FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes, Synergi Pipeline Simulator can do all types of pipeline and pump station surge analysis, including but not limited to valve closures, pump trips, bubble formation / bubble collapse, and pump starts. Flexflo (a.k.a. Grove 887), Danflo, and fast-acting surge relief valves, as well as pumps – with or without variable frequency drives (VFD) – are modelled in detail. Control systems with both proportional integral derivative (PID) controls and programmable logic controllers (PLC) logic.

Certainly. Synergi Pipeline Simulator can be used for pipeline leak detection. Synergi Pipeline Simulator uses live SCADA data to drive a model and identify inconsistencies, such as leaks. Alarms (and other model results), synthetic SCADA measurements, and much more can be fed back to SCADA.

Yes, Synergi Pipeline Simulator provides a training environment for pipeline operators. The Trainer application can be used in a stand-alone, off-the-shelf environment or can be interfaced to a pipeline SCADA console to achieve the most realistic training experience possible. Like a flight simulator might be used to train and qualify pilots, Synergi Pipeline Simulator Trainer allows for training pipeline controllers on both normal operating procedures and abnormal operating procedures (AOP). The Operator Qualification Module (OQM) can automate the entire training and certification process and includes reports for management.

Yes. There are different types of power and cost optimization analyses that can be done using Synergi Pipeline Simulator. You can obtain pump power usage information and use it to calculate costs. This can also be used to optimize and calculate DRA (Drag Reducing Agent) costs. Quick simulations can be run to analyse changes from pump modifications. Or for larger studies, Synergi Pipeline Simulator Model Lab can generate tabular style results table for multiple variables (parametric studies).

There are two install options available, standalone and network licensed. The software can be installed on one computer with a standalone license. The network license option provides licenses to be checked out by multiple users and provides too for someone to check out one of the available network licences and run untethered for up to 30 days.

It’s both. The software can be used in an offline mode for steady state system design & transient modelling as well as a transient trainer that mimics pipeline operation scenarios. SPS can also function in real-time for models driven by SCADA systems, for leak detection and for look-ahead predictive analytics.

There are two purchase options available; we offer a perpetual (permanent) purchase option for companies that own pipelines, or the software can be leased with term options to suit project-based scenarios.

Yes, Synergi Pipeline Simulator supports full bi-directional interfaces with other systems, including but not limited to OPCTM (Open Platform Communications), custom API interfaces, and MODBUS® that can be used to integrate an existing SCADA system with Synergi Pipeline Simulator.

Yes to both. Column separation occurs when pressure in a system drops below vapour pressure from, for example, pump failures or emergency shutdown (ESD) valve closures. A vapour cavity forms in a small fraction of the pipe while the liquid columns on either side of the pipe accelerate. Sudden collapse of the bubble causes a spike in pressure (water hammer). Slack line flow occurs when the hydraulic grade line and the elevation intersect, typically in mountainous regions. In slack line flow, the liquid flows along the bottom of the pipe while a static vapour cavity occupies the upper portion of the pipe.

Yes, depending upon the operating conditions, different equations of state are available in Synergi Pipeline Simulator to choose from to model dense phase liquids such as propane, butane, ethane, cryogenic and non-cryogenic LNG, dense phase CO2, etc.