well acquainted with design and regulating issues

System analysis services also available to support model development, conversion, and use.

Nuclear Quality Assurance (10CFR50 and 10CFR21) Validation Program and Error Reporting