TRIFLEX® Version 3.0.0 Enhancements & Modifications

January 19, 2006

Enhancements

1. Expanded Data Point Output – TRIFLEX® output reports are configured to give calculated data at those locations necessary to evaluate the system response. A new option has been added in the Model Defaults Dialog, which expands the output so that data is given in the reports for each Run Begin as well as each Run End. This will alleviate some problems previously faced when a restraint in the absence of other system geometry changes resulted in a discontinuity in shear stress, which was not reported. Care should be exercised when using this option, however, since it may lead to extremely long reports containing quite a bit of repetitious information.

2. Load Case Combination – The capability has been added such that load cases defined and calculated may be combined, using a variety of methods, into a new case. This new combined case has all the properties of a case defined from the outset, before the calculation. It may be viewed using the View Analysis spreadsheet, the Code Compliance spreadsheet, or any applicable Special Reports. Further, once defined, a case can be used in the definition of other combined cases.

3. Save to Previous Version – Previously data files created and saved in given version of TRIFLEX® were not available to be opened and examined in an earlier version. Starting with this version of the program, files can now be saved which will be compatible with earlier versions. When such a file is saved, however, it may loose data which is not recognized by the earlier version, and when reloaded into the current version that lost data will be replaced by whatever defaults may apply. Also, the version of the program with which the file was saved may now be seen using the “Main Menu/Utilities/Data File” command.

4. Font Selection – Output report spreadsheets may now be viewed and printed with a font face and size selected by the user. In order to change the font, use the “Main Menu / Setup / Set Report Font” menu item. All row and column sizes have been adjusted such that all data is included on the initial report, regardless of the font used.

5. Codeti French Code S.N.C.T. Tuyauteries – The French Codeti code has been added to the TRIFLEX® output piping code options.

6. View Analysis Results – The View Analysis Results report options have been expanded to include a report including a report for all load case combination definitions. Further, the printing of this spreadsheet includes the option to print the currently displayed report. This is essential if it is desired to obtain hardcopy of a spreadsheet in ‘Case Order’ since the normal results display the results for a single selected load case.

7. Spreadsheet Import – The spreadsheet import capability of TRIFLEX has been expanded to include the entire selection of components, allowing the basis of system geometry to be input into TRIFLEX® in this manner.

Modifications

1. Material Property Evaluation – A slight modification has been made to the property evaluation routines for B31.1 and B31.3 materials when the temperature specified is exactly equal to the temperature limits of the material. A formal interpolation is now done if the temperature is exactly equal to the limit, rather than defaulting to the lower or upper end of the property table as was done previously in this instance. No cha nge will be evident should the temperature be set to any value other than the exact upper or lower limit.

2. B31.3 Material Database – The entries for the expansion coefficient for Austenitic Stainless Steels at 200 and 1200 degrees F were found to be in error and corrected to 1.46 in/100ft and 14.20 in/100ft respectively.

3. Modal Participation Factors – No longer does the drop down report selection in View Results erroneously list Modal Participation Factors when spectral information is not available. Previously this could happen if some case definitions were disabled.

4. Angle Calculations – Error checking and correction has been implemented in various dialogs which utilized angle calculation routines. These include the Expansion Joint dialog, Release Element dialog, Anchor dialog, and Wind Load dialog among others. Occasionally certain combinations of data could result in numerical rounding which would invalidate further mathematical manipulation with that result, leading to a program crash.

5. Anchor Graphics – The rendered image of fixed anchors has been modified for smaller diameter piping such that the size of the anchor element corresponds more closely with the attached pipe diameter. Previously the minimum size drawn was approximately 3.5 inches square which proved to be too large to adequately represent piping with diameters less than 1 inch. This is a graphic change only and does not affect any calculation.

6. LNG Calculator – The inability of the LNG calculator to properly pass a custom direction vector back to the input dialogs of the anchor and release element has been corrected.

7. View Analysis Results Sorting – When the View Analysis Results spreadsheet was listed in Case Order, as opposed to Data Point Order, if case names were large, errors could occur when using the sort function (double-click on the column). This problem has been resolved.

8. B31.1 Table A2 Materials – Previously when a material was selected from the B31.1 Table A2 for Low and Intermediate Alloy Steel, the allowable stress as evaluated by the program could be in error, depending on the operating temperature. This release corrects that deficiency.

9. Navy, B31.5, and SPC2 Codes – Three piping codes were found to have problems in serialization, preventing data files, once saved using the piping code, to be properly read back into the program. The problem originally appeared at the transition to unlimited load cases in version 2.6.0 and has now been corrected.

10. Fitting Thickness – Elbow or bend fitting thickness was not converted properly if ANSI pipe sizes (diameters in inches) were used in SI, MKS, or IU1 unit systems and a thickness other than the default was specified. This problem has been corrected.

11. Output Spreadsheet Reports – An error which occurred following the export of the output data to an EXCEL spreadsheet or to an iOut file for use in creating Stress Isometric drawings, wherein the unit field in the spreadsheets were truncated to two characters, has been corrected.

12. Flange, Valve, and Pressure Relief Valve – Data base components now require a non-zero delta dimension entry before the data entry dialog may be finalized. This prevents a problem which occurred when a component could not be found in the data base, was initiated with zero total length, and, if left with no length entry, disappeared from the graphical representation of the piping system.

13. ST-SL Generic Type 310 Stainless – The material database failed to differentiate between ST and SL generic stainless steel entries. The ST entry has been modified such that it is now clearly labeled PRE 1990, as it should have been.

14. PCF Import – The PCF import routine has been modified such that if a coupling component is connected between the end nodes of a piping element, an additional node will be generated to support the coupling.