Piping Systems
Design pipe networks visually, solve flow distribution and pressure losses with Darcy-Weisbach, analyse pump curves and restriction orifices, and compare scenarios side by side.
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Last updated: August 2026
Overview
Piping Systems is a browser-based tool for designing and analysing pipe networks. Draw your system visually — tanks, pumps, valves, junctions — then solve for flow distribution, pressure losses, and velocities using industry-standard Darcy-Weisbach friction with K-factor minor losses.
Compare scenarios (e.g. normal vs. fire case), generate professional reports with embedded system diagrams and HGL/EGL plots, and share results through secure viewer links.
Access & Permissions
- Piping systems belong to a project and follow the standard project access rules.
- Files are locked while a review workflow is active.
- Shared links (7-day expiry) open in a read-only viewer.
Getting Started
- Open your project and click Add Piping System.
- Enter a name and description.
- Add your nodes (tanks, pumps, junctions…), connect them with pipes, configure the scenario, then click Calculate.
- Review the results table, the HGL/EGL diagram, and export a report when ready.
Build the system in the same order you would review it: establish sources and destinations, connect the network, configure the operating case, then solve and inspect the results.
Adding Nodes
Open the Add Node dialog and choose a type:
- Junction — a connection point with no stored energy.
- Tank / Pond / Pressure Vessel — atmosphere-known pressure sources (open water surface).
- Pump — adds pump head from a head-flow curve.
- Tee — branch connection.
- On/Off Valve — open or closed per scenario.
- Control Valve — Cv-based, with a percent-open per scenario.
Every node can be given a label and an elevation (m) — elevations drive the static head between nodes.
Adding Pipes & Fittings
Open the Add Pipe dialog and set:
- From / To — the nodes being connected.
- Diameter (mm), Length (m), and Material (Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, HDPE, PVC, and more).
- Flow (m³/h) — a known flow for the active scenario, if applicable.
- Fittings — click + Add Fitting to add elbows, valves, strainers, and other K-factor fittings from the built-in catalogue.
Every pipe must have a diameter, length, and material before the system can be solved.
Design vs Analysis Modes
Each scenario runs in one of two modes:
- Design — you provide pipe sizing, fitting counts, and flow requirements; the engine reports the required pressures, velocities, and friction losses (and sizes restriction orifices to a target flow).
- Analysis — you provide pump curves, Cv control valves, and orifice geometry; the engine finds the actual operating flow, head, and power where the pump curve meets the system resistance.
Pump Curves
- Each pump can hold a library of named pump curves (open the pump's curve dialog to manage them). Every curve entry stores its own head-flow, power, efficiency and NPSHr curves plus a reference speed and min/max speed range.
- One curve in the library is the default; each scenario can override it with a different curve via the per-scenario dropdown (or the Duplicate button to copy a scenario's curve references).
- Each curve entry also defines its own arrangement: Single pump, Pumps in parallel (flow × N at equal head), or Pumps in series (head × N at equal flow). Charts show the single-pump curve with a dashed Combined overlay.
- The engine fits a polynomial to the effective (combined) curve and finds the operating point by intersecting it with the computed system resistance curve; power is summed across pumps and efficiency/NPSHr are read at the per-pump flow.
- Supports variable speed via the affinity laws (Q ∝ r, H ∝ r², P ∝ r³), with auto-adjust to a target flow when enabled.
- Results include the pump head, flow, power, efficiency and NPSH margin at the operating point, plus per-pump flow/head for parallel/series arrangements.
- On the HGL/EGL diagram, the pump appears as a vertical head step on the hydraulic grade line.
Restriction Orifices
- Design mode (target flow): specify the target flow through the orifice and the engine solves for the required orifice diameter.
- Analysis mode (known diameter): enter the orifice diameter and the K-factor is computed directly.
- The discharge coefficient Cd is editable (default 0.6) per orifice.
- Multiple orifices are supported per system, and orifice diameter is validated against the pipe diameter with a warning.
Scenarios
- Run multiple scenarios per system (e.g. normal, fire, maintenance).
- Each scenario stores its own flows, valve positions, mode, pump speed targets, and per-pump pump curve reference.
- Switch scenarios from the dropdown; manage them via the Scenarios dialog.
- Compare flows, pressures, and velocities across scenarios in the Pipe Summary — All Scenarios table and the report.
Running Calculations & Results
- Ensure every pipe has a diameter, length, and material, and that known flows are set on the feed edges.
- Click Calculate.
- The engine solves flow distribution, friction losses, fitting losses, orifice pressure drops, and pump operating points.
- Results appear in the results table (per scenario): edge flows, velocities, node pressures, pump data, and system curve data.
Cycles in the network are allowed only when they pass through a pump (recirculation loops).
HGL / EGL Diagram
- After solving, view the Hydraulic Grade Line / Energy Grade Line chart in the results area — it plots the pressure (HGL) and energy (EGL) along the flow path for each branch.
- Branches are shown as separate tabs so you can inspect each flow path from source to sink.
- Open tanks, ponds, and pressure vessels anchor the HGL at their water surface; pumps show as a vertical head step; friction appears as the falling grade between nodes.
- The HGL/EGL diagram is included in the report and PDF export.
Reports & PDF
- Generate a detailed report with embedded SVG system diagrams, per-scenario pipe tables, pump operating data, and the HGL/EGL diagrams.
- A cross-scenario summary table compares scenarios side by side.
- Export the full report to PDF for submissions and records.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Calculate won't run / validation warnings | Every pipe needs a diameter (mm), length (m), and material. Check the validation messages and fix the highlighted pipes. |
| Orifice warning about diameter | The orifice diameter must be smaller than the pipe diameter. |
| Loop/cycle flagged | Cycles are allowed only when they pass through a pump (recirculation loops). Otherwise, break the loop or reconnect the network. |
| Pump has no operating point | Check the pump curve covers the system requirement — the head-flow curve and the system resistance curve must intersect. |
| HGL doesn't look right | Check node elevations and tank/pond water levels — the HGL is anchored at open water surfaces and falls with friction along the flow path. |
FAQ
What methods does the engine use?
Darcy-Weisbach friction with the Colebrook-White (Swamee-Jain) friction factor and the K-factor method for minor losses.
What is the difference between Design and Analysis mode?
Design sizes the network to a required flow and reports the pressures/losses; Analysis takes the actual pump/valve/orifice characteristics and finds the operating point.
Can I model recirculation loops?
Yes — cycles that pass through a pump are allowed and solved as recirculation loops.
What does the HGL/EGL diagram show?
The hydraulic grade line (pressure) and energy grade line along each branch from source to sink — with tanks anchoring the lines, pumps stepping the head, and friction falling the grades.