Pipeline and Hydraulic Design

Stage 01 · Source basis

Source & Duty Definition

Declare flow, fluid, elevations, and cases.

Purpose

Declare the fluid, design-flow cases, boundary pressures, static elevation difference, and operating scenarios before line sizing or equipment review.

Next decision

Translate the duty into a pipe network and elevation profile.

Engineering questions

What normal, minimum, maximum, startup, shutdown, and credible transient cases govern?
What are the source and destination levels, boundary pressures, and available hydraulic head?
What fluid density, viscosity, temperature, solids, and material/pressure-class requirements apply?

Key inputs

Normal / minimum / maximum design flow casesm³/h
Fluid temperature range°C
Source and destination boundary pressuresbar
Source-to-destination elevation differencem
Fluid identity, density, viscosity, and solids basisproject basis
Startup, shutdown, trip, and transient casesproject basis

Key outputs

Declared design-flow casesm³/h
Declared static-head and elevation basism
Declared fluid-property basisproject basis

Design Considerations

Unit conversion can normalize values but does not establish design flow, fluid properties, source/destination boundary conditions, or operating cases.
Surge and transient analysis are outside the current live tool boundary and require a separate system model where applicable.

Tools for this stage

Available Unit Converter Supporting: normalize declared flow, pressure, and length units before hydraulic review. Open tool

Engineering guidance Source & Duty Definition No current ATLAS tool defines the full flow envelope, fluid-property basis, static head, boundary conditions, or transient cases for a pipeline project.

Supporting research

No stage-specific research mapping is published for this boundary.

Stage 02 · Other

Pipe Network

Map lines, fittings, elevations, and interfaces.

Purpose

Assemble the line, branch, elevation, fitting, valve, material, pressure-class, and layout information needed for separate per-run hydraulic checks.

Next decision

Evaluate major and minor losses for each critical line case.

Engineering questions

Which line lengths, internal diameters, roughness/materials, fittings, valves, pressure classes, and boundaries are known?
Where are high and low points, air pockets, drains, isolation points, and equipment interfaces?
Which branches and operating modes change flow distribution, balancing, or construction sequence?

Key inputs

Line list, branches, and network connectivityPCF / JSON / project basis
Per-line design-flow casesm³/h
Internal diameter and wall / schedule basismm
Material, roughness, and pressure-class basisproject specification
Design pressure and class basisbar / project code
Route elevations and high / low pointsm
PCF / JSON geometry and component records, where availablefile / project basis

Key outputs

Reviewed line / branch topology and geometryengineering review
Declared material and pressure-class verification basisengineering review

Design Considerations

PCFforge reviews and edits supported model geometry/topology and material take-offs; it does not solve network hydraulics or verify piping-code compliance.
Pipe Friction evaluates one selected run and cannot model simultaneous multi-branch flow, network balancing, or system curves.
Material, pressure-class, stress, support, constructability, and code checks remain project engineering responsibilities.

Tools for this stage

Available PCFforge Piping Topology Workbench Conditional: review supported PCF / JSON topology, branch continuity, and material take-offs; not a hydraulic network solution. Open tool Available Pipe Friction & Pressure Drop Calculator Supporting: screen an individual pipe run and selected fittings; it does not solve network interactions. Open tool

Engineering guidance Pipe Network No current ATLAS tool solves a full network, balances parallel branches, or validates pressure class, piping code, stress, supports, and constructability.

Supporting research

No stage-specific research mapping is published for this boundary.

Stage 03 · Other

Friction & Pressure Evaluation

Check loss, fittings, valves, and elevation.

Purpose

Evaluate velocity and pressure loss for a declared single-run case, including friction, selected fittings/valves, and that run’s elevation change.

Next decision

Locate air-management points before finalizing equipment interfaces.

Engineering questions

Does each critical line diameter keep velocity and single-run losses within project limits?
What friction/minor loss and static elevation contribution apply to each operating case?
How will the line results be assembled into system total dynamic head, a pump system curve, and an operating point?

Key inputs

Per-run design flowm³/h
Internal pipe diametermm
Inlet / boundary pressurebar
Fluid temperature / property basis°C
Pipe roughness and materialmm / project basis
Run elevation changem
Selected fittings and valve counts for one runitem count
Externally assembled system TDH by operating casem
Selected pump duty / system-curve basis, if availableproject basis

Key outputs

Calculated line velocitym/s
Single-run friction and minor-loss pressure dropkPa
Single-run elevation contributionm
Single-run outlet / pressure screenbar

Design Considerations

Pipe Friction uses Darcy-Weisbach with a Swamee-Jain friction-factor approximation, selected fitting references, and water properties; transitional flow and some fitting-loss regimes are screening-only.
A single-run result is not total dynamic head for a full route, pump system curve, pump operating point, or multi-branch network solution.
The calculator does not model surge, water hammer, pressure-class compliance, structural loads, or transient operation.

Tools for this stage

Available Pipe Friction & Pressure Drop Calculator Primary: screen velocity, Darcy-Weisbach friction, selected fitting/valve losses, elevation, and outlet pressure for one pipe run. Open tool

Engineering guidance Friction & Pressure Evaluation No current ATLAS tool assembles complete-system total dynamic head, pump curves, network hydraulics, or transient / water-hammer cases.

Supporting research

No stage-specific research mapping is published for this boundary.

Stage 04 · Other

High Points & Air Management

Screen air-valve geometry and placement.

Purpose

Identify preliminary air-release and vacuum-protection locations from the pipeline profile and operating context.

Next decision

Confirm the equipment and actuation duty at the selected valve interfaces.

Engineering questions

Where can air collect or sub-atmospheric pressure occur across fill, drain, shutdown, and normal operation?
Which profile high points and changes in grade warrant air-valve review?
What airflow, pressure, capacity, hydraulic grade, and surge checks are required before selecting valves?

Key inputs

Pipeline flow and operating casesm³/h
Pipeline pressure envelopebar
Route profile and elevationsm
High / low points and valve placement criteriaengineering basis
Fill, drain, vacuum, and transient scenariosproject basis

Key outputs

Preliminary air-valve placement geometryengineering screen
Required capacity / pressure / transient verificationengineering review

Design Considerations

Air Valve Layout provides preliminary placement geometry only; airflow, capacity, pressure/HGL behavior, and transient response require separate engineering verification.
The tool does not size surge protection or establish a final air-valve model or manufacturer.

Tools for this stage

Available Pipeline Air Valve Geometry Screening Primary: screen preliminary placement from pipe length or an elevation profile; capacity and transient checks remain separate. Open tool

Engineering guidance High Points & Air Management No ATLAS tool calculates air-valve capacity, system HGL, surge response, or surge-protection requirements.

Supporting research

No stage-specific research mapping is published for this boundary.

Stage 05 · Other

Equipment Selection Review

Connect hydraulic duty to equipment needs.

Purpose

Carry the declared valve torque, supply pressure, failure position, line loss, materials, and operating cases into preliminary equipment review.

Next decision

Carry the hydraulic and equipment basis into detailed design, transient analysis, and procurement review.

Engineering questions

What pump duty and system curve establish the required operating point for each case?
What valve opening/closing torque, safety factors, and full-stroke profile apply?
What air-supply range, spring return, failure position, and actuator arrangement are required?
What pressure class, material compatibility, controls, vendor curves, and site standards must be verified?

Key inputs

Equipment operating-flow casem³/h
Externally assembled total system TDH by casem
Selected pump curve / duty basis and operating casesproject basis
Valve / actuator pressure and air-supply basisbar
Associated single-run line-loss basiskPa
Valve torque demand and full-stroke profileN·m
Air/spring torque curves, actuation mode, and failure positionvendor/project basis
Valve / actuator materials and serviceproject specification
Valve design pressure classproject specification

Key outputs

Entered demand versus air / spring torque comparisonN·m
Declared actuation/failure basis for vendor reviewengineering review
Declared supply and design pressure basisbar
Vendor and project verification requirementsengineering review

Design Considerations

Pneumatic Actuator Selector compares user-entered valve demand with entered air and spring torque curves; it does not select a final manufacturer/catalog actuator or validate the valve.
Pipe Friction can recheck only one line case; it does not confirm total system head, pressure class, materials, or operating point.
Final equipment selection requires vendor data, applicable code/design checks, safety factors, and project standards.

Tools for this stage

Available Pneumatic Actuator Torque Comparator Primary: compare declared valve torque demand with entered air and spring torque curves across the stroke; no catalog actuator is selected. Open tool Available Pipe Friction & Pressure Drop Calculator Supporting: recheck the associated single-run pressure-loss case; not a pump or network duty calculation. Open tool

Engineering guidance Equipment Selection Review No current ATLAS tool selects a final pump, valve, pressure class, or catalog actuator from the complete pipeline duty.

Supporting research

No stage-specific research mapping is published for this boundary.

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Pipeline and Hydraulic Design

Pipeline Hydraulics Decision Train

Tools for Stage 01 — Source & Duty Definition

Tools for Stage 02 — Pipe Network

Tools for Stage 03 — Friction & Pressure Evaluation

Tools for Stage 04 — High Points & Air Management

Tools for Stage 05 — Equipment Selection Review

Source & Duty Definition

Tools for this stage

Supporting research

Pipe Network

Tools for this stage

Supporting research

Friction & Pressure Evaluation

Tools for this stage

Supporting research

High Points & Air Management

Tools for this stage

Supporting research

Equipment Selection Review

Tools for this stage

Supporting research

Research and Intelligence Context