The model has an unusually short pipe

A model with a very short pipe requires a larger number of pipe sections in order to perform calculations. The more pipe sections in a model, the more computations there are that need to be performed, which results in a longer run time.

How are pipe lengths contributing to long run times?

To run a transient simulation, AFT Impulse sections pipes to apply the Method of Characteristics solution to the waterhammer equations. In any system there will be a single controlling pipe. The controlling pipe is the pipe with the fewest sections - generally one. AFT Impulse uses the length of a section in the controlling pipe to divide all pipes in the model into sections and determine a uniform time step for the transient simulation.

When the controlling pipe is unusually short, the other pipes in the model must be divided into many sections to apply the Method of Characteristics. The run time is proportional to the square of the number of sections, meaning many sections in a model will often cause extremely long run times.

Consider a model that has one 0.05 ft long pipe and 100 pipes that are each 10 ft long. Each 10 ft pipe would require 200 sections, requiring 20,000 sections overall. Modeling the very short pipe as 0.1 ft would reduce the number of sections by a factor of 2, which would potentially decrease the run time by a factor of 4. Alternatively if the very short pipe is not considered in the sectioning using one of the methods discussed below then the controlling pipe length would become 10 ft. With one section in each pipe this would decrease the number of sections from 20,000 to 100, decreasing the run time by a factor of 40,000.

What can the user do?

There are several different approaches to reduce run time. These approaches can work in parallel, and it is up to the engineer to make appropriate judgments as to which approach is best for the model.

Consider using the zero-length connector for very short pipes. Oftentimes two fittings in a system are connected with a very short pipe or are welded together directly. In AFT Impulse, it is common for users to attempt to model these connections using pipes with very short defined lengths. These short pipes offer little accuracy improvement and result in a large number of sections for the solver to calculate. This also causes significant time for the model to run. The zero-length connector option allows AFT Impulse to exclude the pipe from the sectioning process since it represents a lossless connection between two junctions. Zero-length connectors can be used in up to two sequential pipes, but intermediate branching flow is not allowed between two zero-length connector pipes.

Consider modeling fittings and losses in pipes and combining multiple short pipes. In the Pipe Properties window, use the Fittings & Losses tab to add in fittings to the pipe instead of using junctions on the workspace. This is useful to account for pressure losses without modeling large numbers of elbows or similar fittings. For example, a user can add valves and bends to a pipe, and the solver will still apply the losses directly to the pipe during the calculations. By removing these junctions and combining pipes in the workspace, many short pipes between these fittings are eliminated. Reducing and combing short pipes reduces the number of sections in the model and the overall run time.

Consider adding artificial length to short pipes. Adding length to short pipes increases the length of the controlling pipe, which results in fewer sections for the other pipes in the model. Reducing the overall number of sections in the model improves run time. Using pipe lengths that are common multiples, such as 5 feet, 10 feet, 15 feet, etc. provides improved sectioning since short pipes can be perfectly divided into longer pipes.