PCC index

Details

Purpose

The PCC application is useful for the calculation, design and management of pipe classes and pipe class components. With the reporting and exporting facilities, the user can make custom reports.

The help pages provide information about the user interface of the software and where necessary the relation to the relevant codes and standards.

Description

A pipe class (or piping class) is a collection of piping components that are suitable for certain process conditions. A pipe class is a set of standards and specifications that define how a piping system is designed and constructed.

Each pipe class specifies:

  • Pipe material (e.g., carbon steel, stainless steel)

  • Pressure-temperature rating

  • Wall thickness (schedule or rating)

  • Flange rating and type

  • Valve types and materials

  • Fittings (elbows, tees, reducers, caps, etc.)

  • Joining method (welded, threaded, etc.)

Engineers can easily select components that are compatible and safe for a given service (like steam, oil, gas, or water).

The PCC application from Red-Bag allows the engineer to develop the pipe classes with pipe, flange and fittings from the international standards which are stored in the standards database. The pipe class components can be calculated as per various calculation codes. The calculation can be a quick calculation of the complete pipe class, the main calculation results per component in a list or detail calculations with the formulas per component and pressure temperature combination. The printing and exporting capabilities allow the engineer to use normal office tools to further edit the reports or to send the reports via e-mail as an attachment.

The pipe class development and maintenance with PCC will save the engineer many hours of work.

The application is developed for:

  • Process plant end-users
  • Engineering Contractors
  • Manufacturers of pipe components

At Red-Bag we endeavor to develop software that is fun to work with and will save the user many hours of valuable time. 

Getting started

This 'Getting Started' section gives an introduction to the key features of PCC. For detailed description of these features refer to other sections in this help manual.

In this introduction you will design a new pipe class in a new project. You have probably already started the program and are looking at the main window or at the project selection window. If not, then start the program and select 'Cancel' when the project needs to be selected.

PCC main window

Figure: PCC main window

All pipe classes are organized in projects. You can make as many projects as you like. We will create a new project with a new pipe class:

  1. In PCC main window menu choose 'File' > 'New Project'. The window PCC project data will open, like when the PCC program started.
  2. In the PCC project data window enter a project number, for example 'P-1600-01'
  3. Enter the project description, names and location
  4. Select the design code of your choice
  5. Click the 'OK' button

The results of the calculation check will be used to facilitate the checking of the calculations. The color marks will appear in the Summary Sheet to identify the design margins or problem area's in the pipe class.

After clicking the 'OK' button in the PCC project data window the PCC projects window has opened, showing the projects in the database. If not highlighted, select the project 'P-1600-01' and click the button 'Open'.

The main PCC window is now shown. In the menu at the top of the window click the green (+) button for a new Pipe Class.

The edit pipe class window has opened, enter the Pipe Class Number in the Pipe Class field with 'B-5033'.

Complete the remaining fields as appropriate.

  1. Select the tab 'PT rating'.
  2. Select a flange rating standard.
  3. Select a flange material group for example '1.1'. This is a carbon group.
  4. Click the button 'Import'.
  5. A dialog box will open to ask whether you want to replace existing PT combinations, click the 'Yes' button.

Figure: pipe class PT rating

Select the tab 'Settings'. You can change the default values for each new pipe class. The current default values can be used as a first start. Each newly created component will get these defaults. 

Pipe class setting - cap

Figure: pipe class settings

Select the tab 'Standards'. Select in the fields the desired default standards for default materials and dimensions. These selections will help the user to complete the component selection more efficiently. Each newly created component will get these defaults.

Figure: pipe class standards

Select the tab line 'Sizes' to select the relevant line sizes for this pipe class. The remaining available line sizes will not be applicable to the pipe class.

Line size selection

Figure: pipe class sizes

Select the required sizes by pressing the '>>' button.

Select the tab 'Calculation' to change optionally the calculation options for the calculation code.

Click the 'OK' button to save and close the window. For further information on customizing preselections of a pipe class see PCC pipe class edit window.

The entered project and pipe class data will be used in all tabs of the main window to give an organised overview. The tab Pipe Class Component gives an organised summary overview of all components. Tab branch Table gives an organised overview of all branches. The tab Two Size Table gives an organised overview of all components that do not have a branch. The tab Note List gives an overview of all pipe class notes.

We continue this introduction with the selection of flange components. This demonstrates the generic selection of components without a branch. 

In the menu of the main window select 'PCC' > 'Flanges' > 'Flange' for regular flanges or use the tool bar button with flange icon.

Flange selection window

Figure: flange selection window

  1. Select in the left table with the mouse a serie of line sizes (rows) for which the material and schedule/rating will be the same.
  2. Select the data in the fields at the right, you will see the table is updated accordingly.
  3. In this window complete the above step for the remaining sizes.
  4. Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog.

Continue this introduction for other components of the pipe class similarly as is demonstrated for the flanges. For components with a branch the selection dialogs look different, but have the same approach. We continue with the selection of tees. 

Tee selection window

Figure: Tee selection window

  1. Select in the left table with the mouse a serie of branch line sizes (cells) for which the material and schedule/rating will be the same.
  2. Select the data in the fields at the right, you will see the table is updated accordingly.
  3. In this window complete the above step for the remaining sizes.
  4. Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog.

Continue this introduction for other components of the pipe class similarly as is demonstrated for the tees.

When all components are selected you can continue with the calculations. It is possible to get different presentations of the calculations:

  1. A summary of all calculations to quickly see if there are errors.
  2. A short overview of the calcutions per component type. A short error description is shown per component.
  3. A detailed calculation per component. All calculation results are shown. You can check all input and trace the reason of errors.

We continue with demonstrating a detailed calculation of a pipe:

  1. From the menu of the main window select 'PCC' > 'Detail calculations' or press <F7>
  2. Click the button 'Pipe' at the top of the new 'PCC Detail Calculation Report' window
  3. Select a size and pressure / temperature combination of your choice to view the applicable calculation

Detail calculation window

Figure: detail calculation window

Notice the calculation assessment section below the calculation window. Warnings and errors appear in case the calculation results are not according the code.